Meet Dr. Steven Prescott and his team at the Instrument Repair Shop!
This team spends their days repairing musical instruments for Mesa Public Schools students, ensuring they are in good working condition. The shop is responsible for every district instrument, which is no small feat for Prescott’s staff of four full-time and one part-time staff. This work is a passion for the team who are highly skilled musicians and artisans.
Having an in-house repair shop is unique for a school district, but for the largest school district in Arizona, it’s more economical than sending instruments to a variety of outside vendors through a bid process. The district shop has operated for 12 years and is responsible for repairing student instruments in programs at 67 schools in grades 4-12.
Dr Prescott shared “A musician might play into their eighties,” “We are trying to ensure that students stay interested so they have that opportunity to enjoy playing well into their lives.”
Mesa High’s Air Force Junior ROTC was honored by a visit from Brigadier General Houston Cantwell and Chief Master Sergeant Jennifer McKeen from the Air Force Holm Center in Alabama. Our distinguished guests and I witnessed cadet-run activities including a color-guard performance and briefings on the program’s growing cybersecurity team.
Out of all the junior ROTC programs in the state, Mesa High’s AFJROTC was the only one selected for the tour. What an honor! Thank you, Jackrabbit cadets for proudly putting Mesa High on the national map.
Hughes Elementary has a new sensory playground! 🖐️👂👃 With the support of ESSER funds from the Special Education department, Hughes' sensory garden has expanded to include a sensory playground.
The playground is equipped with a variety of play structures and equipment that engages the senses, such as textured surfaces, auditory elements like the xylophone pictured here, vibrant colors, and unique shapes. This is a great outdoor learning environment for our exceptional students at Hughes Elementary.
We had such a great time at Celebrate Mesa this past weekend! 🎉 Our principals and friendly pups from Paws & Peers had a blast handing out candy and engaging with families from all over the valley. We are also proud to share that in addition to fun swag, our booth gave away hundreds of free books to children of all ages.
Looking for a traditional school atmosphere for your child? 📚 Join us on Monday, November 6 at 6 p.m. for an Open House at all four Franklin Accelerated Academies campuses. You will be amazed to learn what this award-winning program has to offer that goes beyond accelerated academics. To learn more, visit mpsaz.org/enroll today.
The big game between Webster and Guerrero was a blast! 🏀
Thank you to the Mesa Police Department for bringing SPARC to our campuses and a huge thank you to Westwood for hosting. We can't wait to launch our next season of SPARC soccer next month. Stay tuned!
The deadline to register to vote in this year's special election is Tuesday, Oct. 10. Visit ServiceArizona.com to complete your registration. 📩
For more information on the 2023 Mesa Public Schools Bond and Override Continuation Election, visit mpsaz.org/info.
It's National School Lunch Week! 🍎 Each day, our hard-working Food & Nutrition staff ensures students are fed nutritious meals so they can focus on learning. Interested in joining the team? Find job openings at mpsaz.org/careers.
Students from Red Mountain High School, Fremont Junior High, Zaharis, Red Mountain Ranch, Bush, Mendoza, Las Sendas, Porter and Jefferson elementaries showed off their scientific skills at the STEM Showcase sponsored by Honeywell.
This annual tradition unites our school communities in our love for all things science, technology, engineering and math. This was a great opportunity for our staff and families to come together in support of our STEM clubs and programs and to show Dback fans in attendance the impressive students we have at MPS.
October 2 is National Custodian Day, and we want to show our appreciation to every member of the MPS custodial staff. We truly value the hard work you do every day. Thanks to you, our schools and offices remain clean and ready for the daily use of our staff and students.
Congratulations to newly-board certified school nurses Sandra Brown, Autumn Merkley, and Alana Parker!
Photo credit: Tim Hacker/Mesa Public Schools
After a week of recovering from storm damage, Zaharis Elementary welcomed back its students to campus!
Parents, neighbors, student-athletes from Red Mountain High School, Red Mountain High School administration, and district staff worked together to pick up branches and debris scattered outside from the storm.
The school could not have reopened so quickly without the hard work of our Operations team and volunteers!
We also want to give a shout-out to Red Mountain Ranch Elementary for welcoming students to their campus while Zaharis was closed, our IS department for distributing laptops to students for at-home learning, and our Transportation and Food and Nutrition Departments for all their help in the past week.
Arizona State Senator, Mitzi Epstein, joined the Sirrine Montessori community to celebrate Peace Day this month. The event included the dedication of a new Peace Pole in their school garden.
Congratulations to Andrea Box of Westwood High School on being selected as a 2023 High School Teacher of Excellence honoree by The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Arizona English Teachers Association.
“I am honored and I am humbled by this recognition and this award,” Box said. “For 26 years, I have tried to make passion my purpose and love my legacy at Westwood High School. We have the most amazing students to love. They come from all walks of life, cultures, races, religions, demographics and belief systems. Each one of them matters. Each one of them wants to be loved.”
Happy Citizenship and Constitution Day! 🎉
This holiday commemorates the signing of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In Mesa Public Schools, Constitution Day serves as an opportunity to promote the significance of the Constitution, its role in shaping the United States, and the rights and responsibilities of American citizens.
Don't forget to explore exciting opportunities at our job fair taking place on Wednesday, September 20!
- When? 2-3:30 p.m.
- Where? Fremont Transportation Training Room 1
7038 E Adobe, Mesa, AZ, 85207
Questions?
📞 Call 480-472-7210
💻 Email work@mpsaz.org
🎉 Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! 🌟 Join us in honoring the diversity, unity, and heritage that makes our #MPSfamily one of a kind!
Keller Elementary kicked off the month-long celebration with Frida Kahlo Day, an opportunity for students to learn about the prominent Mexican artist. Wearing flower crowns, they even got to admire her contemporary artwork and vote if they liked it or not. Check out those smiles!
Join us at our Job Fair on Sept. 20 at 2-3:30 p.m. at the Fremont Transportation Training Room (7038 E Adobe Mesa, AZ). We are actively hiring bus drivers, instructional assistants, custodians and more. Come meet with hiring managers and apply on the spot!
In honor of the 2,977 who lost their lives on 9/11, all schools across the district are lowering their flags to half-staff. On this day of reflection, let us stand united as one nation.
Meet the new members of our Paws and Peers MPS team!
Brady, Aphrodite, Charlie, Suki and Trixie have completed their training and are now certified to accompany their handlers to work, providing emotional support at schools and district offices.
Did you know? 45 of the 85 pups that make up the Paws and Peers team are rescues! Don't miss out on the chance to bring them home during their 2024 calendar sale coming up in October. The funds raised will help keep the program running and well-equipped.
