We’re excited to host our 5th Annual Stuff the Bus event at Walmart in Nogales on Saturday, December 6 from 8 AM–12 PM!
Join us for a morning full of holiday spirit, student performances, and community giving. You’ll enjoy showcases by the RRHS Hawx Dance Team, RRHS Jazz Band, and the Mountain View Elementary Cheerleaders!
All toys and donations collected during this event will go directly to students in our district to support them during the holiday season. ❤️
Come enjoy the performances and help us spread joy to families across our community this year! 🚌🎁✨
We are incredibly proud to share that Superintendent David Verdugo has been named the 2026 Arizona Superintendent of the Year by the Arizona School Administrators Association! This recognition reflects his heartfelt commitment to our students and his visionary leadership that continues to move our district forward.
Superintendent Verdugo will receive his award at the joint ASBA/ASA Conference in Phoenix this December. Congratulations, Mr. Verdugo Verdugo! 🎉📚
Ayden truly embodies the qualities of a Cheetah: he loves learning, excels in all he does, sets and achieves his goals, treats others with respect, and never gives up. 🐾✨
Ms. Alvarez is a shining example of teamwork and dedication. She collaborates closely with her colleagues, believes student learning drives staff success, and consistently reteaches, enriches, and ensures every minute counts in her classroom. 🍎💙
Help us celebrate these outstanding representatives of SCV35!
Last Saturday, our athletes volunteered with Santa Cruz County Animal Care and Control Services at the rabies clinic. They helped greet and guide community members, document patient and animal history, and clean up after the event. We are especially proud of our students for giving back to the community and choosing to spend part of their Thanksgiving break in service to others.
Thanks to our schools’ Coin Wars fundraiser, and the continued generosity of Garrett’s IGA Supermarket and the Rio Rico Rotary, we were able to provide gift certificates to nearly 100 SCV35 families.
Garrett’s IGA has been a steadfast supporter of our holiday efforts, always stepping up to help ensure families have what they need. The Rio Rico Rotary continues to embody service-above-self, year after year, through their unwavering commitment to our students and community.
We are truly grateful for your partnership and the lasting impact you make. Thank you for helping us support our families in such a meaningful way!
This team exemplifies hard work, dedication, resilience, and true teamwork. Congratulations, Hawks, on representing SCV35 with excellence. Our students continue to do incredible things!
Renata stands out in an extraordinary way: she is the only winner from Santa Cruz County and one of just 20 winners statewide, selected from more than 850 student entries across Arizona. This is truly an outstanding accomplishment, and we could not be more proud.
Our Governing Board Members were delighted to recognize her for her achievements earlier this week. Moments like these remind us of the incredible talent within our schools and the bright futures our students are building every day.
#SCV35AboveTheBar
SCVUSD No. 35 is proud to share that the Arizona Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS) has named our Governing Board President, Ms. Lourdes Vasquez, as their 2025 Outstanding Board Member of the Year.
This well-deserved honor highlights her 44 years of unwavering dedication to supporting students and strengthening educational opportunities across Santa Cruz County. Read more in our press release.
Congratulations, Ms. Vasquez! 🎉
Photo credit: AZALAS/Vincent Medina
Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 proudly highlights Ariana Garcilazo, an SCV35 alumna, for earning an Emmy Award for her work with Telemundo Arizona on the series “Inmigrantes: El motor invisible.”
This marks Garcilazo’s second Emmy Award, recognizing her dedication to impactful storytelling and journalistic excellence. In addition to this recent honor, Ariana Garcilazo was also recently inducted into the SCV35 Hall of Fame, a distinction that celebrates outstanding alumni who continue to represent the district with pride and excellence.
Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 celebrates the achievements of its alumni who continue to inspire current students and demonstrate the lasting impact of an SCV35 education.
Thank you, Veterans!
Congratulations, Superintendent Verdugo, on this well-deserved honor and for your continued dedication to our students, staff, and community!
Read more about his award in our press release below. Photo credit: AZALAS/Vincent Medina
#SCV35AboveTheBar
This valuable educational resource will support and inspire our students as they continue their learning journeys. We also appreciate the Rotary members for personally visiting each 3rd grade classroom to teach students how to look up words, explore maps, and even discover the longest word in the English language!
Thank you, Rio Rico Rotary, for your continued dedication to our students and community. 💙
Earlier this week, Superintendent Verdugo and our Governing Board Members recognized the spectacular artwork created by SCV35 students. These talented artists represented San Cayetano Elementary School, Calabasas School, and Rio Rico High School.
A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated principals, art teachers, and parents for supporting and inspiring our young artists!
Special congratulations to Emely Ramirez, whose artwork has been selected to be featured on items such as aprons and coasters during the upcoming Arizona Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (AZALAS) Conference in November.
🎨 Student Artists:
San Cayetano Elementary School: Sebastian Pacheco
Calabasas School: Mia Alvarez
Rio Rico High School: Christian Padias-Berg, Yael Chavez, and Emely Ramirez
We are celebrating Arts Month in Santa Cruz County! Join us for an afternoon of creativity, community, and inspiration at the Celebrating Young Artists Art Event! 🖌️
🗓️ Saturday, November 1, 2025
🕒 3:00 – 6:00 PM
📍 1904 Historic Courthouse, Nogales, AZ
Parents. students. staff and community members can enjoy a student art exhibit, hands-on workshops, the Art Ambassador Awards, and opportunities to meet local artists! 🏆👩🎨👨🎨
Don’t miss out on this celebration of imagination and hope — because “Art is the highest form of hope.” 💫
From visiting classrooms and celebrating student artwork and accomplishments to cheering on graduates and attending school events across the district, Mr. Verdugo leads with dedication, heart, and pride for every SCV35 student and staff member. 👏
Thank you for your leadership and commitment to our schools and community! 💙
#SCV35AboveTheBar #LeadershipInAction
