Florence K-6 School, Home of the Gophers

08/10/2026

08/08/2026

🌟 Meet our 4th Grade teachers, Mrs. Meiran, Mr. Hammond, and Ms. Johnson!

🍎 Mrs. Meiran has previously taught in Pennsylvania and Virginia - grades K, 3, 4, and 6. She has three adult children - one in Pennsylvania one in Florida, and her youngest is a rising senior at U of A (and the reason her and her husband are living in AZ 🌵). She loves the water and has been swimming since the age of three through all the levels (age group, HS, College). She has also coached after college and has been part of the US Swimming Master’s Program since she was 45. Fun fact about Ms. Meiran is that she is scuba certified! She loves snorkeling🤿 , and would spend all day at the pool or beach if possible! 🏖️

🍎 Mr. Hammond is thrilled to welcome a new group of 4th graders! He believes math is like solving one big puzzle and loves finding creative ways to make learning exciting. When he’s not dreaming up classroom games, you can usually find him enjoying the outdoors or in the garden. He can’t wait for a year full of “aha!”💡moments, big smiles, and lots of math adventures!

🍎 Ms. Johnson is starting her first year at FES teaching ELA. She has been teaching for 3 years. She is eager for the opportunity to connect with her new students and witness their growth this year! ✨

08/04/2026

🌟 Meet our 3rd Grade teachers, Ms. Estrada, Ms. DeRose, and Mrs. Nava!

🍎 This is Ms. Estrada’s 2nd year at FES as the Fundations and Science teacher. She has taught 1st, 4th, PE and now 3rd grade. Outside of school she likes to watch her 8th grade daughter play sports, attend Dback games with her family, hang with her two dogs, read, and workout.

🍎 This will Ms. DeRose’s 20th year teaching and her 5th year at FES! She loves going to concerts and watching movies with her daughters. She also loves to read, do puzzles, spend time with her family, and coffee is a must!
She is so excited for the school year and meeting all her new students!

🍎 This is Mrs. Nava’s 2nd year at FES and her 3rd year teaching 3rd grade. As a former Gopher of FHS, she is excited to have the opportunity to make learning a fun and a positive experience for her students, just like some of her previous teachers did for her. When Mrs. Nava isn’t at school, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, or riding horses. She is excited for another great year at FES!

08/02/2026

Hola familias, por favor vean la foto sobre la Ley de Alimentos Saludables.

07/31/2026

Please DO NOT send non-approved cupcakes for birthdays. See Arizona Healthy Schools Act for more details.

07/30/2026

🌟 Meet our 2nd Grade teachers, Mrs. Fragner, Mrs. Johnston, and Mrs. Wilcox!

🍎Mrs. Fragner has been teaching at Florence Elementary since 2016 and is excited to begin another wonderful year in second grade! She is also a certified Montessori teacher and loves helping students grow into confident learners, kind friends, and lifelong problem-solvers. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys gardening, flying a Cessna, riding her motorcycle, spending time with her husband, Dennis, and their dog, Charlie, and visiting her family in Peru. She looks forward to a year filled with learning, laughter, and unforgettable memories with her students!♥️

🍎Mrs. Johnston is an Honorary Florence GOPHER! She attended school in Florence from kindergarten through 12th grade. 🙌🏻 She has taught at our school for 21 years, and this year marks her 22nd year of teaching. She spent 20 years teaching 1st grade and is beginning her 2nd year teaching 2nd grade. She loves helping students become better readers by sharing amazing books with them. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, going to the movies, swimming, and reading.

🍎 Mrs. Wilcox is beginning her 21st year of teaching—all at Florence Elementary School! 🤩 She taught first grade for 12 years before making the move to second grade, where she loves helping students grow into confident readers and learners. A lifelong Florence Gopher, Mrs. Wilcox enjoys spending time with her family, reading, watching shows/movies, and relaxing with diamond art painting when she’s not in the classroom. She is excited to welcome her new second graders and can’t wait to see all the growth they’ll make this school year!

07/26/2026

🌟Meet our 1st Grade teachers, Ms. Flores, Mrs. Gay, and Ms. Chaput!

🍎Ms. Flores is starting her 5th year at FES and teaches Math. When she is not teaching, you can find her exercising, reading or watching shows! She loves spending time with her family and making fun memories with her son and daughter. She is so excited to get to know all of the amazing 1st graders this year 😊

🍎Mrs. Gay teaches Fundations and this will be her 4th year at FES. Fun fact is that she is an Honorary Gopher for Life! She attended Florence from Kindergarten-High School! Go Gophers! 🙌🏻 She graduated from NAU with her Bachelors of Elementary Education and Special Education. Before she became a teacher, she was a paraprofessional! In Mrs. Gay’s free time she loves to read books, watch movies/shows, and go on walks. She also loves to spend time hunting, camping, and riding bikes with her family. She is so excited for this school year!

🍎 Ms. Chaput teaches ELA and this will be her 2nd year at FES. She is originally from Washington State, but moved to Arizona in 2019 to pursue her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education at ASU. She loved Arizona so much, she stayed! 🌵When she isn’t at school, she enjoys camping, hiking, baking, exercising, and traveling (she’s been to 10 different countries! 😱) Ms. Chaput is looking forward to having a great year!

07/25/2026

Kona Ice is returning to FES on Tuesday August 4! They will now be serving dye free flavors to comply with the new food regulations. Students can purchase during their lunch for $5. If you are sending cash with your child, please send exact change to ensure a quick and easy transaction. If you would like to prepay online, scan the QR code.

07/25/2026

Building a great team takes patience. Thank you to Florence Copper for donating our staff shirts this year! We have amazing people on the 🚌