Sedona Red Rock News
The Sedona-Oak Creek School District, like all schools across the country, has faced challenges this past year as a result of COVID-19 closures, mitigation and remote
instruction. Part of that challenge has been dealing with an unexpected decrease in
students leaving districts as a result of the pandemic. Photo by David Jolkovski/Larson Newspapers
To say this past year has been a challenging one for teachers and students would be an understatement.
With the COVID-19 pandemic has come plenty of uncertainty, but Sedona- Oak Creek School District leaders feel they have a good handle on the rest of this school year as they now look forward to the 2021- 2022 school year. The first step in looking to next year took place last week during a workshop in which the budget was reviewed but no action was taken.
Sedona Red Rock News
Dennis Dearden was the first to roll up his sleeve and was happy to do so.
Dearden, superintendent of the Sedona-Oak Creek School District, was one of dozens of administrators, teachers, staff and substitute teachers who received the COVID-19 vaccination on Wednesday, Jan. 13, at the Sedona Performing Arts Center.
“We’ve been in school since Aug. 24 and we’ve tried to come up with a mitigation plan to keep our staff and students safe and today is just another step in that direction,” he said. “We value and appreciate the opportunity for our staff to get vaccinated today. It’s certainly a step in the right direction.
Sedona Red Rock News
President Donald Trump supporters crowding the steps of the Capitol after displacing police shield wall preventing access. Five people were killed as rioters breached the Capitol.
Photo by TapTheForwardAssist - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=98668026
With the certification early Thursday, Jan. 7, of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States and Kamala Harris as the next vice president, we are less than two weeks away from a new presidential administration, which begins Wednesday, Jan. 20.
We are at the start of a new cycle in American politics for the next two or four years, depending on the seat. Two new Sedona City Council members took over in late November. Both the Yavapai County Board of Supervisors and the Sedona-Oak Creek School District held their first meetings with their newly elected members just this week. The Arizona State Legislature convenes Monday, Jan. 11.
Sedona Red Rock News
Radiologist Erin Gaff is the first colleague at Verde Valley Medical Center to receive the first batch of Moderna’s new COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 22, 2020. NAH is receiving its first round of vaccines for frontline workers.
As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues within the state, teachers from the Sedona-Oak Creek School District will soon find themselves rolling up their sleeves for the shot.
During the Tuesday, Jan. 5, SOCSD Governing Board meeting, Superintendent Denny Dearden announced that he was notified by Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter’s office that teacher vaccination can begin as early as Tuesday, Jan. 12.
Sedona Red Rock News
Sedona Red Rock High School sophomore Hunter White will be collaborating with
Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District Superintendent Denny Dearden over the upcoming month to create a plan for a student representative who will sit on the
Governing Board. While the student will not be allowed to vote on matters, he or she will have a voice when it comes to school-related issues. Photo by David Jolkovski/Larson Newspapers
To truly find out what the students are thinking and feeling, the Sedona-Oak Creek School District is taking a unique step.
During the Tuesday, Jan. 5, SOCSD Governing Board meeting, the board unanimously voted to move forward with creating a student representative position who will attend board meetings. While that student will not have a vote, they will have a voice.