Cottonwood-Oak Creek Schools

Verde Tech High School students wrapped up the third quarter with an incredible barbecue celebration, featuring chickens they raised and processed themselves! 🐓🔥 A huge shoutout to our students and staff for their hard work and hands-on learning—what an amazing way to connect classroom skills to real-life experiences. 👏🌟 #VerdeTechHighSchool #FarmToTable #VTHS

We’re beyond excited to announce that Adelyn is the winner of the 2025 Future Chef Competition by Sodexo! 🏆👩‍🍳 She created a delicious Banana Pancakes recipe that the judges loved! 🍌🥞 Huge shoutout to all the talented chefs who participated. Your creativity and hard work inspire us all. 🌟 Check out the slideshow from yesterday's event: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jGVglZ1k-pDzIBGsQK6zkJaMihpiHgCn/view?usp=drive_link #FutureChef2025 #CongratsAdelyn #BananaPancakes #Sodexo&COCSD #ChefInTheMaking #NextGenChefs

🍀🌈 The CCS 21st Century After-School Coloring & Craft Club with Ms. Emily is feeling extra lucky as we get ready for St. Patrick’s Day! ✨ Our little leprechauns crafted their own rainbows with pots of gold at the end and shared golden ideas about what they’d do if they struck it rich! Then, they put their thoughts into writing—no blarney! 🍯💰 We’re over the rainbow 🌈 with gratitude for our charming students and shamrockin’ club leaders here at CCS! 💚

🐾🎨 Mrs. Alex’s Animal Club at CCS is having so much fun learning about the animals on campus! This week, our young explorers got creative by painting recycled bottles to look like pigs while discovering fun facts about farm animals. 🐷✨ This hands-on club is a great way for our little learners to connect with nature, build responsibility, and express their creativity. We love seeing their excitement each week! 💚

🌟 Verde Valley Comic Expo 2025! 🌟 Get ready, comic fans! The Verde Valley Comic Expo is back on March 29, 2025, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Cottonwood Public Library! 🎉 🦸‍♂️ Comics, Cosplay, Panels, Vendors, Food & More! 🎟️ Admission: $5 | $3 with 2 canned food donations | Kids 10 & under FREE 🌟 Special Guests: Chris Giarrusso, Steve Rude & Michael Gallagher! 📍 Location: 100 S 6th St, Cottonwood, AZ 86326 🔗 More info: verdevalleycomicexpo.com Mark your calendars and bring your best cosplay—we’ll see you there! 🎭📚✨ #VerdeValleyComicExpo #ComicCon #Cosplay #CottonwoodAZ

🌟 Huge THANK YOU to LISA (Low Income Student Aide) for their incredible generosity! 🌟 Thanks to their recent donation, the Dr. Daniel Bright Barbie Club received all-new dolls and playsets—including a boat, hospital, and even an airplane! ✨ The excitement on our students' faces when the boxes arrived was absolutely priceless. This gift will provide hours upon hours of creative, imaginative play for our students, now and for years to come. We are so grateful for LISA’s support in making playtime extra special! 💖 #ThankYouLISA #DDBBarbieClubMagic #COCSDCommunitySupport #PlayAndLearn

7th Grade Aviation Club students had an unforgettable experience touring Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott! From the Air Traffic Control Lab to the state-of-the-art motion simulators and an engaging planetarium show, it was an absolute blast! Huge thanks to ERAU for their partnership and for inspiring our students with hands-on aviation and aerospace experiences! #FutureAviators #STEM #ERAU #COCSD

🚀🔬 5th Grade STEM Fun! 🎉🐾 Our OCS 5th graders had an amazing time exploring volume and 3D shapes in a hands-on STEM unit with Mrs. Altringer and the Science Vortex! 🧪📏 They designed and calculated the volume of animals using three-dimensional shapes—combining math, science, and creativity for an unforgettable learning experience! 🦁📦 Learning science + having fun = the perfect combo! 🧠✨ #COCSDSTEMEducation #FutureScientists #HandsOnLearning #MathInAction #ScienceIsFun #OCS #COCSD

