Welcome Back, Gilbert 2nd Graders!

Category: Gilbert, Welcome Letters

Hello and welcome to EDUPRIZE, an amazing, A+ school with an incredible staff that has a heart for all children. My name is Robin Yeargain and I am so blessed to lead this community as the Elementary Principal. This is my 32nd year in education, with 24 years in the classroom and 8 years in administration. I graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in Bilingual Education and then earned my Master’s Degree in Elementary Education from Northern Arizona University. I taught 15 years in Scottsdale at Hohokam Elementary as a K-6 ESL teacher, and then I moved to EDUPRIZE for 9 years teaching third and fourth grade students. I was Dean of Students for three years and I am happy to start my 5th year as Principal. Making connections with people is my passion! I love to foster learning, whether it is in reading, writing, math, demonstrating strong character or growing to be a better person. My heart is with and for the kids, always! I truly love every aspect of EDUPRIZE, from the campus to the amazing teachers to the conscientious leaders and of course, to the most incredible families ever! I am thankful to be a part of EDUPRIZE and I look forward to another successful year of academic and personal growth for all!
Kindly,
Mrs. Robin Yeargain

Welcome back, EDUPRIZE Eagles, to the 2024-2025 school year! My name is Heather Vehon and this year marks my 23rd year in education (11th at EDUPRIZE). I am an Arizona native and I attended Arizona State University for my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education, Northern Arizona University where I earned my Master’s Degree in Multi-Cultural Education and, in May of 2022, I completed a second Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Western Governors University. I spent my first teaching years on the Gila River Reservation where I taught 3rd and 4th grades and I also had the opportunity to coach teachers in the area of mathematics instruction. I went on to become an Educational Consultant where I traveled to many schools to provide professional development and school improvement services. I came back to teaching when my son, Julian, started kindergarten here at EDUPRIZE 11 years ago. I have loved teaching and being the Dean at EDUPRIZE and I am excited to start this new school year! I believe that behavior skills, just like academic skills, must be taught, and practiced regularly in order for students to be successful in the classroom. Make sure you check out my weekly SEL corner blurb in the school newsletter for some tips that you can use with your kiddo(s) at home when it comes to behavior issues. I am looking forward to supporting the incredible teachers, loving families, and outstanding students at EDUPRIZE as we work together to make this year the best school year yet!

Sincerely,

Heather Vehon

Dean of Students