Mesquite Elementary

Dear Mesquite Elementary Families,

This week I would like to highlight and say thank you to our incredibly talented kindergarten team. We are grateful for the foundation that Ms. Acton, Mrs. Borger, and Mrs. Hernandez provide for our students as they transition from Building Blocks or Preschool to kindergarten and for those starting their first year of school! We appreciate our kindergarten team!

Thank you to those families that have completed your Annual Update on Infinite Campus. 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.

One of the best ways to help your child to be most successful at school is to be involved as well as a family! Thank you to those who joined us for our first meeting! We encourage you to be a part by joining our PTSO at their second meeting on Thursday, September 11th in the Library at 3:15 p.m.! Please know you are welcome to bring your child(ren) to the meeting. More information about our PTSO can be found in the PTSO Section at the bottom of the weekly newsletters!

Sincerely,

Wendy Norburg

Thankful to our students who announced and celebrated our Character Ticket Winners this week with Mrs. Janine! Proud of these students for being respectful, responsible, and safe in so many ways!

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!

Sixth grade did an amazing job with their Ancient Wax Museum Project! It was exciting to see all of their hard work come together as they worked on both ELA and Social Studies Standards!

Read S'More Books at the upcoming Book Fair! The Book Fair will be held from September 17th to September 23rd. Students will be allowed to shop during their scheduled library class time. It will also be open during Parent-Teacher Conferences. See you there!

To set up an E-Wallet, preview the flyer, or shop online visit this link. If you would like to sign up to help at the book fair, please use the link.

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.

Proud of our staff for continuing to grow and learn alongside our students each year! This week certified staff reviewed and learned about strategies for supporting language acquisition led by Ms. Borden and Mrs. Wenning LaFreniere. Mrs. Guhy, our instructional coach, then led a discussion about how our culture of learning at Mesquite lines up with Danielson's Framework for Teaching. Thank you to our teachers who go above and beyond in supporting our students each day which includes continuing to learn and grow professionally each year!

Thank you to all who joined us at our PTSO Meeting on Thursday, August 7, 2025! Our second PTSO meeting will be on Thursday, September 11, 2025 at 3:15 p.m. in the Library and we would love to have you join us!

Picture Day is one of the best days! If your child missed Picture Day, retakes will be on Tuesday, November 18, 2025. Thank you to Heather Foti, Laura Hart, Stacy Nelson, Anna Schmidt, and Kristina Widdowson who all volunteered at Picture Day! Thank you to PTSO for organizing volunteers to help support with this busy time!

Thank you PTSO for organizing a fun opportunity with the Diamondbacks! Thank you to all the families who attended! The Diamondbacks donated back $705.00!

Thank you to our PTSO for providing fun snacks during our Professional Development Day!

This year PTSO is starting a sponsorship program. This year there will be a silver, gold and platinum sponsorship levels! Thank you to Judd Orthodontics for our first Gold sponsor Judd Orthodontics! Additional information about sponsorships can be found on the PTSO website.

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.

We will have our annual Halloween Book Parade on Friday, October 31st at 2:15 p.m. All students Kinder through 6th grade as well as Building Blocks will participate. Kinder teachers will be reaching out to families about their grade level plan. Students in grades 1st-6th, we ask that your child dress as their favorite book character and/or bring a book with a character similar to their costume. Costumes should not include masks and should be school appropriate. Parents are welcome to join us and will be lined up outside on the playground along the parade route. We look forward to seeing you on campus!

