🎉 Congratulations to Our Happy Futures Classroom Grant Recipients! 🎉

COCSD is excited to celebrate 14 amazing educators who were selected to receive Happy Futures Classroom Grants, totaling $6,035.86! 🍎📚✨

These grants will help bring creative ideas, engaging projects, and additional learning opportunities directly into our classrooms—positively impacting more than 5,300 students!

👏 Congratulations to our 2026 grant recipients:

Angela Aston • Leo Beltran • Stacy Bray • Delaney Fimbres • Kristie Hanshaw • Kathryn Hazelton • Lyndsey Ludden • Denisha Ozuna • Alex Rosenkranz • Kyla SanGiovanni • Stacey Shelton • Karina Tovar • Hande Tufte • Jennifer Vergason

💙 A huge THANK YOU to the Happy Futures Board for continuing to invest in our teachers, classrooms, and students. Your generosity helps our educators turn great ideas into meaningful experiences for kids!

Congratulations to all of our recipients! We can't wait to see these grants in action! 🎉

#COCSD #HappyFutures #ClassroomGrants #SupportingTeachers #StudentSuccess #CommunityPartners

Day of Service Project!

Oak Creek School is partnering with Mingus National Honor Society and Wheel Fun for a Day of Service, and we would love for you to join us!

We love our community, and we are excited to bring students and community partners together to help make it safer, cleaner, and more beautiful for our families.

Come serve alongside us and make a difference in the community we all call home! ❤️

☕🏫 Connecting With Our Community: Proposition 409

This week, Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District was delighted to host the Greater Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce Chamber Breakfast at the COCSD District Office.

Superintendent Jessica Vocca provided a factual, informational presentation about Proposition 409, COCSD’s proposed capital bond, and answered questions from community members. We appreciate everyone who attended, asked questions, and took the time to learn more about the measure that will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

A special thank you to the Greater Verde Valley Chamber of Commerce for the opportunity to connect with our community and to Sodexo Food Service for providing the delicious breakfast burritos! 🌯💙

COCSD is committed to providing our community with accurate, factual information and opportunities to ask questions about Proposition 409.

Stay informed. Ask questions. Know the facts.

#COCSD #Proposition409 #COCSDBond #CommunityInformation #VerdeValley #CottonwoodAZ #CommunityPartnerships

Total Proposed Bond Investment
The proposed total SAFE bond investment is $30,000,000. All figures in the fact sheet reflect 2026 current cost estimates. See the District's Fact Sheet for more information.

Estimated tax rate of $0.43 per $100 of net assessed valuation.
Learn more at www.cocsd.us

What are the facts about Proposition 409?

As voters prepare for the November election, it's important to know what Proposition 409 would do.

✅ Proposition 409 is a capital bond for Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District that will appear on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

If approved, bond funding could be used for:
🏫 Facility improvements
🔒 School safety enhancements
🔧 Infrastructure repairs
💻 Technology upgrades
🚌 Transportation needs

What it is NOT:
• It is not intended to pay teacher salaries or day-to-day operating expenses.
• It is not for building new schools. The district states the bond is focused on maintaining and improving existing schools and addressing aging infrastructure.

According to district estimates, the average tax impact would be approximately the cost of two cups of coffee per month for the average homeowner.

No matter how you plan to vote, take time to review the facts, ask questions, and make an informed decision.

🗳️ Election Day: November 3, 2026

🍎 Parent-Teacher Conferences — Early Release

⏰ EARLY RELEASE REMINDER!

COCSD students will have early-release ½ days on:

📅 Thursday, September 17th
📅 Friday, September 18th

These early-release days allow time for Parent-Teacher Conferences! 👩‍🏫🤝👨‍👩‍👧

⚠️ Release times vary by school, so please check with your child’s school for specific dismissal information.

We look forward to connecting with our families and working together to support every student! 💙🍎

#COCSD #ParentTeacherConferences #EarlyRelease #FamilyEngagement #StudentSuccess

📚✨ Parents, We Want to Hear From You! ✨📚

Is your child participating in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library? We would love your feedback!

During Parent-Teacher Conferences, please take a few minutes to complete our Imagination Library Parent Survey. Your responses help us understand the impact this wonderful program is having on children and families in our community. ❤️📖

Your feedback is especially important because survey results help support funding efforts that keep Imagination Library strong and continue providing FREE, high-quality books to local children from birth to age five.

📱 Simply scan the QR code on the flyer to take the survey.

