Mesa Academy Newsletter
August 2024
- Oct. 6- HalfDay
- Early Dismiss Fall Break
- Monday off for students
- Fun Run
Principal’s Message
What an exciting start to the new year for the Knights! We had New Knights Orientation and got to meet all our new students and parents and show them the ways of the Academy. We got to meet our teachers and enjoy Experience the Academy to hear all about the exciting learning opportunities coming this year. The PTO held our Back-to-School event at Fat Cats where we all had fun! Clubs like Robotics, the Bracelet Club, the Slime Club, the Taylor Swift Club, and Chess have started up and we have started earning our I AM IB tickets for demonstrating the IB Learner Profile Traits. September is sure to bring more fun and Fall Break will be here before we know it!- Nikki Wilfert (Principal)
Student Council
Student Council is off to a great start. Preston Rule, this year’s Student Body President, is busy planning activities for Mesa Academy and making sure all students are represented. He is actively asking students about activities they’d like to see take place at our school. Preston has a strong team to help him this school year. Here are just some of those homeroom representatives, Audrey Sarkissian, Sam Omerza, Skye Matosevic, Holly Hom, Harvey Casconi, Porter Brown, Luka Matosevic, Neil Sykes, Eliud Kuria, Tyson Dailey, Jack Vanderberg, Kyle Bone, Bentlee, Jacob O'Neill, Grant Walker, Parker Cramer, Grace Duffek, Quintin Carlisle, and Gavin Held. September 27th will be an exciting day at Mesa Academy. It’s our first spirit day and Skateland Night for the 7th and 8th graders. Listen to ABS for more information.
Student Coucil
General Reminders
- Please remind students to put their IDs in their backpacks when they get home so they remember to wear them the next morning.
- Cell phones are to be off and away in student backpacks all day.
- Buses always have the right of way. Please make sure the bus is not coming before you pull out of the drop off or pick up lanes.
- Uniforms are to be worn every day except on Fridays. Fridays, students may wear club t-shirts.
- Students are not allowed on campus until 7:35 a.m. unless they are attending a morning club or tutoring.
Canvas vs. Parent/Student VUE
Canvas is the platform that we tend to use for assignments and practice. Student/Parent VUE is a program used to post grades that will go on grade reports, report cards, and a student’s cumulative record. Many teachers refer to Canvas as our practice platform because not all grades will be transferred to the formal grade book. Which one should you pay attention to? Both. Although Student/Parent VUE shows the final grades, Canvas will have most of the assignments and you can see your student’s progress and missing assignments. Students and parents are encouraged to look at both to stay updated on their progress. If you have any questions, feel free to reach-out to our teachers.
Upcoming Dates
Sept. 2: Labor Day, no school
Sept. 3: 8th Grade Close up Parent Meeting, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Sept. 10: 8th Grade Field Trip to City Hall 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Sept. 10th: 8 th Grade Orchestra Plays @MPS Board Meeting @6 p.m.
Sept. 12th: NJHS Induction Ceremony 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m.
Sept. 17th: Guest Speaker: Keely Schmelter in Brown's Class (P 6, 7, 8)
Sept. 17th: In-N-Out Spirit Night
Sept. 26th: Starfighter Arcade Hang Out: 4th & 5th Grade Night 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 27th: Adv. Orchestra ABODA @ Mtn. View HS
Sept. 27th: 7th and 8th Grade Skateland Night
Sept. 30th: Scott Thompson to present to 8th Graders in MPR 2-3 p.m.
Oct. 4th: Last Day of the 1st Quarter- 2-hour Early Dismissal
Oct. 7-11th: Fall Break- No School
Oct. 15th: 2nd Quarter Resumes
8th Grade News
8th Grader Washington D.C. Trip
Are you an 8th grade parent interested in learning more about the Close Up trip to DC and Colonial Williamsburg? Join Ms. Brown and Ms. Hayward for a VIRTUAL meeting on Tuesday September 3rd from 5:30-6:30 PM.
Here is the link Meeting ID: 258 690 517 942 Passcode: niSBgw
If you have any questions please email Ms. Brown at rtbrown@mpsaz.org or Ms. Hayward at bmhayward@mpsaz.org .
