Mesquite Elementary

Dear Mesquite Elementary Families,

What an amazing and fun week it has been at Mesquite! This week has been full of reading with guest readers from all over the district, a Free Throw Competition, Kindergarten Open House, and the Fun Run Fundraiser! PTSO has gone above and beyond again as have all of the families who have donated! Celebrations have been happening all week as fundraising goals have been met one right after the other! We so appreciate the generosity of our community and to all who joined us today for the Fun Run! Thank you PTSO for all of the hard work that goes into a successful fundraising event!

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is currently open! We will host a kindergarten open house on Thursday, May 1st from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. prior to Evening of the Arts which will be from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

As you start thinking about junior highs for next year, please know that we feed into Greenfield Junior High School, South Valley Junior High School, and students have the option to apply to Gilbert Accelerated Middle School at Gilbert High School, Gilbert Classical Academy, and/or Gilbert, Talented, and Creative Program at Highland Junior High School. For more information about upcoming Level Up days or campus information, please visit GilbertSchools.net/LevelUp.

I wish you and your family a safe and fun Spring Break! We look forward to seeing you back on campus Monday, March 24th!

Sincerely,

Wendy Norburg

So proud of our student leaders helping to draw names and celebrate others for being respectful, responsible, and safe!

Student Council hosted their second Lion's Den Assembly where each class nominated a student who has shown great character by being respectful, responsible, and safe the whole first quarter! Thank you Student Council!

Preschool

Indigo Stark

Curtis Jones

Madeline Smith

Brody McCutchen

Kindergarten

Nora Stadt

Kole Durfee

Charlie Hale

First Grade

Brinlee Nielsen

Clinton Rood

Brenden Lopez

Second Grade

Rylie Alvarado

Jackson Grimm

Olivia Acedo

Third Grade

Payten Speth

Baron Brumfield

Nico Florez

Fourth Grade

Keenan Westfall

Lyra Jensen

Harrison Ortiz

Fifth Grade

Aubriella Ramirez
Cruze Kitamura

Oaklyn Imel

Colin Murphy

Sixth Grade

Adalyn Hughner

Jaylynn Owen

Quinn Campbell

Special Areas

Sadie North

Jack Ikel

Arthur Nguyen

Aliyana Gutierrez

Grant Lindsay

Tatum Gleason

Mrs. Schock was chosen as Mesquite Elementary's Employee of the Year! ​​Mrs. Schock exemplifies excellence through ​h​er commitment to reflective practices that continuously enhance ​​her teaching methods and student engagement. ​She foster​s strong, positive relationships with students, creating a supportive classroom environment where every learner feels valued and empowered. Additionally, ​Mrs. Schock embraces innovative practices​ and creative strategies to inspire curiosity and critical thinking among students. Her dedication to professional growth, student well-being, and innovative instruction makes them a remarkable candidate for Employee of the Year.

Mesquite Mountain Lions, this year we would love to see your pride colors! We look forward to seeing our Mountain Lions wearing their favorite school shirt or school colors on Fridays this year!

Thank you to Mrs. Sturdevant for organizing such a fun Love of Reading Week! We are thankful for the guest readers that joined us. Some of the guest readers included:

• Julie Quesada - Former Mesquite Teacher
• Chad Thompson - Gilbert Public School Governing Board Member
• Gilbert High School GAMS Student Council Members
• Micahel Ivery - Guest Author
• Jonathan Schley - South Valley Junior High School Principal
• Jodi Smith - Greenfield Junior High School Principal
• Kelli Stark - Mesquite School Psychologist
• Brandon Mull - Guest Author
• Jill Humpherys - Gilbert Public School Governing Board Member
• Lucas Blackburn - Gilbert High School Principal
• Tyler Dumas - Campo Verde High School Principal

Thank you to Mrs. Sturdevant for leading our Oceanography Club! A special thank you to other Mrs. Ellis, Ms. Kim, Ms. Eberhardt, Mrs. LeClaire, Mr. Martins, and Mrs. Dulberg who help teach classes and/or join on the trip. Thank you to those parents who chaperoned on the trip! Mrs. Sturdevant shared nothing but praise for the Oceanography Club students! Mrs. Sturdevant shared that all students were so well behaved. It was a jam packed weekend and all were troopers! Way to go!

