Catalina Foothills School District

Orange Grove Middle School students won the Arizona Council on Economic Education's (ACEE) statewide competition. Check out the full story here.

 

Since 1992, Foothills legend Renee Shane-Boyd has transformed the Catalina Foothills Falcon Band from a small group of 17 students into the largest marching band in Arizona. This inspiring story was produced by Foothills grad Noor Haghighi, Class of 2021.

 

Catalina Foothills School District is the only K through 12 school district in Southern Arizona to have every school earn an "A" grade from the Arizona Department of Education in 2025. Read more here.

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Fifth graders from Manzanita and Ventana Vista Elementary Schools created portraits of animals up for adoption through a partnership with The Humane Society. The portraits are displayed on the animals' enclosures to help encourage adoptions.  Watch video here.

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Learn more about what’s new in CFSD this school year, including a new guitar and orchestra building, seven brand new buses, a college and career counselor focusing on students' plans after high school, and cutting-edge approaches in math education. ​​Watch video here.

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As they hiked through the Box Camp Trail on Mount Lemmon, the students in CFSD's Mount Lemmon Backpacking Camp didn’t have a single electronic in hand. Lessons included how to make first aid kits, how to set up a tent, and how to stay hydrated. Watch video here.

 

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Manzanita Elementary School hosted an evening full of sports-themed science at its STEM night.  “It allows them (students) to see how science applies to all kinds of fun stuff that we are doing on a regular basis,” says STEM integration specialist Kelly Taylor. View the video here.

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Through this Career & Technical Education (CTE) pathway at Catalina Foothills High School, students are introduced to the scope, rigor, and discipline of engineering. View the full story here.

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Sixth graders in Ms. Smith’s class are helping advance NASA research on growing plants in space. Growing Beyond Earth® allows them to learn and work with a Fairchild-designed plant habitat similar to the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) on the International Space Station. 

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On November 28, 2024, the CFSD Governing Board approved the appointment of Dr. Denise Bartlett as CFSD's next superintendent.  View video here.

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In their first year of the Theatre Arts track, students get the opportunity to learn both parts of stagecraft: acting and theatre tech.  View full story here.

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The U.S. Department of Education named Sunrise Drive Elementary a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School, defined as one of the state's highest-performing schools as measured by state assessments. View full story here.

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To observe Constitution Week, longtime CFSD family members Ted and Matt Schmidt delivered a presentation on America's beginnings dressed as two of our founding fathers. View full story here.

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In Sports Medicine, students gain a greater understanding of science and the structure and function of the human body as it relates to injury and illness. View full story here.

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“Being a Foothills grad definitely influenced how I teach. When I was at Foothills, I always felt like it was a welcoming and inclusive community,” Manzanita first grade teacher Melissa Landau said. View full story here.

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KGUN anchor Heidi Alagha decided to visit Esperero Canyon Middle School to try her hand as an education assistant (EA). She found that EAs play a key role in delivering quality education at our schools.   Read the complete story here.