On behalf of the Fountain Hills Unified School District, I would like to welcome all families and community members to the 2014-15 school year. On Monday, Aug. 4, the school doors will open and we are excited to greet all new and returning students and their families.

There is a lot of work to do with the ever-changing landscape of public education, and FHUSD is up to the challenge. During the 2014-15 school year, we will continue to fine tune our focus on aligning our curriculum and instructional practices to the Arizona College and Career Readiness Standards, and stay the course with our ongoing mission of providing schools that are safe, vibrant places for learning; where all students are challenged and excel.

We will be welcoming 15 new teachers and a new McDowell Mountain Elementary principal, Valerie Dehombreux, to help us achieve our goals. Many of our new staff members are coming to us with several years of experience, and together with our returning staff, we are anticipating a year that holds the promise of high student achievement.

We will not lose sight of our ongoing efforts of enhancing partnerships with post-secondary institutions, offering a wide range of honors, Advance Placement and dual enrollment courses, and offering teacher-sponsored clubs, activities and interscholastic programs at all grade levels. We will also not lose sight of our responsibility for providing highly competitive and rewarding educational experiences for all students while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

I welcome you to the 2014-15 school year and encourage you to visit our schools, become involved, and collaborate with us as we continue to achieve and celebrate educational excellence.