🚴‍♂️ Shoutout to Our Amazing Wheel Fun Volunteers at CCS! 🚴‍♀️ We couldn’t roll without the incredible volunteers who make Wheel Fun Mountain Bike Club such a success! 🌟 From helping students fine-tune their bikes to cheering them on during trail rides, our volunteers bring the energy, patience, and passion that make this club so special. Because of you, our students get to learn new skills, gain confidence, and have a whole lot of fun — and we are so thankful for your time and dedication. 💛

🎭✨ Art & Mask Making Club Brings Mardi Gras Magic to CCS! ✨🎭 Our 21st CCLC After School Club kiddos have been getting creative in Mrs. Hazelton’s Art & Mask Making Club, and their latest project is bursting with color, glitter, and imagination! To celebrate Mardi Gras, students are designing and decorating their very own masks — complete with feathers, beads, and plenty of sparkle. 🪅 It’s been amazing to see their creativity shine through each unique design. We love giving students the chance to explore new art forms, express themselves, and learn about fun traditions from around the world. Stay tuned — we’ll be sharing some of their finished creations at our Club Showcase Night on April 24th!

🎉 Join us for the Rec Expo on Saturday, March 8th from 10 AM - 1 PM! 🌟 Explore all things parks and recreation with tons of activities, local vendors, and exciting community partners! 🎨🏃‍♂️🌳 ✨ Don’t miss out on free swag and the chance to connect with our amazing community! Whether you're a fitness fanatic, a nature lover, or just looking for something fun to do, there's something for everyone! See you there! 🏞️🎉 #RecExpo #CommunityEvent #ParksAndRecreation #FreeSwag #FamilyFun

📚🐾 Reading Fun at Cottonwood Community School! 🐾📚 Today, our students had some very special visitors for Read Across America Day! 🎉 Dr. Trish Alley, our amazing Student Support Services Director, along with her furry reading buddy Andy, and Mrs. Stephanie King, our dedicated District Instructional Coach, stopped by to share the joy of reading with our students. The students loved listening to stories and spending time with Andy, who made the experience even more special! 📖🐶 Thank you, Dr. Alley and Mrs. King, for making this a memorable day filled with books, laughter, and learning! #COCSDReadAcrossAmerica #ReadingIsFun #CottonwoodCommunitySchool 📚✨

📢 Exciting News for Our Community! 📢 The Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District (COCSD) Governing Board has taken a proactive step to refinance and sell current bond debt, helping to reduce costs and generate savings for local taxpayers! By refinancing existing bond obligations, the district is taking advantage of favorable financial conditions to lower interest rates and decrease the overall cost of debt repayment. These savings will directly benefit our community while ensuring continued support for our students and schools. 💬 Superintendent Jessica Vocca shares, “This is a significant financial decision that demonstrates our commitment to being good stewards of public funds. By refinancing our bond debt, we are reducing the financial burden on taxpayers while continuing to support high-quality education.” The COCSD Governing Board remains dedicated to fiscal responsibility and community-focused financial strategies. We’ll keep you updated as the refinancing process moves forward! 📩 For more info, contact Tammy Janssen at 📞 (928) 634-2288 or ✉️ tjanssen@cocsd.k12.az.us. #COCSD #CommunitySavings #EducationMatters #FiscalResponsibility

🚧🌉 STEM Project in Algebra I! 🌉🚧 Our talented Algebra I students at Verde Tech High School are diving into a hands-on STEM project! They're building scale models of bridges by applying the quadratic equation to calculate key data points, and creating detailed data tables to track their progress. It's all about blending math and engineering to create something amazing! 💡📊🔧 #VerdeTech #VTHS

