Sabrina Avitia, Pueblo Alum of the Class of 2011, is Assistant Office Manager, at Castillo Associates, specializing in health and life insurance. Daniel Castillo, President of Castillo Associates, is so impressed with Sabrina’s skills and work ethic, he wants to hire another Pueblo Alum for his expanding business.
Ms. Avitia credits her CTE Tech Apps/Business with her mastery of typing, composing business letters and organization of Excel Spreadsheets. She also says her job shadowing and internship at St. Mary’s Hospital were meaningful opportunities that taught her to interact with the public, skills she uses in her current job.
Jose Santay- Jim Click Nissan
Jose Santay, the poster child for hard work, won the prestigious Jim Click Automotive Scholarship in May 2012. He is now working in the service department of Jim Click Nissan on Automall Drive. As the Scholarship winner, Jose receives $4,000 in free tools and his education is paid for courtesy of Jim Click. After Jose completes his Automotive Certification at Pima, he will continue on to complete his Associates Degree and then his Bachelor’s Degree.
Jose’s supervisor, Jason Davis, said that, “Jose has the attitude and the aptitude to succeed.” Jose gets up at 5:00 a.m. to open the shop at 7:00 a.m. Jose credits his Pueblo experience for where he is today. Endless hours working as Manager for the Basketball Team with Coach Romero, and his internship with Spraymasters Autobody, readied him for work at the professional level.
The 2012-2013 season of Warrior Football is about to begin. To kick-off the season with a bang, we want to invite all Pueblo fans, students and alumni to our White Out Party vs. Tucson High on August 24th. (7:00 p.m.)
We are asking all Pueblo fans to wear white. You can purchase official t-shirts from any member of the football team or at New Stitch, two blocks north of Pueblo for $5.00. Let’s jam the stands and support our Warriors!
Pueblo Warriors White Out Party 2012 Tshirt - $5
Donald Escalante, a proud alumni of the class of 1995, is donating all proceeds to the football team. New Stitch is a proud sponsor of Warrior Athletics and wants Pueblo to return to dominance.
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.
The Pueblo Community lost a dear friend and colleague, Mrs. Martha Arellano-Gutierrez, on April 18. Martha devoted 17 years at Pueblo, beginning as a receptionist and then becoming a staff assistant and an attendance clerk. She also volunteered much of her time with Pueblo’s after school activities.
Pueblo teachers and staff members remember Martha fondly and with great affection.
I am so sad to hear the news about Martha. She was so wonderful and funny. I will always treasure our discussions on caffeine and “cat reactions”. (Dr. Andrew Lettes)
Every morning, one of the first people I would see would be Martha. She always greeted me warmly with a big smile on her face. (Ms. Crystal Reedy)
Martha always said hi and asked how you were and listened and responded to the answer. I miss her smile. So so sad. (Ms. Sally Rusk)
I met Martha Arellano my first day as a Pueblo teacher. From day one, she was always very professional… and very nice! She was never too busy to help me. She also had a great sense of humor. I felt shocked and sad, and my heart goes out to her family. (Mr. Don Robertson)
Martha was always a bright spot in my life; I loved her friendship, her humor, her kindness. You will remain forever wonderful in my heart, Martha. (Ms. Maria Bicknell)
I will always remember Martha’s smile and warm greeting whenever I saw her. (Ms. Theresa Ellis)
I will always miss her “Good mornings!” (Mr. Virgil Henderson)
I will miss her friendly smile, and I am very grateful to her for keeping an eye on my kids when they were attending PHS. They always had someone else to go to when they had questions or concerns. She showed them that she cared. She supported YES Club activities and gave up her lunch hour to help clean up the campus, and she did it with motherly coaxing and a smile. My family will miss her dearly. (Ms. Martha Avila-Miranda, M.Ed)
Martha always laughed at my jokes! (Ms. Sal Vitale)
I first met Martha when I started here at Pueblo in 2009. My first office was in the attendance office, and I got to know her fairly well. She always called me Alonzo, and it took her about two months to get used to calling me Lorenzo. She (along with many of the attendance and office staff) was instrumental in helping me to get settled and situated here at Pueblo. She was a proud mom and an even prouder Nana. I know she will be missed greatly by the Pueblo family. Rest well, my friend. (Mr. Lorenzo Chavez, former GEAR UP College Coach & TRiO Coordinator)
Martha had a special way with people. She knew everyone who came through that door, greeted all of them and made them feel special. I will miss her. (Ms. Marina Ordoñez)
I will forever cherish the times we spent together working the gate at the football games. I will miss her laugh and hugs. I will miss you, buddy. (Mr. Mario Matanza)
In 1997, when Martha was the receptionist at the counseling office, my office as the parent and student liaison was over there. One day, I came to work very upset because a dog I was taking care of destroyed something that was very dear and precious to me. She got me to stop crying, but every time someone walked into my office they would ask what was wrong because it was obvious I had been crying, and I would just start crying all over again. So, Martha made four signs and posted them outside of my office where everyone coming in would see. They read : “ PLEASE DO NOT ASK EVELIA WHAT IS WRONG!” It worked! I will miss you, Martha, and always remember all of the laughs we had together. (Ms. Evelia Lopez)
I remember how Martha was always joking around and making fun of me and saying, “Cris! Que paso?” Her smile was always there… (Ms. Cristina Parsons)
Martha was full of life, and when she greeted me with a lilt in her voice, it made me smile and made my day that much better. One couldn’t help but like Martha and enjoy her company. I will always remember her as “a salt of the earth” type of person who was taken from us much too early. My tears flow as I write this, realizing that Martha is gone. (Mr. Saúl Ostroff)
I can remember going by Martha’s desk on a daily basis and saying “Wie geht’s” (“How are you?” in German), and after a while, I taught her to say “Sehr gut” (“Very good”), and she would always smile afterwards. (Respectfully, Mr. Pete Pederson)