• 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.
• September 26 - Half Day Dismissal at 11:55 a.m.
• October 29 - October 10 - Fall Break No School
• October 13 - Musical Theater Club Starts (Please see more detailed information below)
• October 14 - District Choral Festival at 7:00 p.m.
• October 16 - Battle of the Books in the Library 1:30 p.m., GPS Parent University Garden - Growing Together: A Family and Garden Resource Fair 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
• October 20 - 23 - Bring Your Parent to P.E. Week
• October 21 - overs Club Starts (Please keep your eyes out for more detailed information coming soon)
• October 29 - Half Day Dismissal at 11:55 a.m.
• October 30 - Sixth Grade Spooktacular Concert at 6:00 p.m.
• October 31 - Halloween Book Parade at 2:15 p.m.
• November 5 - Site Council Meeting at 7:20 a.m. in the Library
• November 6 - PTSO Meeting in the Library 3:15 p.m.
• November 11 - Veteran's Day No School
• November 12 - Third Grade Veteran's Day Concert at 6:00 p.m.
• November 14 - Fall Festival from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
• November 18 - Picture Retakes
• November 25 - Turkey Trot During Specials
• November 26-28 Thanksgiving Holiday No School

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.

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 7:30am - 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

Ready, Set, Grow! Preschool Parent Workshop

Gilbert Community Education Center (6915 E Guadalupe Rd., Mesa, AZ 85212)

September 10, 2025 | 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm

Learn practical, everyday strategies to help your 3-5 year old develop the confidence and skills they need to thrive at school and at home. | Register

Triple P-Raising Confident, Competent Children

Islands Elementary (245 S. McQueen Rd., Gilbert, AZ 85233)

September 16, 2025 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Learn six core building blocks for children to become confident and successful at school and beyond, including showing respect, being considerate, having good communication and social skills, having a healthy self-esteem, being a problem solver, and becoming independent. | Register

Triple P-Raising Resilient Children

Quartz Hill Elementary (3680 S. Quartz St., Gilbert, AZ 85297)

September 23, 2025 | 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

Learn six core building blocks for children to manage their feelings and become resilient in dealing with life stress, including recognizing feelings, expressing feelings appropriately, building a positive outlook, developing coping skills, dealing with negative feelings, and dealing with a stressful event. | Register

For more information and to register, visit GilbertSchools.net/Families/Parent-University

Join the Gilbert Education Foundation's annual Power of One Campaign and make a lasting impact! Every fall, we ask for just $1 per student and employee to fund our Innovation Grants, student scholarships, STEM education, and enrichment programs that benefit EVERY STUDENT, EVERY EDUCATOR, and EVERY CAMPUS in Gilbert Public Schools. But we can't do it alone – we need your help!

Your donation not only transforms educational experiences but also gives your student's school a chance to win valuable prizes for supplies, equipment, and enrichment. Together, let's create educational magic and help our schools thrive.

Donate today and be the Power of One!

The Gilbert Police Department is introducing a new public education initiative: Know Your Ride, a campaign designed to help residents understand the important differences between electric bicycles and electric motorcycles and the laws that apply to each.

As electric two-wheelers become more popular, so can the confusion about how they’re classified and regulated. While electric bicycles and electric motorcycles may look alike, they are treated very differently under Arizona law.

Learn More

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 availability of 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.

• Crews continue work to trench and install water pipeline in the north side of Mesquite Street, currently working in an easterly direction from 31st Street toward Val Vista Drive. As this work crosses driveways or side streets, crews will coordinate with the respective residents related to access.

• Water pipeline installation is expected to take another 2-3 months and following that work, storm drain pipe installation can begin.

• Those impacted by planned water service disruptions as part of the waterline installation will be notified in advance via door hanger. Residential services, such as mail delivery and trash pick-up, should not be disrupted; however, please contact us if you experience issues.

• During the summer, crews are working weekdays and several Saturdays. Per the recently signed Senate Bill, SB1182, construction activities can begin as early as 5 a.m. each weekday and 7 a.m. on Saturdays, with concrete pouring permitted to take place at least one hour before these times, as needed.

Mesquite Street and 29th Place will remain open for travel with a flagger activity in place, as needed, to shift traffic away from the work zone. Pedestrian traffic may be shifted to the opposite side of the street, away from the work area, in the interest of safety. 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