UPC brings parents from across the district together to enhance the PVSchools experience! 

*UPC is independent from PVUSD and information posted in this newsletter does not represent the views of the Paradise Valley Unified School District.*

We look forward to seeing everyone in January 2024!

UPC does not have a meeting in December.

School resumes January 8th!

Mark your calendars for the January UPC Meeting on Wednesday, January 24th beginning at 9:00a.m. at the district office. At 10:00am, Ms. Maureen Minnick, Director of Fine Arts, and Ms. Leanne Slater, NVAA Coordinator, will be sharing information about Fine Arts programming in the District, the North Valley Arts Academy, NVAA Honors, and the Fine Arts Seal.

Parents, we want to hear from you as we plan this presentation! Please take a moment and complete this brief Google Form and let us know YOUR questions about the Fine Arts programs and opportunities in PVSchools!

Parents of seniors, save the date for this important event!

High school seniors will need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form to apply for federal student aid such as federal grants, work-study funds, and loans. This event will be in person at the PVUSD District Office at 15002 N. 32nd St. from 4:30pm-6:30pm on January 16, 2024.

Please RSVP for this event by completing THIS Google Form.

Click HERE for lots of information from PVSchools about the FAFSA process.

Click HERE to learn about the FAFSA.

Have you received a mysterious text from Benji???

This is the 4th year Benji has been supporting Senior students in PVSchools. Benji is a text Autobot that supports students with their FAFSA completion through their cell phones. It provides free 24/7 FAFSA support to help Arizona families fill out the FAFSA and access thousands of dollars of grants, loans, and scholarships to help pay for education after high school. The organization that it functions under is Education Forward Arizona. It has been a great resource in supporting students with their FAFSA completion. 

This year the district has extended Benji's college and career support to Juniors at Paradise Valley High School and Shadow Mountain High School as a pilot. Benji will be providing information on financial aid, early college access, Senior timeline, and much more. The district wants to learn how Benji support can support our juniors in their exploration of their future college & career plans.

AzFAFSA- Provides support links for FAFSA text, virtual, or in-person support 

AskBenji- This tells you how to access Benji and what Benji has to offer

A huge THANK YOU to Safeway and Albertson's

for their continuing support of PV families.

They generously donated 50 gift card each worth $50 to UPC's Outreach Committee for the Thanksgiving Holiday. UPC worked with Dr. Steve Jeras, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Leadership, and principals to identify PV families in need. The gift cards we distributed to those families before Thanksgiving.

When you check out at Safeway or Albertson's and you are asked if you would like to donate to support meals for the community, this is one of the ways those donations are used! So thank you to all who have donated when checking out!

In case you missed this presentation, HERE is the link to the recording. Thank you to DJ Graham for sharing his knowledge and experience with us! 

Save the date for this presentation in January!

Join Dr. Beth Richter and Dr. Laura Wingers as they discuss - The journey of parenting and teaching young gifted learners poses a unique dilemma, requiring balance: providing appropriate enrichment and challenge while making time and space for the development of the child as a whole. Discover specific strategies and supports for a "whole child" approach to the early years.

This event will be in person as well as on Zoom. Sign up HERE to receive the Zoom link.

View the flyer HERE.

Fall has been a busy time for Curriculum Committees in PVSchools. Check out all the committee updates on the district website HERE.

Please note, PVSchools is currently reviewing resources for a comprehensive English Language Arts (ELA) curriculum for Grades Kindergarten - 6th Grade. We are currently in the 60 Day Community Review period. Materials may be viewed in the district lobby or online. Parents and community members may provide feedback on the materials.

Literature List Committee

If you are interested in serving on the Literature List Committee, please complete this form. When possible, parent representation on district committees will be from across the district and represent diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Please complete this for by noon on Friday, December 15th. Completing this form does not guarantee placement on the committee. If you are selected for the committee, you will receive an email from UPC confirming your participation.

The purpose of the Literature List Committee is to review submitted titles and make a recommendation to the Governing Board to add new titles to the literature list. 

Proposed Meeting Dates:

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Thursday, April 11, 2024

Time of meetings will be 4:00 - 5:30 at the District Office.

Please complete this interest form by noon on Friday, December 15th. 

UPC's Annual Teacher Appreciation Program

is just around the corner! The nomination window begins February 21st and more information will be coming in January. If you would like to help with Teacher Appreciation this year, please contact the Committee Chair, Julie Blumenreich, at [email protected].

UPC has once again partnered with the Arizona Cardinals to offer discounted Cardinals tickets to the PV community! Also, a portion of ticket sales will be donated to the UPC Outreach Committee so they can continue their efforts to support PV though events like Bus Driver Breakfast, Instructional Assistant Appreciation and holiday support for families.

Please use this LINK to purchase tickets!

Anyone can use this link to support the Outreach Committee, so please share it with your friends and family!

Planning has begun for the 2024 School Vendor Showcase!

More information to follow, but mark your calendars now and plan to attend the evening of February 28th!

Would you like to be added to the contact list for future volunteer opportunities on district committees?

Just complete THIS GOOGLE FORM and

UPC President, Jessica Crain, will add you to the contact list.

Career and Technical Education

(CTE) Programs

PVSchools offers a wide variety of Career and Technical Education different programs at all five high schools. You can view a list of CTE Programs available at each school HERE. This presentation includes videos of many of the CTE programs and would be great to watch with your student!

Watch the recording HERE.

Positive Behavior Support

Jon Bowen, PVUSD District SEL Specialist, & Erin Smith, PV Special Education Department, will discuss Positive Behavior strategies at home and school. Families will receive easy to implement strategies to use at home, as well as, learn what strategies are used in PVSchools. 

Watch the recording HERE.

The Gifted Committee and PVSchools' Gifted Education Department have been working together to bring parents information about the variety of gifted programs available in the district.

You can watch videos of all the recent presentations on UPC's YouTube Channel:



CREST Program, click HERE!

Digital Learning Center (DLC at Sunrise Middle School), click HERE!

Journey at Mountain Trail Middle School, click HERE!

North Valley Arts Academy (NVAA), click HERE!

Early Childhood Programs, click HERE!

Learn more about the many Gifted Programs available in PVSchools HERE! .

PVSchools Resources for Families:

HERE is UPC's List of Health and Wellness Resources 

View the District's list of Resources for Families: English and Español

PVSchools is hiring! Check out career opportunities HERE! 

Your participation is vital to the success of UPC and to supporting our students and PVSchools. 

If you have any questions or suggestions, please email [email protected]. 

With gratitude for all you do,

The 2023-24 UPC Exec Team 

PV United Parent Council