Every response matters. Thank you for helping us build a community of readers and brighter futures for our youngest learners! 🌟📚

#COCSD #ImaginationLibrary #DollyPartonsImaginationLibrary #EarlyLiteracy #GrowingReaders #BuildingBrighterFutures

📚✨ COCSD Literacy Spotlight: Mountain View Preparatory ✨📚

Our COCSD Literacy Spotlight continues at Mountain View Preparatory! This week, Mrs. McDowell, MVP Librarian, is highlighting The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld. 🐰📖

When something upsetting happens to Taylor, everyone has an idea about what Taylor should do or how Taylor should feel. But Rabbit offers something different—Rabbit simply listens. ❤️

This touching story reminds young readers about the power of empathy, patience, kindness, and simply being there for someone. It’s also a wonderful way to help children talk about their feelings and learn how to support others.

Thank you, Mrs. McDowell, for sharing stories that help our MVP students grow not only as readers, but also as caring and compassionate members of their community!

📚 Building readers. Inspiring futures. One book at a time.

#COCSD #LiteracySpotlight #MountainViewPreparatory #MVP #TheRabbitListened #LoveOfReading #SchoolLibraries #ReadersAreLeaders #SocialEmotionalLearning

📚 September is Attendance Awareness Month!

For Week 3, OCS's Principal, Mrs. Julie Tatum reminds us that Minutes Matter!

A few missed minutes here and there may not seem like much, but over time, they can add up. Arriving at school on time and attending consistently gives students the opportunity to fully participate in classroom instruction, discussions, activities, and learning. ⏰📖

Every day—and every minute—is another opportunity for our students to learn, grow, and succeed.

Thank you to our COCSD families for helping make every minute count! 💜💛

Be Here. Belong. Succeed.

#AttendanceAwarenessMonth #MinutesMatter #COCSD #EveryDayCounts #StudentSuccess

Proposed Improvements at the District Office
Proposed capital bond projects at the District Office include lighting, downspouts, building renovations, a public address system, safe and secure entry access and network infrastructure. Proposed bond investment: $700,000.

Estimated tax rate of $0.43 per $100 of net assessed valuation.
Learn more at www.cocsd.us

Examples of Proposed Projects
Examples of projects on the proposed capital bond list include HVAC systems, roofing repairs, lighting improvements, sidewalk safety repairs, parking lot improvements and water and plumbing improvements.

Estimated tax rate of $0.43 per $100 of net assessed valuation.
Learn more at www.cocsd.us

🍼💙 HELP US SUPPORT HEALTHY BABIES & HAPPY FAMILIES! 💙📚

Our Healthy Babies = Happy Families Donation & Book Drive is officially underway, and we need our community’s help!

This year, we’re teaming up with the Arizona Diaper Bank during Diaper Need Awareness Week, September 14–20, as part of a statewide effort to collect 1 MILLION DIAPERS! 🎉

Even better — during this special week, donations can go twice as far through matching funds! A donation that would normally provide one bundle of diapers can help provide TWO. 🙌

🥤 Another easy way to help: Stop by Culver’s in Prescott Valley during September 14–20 and round up your purchase to support the effort. Grab a meal or a tasty treat while helping us work toward our local goal of $10,000!

❤️ Best of all, everything collected locally stays right here in Yavapai County, helping babies, families, and community members in need.

You can help by:
• Donating diapers, books, or funds
• Sharing this post and our flyer
• Asking a local business to display the flyer
• Liking and sharing upcoming posts to help us spread the word

Every diaper. Every dollar. Every share. It all adds up to healthier babies and happier families. 💙

Please help us spread the word!
#HealthyBabiesHappyFamilies #DiaperNeedAwarenessWeek #YavapaiCounty #ArizonaDiaperBank #CommunityHelpingCommunity #OneMillionDiapers

🏫 COCSD Community Tour | Cottonwood Education Services Campus

Built in the 1950s, with portable buildings added in the 1970s and the gym constructed in the 1980s, the Cottonwood Education Services Campus is showing the effects of decades of use and aging infrastructure.

Facilities Director Matt Dalton recently led community members on a firsthand tour of some of the campus’s most pressing needs:

💧 Water main breaks that have caused school closures
💧 Roof leaks, faulty downspouts and leaking ceilings
💧 Gym flooding, structural settling and significant cracks in the building and floor
💧 Aging swamp coolers
🏃 A track in need of repair
🏟️ A scoreboard that needs replacement
💡 Ball field lighting that no longer works

These aren’t simply cosmetic concerns. They affect school operations, community programs, safety and the learning environment for our students.

Seeing is understanding. Thank you to everyone who joined us to see the challenges firsthand, ask questions and learn more about the needs of our schools.

