Ajo School District
Ajo Arizona

Welcome to Ajo Schools! My hope is that you will have a successful and enjoyable school year.

As your principal, let me take a few moments to tell you all how happy I am to be part of the Ajo Schools. I have been a member of this community since August of 1999, and have raised three children in this community and school. My eldest daughter, Katie, will graduate from Ajo High School at the end of this school year, and is planning to attend Northern Arizona University in the fall of 2009.

As a small rural school we face many challenges in meeting new and stringent state and federal demands that are being placed upon all schools. With national legislation such as "No Child Left Behind" and Arizona legislation initiatives like AZREADS, AZLEARNS, and the new ELL mandates, we are required to demonstrate constant school improvement through high stakes test scores and improved student achievement. I personally feel Ajo has made great progress over the last three years in adapting our curriculum to include rigorous course offerings and improving student achievement on the state and district mandated assessments. The percentage of students who have met or exceeded the standards on test scores has risen steadily and the progress toward standards based education is continuing.

My goal as your principal is to continue the improvements here, but also hold on to hometown pride and enthusiasm which make small towns such a great place to live. I believe strongly that our mission to PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES... FOR THE ACADEMIC, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, AND PHYSICAL GROWTH OF EVERY CHILD is a determining factor for our continuous efforts toward school improvement. The addition of rigorous coursework and overall high expectations for our students, academically and behaviorally, will result in greater preparation of our children for a dynamic and competitive global economy. The continued growth of our primary and intermediate level curriculum and instruction develops a strong foundation in academic and social skills necessary for success at the middle and high school levels. The addition of rigorous coursework and continued improvement of instruction in the content areas at the middle and high school levels will better prepare our students for future success in continued education and the workplace, both within our own community and the global community at large.

I look forward to meeting all of the parents, students and staff here in Ajo. If you come by and I am not in my office I can assure you the majority of my time will be spent in the classrooms and attending the activities in and around campus. I encourage all of you to spend some time in your child's classroom, attend school sponsored events, volunteer to assist or organize school related events for the children, and attend school board meetings or focus groups. I wish you and your child the very best of experiences during the upcoming school year.

Sincerely
Frederick T. Fout
Principal