Thank you to our wonderful Administrative Assistants in SMUSD!
about 15 hours ago, Liz Giacovelli
Admin Professionals Day
Our ASD class from Winters' Well and our MD class from Desert Sunset recently had an incredible field trip to the Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium & Safari Park!

One of the biggest highlights of the day was the marine and otter show. Students were fully engaged as trainers shared fascinating facts about sea lions—what they eat, how they are cared for, and the training techniques used to work with them.

It was a meaningful, hands-on learning experience that brought classroom concepts to life while creating lasting memories for our students!
about 16 hours ago, Deeana Arrowood
Seal
📣⚾️🐦‍🔥TVHS Baseball Fans tonight's the night!!!! SENIOR NIGHT!! Please join us as we celebrate our 8 seniors and cheer on this great group of boys.The Senior Night celebration will kick off at 3pm with varsity game to follow at 4pm against Trivium Prep. So come on out for the tears and the cheers...and show our seniors and team so much deserved Phoenix🐦‍🔥 pride love! ⚾️🐦‍🔥
6 days ago, TVHS
TVHS Senior Baseball Players
Attention students who are enrolled in band for next school year and their families: there will be a mandatory band meeting on April 24 at 5:00 PM in the High School Auditorium.

We will be sharing important information about the upcoming band year, including expectations, important dates, upcoming events, and next steps for students in the program.

We look forward to seeing you there.
7 days ago, Joel Wisser
Band Meeting
Band Meeting
Good afternoon SMUSD Families. The School Board will be voting on the district boundary changes at the Governing Board Meeting on Wednesday April 8th at 6 p.m. These changes come from the recent decision to reconfigure our schools. Boundaries will be as follows: TVHS (9-12, Remains the same) WWES (K-4, Remains the same) RFMS (5-8, Becomes current WWES boundary) TES & DSES (K-4 and 5-8 for the Tartesso and Teravalis communities). We will continue communication as further decisions are made regarding transportation, athletics, and more. Thank you for your continued patience and support during this period.

15 days ago, SMUSD
Dear Saddle Mountain Unified School District Parents and Guardians, This is a reminder to please complete your child’s summer school registration by Friday, April 3rd at 11:59 PM. The registration form will close promptly at that time. If your child was recommended for summer school, a registration form should have already been provided. We encourage you to submit the form as soon as possible to ensure your child’s participation. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact your child’s school. Thank you for your attention to this important deadline. Sincerely, Liz Giacovelli Estimados padres y tutores del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Saddle Mountain: Este es un recordatorio para que completen la inscripción de su hijo(a) a la escuela de verano antes del viernes, 3 de abril a las 11:59 p.m. El formulario de inscripción se cerrará puntualmente a esa hora. Si su hijo(a) fue recomendado(a) para la escuela de verano, ya debería haber recibido un formulario de inscripción. Les recomendamos enviarlo lo antes posible para asegurar la participación de su hijo(a). Si tiene alguna pregunta o necesita ayuda, por favor comuníquese con la escuela de su hijo(a). Gracias por su atención a esta fecha límite importante. Atentamente, Liz Giacovelli
22 days ago, SMUSD

We are proud to highlight the incredible work of Dr. Shane Hunt in expanding the Doctoral School Psychologist Program within the Saddle Mountain Unified School District.

Each year, Saddle Mountain welcomes at least two doctoral-level psychology interns from across the United States, in addition to practicum students from Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University. This program continues to grow under Dr. Hunt’s leadership, creating meaningful opportunities for future school psychologists while strengthening the supports available to our students.

This initiative benefits our entire community. By bringing in highly trained interns and practicum students, we are able to increase staffing, enhance services, and provide additional layers of support for students and families. At the same time, we are helping develop the next generation of professionals who may one day serve right here in our schools and community.

Saddle Mountain is committed to both supporting students and investing in the future of the profession—and this program is a powerful example of that work in action.

