Community Garden Gets A Pond Thanks To Class Of 2016

During the summer, almost 150 incoming freshmen (Class of 2016) got the chance to experience high school classes through the Freshman Academy Program at Pueblo. For eleven days students took scheduled classes in Math, Statistics, English, Science, and Study Skills learning a multiple array of subjects and the organization of the campus to help them prepare for their first year in high school. 

All the summer program classes laid the foundation for the future academics these students would encounter at Pueblo, with an emphasis on the Core Standards and STEM projects. For example, in science, the students were challenged to design and create a pond ecosystem to replace the old drained cement pond located in the area of the new campus community garden. 

Pond in Community Garden before renovation.

First, student teams used classroom laptops to research about the ecological aspects of pond wetlands.  Then they brainstormed about different pond designs. Nathan Novak, a local landscaping expert and owner of Canyon Pondscapes, worked with the student teams to draw out pond design plans that were within the renovation parameters. Each class voted on team proposed designs and a consensus was reached. For four days each class eagerly participated in bringing this design to fruition despite the June heat. Under the direct supervision of Mr. Novak and Mrs. Straub, their science teacher, the students used a jackhammer and sledgehammer to break apart two feet of concrete to deepen the pond and remove the loosened concrete. 

Students use jackhammers to loosen concrete.

The students then carted in dirt to shape the pond to their design and laid down a liner to prevent water seepage. Rocks and gravel were placed in and around the pond to hold the liner as well as create a natural look. 

The next step was the creation of the water fall.  Every class wanted to see this to be the main attraction of the pond. This meant the coordination of many dirt toting wheelbarrow teams and lots of dust.  Before they knew it, a hill of dirt was ready for rock placements to create the waterfall. 

Students hauling dirt to shape pond.

Finally water was added, the pump turned on and manure was placed along the edges of the pond for future planting of flowers. A pond and waterfall emerged from the ideas and hard work of these new Pueblo Warriors. 

The students felt a great accomplishment not only in completing a student driven project, but in learning how to work as a team to benefit the community by building a wetland pond ecosystem. 

Rocks going into place for new pond.

As a final assignment, the students wrote about their experience.  Overwhelmingly they wrote that despite the oppressive heat the experience was exciting, fun, and rewarding (the following student names are changed for privacy). Sam cherished the fact that he got to, “know how it feels to work like a grownup.” As Lisa pointed out, “a lot of sweat and hard work went into building something pretty that didn’t work and was plain before”. 

Finished Pond in Pueblo Community Garden

Many students also wrote about how they found the teamwork rewarding in accomplishing this goal, as well as, a great chance to meet their fellow classmates. A few talked about the ecological and physiological benefits of the finished product and the hopes to use this area in their future at Pueblo. As Ana wrote, “a successfully built pond provides a feeling of restfulness in an area of interest”.  So many voiced their interest in visiting the pond when they return in August, like Lucy who wrote, “getting the chance to see a pond come alive was (an) amazing experience, every day we saw it get better and better. Our pond will be so beautiful I can’t wait to see the final product.” 

The students did not get to see the addition of plant and animal life, but water plants and fish will be added this summer in order to balance the pond ecosystem. Thanks to the Freshman Academy 2012 students, this new wetland pond ecosystem can be visited and studied by Pueblo students as well as enjoyed by those using the community garden for years to come.

Thanks Elaine Straub for the story & pictures.

Stella Pope Duarte Makes Her Annual Visit To Pueblo

Stella Pope Duarte makes her annual visit to Pueblo

Stella Pope Duarte, author of Let Their Spirits Dance spoke at Pueblo High School on November 21st to the Senior Latino literature classes. Most writers charge a fee to talk about their novels but Pope Duarte does this because she enjoys speaking to young adults, but especially Pueblo High School students. 

She spoke to the seniors about her novels but specifically Let Their Spirits Dance since the seniors are currently reading it. She discussed the themes, the conflicts and the characterization in the novel and the process she went through in writing it.

Stella Pope Duarte writes,  “The students were FABULOUS! I absolutely loved presenting to them. They also pin-pointed some very important issues in the novel.  It is indeed an honor to write stories from our own heritage, stories of heart, soul, blood, and spirit.”

New Administration Team For 2011-2012

Pueblo would like to introduce our new administration team for 2011-2012.  They have set high expectations for our Warriors this school year.

They will be available to answer questions during a special early session at our upcoming Back To School Celebration on August 30, 2011.  They invite all Pueblo parents to join them and discuss the school year.

