Business Students Raise Funds For Children In Afghanistan

In a town thousands of miles away, a former Desert Hills student now in the military is working to bring the sport of soccer to children in Afghanistan, and the Desert Hills FBLA chapter is raising money to make this project a reality.

Becky Almeida, a 2004 DHHS graduate, has been serving with the U.S. Army for three years, and is currently stationed with her husband outside of Kabul, Afghanistan.

"We are working out of Bagram Air Field, which is the main American base," she writes. "While working at one of the hospital gates, my husband saw the conditions the kids were playing in and noticed that they could use some help with their soccer field."

The couple is now working to raise money to buy soccer balls and other equipment for the children in an area adjacent to Bagram Field.

"I have met some amazing Afghanis," writes Almeida. "One elder almost brought me to tears when he thanked me for being here and said it’s because of us that the Taliban have left his village."

"Also, the children here are so smart," she writes. "A lot of them speak English nearly fluently and can read and write in four languages. Needless to say, I’d love to get this project together and at least give these kids something as simple as a decent soccer field."

To make this project happen, the DHHS Future Business Leaders of America chapter recently coordinated a school fundraiser in order to pay for the soccer equipment, in conjunction with Soccer Shack and Sports in Gilbert.

"Working with a former student on this project really helps to personalize the struggle in Afghanistan for our current students," says FBLA advisor Jaci Jones. "It’s important for the teenagers in our country to realize what’s going on over there, and to have a chance to be involved in a effort like this is invaluable."

For more information on this project, contact the Desert Hills school office at 480-813-1151.

Summer/Fall Event Schedule At DHHS

Upcoming Events For 2010/2011 School Year:

* Summer Open House - Wednesday, July 21, 2010 (10 a.m. - 2 p.m.). Come check out Desert Hills High School, featuring an array of academic and athletic programs in a prep-school environment! Call 480-813-1151 for more details.

*New Student Orientation – Freshmen:
Wednesday, July 28 (10 a.m. to noon)

*New Student Orientation – Grades 10-12:
Thursday, July 29 (10 a.m. to noon)

* School Begins – First Day of Block 1:
Tuesday, Aug. 10

* Labor Day – No School:
Monday, Sept. 6

* Mid-Term, Block 1:
Tuesday, Sept. 7

* Fall Open House:
Thursday, Sept. 9

Desert Hills Graduate Shines As Rodeo Queen

For Ashley Bosack, a recent graduate of Desert Hills High School and Arizona's High School Rodeo Queen, weekends are filled with competitions, award ceremonies and public appearances.

As an ambassador for the sport of rodeo, Ashley, 18, can be found each weekend at any one of a number of events across the Southwest. And she's been involved since before she was in middle school.

Last summer, Ashley was selected as Arizona's Rodeo Queen, and in July she competed for the national high school rodeo title in New Mexico, scoring a top 10 designation and furthering the career that she began at the age of 10.

"I've always been involved in all sorts of rodeo events," Ashley says. "It's just something I've always done, and loved to do."

As Arizona's Rodeo Queen, Ashley travels to schools throughout the state, speaking to students about the excitement of rodeo. In addition to competing at weekly events and making public appearances, the hard-working student trains horse and participated in the Desert Hills High School FFA program. "It all keeps me pretty busy," she says.

Ashley was recently awarded a full rodeo-related scholarship to Central Arizona College, and is a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association ( PRCA), a national group dedicated to the sport.

Students Earn College Credit At Desert Hills

Students - are you interested in earning college credit while attending Desert Hills High School?

Seats are still open in two Desert Hills courses to be taught this coming school year by Instructor Jaci Jones in conjunction with Chandler Gilbert Community College. Students who successfully complete these courses not only earn credit toward their high school diploma, but also three college credits.

Chandler Gilbert Community College courses offered at DHHS this year will include Business Management in Block 1, and Accounting in Block 3.

Business Management describes for students the characteristics and activities of local, national and international business. Accounting covers the principles of accounting - the universal language of business - and is a required class for anyone thinking of pursuing a college degree in any business-related field.

For more information about earning college credit at Desert Hills High School, contact Mrs. Eaton in the Academic and Career Center, at 480-813-1151.

Former DHHS Student Graduates With Honors From ASU

Desert Hills High School Valedictorian for 2006, Laurel Warner, graduated recently after only 3.5 years from Arizona State University's Barrett's Honors College. She graduated Summa Cum Laude and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Literature.

After graduating from Desert Hills, Laurel originally attended Azusa Bible College in California but, missing her family, returned to Arizona and ASU after being accepted into the university's Honors College.

She now plans to teach English in the Philippines for six months-to-one year, and then will move on to teach in Thailand. Laurel is the second DHHS Valedictorian to graduate Summa Cum Laude from an Arizona university. Kristen Lullo, Desert Hills' 2005 Valedictorian, graduated from Northern Arizona University last May.

DHHS Teacher Wins National Award

Kathy Lindstrom, a language arts teacher at Desert Hills High School, recently earned a "Teacher of Honor" designation from Kappa Delta Pi, an international honor society in education. Lindstrom joins a small group of remarkable educators recognized with this honor, and is the first teacher to receive the award for 2010.

"It is because of her passion and leadership that Ms. Lindstrom has achieved such success with students in helping them achieve," says Principal Art Madden. "With her assistance, Desert Hills reached the highest level of state testing achievement."

Lindstrom is a 21-year veteran teacher, and has worked with a wide variety of students in California and Arizona. In her years at Desert Hills, she has served as English Department Chair, where she has mentored new English teachers, and led the curriculum development of courses, with specific attention to the Arizona Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) preparation course.

Ms. Lindstrom's work in the English department has helped boost student test scores by 40 percent. Additionally, she played an integral role in assisting DHHS meet full national accreditation with AdvancED.

She has been a member of the Arizona Department of Education's (ADE) AIMS committees since 2005, and has assisted the state in developing both the AIMS reading tests and the scoring for the AIMS writing exam.

ADE Deputy Associate Superintendent Robert Alley called Lindstrom "a valuable contributor to creating and maintaining the integrity of the AIMS exam." Alley also says that "it is only with dedicated educators such as Ms. Lindstrom that ADE can keep the AIMS a reliable and valid measure of the academic standards."

Lindstrom has been an active volunteer at Phoenix Rescue Mission, a nonprofit organization that cares for the poor and needy through homeless emergency services, addiction recovery, and family and community outreach. Additionally, she is vice president of the Arizona Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, through which she manages, recruits, and maintains the membership of the organization.

She is earning her Doctor of Education at Northcentral University, and holds her MA in Curriculum and Instruction and a BA in English.