City of Mesa Trip
8th grade students will be going on a field trip September 10th from 10am- 3:30pm to Mesa City Hall. Parent chaperones are welcome! Please reach out to Ms. Brown to sign up today! rtbrown@mpsaz.org.
Guest Speaker
Scott Thompson, Assistant Superintendent, Business & Support Services is going to speak to 8th grade students about school budgeting. Parents are welcome to join us. It will be 9/30/24 from 2-3PM in the MPR.
Counselor’s Corner
Parents Teen Lifeline will be doing a parent presentation on October 17th from 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Please reach out to Ms. Skigen if you have any questions.
Robotics Update
This year our Innovation Lab teacher, Mr. Riley, is going to supervise the robotics club. The club will meet on Mondays and Fridays from 4:15 p.m.-6:15 p.m. at Fremont Junior High in Rm. 14, building 10. Robotics club is open to all grade levels. Students in 4th and 5th grade may attend Study Hall in the media center during 8th period and then walk over to Fremont at 3:45. Feel free to reach out to Mr. Riley at sariley@mpsaz.org with any questions about robotics this year.
NJHS
National Junior Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) elevates a school’s commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship and helps middle-level students develop the knowledge and skills to become well-rounded student leaders in their school, community, and beyond.
NJHS chapters operate in all 50 states and schools around the world, engaging and serving more than one million students.
Congratulations to our 2024-25 NJHS Officers:
President: Gabrielle Figueroa
Co-Vice Presidents: Evelyn Karnos & William Taylor
Secretary: Ella Nelson
Treasurer: Ayden Patel
Chess Club
Coach Carlos and our Chess Club Knights have been having lots of fun early Wednesday mornings. They are learning new moves, challenging oneanother and getting ready for tournaments. All club members were given the Super Tournament Qualifiers flyer to take home.
IB Trait of the Month Recognitions
Thinkers
Every month teachers nominate one student from their homeroom who best exhibits one of the IB Traits. For August the IB Trait was Thinker. To be a thinker is to use creative and critical thinking skills to take responsible action on complex issues. At Mesa Academy, our teachers provide opportunities for meaningful lessons where students learn new things. Teachers provide students with opportunities to ask questions and to reflect on their own learning. This month’s winners were:
David Yauch
Holly Hom
Emily Coyne
Mila Prince
Camden Walker
Jackson Struse
Sawyer Jones
Cruz Bybee
Ugo Ubosi
Hudson De La Cruz
Ezra Johnson
Laith Abugharbieh
Ethan Reeves
Addison Wells
Lisa Woods (Registrar and Attendance Clerk)
New Staff
Rachael Dematio- Media Center Specialist
Hey there, I’m Miss Rachael! When I'm not lost in a book, I'm busy cooking up delicious treats or soaking up nature (as long as it isn't blazing hot!). Being a book-loving librarian at Desert Mountain School in Deer Valley School District has been a total blast for the past 2 years - I'm literally surrounded by books all day, every day! This year, my son and I packed our bags and headed to Mesa, and we're thrilled to dive into all the exciting activities at Mesa Academy and the District. Back at my old school, I kickstarted a Young Adult Book Club for our 7th & 8th graders, and I'm itching to bring that fun here too! I believe it's crucial to keep our kids (especially the older ones) engaged and buzzing in the library. My mission is to create a cozy spot where everyone can read, study, or enjoy some quiet games in our Quiet Corner. I also have my sights set on setting up a special teacher zone, so our amazing educators can snag interesting materials all year round. I can't wait to keep bonding with our students and hopefully, as time goes by, get to know every one of you better too!
Annika Skigen- Counselor
Hello Mesa Academy Families. My name is Annika Skigen and I am the new school counselor at MAAS. I grew up right outside Washington D.C., in Northern Virginia, and I have now lived in Arizona for 8 years. I attended ASU, where I got my BA in Elementary Education. I taught 5th and 6th grade in Mesa Public Schools. I went back to school and attended GCU, where I received my M.Ed in School Counseling. While it has only been a few weeks, I have loved getting to know the students, families, and staff of Mesa Academy. I can't wait to continue to get to know more of you throughout this school year. The best way to reach me is through email or a phone call. I will always respond ASAP but within 24 hours. Thank you for welcoming me into the Mesa Academy community.