Pueblo Administration Team 2011-2012

From Left To Right:

Assistant Principal Operations: Vanessa Casillas

Assistant Principal Instruction: Ana Gallegos

Principal: Vivi Watt

Assistant Principal Activities: Frank Rosthenhausler

“Allow me to introduce myself as the new Principal of Pueblo Magnet High School.  I am very excited to become part of the Warrior community and look forward to meeting and working with you in the upcoming school year.  Ana Gallegos will become the new Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction; and along with Frank and Vanessa we believe we will create an awesome leadership team.” – Vivi Watt

Pueblo’s Cajero Library

Why Cajero Library?

If you’ve graduated from an Arizona high school in the last two decades, you owe something to Carmen Cajero, the 90-year-old former state legislator who died Sunday.

Money.

And perhaps the fact you got a diploma in the first place.

That’s because until the 1980s, Arizona high schoolers had to pay for their textbooks. It was Cajero who, 72 years after Arizona became a state, finally convinced her colleagues it made no sense to charge high school students to go to school.

Carmen Cajero

She inherited the quest from her husband, Bernardo, who was president of the Parent-Teacher Association at Tucson’s Pueblo High School.

Bernardo "Nayo" Cajero

Their daughter, Olivia Cajero Bedford, said he learned of kids who did not come to school. She said he would get a list of absentees and visit the parents.

“They would tell him, ‘We’re embarrassed, we can’t afford the textbooks, so we’re keeping our children home,’ ” recalled Cajero Bedford who, like her mother and father before her, now is a state legislator.

“That became his mission: to run for office and change the law,” she said. Bernardo Cajero was elected to the Legislature in 1966 but died seven years later, no closer to his goal.

His widow, Carmen, 56 at the time, persuaded the Pima County Board of Supervisors to appoint her to finish out his term. And she continued getting re-elected every two years.

But Cajero, a Democrat in a Republican-controlled Legislature, said in a 1984 interview that she’d had no idea how difficult it would be to accomplish the goal.

“Even with the budget surpluses we were running in those days, in the area of $40 million a year, everyone said we had to save that money in case there was an emergency,” she said.

For Cajero, the emergency was there for children in her district. “They sent me letters. They even sent me their bills from the (school) bookstore.”

It took until 1984 for the political winds to blow in Cajero’s favor.

A gubernatorial commission on public education supported free texts as one of its recommendations. And Gov. Bruce Babbitt called on lawmakers to provide the necessary funds.

Governor Bruce Babbit with Carmen Cajero

But what may have finally turned the tide is that House Majority Leader Burton Barr signed Cajero’s bill as a co-sponsor, giving it the official blessing of the most powerful elected Republican in the state.

Former House Minority Leader Art Hamilton said it also helped that Cajero — unlike other legislators, including himself — did not use the textbook issue as part of any larger political agenda. “They knew she just cared about the issue,” he said.

That helped her overcome an effort by Sen. Jacque Steiner, R-Phoenix, to tack the issue onto her own legislation to require students to stay in school through the 10th grade, two years longer than required at the time. But Steiner was willing to provide free texts only to those whose family incomes qualified them for the federal free-lunch program.

“When Jacque introduced her ‘only for the needy’ bill, I blew my stack,” Cajero recalled. She said those classified as needy may actually have more available cash than the working poor who do not have the benefit of welfare, food stamps and free medical care.

Hamilton said Cajero also used her position on the House Appropriations Committee to ensure Southern Arizona — and the University of Arizona in particular — did not get lost in the budget negotiations. He said she would “beat the crap out of the rest of us on making sure the U of A got its money.”

She was known for her frugal living style, trying to stretch legislators’ pay as far as possible. During sessions she lived in a travel trailer set up at a Phoenix mobile home park. Cajero retired from the Legislature in 1996.

She also is survived by another daughter, Monica Cajero, and two grandchildren.

Courtesy Of Arizona Daily Star Obituary (April 3, 2007)

A True Trailblazer

State senator Olivia Cajero Bedford didn’t have to look far from home for mentors. She credits her parents Bernardo and Carmen Cajero with having instilled in her a passion for civic engagement and public service.

The family’s history of public service started with Olivia’s father, Bernardo “Nayo” Cajero. The Morenci native settled in Tucson and opened a barber shop in the historic barrio known as “El Hoyo.” It attracted a steady clientele of neighbors, local politicians, teachers and prominent community leaders.

He entered politics encouraged in part by individuals affiliated with the civil rights organization Alianza Hispano Americana and members of the Democratic Party. In 1968, he won a District 10 seat in the Arizona House of Representatives. His work as a precinct and city ward committeeman, and his popularity as an astute businessman and president of Pueblo High School’s PTA, made his election an easy victory.

In January 1973, Bernardo passed away following a series of heart attacks, just as he was beginning his third term as a state representative. Gov. Jack Williams left it to the Pima County Board of Supervisors to select his successor; Carmen Cajero, his widow, was selected to finish his term.

