Mesquite Elementary
Notes from Norburg
Dear Mesquite Elementary Families,
This week I would like to highlight and say thank you those teaching our youngest learners at Mesquite Elementary! Ms. Sam leads our Building Blocks Preschool 3 Program, Mrs. Myers leads our Building Blocks Preschool 4 Program, and Ms. Uhlig teaches our Advantage Preschool Program. In addition to our wonderful teachers we are grateful for our wonderful instructional assistants! We are thankful to have these programs offered at Mesquite Elementary and for a staff that leads our earliest learners so well!
Enrollment for next school year is currently open. For more enrollment information please see this link. 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.
A huge thank you to our PTSO for working to plan the Fall Festival coming up on Friday, November 14th. PTSO is currently seeking volunteers to help at the Fall Festival and we ask you to please use this link to sign up. Please know these event are only possible with the leadership of our amazing PTSO Volunteers and other volunteers that join us for events! We encourage you to be a part by joining our PTSO at their third meeting on Thursday, November 6th 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 and Fall Festival 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!
Way to go Callie!
Mrs. Eberhardt shares she is proud to nominate Callie for Gilbert Student Citizen of the Month. Callie consistently demonstrates kindness, respect, and integrity in everything she does. She is a role model in the classroom, always following the rules and setting a positive example for her peers. Callie is a wonderful friend and is enthusiastic about helping others. Whether it’s supporting a classmate, contributing to group work, or stepping up when someone needs a hand, Callie shows genuine care for the people around her. Her positivity and willingness to serve others make her a joy to be around. Overall, Callie is an exceptional student and an even better human being. She exemplifies the qualities of citizenship and is very deserving of this recognition.
Friday Spirit Days
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 visit the Spirit Wear store on the Mesquite PTSO Website to buy a shirt or other school apparel! Magic Squad will be warding the class with the highest percentage of students wearing school spirit wear with a prize!
Mesquite Elementary Earns an A-grade from the Arizona Department of Education
The Arizona Department of Education has recognized Mesquite Elementary as an A-rated school for the 2024-2025 school year! Letter grades are based on a range of performance metrics in areas such as student academic growth, proficiency, readiness measures, and more. An A letter grade represents “Excellent.” We are incredibly proud of our students, staff and families for all of their hard work to achieve this letter grade!
What Happens on Wednesdays: Professional Development Days
While the students head home early on Wednesdays, our dedicated teachers and staff stay on campus for Professional Learning Days. These essential professional development sessions help our educators grow and refine their skills, ensuring they're equipped to positively impact every classroom. This Wednesday, we started out by celebrating Mrs. Pardy, for being selected as Gilbert Public Schools recipient of the 'Dr. Walter Delecki Elementary Educator of the Year Award'. We then participated in a Professional Learning opportunity led by Mrs. Guhy, our instructional coach, focused on formative assessments. A special thank you to PTSO for providing snacks for us to enjoy throughout the training this afternoon!
Sixth Grade Spooktacular Concert
Thank you to all who attended the Sixth Grade Spooktacular Concert! The concert was impressive and we enjoyed all the fun costumes! Proud of our musicians! Thank you Dr. Sanchez and Mrs. Seagraves for leading our band and strings so well!
Red Ribbon Week
Thank you to all who joined us by dressing up for Red Ribbon Spirit Week! I think the campus had the most fun with Wednesday's message, Don't let drugs mix you up! Students dress as teachers and teachers dress as students!
Meeting Updates
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
- Thursday, November 6
- Thursday, January 8
- Thursday, February 12
- Thursday, April 9
- Thursday, May 14
Mesquite Elementary PTSO Instagram
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!
Book Parade Information
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!
- 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 and PTSO Family Spirit Night at Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers (Gilbert/Warner Location)
- November 26-28 Thanksgiving Holiday No School
Infinite Campus Reminders
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.
Friendship Club is Back!
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.
Upcoming Dates for Musical Theater
Please see this link for the rehearsal schedule that has been shared with all families.
January 16 - Performance at Gilbert High School at 6:30 pm
January 17 - Performance at Gilbert High School at 2:00 pm
🌱 We’re Growing Together at Mesquite! 🌱
Thank you to those who joined us as we relaunched the Mesquite Garden at the Parent University: Growing Together: A Family Garden and Resource Fair with the help and support of Parent University and so many community volunteers! To make our garden dreams a reality, we need the support of our amazing community. We welcome any volunteers that would like to help us with the upkeep of the garden!
Thank you!
We wanted to say thank you to those who are all working behind the scenes to revitalize our garden area! Thank you to Ashley Fortune, with GPS Parent University, who is leading the way alongside William Erickson, our building manager. Ms. Karina, our social worker, is supporting as well! The Torreon Family started the refurbishing of our garden beds last year and this year the Widdowson/Welsh Family and Fortune Family who continued to refurbish the area, including painting the fences! We appreciate the many gracious volunteers who are taking the lead and jumping in to revitalize the garden area!
Community Support
A special thank you to Shopper's Supply who has graciously volunteered to donate so many items to our garden area including, but not limited to tomato cages, water jugs, seeds, gloves, and Gypsum! As a local, family owned and operated small business, their commitment and support of community is so appreciated as they invest right back into the community! Shopper's Supply stands by their logo, "You Live It. We Supply It."
Holiday Camp Registration Now Open! - Veteran's Day & Day Before Thanksgiving
Our School Break and Holiday Camps provide a safe, fun childcare option on select non-school days throughout the school year. In addition to the daily scheduled activities, Camp days feature guest speakers and field trips that enhance learning and add extra fun.
Registration for the Veteran's Day (11/11/25) and Day Before Thanksgiving (11/23/25) holiday camps is now open! These camps will be located at Playa del Rey Elementary & Superstition Springs Elementary.
Registration for the Veteran's Day camp closes on October 31, 2025. Registration for the Day Before Thanksgiving camp closes on November 14, 2025. Be on the look out for more upcoming Winter Break and Holiday camps!
Walk4Hearing - 5k, Silent Auction, and Community Event
Join Gilbert Public Schools at the 2025 Arizona Walk4Hearing on Saturday, November 1st, 2025, in Mesa, Arizona! This free, family-friendly event aims to raise awareness and support for the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing community in Arizona. | Register Now
Mesquite St & 29th Pl (ST1620/ST2117) Improvement Projects PROJECT UPDATE
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 approaching Val Vista Drive. As this work crosses driveways or side streets, crews will coordinate with the respective residents related to access.
- Scheduled to take place Sept. 29 - Oct. 10, crews will install waterline into Val Vista Drive, with no access to westbound Mesquite Street from Val Vista Drive during daytime hours, weekdays, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Eastbound Mesquite Street will be permitted to turn right (southbound) at Val Vista Drive. This waterline will ultimately need to cross Val Vista Drive, so following this effort, work will take place in the middle of Val Vista Drive with traffic shifted to the curb lanes and left turns restricted at Mesquite Street and Val Vista Drive.
- Water pipeline installation is expected to take another couple of 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.
- Please be aware that bicyclists are subject to following the same traffic restrictions in the roadway as vehicles, so need to obey traffic signage or flaggers, as those activities are meant to protect all travelers, as well as nearby residents and construction crews.
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