Thank you to our Holiday Park families for joining us for a wonderful Cafecito meeting! We appreciate your time, support, and commitment to your children’s education.We were pleased to be joined by Governing Board President Lydia Hernandez and Acting Superintendent Dr. Alfredo G. Barrantes as we connected with families, listened to their voices, and strengthened our school community.

A special thank you to Governing Board President Lydia Hernandez for joining our Peralta families as they gather for Cafecito, an opportunity to connect, share ideas, and strengthen our school community.

Our Peralta families are gathering for Cafecito, an opportunity to connect, share ideas, and strengthen our school community! Joining our families today are Principal, Parent Liaison, School Resource Officer (SRO), and Acting Superintendent Dr. Alfredo G. Barrantes Santamaría.

Families and educators filled the Cartwright Training Center this morning for a Teacher-Parent Workshop centered on early childhood activities and kindergarten readiness. Governing Board President Lydia Hernandez, board member Denice Garcia, and Acting Superintendent Dr. Alfredo Barrantes welcomed families and took part in the classroom activities.

This week, our students are discovering dragon fruit, a vibrant and delicious fruit native to Central America and Mexico, now enjoyed around the world! Through this weekly experience, students will explore fruits from different countries, learn about their origins and cultures, and discover new flavors while building healthy eating habits. At Cartwright, learning goes beyond the classroom...sometimes, it starts with a bite!

Big news from tonight's Governing Board meeting! Please join us in congratulating Bailey Edwards on being named our new Assistant Director of Finance!

☕ Thank You, Cartwright Families, for Joining Us at Cafecito! A huge thank you to the parents who joined us at John F. Long Elementary School! We were honored to have Governing Board President Lydia Hernandez, Acting Superintendent Dr. Barrantes, Principal Leticia Castro, and district leaders present. Special thanks to the Phoenix Public Library for sharing amazing free family resources—from books, games, and hotspots to museum passes and GED classes! 📚 Your active partnership helps build a stronger community. Together, we thrive!

☕👮 Coffee Talk at Starlight School: Keeping Our Schools and Communities Safe! During our Coffee Talk, our School Resource Officer (SRO) addressed parents’ concerns about safety in our schools and surrounding neighborhoods. The Phoenix Police officer also reassured families that Phoenix Police are not enforcing federal immigration laws or working with immigration officers on immigration enforcement. We appreciate our SRO for engaging in an open conversation, answering questions, and helping build trust with our families. Safe schools, informed families, and strong communities!

📚☕ Coffee Talk at Starlight School: Empowering Parents, Building Strong Readers! How can parents help ensure their children are reading at grade level? That was the focus of a wonderful Coffee Talk (Cafecito) event at Starlight School, where families learned about valuable resources and practical strategies to support their children’s reading development at home. Parents were introduced to UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) lessons, a research-based approach designed to strengthen essential reading skills, including phonics, decoding, and word recognition. What a fantastic turnout! We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the parents who took time out of their busy schedules to participate, ask questions, and learn new ways to help their children become confident, successful readers. Joining our families were Principal Becky Nanny, the Assistant Principal, Acting Superintendent Dr. Alfredo Barrantes, Governing Board President Lydya Hernandez, Governing Board Vice President Rosa Cantu, and other dedicated district employees. Strong readers start with strong partnerships between schools and families! Thank you to our parents for making their children’s education a priority and for being active partners in their academic success.

During the second session of today’s Cafecito/Coffee Talk at Frank Borman School, parents learned more about the Boys Town behavior program and strategies they can use at home to reinforce positive behaviors and social skills. The Boys Town approach uses praise and the teaching of social skills to encourage students to take responsibility for their own behavior. Families learned three important strategies they can put into practice: ✨ Teach the behavior you want before your child needs to use it. ✨ Encourage the positive behaviors you want your child to repeat. ✨ Praise, praise, praise! Positive reinforcement helps strengthen and shape positive behavior. Thank you to our parents for taking the time to learn alongside us and for your continued partnership in helping our scholars grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Joining our families were Acting Superintendent Dr. Alfredo Barrantes, Governing Board President Lydia Hernandez, Principal Sierra McAllister, Assistant Principal Nathaniel Neefe, and other district office personnel. We are Cartwright. We are Growing Together!