Assuming office, Carmen matched Nayo’s zeal and soon established her own solid reputation as a skillful and smart legislator. Her calm but firm manner won her numerous friends and the respect of colleagues, many of whom fondly called her La Paloma.

She was a champion for the elderly, the poor, women and children. She was particularly proud of introducing an education bill that had been first favored by her husband. The bill called for free textbooks for Arizona’s high school students. She fought for this bill for more than a decade; it was finally passed and signed into law in 1985.

In the 1990s, she introduced a bill that provided state funds to the University of Arizona for bone marrow and cancer research. With her support, the university’s Cancer Research Center was established. She also supported funding for a clinic in her district to help victims of water contamination and pollution. The National Honor Roll of State Legislators acknowledged Carmen for her leadership and efforts to promote and protect the rights of women.

Courtesy of Latino Perspectives Magazine

Pueblo Promoting Wellness

Pueblo is the first school in TUSD to willingly adhere to the Wellness Policy, which is expected to become mandatory in October 2012, in that no non-nutritional food/beverage items may be offered on campus before, during, or after school.

In January 2011, Pueblo High School in collaboration with the U of A’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) team (Gayle Alleman) created a student health advisory committee (SHAC) of students and certified and non-certified staff members.

This Wellness movement is part of a national initiative kick-started by Michelle Obama to address the issue of rising obesity and lack of activity among the youth. This generation is the first generation to face a shorter life span than its parents due to these issues.

By adhering to the Wellness Policy Pueblo H.S. requested Desert Oasis to remove all non-nutritional foods from its vending machines and replace them with healthy snacks that are in compliance with the AZ District Nutrition Standards. The cafeteria was already serving healthy foods, but in order to support us in our application for the US Healthier School Challenge silver award, TUSD food services (Pam Palmo and Amy Weitekamp) upgraded the school breakfast/lunch menu to offer a wider choice of fruits and vegetables and whole grain foods.

The Warrior Store has stopped selling non-nutritional items such as candy, power drinks, cookies etc. and has replaced its food/beverage items to be in compliance also.

Nineteen children were selected by their peers and teachers to participate in the Student Advisory Leadership Team (SALT) training at Camp Y in collaboration with the U of A’s CPPW team. They are now providing peer to peer education with Wakefield and Drachman/Hollinger elementary schools.

We also did a health fair in April to introduce students to new healthful foods/beverages through taste tests and health information. Pueblo’s journalism and media class supported us by publishing the Guerrero magazine focused solely on health topics and covering the health fair event with Pueblo media.

The Blenheim Institute has also approached us to collaborate with Pueblo to create a more healthful living environment for the school.

We have been given grants through Fuel Up to Play, and anticipating more grants from the US Healthy School Challenge and CPPW monies. These monies are being used to erect a fitness course for the students’ use, re-decorate the cafeteria to create a more attractive and informative eating environment and to purchase shade trees for our patio area from Trees for Tucson. We are also in the process of using the money to create a sanctuary for the endangered spade foot toad on Pueblo campus, where a natural habitat for them already exists in collaboration with the herpetology department at the U of A and to purchase additional yoga equipment.

It was very hard work in the beginning to persuade students and staff to make the change and risk possible income loss from the vending machines and Warrior store, because this income financed student activities and athletics. However, student council and the site council voted that Pueblo High School students’ health was not for sale and the movement took off from there.

We want our Warriors to live long and healthy lives!

Parking Lot Gets A Makeover

The YES! Club and Future Teachers of Arizona collaborated this weekend to give our parking lot a little makeover. Members of both clubs came on Saturday morning to paint the curb barriers with Pueblo colors.

Painting barricades Pueblo colors

The following spirited students worked very hard on this project:

Philip Alvarez, Yahaira Barcelo, Angel Barcelo, Peter Casillas, Chantelle Contreras, Manuel Encinas, Brandon Garcia, Alejandra Gonzalez, Adilene Guevara, Oscar Hernandez, Laura Karina Lopez, Yaritza Martinez, Jazmin Nogales, Rheannon Olvera, Alvaro Oquita, Ben Rios, Gabrielle Rios, Clarissa Romero, Lauro Soto, Brisenia Sosa, Gardenia Tapia & Brianna Valencia.

The painting crew
Parking lot painting project

It’s a work in progress and we look forward to the completion of the project.  Great job Warriors! Thank you Mrs. Avila-Miranda & Mrs. Stull for pictures.

BIG THANK YOU to Mike Stanford from the City of Tucson Graffiti Abatement Office and Dunn Edwards Paint for donating all of the blue paint!