29 days ago, Deeana Arrowood
Dr. Shane Hunt
Congratulations to Mrs. Tammy Doerksen, Principal at Desert Sunset Elementary School, for being named Outstanding Principal of the Year in Saddle Mountain Unified School District.
29 days ago, Liz Giacovelli
Mrs. Tammy Doerksen,  Principal
Day ten of our trip didn't go exactly as planned but that's ok. We started with breakfast at McDonald's and then saw the world's second largest hammer. After that it was a series of neat misses. We were supposed to see a 30 ft robot in Santa Fe, but for rerouted due to an accident, we missed Petroglyph National Monument due to trying to see a roadside classic car museum that is no longer there. We did have Blake's Lota Burger for lunch and Chile Chicken for dinner. Tomorrow we will finish our trip.
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
breakfast
Hammer
lunch
lunch
dinner
Day nine of the RoboColts trip. We left Iowa early this morning and made it all the way to Denver. We saw the Archway Museum, ate lunch at Runza, explored downtown Denver, stopped by Casa Bonita, and had dinner at Panda Express. Off to Albuquerque in the morning.
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
leaving Iowa
Archway Museum
Archway Museum
Mile high step
CO State Capitol
blue bear
casa Bonita
Panda
You can follow the RoboColts in action today and Saturday while they compete in the US Open in Iowa. Go to this link and scroll down to the Middle School section. Team 4461A is the red division and team 4461B is in the blue division. https://create-webcast.netlify.app/home
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
RoboColts
Day six of our trip was the first day of the tournament for skills only. Both teams passed inspections quickly and got their skills runs in. Before the competition the kids pushed the last snowball down the hill. We also swung by DQ for free small cone day! Tomorrow is the first day of qualification rounds.
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
last snowball
at the competition
our booth
inspections
skills run
skills run
mascot
sunset
Brantley
dq
Day five of the RoboColts trip was action packed. We started with breakfast pizza from Casey's, a trip to the Lauritzen Gardens to see the trolls, we scoped out the high school robotics tournament, had lunch at PepperJax, got the annual bag haircuts, took ATV rides around the property, played with the last of the remaining snow, dinner at Pizza Ranch where Selman knocked down a PR of 20 over cream cones. We closed the night with a trip over the walking bridge. We begin our tournament tomorrow afternoon!
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
Lauritzen Gardens
trolls
vex tournament
lunch time
before the haircuts
after the haircuts
number twenty
the last snowball
under the bridge
walking bridge
Day five of the RoboColts trip was action packed. We started with breakfast pizza from Casey's, a trip to the Lauritzen Gardens to see the trolls, we scoped out the high school robotics tournament, had lunch at PepperJax, got the annual bag haircuts, took ATV rides around the property, played with the last of the remaining snow, dinner at Pizza Ranch where Selman knocked down a PR of 20 over cream cones. We closed the night with a trip over the walking bridge. We begin our tournament tomorrow afternoon!
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
Lauritzen Gardens
trolls
vex tournament
lunch time
before the haircuts
after the haircuts
number twenty
the last snowball
under the bridge
walking bridge
Fun event for families, we hope to see you there.
about 1 month ago, SMUSD
Easter Egg Hunt
Day four of the RoboColts journey to Iowa was a full day. Not only did we get to see it snow, but we also saw the Black Angel statue, the Abraham Lincoln Lookout, the Dodge House, lunch at Taco John's, the Durham Museum, World's Largest Ball of Stamps, a part of the original Lincoln Highway, Hollywood Candy, and dinner at California Tacos from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
snowball fight
black angel
Lincoln Lookout
dodge house
Durham Museum
Durham Museum
world's largest ball of stamps
original Lincoln highway
Hollywood Candy
Cali tacos
Today was day 3 of the RoboColts road trip and we finally made it to Iowa. Our first stop off the day was at the very first Pizza Hut, lunch at Spangles, a cool experience at the Whispering Bench, and finally pizza at our destination in Council Bluffs.
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
breakfast
original pizza Hut
pizza Hut museum
Spangles
whispering bench
pizza for dinner
Day 2 of our trip to Iowa was VERY windy. We followed Route 66 from Albuquerque to OKC. Our stops today included the world's largest flip flop, Cadillac Ranch, lunch at Buc-ees, dinner at the Garage, and a stop at the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. Tomorrow, we will arrive in Iowa.
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
world's largest flip flop
Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch
Buc-ees
the garage
OKC bombing memorial
OKC bombing memorial
OKC bombing
Today the RoboColts began their journey to Council Bluffs, Iowa for the US Open national tournament. On the way we made stops at the Navajo County Historic Courthouse, had lunch at Colonel Mustard's, saw the Continental Divide, and had some Detroit Style Pizza at Thicc's Pizza, downtown Albuquerque. Tomorrow we head to OKC.
about 1 month ago, Joel Wisser
all packed up
Holbrook, AZ
Historic county jail
Luis laying down in jail
courthouse
jail time
outside the courthouse
Colonel Mustard's
Continental Divide
Detroit Pizza
☀️🚀 TVHS CTE Summer Camp is Back! 🚀☀️

Tonopah Valley High School is hosting an exciting, hands-on CTE (Career & Technical Education) Summer Camp — and you’re invited!

📅 June 9-12
⏰ 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM
👥 Open to all incoming Saddle Mountain Middle School students!

Students will get to explore high-demand, high-interest programs, including:
🔨 Carpentry
🧸 Early Childhood Education
🎨 Graphic Design
🚓 Law & Public Safety
🩺 Medical Assisting
💻 Software & App Design

This is an incredible opportunity to discover new passions, build skills, and experience what CTE is all about — all while having fun!

📌 Check out the attached flyer for details and scan the QR code to register.

🛑 Registration closes FRIDAY, APRIL 3RD — don’t wait!
about 2 months ago, SMUSD
CTE Summer Camp  2026