📣 Exciting News! 📣 We are thrilled to announce the release of our COCSD Winter Camp Impact Report! 🎉 This report highlights the amazing outcomes of our partnership with Mingus Mountain Camp and showcases the incredible growth, learning, and memories created during our Winter Camp. ❄️🌟 From building new skills to fostering friendships and creating lasting experiences, this camp has made a real impact on the lives of our participants. 🙌 We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work with Mingus Mountain Camp and can’t wait to continue our journey together! 💙 Check out the full report to see all the highlights and success stories! 👉 [link to report] #COCSD #WinterCamp #MingusMountainCamp #ImpactReport #CommunityBuilding #YouthDevelopment #Gratitude #MakingADifference

🌟 Verde Valley Comic Expo 2025! 🌟 Get ready, comic fans! The Verde Valley Comic Expo is back on March 29, 2025, from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Cottonwood Public Library! 🎉 🦸‍♂️ Comics, Cosplay, Panels, Vendors, Food & More! 🎟️ Admission: $5 | $3 with 2 canned food donations | Kids 10 & under FREE 🌟 Special Guests: Chris Giarrusso, Steve Rude & Michael Gallagher! 📍 Location: 100 S 6th St, Cottonwood, AZ 86326 🔗 More info: verdevalleycomicexpo.com Mark your calendars and bring your best cosplay—we’ll see you there! 🎭📚✨ #VerdeValleyComicExpo #ComicCon #Cosplay #CottonwoodAZ

Celebrating Excellence in Education! 🎉 At last night’s COCSD Governing Board meeting, we had the honor of celebrating Mrs. Barbara Daher, who recently retired after 26 years of dedicated service to our students. We are so grateful for her impact and wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement! 💐✨ We also recognized Five Project Momentum Innovators for their outstanding leadership in student-led initiatives: 🔹 Mr. Rich Dambrov – Verde Tech 🔹 Mrs. Diane Schumacher – OCS 🔹 Ms. Michelle Egan – CCS 🔹 Mr. Johnny Stephenson – DDB 🔹 Mrs. Carrie Reay – MVP Your dedication and innovation continue to inspire our students and community. Keep up the amazing work! 👏💡 #COCSD #ThankYouMrsDaher #ProjectMomentum #EducationLeaders #StudentSuccess

📢 Calling All Success Stories! 🎓✨ Did you or someone you know attend Cottonwood-Oak Creek School District and go on to achieve great things? We want to celebrate the incredible journeys of our former students! Whether they’ve excelled in their careers, made a difference in their community, or reached a personal milestone, we’d love to hear about it! Please share your tribute along with a photo by emailing us at publicrelations@cocsd.us. Let’s inspire the next generation by showcasing the amazing paths our students have taken! 🚀💙 #COCSDProud #SuccessStories

🌿✨ March into Wellness! ✨🌿 Spring is the season of renewal, and there’s no better time to focus on your well-being—mind, body, and spirit! 🌸🌞 This month, let’s commit to self-care, movement, and nourishing our bodies with healthy choices. Whether it’s a daily walk, trying a new workout, or practicing mindfulness, every small step counts! 💪🧘‍♀️ Join us for March Wellness—a month of inspiration, motivation, and community support. Stay tuned for tips, challenges, and local events to keep you moving and feeling your best! 🌿💚 Drop a 🌱 in the comments if you’re ready to prioritize YOU this month! 👇 #MarchWellness #SpringIntoHealth #SelfCare #MindBodySpirit #HealthyHabits

🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️ Bike Club Starts This Week! 🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️ We are so excited!! Weather permitting, Bike Club is officially starting this week! We hope everyone is just as excited as we are. Before we get rolling, here are a few important reminders: 🔹 Attendance Matters! If your child signed up, please make sure they attend. If they can’t make it, just let us know—otherwise, their spot may be given to another student. 🔹 Preseason Survey – Please take a moment to fill out the survey I sent a week ago. It’s attached and is needed for Wheel Fun’s grant. 🔹 Shoutout to Wheel Fun! We are incredibly lucky to have such an amazing group of coaches helping make this club a success! We hope your child has the BEST time in Bike Club! 🚴✨ Have a great night! #BikeClub #RideSafe #WheelFun #ExcitedToStart #FunOnWheels