Message from Our Superintendent

Superintendent’s Message

Happy first month of school!

I hope the school year is off to a great start for your family, and that you are settling into a smooth rhythm.

In our house, my wife, my daughter, and I are adjusting to a new schedule, getting our daughter out the door and on her way to school by 7:00 a.m. It is a new routine for us, but so far, so good! To help ease into the school year, we focused on a few simple habits that have made a huge difference:

• Consistent Sleep: We make it a priority to head to bed and wake up around the same time every day.
• Planning Ahead: My daughter loves her clothes, so picking out her outfit the night before has saved us from a ton of morning stress.
• Building a Daily Reading Habit: We started with a goal to read for 20 minutes a night, four nights a week. She has already built up her reading stamina and is now up to 25 minutes a night!

To support her reading routine, I decided to read along with her—we are currently reading Holes by Louis Sachar. I am thoroughly enjoying the story, but even more than that, I love talking about it with her. We’ve talked about Stanley’s challenges, his growth, and how he develops into a confident young person. Sharing a book together has turned reading into fun for us.

We are bringing that same focus on daily habits into our schools this year through two new initiatives:

• Student Planners/Agendas: Students at Robles and AVMS now have individual agendas. These are great tools for planning the weeks ahead, tracking daily reading, and staying in touch with your child’s teacher.
• Daily Reading Books: We ask that every student carry a reading book with them each day. Having a book handy both at home and at school encourages daily reading practice, helping students build confidence and foster a genuine love for reading.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for all you do to help our students Build, Grow, Flourish, and Succeed. Here’s to a fantastic school year ahead!

Read to Succeed!

Dr. Dave Dumon
Superintendent
Altar Valley School District #51
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.