Thank you to all the parents who joined us for today’s Cafecito/Coffee Talk at Frank Borman School! We appreciate you taking the time to participate and, most importantly, your willingness to learn new strategies to support your children’s learning and success at home. Today’s session, “Fluency: We Are All EARS,” provided parents with practical tips and strategies to support K–8 reading fluency at home. When schools and families work together, our scholars benefit! Joining our parents were Acting Superintendent Dr. Alfredo Barrantes, Governing Board President Lydia Hernandez, Principal Sierra McAllister, Assistant Principal Nathaniel Neefe, and other district office personnel. Thank you, Frank Borman families, for being engaged partners in your children’s education. Your involvement makes a difference! We are Cartwright. We are Growing Together!

☕️ Cafecito at Justine Spitalny STEM School! Justine Spitalny STEM School hosted its monthly Cafecito this morning, bringing families and school leaders together for an important conversation about Title I, AASA and how we are preparing our scholars for the state assessment. Principal Joseph Jacobo proudly shared that many of Spitalny’s teachers have served the school community for years and are certified, highly qualified educators committed to helping every scholar succeed. 🍎📚 Joining our families were Principal Jacobo, assistant principals, our parent liaison, teachers, Governing Board Member Denice Garcia and Acting Superintendent Dr. Alfredo Barrantes. Thank you to our Spitalny families for staying engaged, asking questions and partnering with us to support student success! We are Cartwright. We are Growing Together!

Cartwright School District Reaffirms Commitment to Safe, Inclusive Schools for All Students

We know there is fear and uncertainty in our community from rumors circulating on social media regarding ICE agents. Please know we remain fully committed to providing safe schools with staff that inspire all students to go places and do things that matter.

At the Cartwright School District, we are deeply committed to safeguarding the rights, safety, and well-being of all our students and their families. Through our Safe and Inclusive School Environments (SISE) Policy, we work to ensure that our schools remain safe spaces for learning, free from fear or discrimination based on immigration status, while adhering to Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS).

At Cartwright, we will always remain committed to protecting the rights of all those we serve. Please see below for some additional information that responds to some of the questions we are receiving:
The Cartwright School District and our campuses are safe zones for all students, which includes a safe and stable learning environment, regardless of citizenship status. Students have the constitutional right to attend school regardless of their or their family member(s)' immigration status.

Please continue to check our website for updated information. We will also continue communicating with our families when large-scale updates become available.

We value and stand with every student that we serve. Thank you for your trust, and please do not hesitate to contact your home campus with any questions.

Have questions about ICE's new authority to enter Cartwright district school grounds? Click here for everything you need to know. https://www.csd83.org/page/immigration-resources

Sincerely ,

Dr. Alfredo Barrantes
Acting Superintendent
Cartwright School District

☕️ Thank you to all our C.W. Harris parents who joined us today for our Coffee Talk/Cafecito! Our outstanding principal and parent liaison, along with our Governing Board president and acting superintendent, had the opportunity to share important information, answer questions and connect with our families. We appreciate your time, involvement and commitment to our school community. Thank you for being an important part of the C.W. Harris and Cartwright family! 🎥 Watch highlights from today’s Cafecito: https://youtu.be/ZUUDe4YGY2s?feature=shared

Big news for Cartwright School District! Superintendent Boggs has appointed Teresa Tapia to the Cartwright School District Governing Board. Want to find out more about this appointment and what it means for our community? Click the link below to read the full story! https://www.csd83.org/article/3135238

🎉 Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! 🎉Meet Daniel Mendoza, one of our incredible students who celebrates his culture through music, food, and quality time with loved ones. Click the link below to watch his video and get inspired! 👇
https://youtu.be/a9GzZbHccjQ #HispanicHeritageMonth #HispanicHeritage #CommunityAndCulture

The Cartwright School District Governing Board has been unable to conduct official business after failing to reach quorum at three recent meetings. As a result, employee stipends have been delayed, student meal service contracts remain pending, and school safety matters are awaiting action.

Our students, employees, and families deserve a Board that can meet, deliberate, and move forward. Every voice matters — and so does every vote.

Read the full update here: https://www.csd83.org/article/3132891

This is an official clarification regarding district consultant compensation and the misleading social media posts that have been circulating. Please click here to learn more. https://www.csd83.org/article/3093908

Friendly Reminder: Early Release Tomorrow!

Dear Cartwright Families,

This is a quick reminder that tomorrow, Friday, August 7, is an Early Release Day across our district.

Please note that dismissal times vary by school, see the graphic below for your school's exact dismissal time (12:15 PM or 1:00 PM). 👇

If you have any questions regarding Friday schedules, please feel free to contact your school's front office directly.

Thank you for your continued support! 💙