Sundays From The Mesa #30

Dear Alta Mesa Families,

If you haven't already filled out the Intent to Return Survey, please scroll down and do so! It makes planning the 2026-2027 school year much easier!

On Wednesday our 5th graders will be heading to Parsons to tour the campus and discover all the academics and electives they have to offer for 5th Grade Invasion Day. Meanwhile, our TK–4th graders will be “leveling up” and getting a sneak peek at what next year will feel like in their new grade. Plus, our TK/Kindergarten Round-Up will take place from 9:00–10:00, giving students and families a chance to meet their teachers and explore the classrooms. It’s going to be a fun-filled day of learning, exploring, and getting ready for the next school year!

Wednesday is Paraprofessional Day, a special time to celebrate our amazing aides and all they do for our school. They make a huge impact on student learning, help classrooms run smoothly, and build meaningful connections with our students. Not to brag, but Alta Mesa truly has the BEST aides around.

Kona Ice will be here on Thursday, April 2nd! This is always a fun treat for our students. Students will have the opportunity to purchase a $5.00 cup of Fruit First, shaved ice. Thirty percent of all proceeds come back to Alta Mesa!

Friday marks the start of spring break! Wishing all of our students, staff, and families a happy, restful, and fun-filled break. Take this time to relax, recharge, and enjoy some well-deserved downtime — you’ve earned it!

There will not be a newsletter next week. Our next newsletter will go out on Sunday, April 12th! In the meantime, we wanted to let everyone know about our Community Garden event on Saturday, April 11, from 9:00–12:00. We are inviting students and families (students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) to help clean up the garden. Lunch will be provided! Please see the flyer below for more details.

With excitement,

Kristen Crites

Principal-Alta Mesa School

(530) 224-4130

kcrites@eesd.net

Monday:

• Minimum Day - Dismissal @ 1:23
• Flag Football Practice 2:00-3:00

Tuesday:

• Student Lighthouse Meeting 12:05-12:40
  
• 2nd Grade Tutoring 2:15-3:15
• STEAM Club 2:30-3:30
• Softball Practice 2:30-3:30
• Reading Pals 3:00-4:00

Wednesday:

• Paraprofessional Day!
• 5th Grade Parson Invasion Day 8:00-12:00
• TK-4th Grade Level Up Day 8:45-10:00
• TK/K Round-Up 9:00-10:00
• 2nd Grade Tutoring 2:15-3:15
• Garden Club 2:30-3:30
• Student Lighthouse Team Meeting 2:30-3:30
• Softball Practice 2:30-3:30
• Board of Education Meeting 5:30-8:00

Thursday:

• Student Lighthouse Meeting 12:05-12:40
• Kona Ice 1:00-2:00
• K-3rd Art Club 2:15-3:15
• Softball Practice 2:30-3:30
• Flag Football Practice 2:30-3:30
• Reading Pals 3:00-4:00

Friday:

• NO SCHOOL

We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our amazing guest readers and career day participants who joined us! It was such a fun and meaningful day for our students. They were engaged, curious, and asked so many thoughtful questions throughout the event.

Your time, stories, and willingness to share about your careers made a lasting impact and helped bring learning to life in a very real way. It was truly a great experience for our Alta Mesa students, and we are so grateful for your support in making the day such a success!

Our 3rd Grade Wax Museum was a huge success! Thank you to all of our families and staff who took the time to attend and support our students. Our 3rd graders worked incredibly hard researching, preparing, and bringing their historical figures to life! It was wonderful to see their confidence, creativity, and enthusiasm on display. We are so proud of their hard work and grateful to our school community for making this event so special!

Our All-School Vocabulary Parade is a cherished annual tradition that both students and staff look forward to each year, and this year did not disappoint! Our students showed incredible creativity, bringing sea creatures, book characters, historical figures, and animals to life in such fun and imaginative ways. It was wonderful to see their excitement and pride as they showcased their costumes. A big thank you to all of our families for coming out to support and for the time and effort you put into helping create these amazing costumes—we couldn’t do it without you!

