Palo Verde Middle School, in the Washington Elementary School District, serves approximately 950 seventh and eighth grade children in the neighborhood bordered by Dunlap south to Bethany Home (at Bethany Home boundary is between I-17 and 35th Ave.), the school’s eastern boundary is west of I-17 and the western boundary is 43rd Avenue. Palo Verde promotes a partnership with parents and the community to empower all students to develop a responsibility to acquire knowledge by promoting academic excellence and the use of technology in a positive climate with dignity and respect for diversity. Palo Verde offers a true middle school experience in which students are placed on an academic team consisting of five core teachers providing a school-within-a school atmosphere. Palo Verde is an active learning community of students, parents and staff who strongly believe in providing a safe and nurturing environment designed to meet the unique needs of middle school students. Students are encouraged to develop a sense of respect and pride in themselves, their school and their community. In addition, an outstanding group of special education teachers works with each team to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities in reading, writing and math. We offer READ 180, enrichment for math and language arts, and Title I math and language arts for regular education students struggling with grade level concepts. Interventions and enrichment programs are in place to meet all of our students’ academic needs. We strive to create a very safe environment in which all students can be academically successful and experience positive social development during their middle school years at Palo Verde. Middle school students need exposure to different exploratory programs. Our great variety of elective classes help students find their interests leading them to select courses later in high school that ultimately will enhance their careers in the future. Palo Verde offers general music, chorus, handbells, orchestra, band, keyboarding/piano, PE, art and technology as elective classes. Seventh graders enroll in a nine-week elective rotating through art, PE and technology, unless enrolled in a music program. Eighth graders choose two electives for a semester each.
