Cottonwood-Oak Creek Schools

🎄✨ Spirit Week is coming to Oak Creek Elementary! ✨🎄
Next week is all about celebrating the season and bringing our school community together the way we always have—full of joy, tradition, and a little friendly fun.

Make sure your students join in on the holiday spirit each day. These moments add to the memories that make school special. Let’s finish the year strong and enjoy every bit of the festivities! 🎅📚❄️

Moments like this remind us why that connection matters.
At Oak Creek Elementary, we’re lucky to have YCSO Deputy Hall as our school safety officer — a familiar face who’s built his reputation on one simple gesture: handing out stickers to students every single day. It may seem small, but that steady, friendly connection goes a long way in building trust with kids.

And today, the kids paid him back in the best way.

They caught Deputy Hall off guard and covered him from head to toe in stickers. He stood there laughing, letting them have their moment, proving once again that real safety starts with relationships — the kind built through consistency, kindness, and showing kids you’re in their corner.

This is what positive relationship-building looks like. It’s the everyday interactions that make students feel seen, safe, and supported. We’re grateful for Deputy Hall and the genuine bond he’s created with our Oak Creek kids.

✨ Holiday Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Teddy Armstrong ✨

This season, we’re celebrating the traditions that shaped Teddy Armstrong in the best possible ways. Growing up in the White Mountains of Arizona, Teddy’s family didn’t have much—but they had service, music, and the great outdoors, and that was more than enough.

Teddy’s father, a schoolteacher in their small community, led by example. Holidays meant delivering fresh-baked bread to neighbors, cutting Christmas trees for widows on their street, and shoveling snowy driveways. Those early moments taught Teddy the kind of joy that only comes from helping others. ❤️

Teddy’s childhood was also filled with music—church choirs, school choirs, and singing carols around the Christmas tree. Those songs still bring back the warmth of simpler times. 🎶🎄

And every winter break, Teddy’s dad made sure the family got outside to soak in the quiet beauty of nature. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, hiking—each adventure carved out memories that still guide Teddy today. ❄️🌲

Now, Teddy and her husband are passing those traditions on to their four sons. They spend their time biking, hiking, camping, singing—and, just as importantly, serving. Every year, they quietly choose someone who might be struggling or spending the holidays alone and find a way to lift their spirits.

It’s a reminder that when we take time to serve others, we see our own blessings more clearly. ❤️✨

Help us celebrate Teddy Armstrong and the heart she brings to this season!

🎄✨ Staff Spotlight: Mrs. Stephanie King ✨🎄
Instructional Coach & New Teacher Mentor

For Mrs. Stephanie King, Christmas traditions are the heartbeat of the season. Every year, the day after Thanksgiving, her family kicks things off by decorating their Christmas tree together 🎄, sipping hot cocoa ☕️, and turning up their favorite holiday music 🎶. It’s a timeless way to welcome the holidays.

Another favorite tradition is driving around town to admire the Christmas lights 🚗✨. With candy canes in hand 🍬 and holiday tunes playing, her family soaks up the magic shining across the community. And on Christmas Eve, they keep one treasured custom alive — opening a single present before bedtime 🎁.

In her classroom, Mrs. King builds that same sense of joy and connection. Her students love singing Christmas songs together 🎤 and making ornaments for their families 🎨 — small creations that spread a lot of cheer.

We’re grateful for the warmth, spirit, and guidance Mrs. King brings to our district every day. ❤️🌟

Good Food = Good Mood! 😄🥗
Sodexo is keeping our students fueled and feeling their best this winter. Foods rich in fiber and Omega-3s help support focus, energy, and overall well-being — exactly what our bodies need when the cold sets in. ❄️💪

Pair those nutritious meals with fun physical activities, and you’ve got a winning combo to keep both mind and body running strong all season long.

