Mesquite Elementary

Dear Mesquite Elementary Families,

Thank you to all of the Kindergarten families that joined us at Kinder Round Up and Meet the Teacher Night before school started. What a great turn out we had at all events! A huge thank you to all who helped to make Kinder Round Up and Meet the Teacher Night a success from front office staff, certified staff, classified staff and custodial staff to PTSO, Musical Theater, VIK, Student Council and more.

We have had a great first week! This year we will once again be implementing character tickets which students can earn from any adult on campus for being respectful, responsible, and safe! After the students earn a character ticket they bring it up to the front office where they place it in a K-3 or 4-6 bucket. Names will be drawn weekly out of each bucket. If a student's name is drawn for the weekly drawing they will be able to choose a prize off of the prize cart (which includes items such as erasers, pencils, stickers, etc.) or a raffle ticket to place in a larger drawing. Larger drawing items will be drawn quarterly and will be for larger items, such as a Mesquite hoodie! We have had many students earn character tickets this week and are proud of these great choices being made! Each week a picture of the Character Ticket Winners will be added to our Character Ticket Board in the main hallway and shared. If you wish to donate items to the prize cart and or larger items please let us know!

One of the best ways to help your child to be most successful at school is to be involved as well as a family! We encourage you to be a part by joining our PTSO! More information about our PTSO can be found in the PTSO Section at the bottom of the weekly newsletters!

Please remember the first day of school will be on Tuesday, July 22nd! We hope you have a fun and safe rest of the summer!

Sincerely,

Wendy Norburg

Today the students and staff did amazing during an unexpected SRP Power Outage. Proud of the students who followed all directions and made great choices! Thankful for our amazing staff who always jumps in and helps to ensure all students are safe and taken care of during unexpected events! Our amazing cafeteria staff, Ms. Bravo and Mr. Soliz, led by Mrs. Jean, were able to serve all students and carry on with lunch as usual! Thankful for quick support from district as well - including operations, superintendency, cabinet members, security, and communications!

Celebrating our first Character Tickets of the 25/26 school year! Proud of two fifth graders leading the way and setting a great example for others!

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! If you were interested in buying a school shirt and weren't able to buy one at Meet the Teacher Night, please see the link below to buy a shirt or other school apparel!

Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board approved policies regarding student use of cell phones during the school day, to be implemented this upcoming school year, 2025/26.

The Why: Promote student learning and well-being by reducing distractions, improving focus, and enhancing overall student well-being during the school day.

Gilbert Public Schools’ Governing Board has discussed a variety of options for student use of cell phones and wireless communication devices K-12. The new policy includes ‘Away for the Day’ for K-8 at our elementary and junior highs, and ‘No Cell Bell to Bell' for grades 9-12 at our high schools. Currently, all of our elementary schools and some of our junior highs are already operating ‘Away for the Day’ and our high schools have been operating ‘No Cell Bell to Bell’ this school year. The policy will formalize these approaches with resources provided for families, teachers, and staff to support our community with this initiative designed to promote learning through reduced distractions and increased focus.

Away for the Day K- 8 - Once the school day begins, cell phones and wireless communication devices must be turned off or set to silent and stored out of sight (for example, in a backpack) for the entire school day, unless instructed otherwise by a staff member for educational purposes.

No Cell Bell to Bell 9-12 - During instructional time, cell phones must be turned off or set to silent and stored out of sight (for example, in a backpack), unless instructed otherwise by a staff member for educational purposes.

If your child will have a cell phone or Smartwatch with them while at Mesquite Elementary they will need to have this signed Cell Phone/Smart Watch Statement of Understanding signed and returned. Please review this with your child prior to them bringing their device to school.

Relevant policies -

Policy 3-403 - Technology

• Technology - 3-403

• Technology - Acceptable Student Use - 3-403 A Form

Policy 5-305 - Student Code of Conduct

• Student Code of Conduct - 5-305

• Student Code of Conduct - Restrictions on Use of Wireless Communication Devices - 5-305.A

Please see the GPS Dress Code Expectations with the link below.

Arizona’s Move On When Reading (MOWR) legislation places great importance on the importance of the reading development process beginning in kindergarten. This ensures all students remain on track to be reading at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. For more information about this legislation and how it impacts students in GPS, please click on the buttons below.

Parents may request that their child be tested for gifted services once each calendar year. GPS offers gifted testing twice a year, in August and May. The deadline to request your child be tested in the fall is August 15th. Testing will be completed in early September. Please use this link for more information about gifted testing.

Please see the links below for the Annual Notification to Parents Regarding Confidentiality of Student Education Records and School Directory Information and and Child Find Information. Special Education Governing Board policies are available for review at the school office and on the District website at this site.

