Maldonado Elementary School

Even though Patricia is newer to Maldonado, having worked there for the last three years, she's a familiar face in TUSD – she previously worked at Miller Elementary.

As the school's library assistant, she gets to know every student and she loves helping them discover new books. Another thing she enjoys – decorating the library with different themes throughout the year. "It keeps the kids engaged and helps them learn about new topics," she says. 

Now in her 20th year teaching in Tucson Unified schools, Nora has seen many students transformed by the power of music. As the 4th and 5th grade band and orchestra teacher at Maldonado, she says the Opening Minds through the Arts (OMA) program can be personalized to her students, and she enjoys seeing kids tap into their creative side. 

"We are all inherently musical," Nora says. She believes it's important for students to continue being artistic in some way throughout their education, whether it's in music or not. 

Angela has spent the last 13 years teaching at Maldonado, but her history with the school goes back further. She grew up in the neighborhood and feels close to the community. That's part of what inspired her to become an English Language Development (ELD) teacher. 

She says her role allows her to grow with her students and their families, because she works with them from their first day of school until they move onto middle school. 

Angela also works as the advisor for Maldonado's NFL Play 60 initiative, which encourages kids to be physically active and develop healthy habits. She gets to take students on field trips to local hockey games, and coordinates visits from football players. Kids in the program also learn about healthy recipes and other wellness tips.