Whenever I was stressed—really, really stressed, especially during newspaper layout session—I’d go to the attendance office, knowing that Martha gave the best massages in the world. I always felt rejuvenated afterwards! I used to joke around with her—that I’d marry her if she gave me a massage every day—that I would do all of the cooking and yard work if she would just massage me! I loved laughing with her. (Mr. Rana Medhi)
I am sorry to hear about the passing of one of our dear coworkers. Martha always had a helpful disposition and a smile on her face. She will be missed. (Ms. Alma R. Wilson)
Martha was helpful to me and my family. I often went out of my way to go see her in the office, especially in the summer when we weren’t busy. Martha’s kind heart and easy going manner always brightened up my day. I will miss her dearly. (Mr. Cristobal Santa Cruz)
Well, I met Marta in 1997 when I started as a counselor here at Pueblo. She was the receptionist in the counseling center. She knew everything that was going on and kept us in line—he he! She had a great heart and would always come to see me to let me know about any students who needed my help. Her daughter, Marlene, is the same age as my oldest daughter, and we talked often about our girls. She never forgot to ask me how my daughter Erin was through the years. I will miss her! (Ms. Debra Thompson)
Martha, I’ll remember our walks at the Santa Cruz, Zumba, and Fry’s Chicken. You were always greeting all that came to Pueblo with a smile. You will be missed. (“Juicy” Susie)
Bill De La Rosa (Left) with Brandon Sanchez at NHS Induction Ceremony
Bill de la Rosa, class of 2012 Senior, is one of 1,000 talented students nationwide to receive the Gates Millennium scholarship in 2012. The scholarship provides full funding through graduate school.
“I see this like a once in a life time opportunity, knowing that I will be secure financially for the next four to eight years of college,” says de la Rosa. “The generosity of Bill and Melinda Gates is a gift from God to me that I will benefit from and be responsible for. I know that God has great plans for me and I will make sure to prepare myself to serve others through the degrees I will receive from my education.”
De la Rosa’s notification letter stated that his “accomplishment is especially notable in context of the more than 24,000 students who applied, making this year’s the largest and most competitive group of candidates in the program’s history.”
De la Rosa has been accepted to Bowdoin College, a nationally renowned college of liberal arts and sciences in Maine. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he plans to attend Harvard Law School, with the goal of using his law degree to assist families unable pay for legal representation.
Since his freshman year, de la Rosa has been one of the top five students in his class. He is currently valedictorian, with a 4.12 GPA. He’s achieved his academic success in spite of family hardship, providing care for his father and siblings during his father’s illness.
Pueblo High counselor Teresa Toro says that de la Rosa “has made being smart a ‘cool’ status on our campus. He is very popular among his peers and is highly regarded by his teachers. He is constantly talking to students about the need for them to do their best and be their best.”
Toro states, “I am beyond proud for Bill and his accomplishments. He is a true example that no matter what life throws at you that you cannot make excuses for not succeeding. He has such high standards, walks the talk, and is still so down to earth and loved and respected by all of his peers and faculty. I have such high regard for him that I asked him to be the peer mentor for my son, who is a current freshman at Pueblo Magnet High School. He is truly deserving of this most generous award by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.”
To complete the circle of giving, De la Rosa’s goals include establishing his own foundation to provide scholarships to future students.
More information about the scholarship is available at gmsp.org.
Pueblo Magnet High School science teacher Dr. Andrew Lettes received the Ron Mardigian Memorial Biotechnology Explorer Award, as part of the National Science Teachers Association (NTSA) 2012 Teacher Awards Program.
Lettes has brought biotechnology into the classroom for over ten of his eighteen years as a teacher. When TUSD’s Career and Technical Education Program decided to offer a bioscience curriculum, Lettes was one of the first teachers onboard. At the time, he was teaching an AP Biology class but only six students were enrolled. He wanted to go beyond traditional topics to get more students engaged in science, particularly those students who might not see themselves as “scientists.”
“I noticed that the students who were enthusiastic about heart dissections were even more enthusiastic about DNA fingerprinting,” Lettes recalls. “Biotechnology jobs are on the rise in Tucson and I want to prepare my students for those jobs; so I developed a Biotechnology curriculum.”
The Biotechnology Explorer Award recognizes teachers who have made biotechnology learning accessible to students and Lettes’ curriculum has done just that. Pueblo serves a predominantly low-income Hispanic population – a population that is typically underrepresented in science, engineering, and technology fields.
“This program opens up doors to careers in science that students didn’t realize had been closed to them,” Lettes noted. “Students that were not interested in upper level science classes before are now lining up to take Biotechnology.”
There are currently 105 students enrolled in the program with 140 interested in enrolling next year.
Dr. Lettes’ former students have gone on to pursue degrees in neuroscience, molecular biology, and science education. Students who have gone on to pursue degrees in other areas have said that Lettes’ class provided them with a strong foundation for their college science course requirements, and for the overall expectation of college studies.
As the recipient of the Biotechnology Explorer Award, Lettes received a $250 monetary gift, a $500 certificate for Bio-Rad products for his classroom, and a trip to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education in Indianapolis last month. Interesting tidbit: While at the conference, Lettes had the opportunity, among other things, to meet and talk science with television actress Mayim Bialik of The Big Bang Theory, who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience both on TV and in real life. Bialik and Lettes both received their doctorates from UCLA.
For more information on Career and Technical Education Programs offered in TUSD, visit the Career and Technical Education Program Web site.