Free admission for students, staff, and immediate family on Tuesday, April 1, 2025 at the Musical Instrument Museum. Scan the QR Code below to RSVP a spot for your family!

This year's yearbook is available for the pre-order price of $25.00 until Friday, March 7, 2025. After that the yearbook will be available for order for the price of $30.00 until Friday, April 11, 2025 Please use this link or the QR Code below to order your yearbook. For questions please email mesquiteptso@gmail.com.

Our Fun Run Fundraiser is revved up and we are at 34% of our $30K goal! The Fun Run is on Thursday and we encourage parents to come join your students during their scheduled run time.

We have donations from 20 US states and if we can get a donation from every state, the whole school will earn Kona Ice!!

Thank you for your support, sharing the fundraiser and every single donation! Go Mountain Lions!

Thank you to all who donated to the Spring Fun Run Fundraiser! One incentive was Karaoke Lunch led by DJ Pardy took place this week! Thank you PTSO and DJ Pardy for a fun incentive!

Mesquite families thank you for supporting our campus and PTSO at Chipotle this week! Chipotle donated $400.14 back to our campus! Thank you PTSO and Chipotle!

Thank you to all who joined us at our PTSO Meeting on Thursday, February 13, 2025! The next PTSO meeting will be on Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 3:15 p.m. in the Library and we would love to have you join us!

Thank you to those that follow the Mesquite Elementary PTSO Facebook page. PTSO has an Instagram account as well which can be found using this picture QR Code. Thank you for following along and sharing along the way!

• Amy Simon - President
• Stacy Nelson - Vice President
• Kimberly Castro - Secretary
• Mel Van Klaveren - Treasurer
• Heather Foti - Member At Large
• Allison Brumfield - Member At Large

Please check the PTSO website and join the Mesquite Elementary PTSO Facebook group for all the current information from PTSO. This is a great way to connect with other families.

• March 7 - Half Day Dismissal at 11:55 am
• March 10 - March 21 - Spring Break No School
• March 25 - 5th Grade AASA Science Part 1 & 2
• March 26 - 5th Grade AASA Science Part 3
• March 27 - Kindergarten Field Trip to the Phoenix Children's Museum and Third Battle of the Books at 1:45 pm.
• April 1 - 3rd - 6th Grade AASA Writing
• April 3 - First Grade Field trip to the Phoenix Zoo
• April 7 - District Art Show at Norwood Furniture from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• April 8 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Reading Part 1
• April 10 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Reading Part 2 and PTSO Meeting at 3:15 p.m. in the Library
• April 15 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Math Part 1
• April 16 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Math Part 2
• April 18 - Spring Holiday No School
• April 21 - PTSO Fundraiser Incentive - Lunch with Adult during regular grade level lunchtime
• April 22 - PreK - 4th Grade Field Day
• April 24 - 5th and 6th Grade Field Day at Gilbert High School and First Grade Musical at 6:00 p.m.
• March 1 - Kindergarten Open House from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Evening of the Arts from 5:00 pm. to 8:00 p.m.

Spring Testing will be here before we know it. Just as each school day is important we ask that in order to help testing run smoothly please avoid scheduling any appointments on the days listed below. Testing will begin promptly each testing day listed below. We appreciate your help with making sure your child is on time and in attendance each testing day!

• March 25 - 5th Grade AASA Science Part 1 & 2
• March 26 - 5th Grade AASA Science Part 3
• April 1 - 3rd - 6th Grade AASA Writing
• April 8 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Reading Part 1
• April 10 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Reading Part 2
• April 15 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Math Part 1
• April 16 - 3rd-6th Grade AASA Math Part 2

You may have seen in the news that a child in Texas passed away due to a measles infection. While we hope that this was an isolated case, it is important to acknowledge that Measles is extremely contagious and that there is a possibility that this could impact our schools at some point. With Spring Break and subsequent travel we feel it is even more important to alert our families to this outbreak.