It’s currently home to a very impressive collection of lonely sweatshirts, abandoned lunch boxes, and enough water bottles to hydrate a small village. At this point, we’re considering giving everything names and starting a support group.

If your student has been missing something (or everything), now is the time to come take a look! Items not claimed soon will be donated, and while we’re sure they’ll go on to live wonderful second lives, they’d probably prefer to go home with you.

Swing by and reunite with your long-lost belongings before they find a new family!

Our Intent to Return Survey is now available for parents to complete. Please take a moment to fill it out, as your responses help us plan for the 2026–2027 school year.

2026/2027 Intent to Return Survey

Hey 4/5 students! Are you ready to take on the staff in an epic reading showdown? All through March, it’s Staff vs. Students — and every page you read brings your team closer to victory!

Here’s how it works:

• Read anything you love — chapter books, graphic novels, — it all counts!

• Take an AR Test each time you finish a book (or a chapter!) so your team can keep track.

• The more you read, the closer your team gets to winning.

And here’s the best part:

• If students win, you get to silly string the staff!

• If staff win, well… they get to silly string you!

So grab a book, dive in, and let’s show the staff how it’s done. The more pages you read, the bigger your chance to celebrate victory!

Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, celebrated on April 1st, is a special opportunity to recognize the incredible impact our aides have on our school community. Paraprofessionals play a vital role in supporting student learning, building meaningful connections, and helping classrooms run smoothly each and every day. From providing one-on-one assistance to encouraging student success, their dedication, patience, and compassion make a lasting difference. We are grateful for all they do and proud to celebrate the important contributions of our amazing aides!

April 1st is going to be a busy and exciting day on campus! Our 5th graders will be heading to Parsons from 8:30–12:00, where they’ll tour the campus and learn about the many clubs and extracurricular opportunities available to them next year.

Meanwhile, our K–4th grade students will get to LEVEL UP from 9:00–10:00! Each class will visit their 2026–2027 grade level to get a sneak peek at what’s ahead and experience what it’s like to be in the next grade. Stay tuned—more details coming soon!

At the same time, we’ll be welcoming our newest Eagles during our TK/K Round-Up from 9:00–10:00. Incoming students will meet their TK/K teachers and get a glimpse of what a “big kid” classroom is all about. It’s a fun-filled day for all grade levels!

Kona Ice will be on campus on Thursday, April 2nd! Students will have the opportunity to purchase a $5.00 cup of Fruit First, shaved ice. Thirty percent of all proceeds come back to Alta Mesa!

NUTRITION FACTS

Spring break is just around the corner! Students will be off from Friday, April 3rd through Friday, April 10th and will return to campus on Monday, April 13th. Wishing everyone a fun, relaxing, and safe spring break!

Alta Mesa's Community Garden event will be Saturday, April 11, from 9:00–12:00. We are inviting students and families (students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian) to help clean up the garden. Lunch will be provided!

National Librarian Day (April 16th) is a time to celebrate our incredible Mrs. Corona, who inspires a love of reading and creates welcoming spaces for all. Tawny does so much more than organize books, she guides research, fosters curiosity, and connects our students with valuable resources. Today, we recognize her dedication, knowledge, and her positive impact she makes in our school and beyond. Thank you, Mrs. Corona, for helping minds grow and imaginations thrive!

Get ready to brighten up our campus for April Showers Spirit Day! On Friday, April 16th, students are invited to dress in their best spring-inspired outfits, think flowers, rain themes, and pastel colors! Whether you wear floral prints, soft spring shades, or fun rainy-day gear, let’s celebrate the season together and bring a little sunshine to a rainy-day theme. We can’t wait to see everyone’s creative looks!