Thanks, Sodexo, for serving meals that truly make a difference! 👏🥦✨

Cartwheel Comes to Cottonwood! 🎉

Our district leadership had a meaningful afternoon today. Superintendent Vocca, Dr. Alley, and Board President Mrs. Valenzuela met with the national team from Cartwheel to talk frankly about the challenges our rural Arizona families and students are facing when they’re looking for mental-health supports. 💬

The Cartwheel team came ready to listen, and the conversation focused on building stronger partnerships that will strengthen mental-health services for our students right where they need them most — in their own community. 🏫
Students can also receive support in the privacy of their own home, with their parents there to help guide the process. 🏡💙

A solid step forward for our kids and our community. ✨

If your family could use some additional support, reach out to your child’s school counselor or get started here:
https://www.cartwheel.org/families

Staff Spotlight: Lyndsay Ludden, Agriculture Teacher

Oak Creek School is proud to shine a spotlight on Lyndsay Ludden, our dedicated and inspiring Agriculture teacher. With 19 years of experience in education, Lyndsay’s passion for working with children is matched only by her commitment to helping them understand where their food comes from and how to make healthy choices.

In her classroom and school garden spaces, Lyndsay teaches students how to grow, tend, harvest, and cook with fresh ingredients. Her hands-on lessons bring learning to life—whether students are planting seeds, preparing a simple recipe, or sampling the fruits (and veggies!) of their labor. She also takes her upper-grade students on field trips that explore the origins of their food and provide real-world lessons in shopping wisely and on a budget.

Outside of school, Lyndsay pours her love for agriculture into her own ventures: The Hoppy Goat Farm and the Arizona Mushroom Company. Though her spare time is limited, her dedication to cultivating good food and sustainable practices never wavers.

Lyndsay’s greatest passion is empowering the next generation to understand the benefits of eating healthy, knowing what’s in their food, and appreciating the effort that goes into producing it. Her enthusiasm, expertise, and genuine care make her an invaluable part of the Oak Creek School community.

🎅✨ GET READY! Annie’s Elves Arrive December 12th! 🎁

Families, the holiday magic is officially on its way! Annie and her team of cheerful elves will be visiting our campuses on Friday, December 12th, delivering special stockings for our students. 🧝‍♀️🎄

The elves will quietly drop off the sealed boxes in the front offices, where they’ll soon make their way to classrooms. We’re asking everyone to keep the boxes closed until our Annie’s Secret Wish celebration the week of December 15th–17th. The surprise is part of the fun—and we don’t want to spoil the excitement!

Annie and her elves can’t wait to bring a little extra joy to our schools this season. 🎁✨. Thank you, Annie, for helping us keep the magic alive for the kids in our community once again.

With holiday cheer,
Elf Jingle 🧝‍♀️💚

Help support our Athletics!
Download RAISE365 and use code 95035179.
Top fundraising class = extra PE + new recess gear!

#MountainViewPreparatory #HomeoftheOcelots #Raise365 #SupportAthletics #SchoolPride #Fundraiser #TeamWork #PEDay #RecessFun

MVP Robotics Club with Mrs Romey

The MVP Robotics Club had an amazing trip to Flagstaff to compete in this year’s robotics competition!
Our students designed and programmed their very own robot and put their skills to the test against teams from other schools.
A huge shout-out to Mrs. Romey, our dedicated club leader, for making this opportunity possible for our students every year!

#MountainViewPreparatory #HomeoftheOcelots #MVPRobotics #MVP21CCLC #MVPAfterschool #MVP-COCSD #MVPTeamwork

MVP School Christmas Spirit Week is Here!

Get ready to spread the holiday cheer! Join us as we celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with our Christmas Spirit Week! From festive outfits to fun-filled activities, it's going to be a week packed with joy, laughter, and MVP school spirit!

#MVPChristmasSpirit #MountainViewPreparatory #HomeoftheOcelots #MVPHolidayFun #MVPXmasWeek #ChristmasSpiritAtMVP #MVPSeasonOfJoy #MVPHolidayCheer #MVPFestiveFun

Something unusual is on the move.

Somewhere on the highway between Phoenix and Cottonwood, a very large surprise is making its way to the Science Vortex.

Thanks to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix, we are becoming the proud new caretakers of… well… let’s just say it has wings. Or had wings.

Stay curious, Cottonwood.