About Cortina

Cortina Elementary is a community school in the Higley Unified School District serving neighborhood kindergarten through sixth grade students. Our classrooms provide each and every child the opportunity to learn and grow in a challenging and supportive environment. We make learning relevant and fun through discovery science, current events, hands-on mathematics and engaging students in rich literature and text. Additionally, we provide a well rounded curriculum of physical education, art, technology, and music. We offer a full menu of athletics, arts, and school sponsored clubs and organizations to meet the needs and interests of each student.

Since 2017, our students' performance on the state assessments and the AZMERIT has enabled us to be labeled as an A rated school by the Arizona A-F Accountability System. Furthermore, in 2014, Cortina was awarded the "A+ School of Excellence" Award. We invite you and your child to join our professional teaching staff, dedicated parents and hard-working students at Cortina Elementary School where we are dedicated to life-long learning for all.

History

Cortina opened its doors in August 2006 as the seventh school to join the Higley Unified School Ditsrict. Home of the Tigers, it was built as a community school to service the educational needs of families living in the Cortina and Sossaman Estates communities. From opening day to the present, Cortina has always committed to hiring quality staff members to meet the educational needs of every student. Each staff member actively embraces the school’s vision and mission:

CORTINA MISSION AND VISION

MISSION

Our purpose at Cortina is to provide the community with a welcoming and safe learning environment that cultivates confident learners who take risks and express curiosity.

VISION

Committed to being a positive, connected community that inspires, encourages, and empowers all learners.

Pillars of Character

Through promoting character education, our goal is to help all students reach their maximum potential as positive, contributing members at Cortina and in the broader world. Exemplifying good character is a part of being a Tiger who ROARS. Each month, students will learn about a different character trait. Students of the month will also be chosen based on teachers selecting one student who has exemplified positive character.

In addition, every day, students have the opportunity to be recognized for demonstrating kindness and compassion towards others. The student’s name and their good deed will be read on the announcements. The student’s name will go up on the “Kindness Wall” by the front office. Every Friday, 2 names from the 10 will be randomly selected. Those two selected students will be able to come to the office for a prize following the announcements. We want all of our Tigers to know that kindness truly does matter!

August/September - Responsibility
October - Trustworthiness
November - Citizenship
December - Caring
January - Respect
February - Caring
March - Fairness
April - Responsibility
May - Trustworthiness

GO, TIGERS!!!

School Song

Chorus

Tiger pride, hunting for the best.
Building success one stripe at a time.
Cortina Elementary, we are family.
Cortina Elementary, we are family.

Verse 1

As students at Cortina,
We always do our best.
We’re caring, kind, responsible,
We always show respect.

(Chorus)

Verse 2

Connect, engage, inspire,
The teachers do their part.
The students learn and listen,
And now we’re really smart!

Bridge

Cortina is the best,
Striving for success!
Cortina is the best,
Striving for success!