Practices:

Tuesdays - Thursdays: 2:30-3:30

Games:

TBD

Practices:

Mondays (2:00-3:00) & Thursdays (2:30-3:30)

Games:

TBD

2nd/3rd Grade: Lori Duke

Meeting Dates:

Thursdays: 2:15 - 3:15

3/26, 4/02, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/07

K/1st Grade: Dana Randolph

Meeting Dates:

Meeting Dates:

Thursdays: 2:15 - 3:15

3/26, 4/02, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30, 5/07

Meeting Dates:

Tuesdays: 2:30-3:30

3/24, 3/31, 4/14, 4/21, 4/28, 5/05

Meeting Dates:

Wednesdays from 2:30-3:30

October: 10/01, 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29

November: 11/5, 11/12

December: 12/03, 12/10, 12/17

January: 1/07, 1/14, 1/21, 1/28

February: 2/04, 2/11, 2/25

March: 3/04, 3/11, 3/25

April: 4/01, 4/15, 4/22, 4/29

Meeting Dates:

Tuesdays and Thursdays: 12:05 - 12:40

Wednesdays (optional): 2:30 - 3:30

Spirit Days

• 09/26 - Bright and Shiny (bright, bold colors)
• 11/14 - Fall into Thanksgiving (fall colors, leaves)
• 12/12 - Cozy Winter (winter colors, snow, cold weather clothes)
• 01/16 - Shiny New Year (sparkles, glitter, metallic colors)
• 02/13 - Valentines Day (hearts, red, and pink)
• 04/17 - April Showers (flowers, spring, pastel colors)
• 05/15 - Sunshine and Lollipops (summer theme, sunglasses, bright fun colors)

2nd Grade Tutoring:

Teacher: Lori Duke

Start and End Dates: 3/24 - 5/06

Days of the Week: Tuesdays and Wednesdays

Time: 2:15-3:15

• 04/01: Paraprofessional Day
• 04/01: 5th Grade - Parsons Invasion Day
• 04/3-04/10: Spring Recess - NO SCHOOL+
• 04/15: Booster Club Meeting
• 04/16: National Librarian Day
• 04/17: April Showers Spirit Day
• 04/21: Fire Drill
• 04/22: Family Skate Night
• 05/01: Lunch Hero Day
• 05/01: Principal Appreciation Day
• 05/01: 4th/5th Study Trip to Wes Camp
  
• 05/04-05/07: 1st and 2nd Swim Lessons
  
• 05/05: Teacher Appreciation Day
  
• 05/13: Booster Club Meeting
  
• 05/15: Sunshine and Lollipops Spirit Day
  
• 05/18: National Speech Path Day
  
• 05/20: Lockdown Drill
  
• 05/21: Open House
  
• 05/25: Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL+
  
• 05/26: Fire Drill
  
• 05/28: Trimester 3 Awards
  
• 05/29: All School Field Trip - Aquatic Center
  
• 06/03: 5th Grade Eagle Walk / Awards Assembly
  
• 06/05: Field Day / All School BBQ / Color Run / Last Day of School / Minimum Day
  

We’re thrilled to introduce our new Alta Mesa apparel ordering site: 1st Place Spiritwear! You can now order shirts, sweatshirts, backpacks, tote bags, hats, cups, and so much more—all featuring Alta Mesa pride. The best part? You can shop anytime! No deadlines, no waiting. Click the LINK to check it out and start gearing up in style! Go Eagles!

You can also find 1st Place Spiritwear on the Alta Mesa website. Click HERE to get to our website and click on Student Life drop down and select Alta Mesa Spiritwear Store!

Alta Mesa is a Preschool-5th Grade, as well as Mrs. Goetz's 6th-8th Graders. At Alta Mesa, we believe that every student deserves a safe, enjoyable learning environment with exceptional instruction. Our caring, highly qulaified staff is committed to meeting the individual needs of each student in all academic areas. We believe that in order for students to grow intellectually and attain academic success, we must also address their social, emotional, and physical needs. We have been recognized for the past 5 years as a Capturing Kids Hearts National Showcase School. For more information you can follow us on facebook @altamesaschool or go to our website altamesa.eesd.net.

We appreciate your support in helping students stay focused and safe while at school.

Address: 2301 Saturn Skyway, Redding Ca. 96002

School Phone: (530) 224-4130

Principal - Kristen Crites

School Secretary - Kaylene Elliott

Student Services Clerk - Michelle Poland