• Thank you to PTSO for spoiling our staff with lunch on Friday before Meet the Teacher Night. PTSO partnered with Ximena's Taquiza and boy was it it delicious. We appreciate Ximena's Taquiza Company's support of our campus!
• Thank you to PTSO for our new staff shirts this year! Each staff member received a new shirt with our new logo on it! What a generous and appreciated gift! Check out the PTSO website for information about ordering shirts!
• Thank you to PTSO for the new playground equipment! PTSO worked with Mrs. Pardy, our talented PE teacher, to pick out the perfect equipment and buckets to store the grade level equipment!

Thank you to all who joined us at our PTSO Meeting on Thursday, May 15, 2025! Our first PTSO meteing next year will be on Thursday, August 7, 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!

A heartfelt thank you to our amazing 25/26 PTSO Executive Board. Your commitment to the students, staff, community, and campus is so truly appreciated! Thank you to those to support PTSO by attending events, donating items, and volunteering time.

25/26 PTSO Executive Board

• Kimberly Castro - President
• Stacy Nelson - Co-Vice President
• Amy Simon - Co-Vice President
• Allison Brumfield - Co-Secretary
• Heather Foti - Co-Secretary
• Mel Van Klavern - Treasurer

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.

• August 6 - Site Council at 7:20 a.m.
• August 7 - PTSO Meeting in the Library 3:15 p.m. and Peter Piper Back to School Night 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• August 26 - Picture Day
• August 27 - Half Day Dismissal at 11:55 a.m.
• September 1 - Labor Day No School
• September 4 - Fall Fundraiser Kick Off
• September 10 - Site Council at 7:20 a.m.
• September 11 - PTSO Meeting in the Library 3:15 p.m.
• September 18-19 - Parent Teacher Conferences Half Day Dismissal at 11:55 a.m.

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to complete the online ‘Annual Update’ for your student(s). In order to ensure we can communicate with you regarding your student, or in case of an emergency, it is important that we have your up-to-date contact details. Even if there are no changes, we ask you to please complete to confirm the information we have is accurate for this school year. Please log in to your Infinite Campus parent portal and complete your student’s Annual Update today. For more details, visit gilbertschools.net/annualupdate.

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.

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

Directions for how to apply for Free and Reduced Lunches online in English can be found at this link and in Spanish can be found at this link. 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.

• If you will be dropping and picking your child up we ask that you review this information and share them with others who may be picking your child up.
• We kindly ask that only families with kindergartners drop off and pick up at the front of the school. All other families should use the 1st - 6th grade drop off and pick up area.
• We kindly ask that students be picked up in parent drop off and pick up as the front office can become quite busy and congested at the end of the day and this will help with that congestion.

• If your child will be riding the bus, please check this district website for information.
• We recommend you download the Here Comes the Bus app if your child will be riding the bus. Information about this can be found on the district website.
• Kindergarten bus riders will receive a green, orange, red, or pink wristband that correlates with their bus number and color. We ask that you have your child keep this wristband on for the first week as an extra way to ensure they are getting on the correct bus each day.
• Please make sure your child has their ID or the ID tag placed by the campus on your child's backpack each day. Students will be required to have their IDs to ride the buses each day.

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!

Mesquite Elementary is honored to have district OT/PT Screening facilities on our campus. This area is behind the blue privacy fencing you see when first driving on to campus. These facilities have their own entrance, which is on the east side of the parking lot entrance. We ask that you park in the parking lot closer to the school as these few spots directly in front of the annex are for these buildings. Thank you in advance for your help with this!

Gilbert PD spent some time with us the first week working to foster a safe and welcoming environment as we welcomed our students back to campus! Thank you Gilbert PD for supporting all of our campuses in Gilbert!

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 7:30am - 8:00am

Quarter 1 - Kindergarten-2nd grade
Quarter 2 - 3rd-6th grade
Quarter 3 - Kindergarten-2nd grade
Quarter 4 - 3rd-6th grade

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

Musical Theater will be back starting this October! Registration information will be shared once it is open and will be open until Wednesday, October 15th. This will allow students in 1st through 3rd grade to try the workshop before registering.

October 13 - 4th-6th Grade Workshop from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm

October 14 - 4th-6th Grade Workshop from 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm and Mandatory Parent Meeting at 6:00 p.m. in the Library

October 15 - 1st-3rd Grade Workshop from 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.

October 16 - Video Auditions due by 9:00 am and Musical Theater In Club Auditions from 3:00 pm until finished

October 20 - 4th-6th Grade First Rehearsal

October 22 - 1st-3rd Grade First Rehearsal

Rehearsal Schedule will be shared

January 16 - Performance at Gilbert High School at 6:30 pm

January 17 - Performance at Gilbert High School at 2:00 pm

Nominations for this year's 29th Gilbert Chamber of Commerce Excellence Awards are open until August 28th. Submit your nominations now to celebrate the contributions of GPS educators, support staff, and volunteers.