Principal's Page
New River Community,
This year, as we celebrate New River Elementary’s 90th year, we will also be reflecting on the history of our school since its opening in 1934 and recognizing all the amazing reasons why “It’s a great day to be a Wildcat!” I am thrilled to continue serving as the principal for my fifth year at New River and my 30th year in the Deer Valley Unified School District. In 2023, I was awarded the Arizona School Administrators Rookie Principal of the Year. This recognition is a testament to the collective efforts we have made as a community to support student learning.
Our focus for the upcoming year will be aligned with our school mission statement: Working collectively, we ensure every student thrives through high-quality instruction and dynamic learning, creating a culture of shared responsibility for every student. Our focus includes fostering a growth mindset, setting goals, and celebrating each small step towards those goals. We will also be encouraging a positive view of mistakes as opportunities to learn.These skills will be integrated into our academic instruction and STEAM activities. In addition to academic growth, we will be continuing our support for the social-emotional needs of students through our positive behavior interventions using CATS and All Things EQ.
As we move through the year, we will continue to ensure all students achieve high levels of learning through our multi-tiered process, which includes solid instruction for all students, reteaching to those who need it, and additional interventions to fill learning gaps.
Our teachers will continue to receive additional support this year through Project Momentum. This is a grant that brings professional development on our early release days and provides funding for teachers to have release time to collaborate together in professional learning communities (PLC) to sharpen their instructional knowledge of the content and instructional practices.
As the principal, I will continue to support teachers using Breakthrough Coaching strategies. There will be coaching days when I am in classrooms all day. On these days, I will not be available in the office and may not return parent phone calls until the next day. I appreciate your understanding, as these practices have shown to improve student achievement.
New River Elementary has remarkable students, the best staff, supportive families, and strong business partnerships, which can only lead to a thriving outcome. I look forward to our continued partnership as we work together to prepare our kids for the future- “Today’s learners, tomorrow’s leaders!”
Sincerely,
Dr. Tina Marone
Principal, New River Elementary School