Dr. Jennifer Anderson- IB Coordinator
Jennifer Anderson comes to this position with 11 years of experience in IB Program support as a counselor at Westwood High School in Mesa. She is also familiar with the IB Program as a proud parent of MPS IB graduates. Before counseling, she was a classroom teacher and is currently a Faculty Associate at ASU. This role is an exciting new adventure supporting both teachers and students who are engaged in the MPS International Baccalaureate programs at Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies and Summit Academy.
Media Center News
LIBRARY BUCKS
LIBRARY BUCKS will begin on September 9th !! Whenever a student turns in a book on time, they will have the option to fill out a Library Bucks Submission Form. They can turn in the submission form to the tray and after Ms. Rachael reviews them she will distribute the bucks.
Library Bucks will be placed in Homeroom teachers mailboxes
by the following morning, along with 2 IB tickets.
Students can earn an additional book checkout
when they cash in 10 Library Bucks.
OVERDUE BOOKS!
Students will receive overdue book notices! Please make sure they get returned to the media center. Thank you.
Approaches to teaching and learning (ATL) skills
The MYP extends IB approaches to learning (ATL) skills categories into 10 developmentally appropriate clusters. This framework provides common ground from which schools can develop their own ATL planning based on MYP units, student needs, and local circumstances and requirements. This month our counselor, Ms. Skigen, and the Elective Teachers worked with our students on Organizational Skills. This is how students can demonstrate organizational skills: Managing time and tasks effectively
• Plan short- and long-term assignments; meet deadlines
• Create plans to prepare for summative assessments (examinations and performances)
• Keep and use a weekly planner for assignments
• Set goals that are challenging and realistic
• Plan strategies and take action to achieve personal and academic goals
• Bring necessary equipment and supplies to class
• Keep an organized and logical system of information files/notebooks
• Use appropriate strategies for organizing complex information
• Understand and use sensory learning preferences (learning styles)
• Select and use technology effectively and productively
Music @ MAAS
Orchestra-
Advanced Orchestra will be performing 'You are Amazing' by Brian Balmages for the MPS School board on Sept. 10th. Students and parents are encouraged to write notes of gratitude for board members.
Marcie Hutchinson - President
Courtney Davis
Joe O'Reilly
Kiana Sears
Rachel Walden
Mesa Academy for Advanced Studies
2024-2025 Fall Semester Instrumental Music Performances
Tuesday, September 10 MPS Board Meeting 8th grade orchestra performance
Friday, September 27 Advanced Orchestra ABODA @ Mountain View
Thursday, October 17 Marching Band Night (WHS)(8th grade)
Friday, October 18 Marching Band Night (RMHS)(8th grade)
October 19-20 Dia de los Muertos Festival @ Mesa Arts Center
Thursday, October 24 Westwood Orchestra night - 8th grade only (off campus)
Monday, October 28 Red Mountain Orchestra Showcase (off campus)
Tuesday, October 29 Mountain View Orchestra Showcase (Orchestra grades 4-8)
Thursday, November 21 Young Lions Band Concert (RMHS)( 8th grade) 5:30/7 pm
Tuesday, December 10 Future Warriors Band Concert (WHS)(8th grade)5:30/7pm
Thursday December 12 Band Concert, All Bands
Tuesday December 17 Orchestra Concert, 6-8 (Prep, Int., Adv.)
NOTE- “Festival” is an adjudicated performance and typically not open to the public.
“Concerts” are at MAAS and an audience is encouraged to attend.
Knights in Action
Spanish 2 and 5th Grade Spanish conducting interviews and surveys!
Putting dates in chronological order with BCE and CE.
Spanish A: Explaining Language Proficiency
Mesa Academy Families Kick-off the new school year at Fat Cats!
8th Graders Re-writing the Declaration of Independence
12 Principles of Animation Scavenger Hunt
5th Graders excited to talk all about themselves in Spanish using their tissue boxes.
Buddies!
Buddies!
Our 8th graders in Spanish 2 have been having a blast getting to know our new 4th graders. They have met and exchanged correspondence with one another. This month, our 8th graders helped their buddies with the metric system in their STEM Class and used their tissue boxes to share information about themselves. They are looking forward to the next time they can spend time together. Please encourage your 4th or 8th grader to keep in touch with their buddy. Our 8th graders are great role models and have lots of strategies to be successful at Mesa Academy.
