Message from Our Superintendent

Superintendent’s Message

September Update from the Superintendent

Dear Altar Valley Families,

As we settle into the new academic year and the second month of school, I want to express my gratitude for the hard work and dedication that all of our families, students, and staff have shown during this first month of school. It has been an amazing start of the year and it is great to have everyone back!

Goals

Our goal this year is to continue fostering an engaging learning environment where each student can build, grow, flourish, and succeed. To achieve this, we are committed to:

• High Expectations for Academic Growth: AVSD goal is to ensure that all students in grades 1-8 achieve proficiency on our Math and Reading Curriculum Base Measures (CBM) and that all students in grades 4-8 increase their achievement on Arizona Academic Standards Assessment, AASA.
  • Families of students in grades 4-8: be on the look out for last year’s AASA results.
  • For all students you’ll also receive Acadience and/or Benchmark assessment results, which will serve as our starting point.
• Community Collaboration: AVSD will continue to provide equitable opportunities that strengthen collaboration within the community.
  • We are excited to partner with the Friends of Robles Ranch and host the 18th Annual Three Points/Robles Junction Community Festival on November 8.
  • Stay tuned for information about our first Family Fun Night, coming soon!
• Lifelong Learning: AVSD will support lifelong learning and high-quality professional development.
  • AVSD is committed to providing high-quality professional development for our staff. This year, we are proud to be partnering with the Pima County Superintendent’s Office and Solution Tree to meet these needs.

Upcoming Events

September 1: Labor Day (No School)

September 9: Grandparents Day Lunch – All Grandparents are invited to join their special student for lunch. See your grandchild’s teacher for more information and our AVSD newsletter.

September 18 – 19: Parent-Teacher Conferences – provide a chance for parents to discuss their child’s progress and goals with their teachers. More information will be provided by your child’s school.

Communication

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher, school principal, or me. Together, we can ensure that every child builds, grows, flourishes, and succeeds this year.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Here’s to a fantastic September and a great school year!

Warm regards,

Dr. Dave Dumon
Superintendent
Altar Valley School District
ddumon@avsd.org
520-822-1484
#AllStarsRead

DR. DAVID DUMON COMPLETES AASA NATIONAL SUPERINTENDENT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) selected 30 superintendents from across Arizona to participate in the National Board Certification Program, a 20-month professional experience designed to bolster the effectiveness of superintendents across the nation. The program followed a cohort model and supported leaders with the knowledge, skills, and practices to advance, guide and support superintendents to be future-ready as they enhance learning opportunities for students. The AASA National Superintendent Certification Program provided a real-time focus on key issues that superintendents are facing today. Congratulations, Dr. Dumon!

CONGRATULATIONS, DR. DUMON!

Congratulations to Dr. David Dumon for being selected to receive ASA’s All Arizona Superintendent Award for the Small Size School Districts.

Dr. Dumon is superintendent of the Altar Valley School District in Tucson, Arizona. Dr. Dumon and the Governing Board have developed a strong rapport that centers on common goals around students achievement and an understanding that the schools are social and cultural anchors in the small community of Three Points. Within the first year, he and his board created a strategic plan that focused on students achieving both personal and academic excellence. The strategic plan has guided the district toward their goals and is revisited frequently with stakeholders.

Dr. Dumon identified, adopted, and implemented a comprehensive core reading program during the beginning of his tenure. He led the restructuring of the K–8 literacy instruction to include rigorous Tier I instruction and targeted Tier II and Tier III interventions.

He is involved with professional development, instructional coaching, and implementation of DIBELS benchmark screening for teachers and administrators. He believes data should be used to guide teaching, learning, and professional development.

The district is a key partner in the annual Three Points Community Festival where Dr. Dumon serves on the planning committee. At this annual event, the Three Points community, a rural, unincorporated area 25 miles west of Tucson come together. Board members, staff, and community partners come together each Thanksgiving to cook, serve, and enjoy Thanksgiving dinner for families in need. During the pandemic Altar Valley School District partnered with Pima County and provided fresh food boxes to more than 30 families each month.

He is guided by the word of Lewis Carroll, “If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” Dr. Dumon cares deeply about teaching and learning. He appreciates school isn’t easy for everyone (him included) and that each child has a right to quality instruction. He visits classrooms, playgrounds, and attends extra-curricular events and enjoys taking on the role of motivator-in-chief. You may see him as Professor “Dumon”-dore from Harry Potter, reminding Altar Valley School District students that they have the magic within them to succeed, the Last Jedi inspiring students to find the force within themselves to achieve, or putting the “Super” in Superintendent as Altar Valley Man.

Altar Valley School District is a social and cultural anchor in the Three Points community. It serves nearly 600 students, encompassing nearly 700 square miles of high Sonoran Desert and mountains situated between metro Tucson and the Tohono O’odham Nation.