#COCSD #CommunityTour #OurSchoolsOurCommunity #SchoolFacilities

Get it while it’s H-O-T!
Verde Tech PTO's Little Caesars Fundraiser is open for orders! Have you purchased your Meal Deal Codes yet?
Use this link to get your Meal Deal Code TODAY! https://fundraising.littlecaesars.com/fundraiser/meal-deal/e9592188-0b96-4151-931c-165d6f629c87/products
Remember Meal Deal Codes are sent via email immediately after purchase. No waiting or shipping fees!

📚✨ COCSD Literacy Spotlight: Oak Creek School ✨📚

We’re continuing our COCSD Literacy Spotlight by celebrating the wonderful books our school librarians are sharing with students!

This week, Mr. Wheeler, OCS Librarian, is highlighting Sometimes I Kaploom! by Rachel Vail, illustrated by Hyewon Yum. 📖💙

Big feelings can sometimes feel overwhelming—and that’s okay! Sometimes I Kaploom! helps young readers explore what happens when emotions become BIG and offers a relatable way to talk about recognizing, understanding, and handling those feelings.

Through stories like this one, students can build literacy skills while also developing the words they need to understand themselves and others. ❤️

Thank you, Mr. Wheeler, for helping our OCS students discover books that encourage reading, reflection, and growth!

📚 Building readers. Inspiring futures. One book at a time.

#COCSD #LiteracySpotlight #OakCreekSchool #OCS #SometimesIKaploom #LoveOfReading #SchoolLibraries #SocialEmotionalLearning

✈️ Calling all future aviators! 💙💛

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is hosting Girls in Aviation Day, and our students have an exciting opportunity to explore the world of aviation! 🚁✈️

Girls in Aviation Day is designed to inspire young women to discover the many possibilities available in aviation and aerospace while connecting, learning, and having fun.

📅 Saturday, September 19
⏰ 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Flight Line

Interested families can scan the QR code on the flyer to apply.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to dream big, explore future careers, and see where a passion for aviation can take them! 🌟

Questions? Contact fiorills@my.erau.edu

#COCSD #GirlsInAviationDay #EmbryRiddle #WomenInAviation #FutureAviators #STEMEducation #CareerExploration #DreamBig

💜 September is Attendance Awareness Month!

For Week 2, CCS's Principal, Mrs. Heather Wacker reminds us that Belonging Starts With Showing Up!

School is about more than academics. It’s a place where students build friendships, connect with caring adults, discover their interests, and know they are an important part of their school community. 🏫✨

Being present helps students build those important relationships and strengthens their sense of connection and belonging.

Thank you to our COCSD families for helping our students show up, connect, and grow! 💜💛

Be Here. Belong. Succeed.

#AttendanceAwarenessMonth #BelongingStartsWithShowingUp #COCSD #EveryDayCounts

🇺🇸 Labor Day — No School

📣 REMINDER, COCSD FAMILIES!

There will be NO SCHOOL on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day. 🇺🇸

We hope our students, staff, and families enjoy a relaxing 3-day weekend filled with time together! ❤️🤍💙

🍎 We’ll see everyone back at school on Tuesday!

#COCSD #LaborDay #NoSchool #ThreeDayWeekend #COCSDFamily

📐✨ STAFF SPOTLIGHT: MRS. LAURIE ALTRINGER! ✨📐

At COCSD, we believe in meeting students where they are—and giving them opportunities to soar when they’re ready! 🚀💙💚

➕ Each year, many of our 8th grade math standouts have the opportunity to take Advanced Algebra I with the amazing Mrs. Laurie Altringer at Verde Tech High School. 📚🧮 Even better? Students who successfully complete the course can get a head start by earning high school math credit! 🎓👏

🤝 This year, the classroom is growing! We’re excited to welcome 8th grade students from Clarkdale and Immaculate Conception who are joining COCSD students for Advanced Algebra I. 💫 We love seeing students from across our community learning, collaborating, and challenging themselves together! 🌎🤩

And Mrs. Altringer isn’t stopping at Algebra I! ➗✖️ She is also teaching Algebra II to Verde Tech High School students on the CES campus this year. 🎯📈

From building strong math foundations in our youngest learners 🍎 to opening doors to advanced coursework as students are ready 🚪✨, we’re proud to create opportunities for students to grow, achieve, and reach their next level! 💪🎓

💙💚 Thank you, Mrs. Altringer, for challenging our students, supporting their growth, and making MATH add up to BIG opportunities! 🧮➕🌟

#COCSD #StaffSpotlight #MathMatters #AdvancedMath #StudentSuccess #VerdeTechHighSchool #FutureReady #COCSDDifference 💙💚🍎