Therefore we would like to share some helpful and important information with our families. Typically the illness starts off with a fever, cough and runny nose. It is soon followed by a rash that typically starts at the head and soon covers the entire body. If measles does spread into our school community we will immediately begin working with the Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) and you will be notified. Any students who are not vaccinated will be identified and MCDPH will determine when they can safely return to school. Unvaccinated students may need to be out as long as 21 days and if more cases arise, it could be longer. If you have any questions regarding measles please reach out to the Maricopa County Department of Public Health at (602) 506-6767 or Maricopa County Department of Public Health

It is very important that all families complete the online ‘Annual Update’ to prepare for the new school year. The ‘Annual Update’ in Infinite Campus allows you to tell us of any updates to your contact information, address changes, and updates to emergency contacts. In order to ensure we can communicate with you regarding your student, or in case of emergency, it is essential that we have your up to date contact details. Please log in to your Infinite Campus parent portal and complete your student’s ‘Annual Update’ today. To access the IC portal visit www.gilbertschools.net/IC.

Download the GPS App

The GPS App includes a link to IC, as well as access to your student’s school calendar, meal information, bus routes, and other helpful information for parents and students. Visit www.gilbertschools.net/app for more information.

Preschool Registration for the 2025-2026 school year opened on December 2, 2024. For more information please visit gilbertschools.ce.eleyo.com.

Kindergarten registration for the 2025-2026 school year is currently open. For more information please visit gilbertschools.net/enroll.

Please join us to learn more about kindergarten at Mesquite Elementary on Thursday, May 1st from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Parent University will be holding a special workshop for 6th students and their adults on Tuesday, April 8t from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Greenfield Junior High. It is open to all 6th grade families.

This will be a center based workshop with 6 different stations. We will also be giving away swag from each junior high. The junior high social workers and staff will be leading the centers.

Congratulations Ingrid Guillen-Gonzalez on winning Community Education's Employee of the Year! Her unwavering commitment to our VIK Club has not only elevated the success of her site, but has also inspired everyone around her. Ingrid's willingness to lend a helping hand across all of our programs showcases her exceptional teamwork and dedication to our organization. You can find Ingrid leading her site daily at Mesquite Elementary, coaching flag football in her spare time after work and even helping out on our Enrichment Camping Trips. Community Education is truly grateful for everything that Ingrid does and could not think of anyone more deserving of this award!

If you wish to add money to your child's account for this coming year, please use this link. The Free and Reduced Price Meal Online Application is available here as well!

Please use this link to complete a Free and Reduced Lunch Meal application. If you are interested in applying and have questions please don't hesitate to contact the front office or our social worker, Ms. Karina Nyberg.

Please remember students must have their Student ID Badge to ride the bus. All bus riders have had copies of their badges added to their backpacks, we ask that you make sure these stay on your child's backpack. Thank you!

By becoming a Friendship Club member at Mesquite Elementary, students learn to build awareness and create opportunities in which friendships can grow in a safe and accepting environment. At each club meeting, students will engage with peers before school for 30 minutes for structured fun and peer interaction. There are no costs to join this club.

Thursdays 7:30 am - 8:00am

Quarter 4- 4th-6th grade

Email Ms. Kelli at kelli.stark@gilbertschools.net to sign up!

Provided below is current upcoming construction information based on the current schedule. Please remember schedules can be impacted by various factors, to include weather, materials scheduling and resources, coordination with other projects or utilities, and neighborhood or school activities. A project description and exhibits from the public meeting are available on the project webpage.

• Contractor crews continue work to conduct any needed potholing, and also install sewer stub outs for properties along the north and south side of Mesquite Street. This work is taking place in segments, currently between Lindsay Road and 29th Place, beginning on the west and moving in an easterly direction. Work at each property is expected to take a few days, and restoration will follow, as crews excavate down to the existing sewer pipeline to install a stub out to the residential property to accommodate potential future sewer connections.

• Scheduled to take place during the school's Spring Break, crews will work to rehabilitate manholes in Mesquite Street. As this requires excavation around the manhole, a flagger activity will be used during work hours near the work zone to assist travelers around the work area. Work will take place on one-half the street at a time to maintain traffic and access for residents.

• In addition, crews for Cox Communications will be working on the east side of 29th Place, north of Mesquite Street, to relocate their facilities to accommodate the planned improvements.

Mesquite Street and 29th Place remain open for travel with a flagger activity in place, as needed, to shift traffic away from the work zone. Access to residences and the school will be maintained.

Please maintain safe speeds and obey traffic and construction signage, as it is placed for your safety and the safety of travelers and construction crews. In addition, please do not disturb workers as they are given specific tasks, working within allowable rights-of-way or easements, which need to be completed to maintain the project schedule.

Thank you for your patience during this work.

Project Information: 480.898.4090 | www.gilbertaz.gov/cip