Mendoza Elementary School’s

P U P P r e s s A Monthly Newsletter For The Families of Mendoza Elementary

5831 E. McLellan Road - Mesa, AZ, 85205 - (480) 472-2000 - www.mpsaz.org/Mendoza - Mrs. Deb Lynch, Principal

February, 2017

LITERACY NIGHT

Help us welcome Conrad Storad

Author of:

“Don’t Call Me Pig” “Rattlesnake Rules” “Lizards for Lunch”

Thursday,

February 23rd 5:30pm—7:30pm

Pizza available for purchase @ 5:00pm

Greetings from Mendoza PTO!

PTO has a busy month planned! We are hosting our Annual Family Dinner and Dance! This year the theme is A Red Carpet Affair. We hope to see you there on

February 3rd

from 6-8pm. Dinner will be from the Olive Garden Pasta Bar and DJ LOS will be playing some great music. Tickets are very limited so get yours now! Flyers have been sent home and there are more located in the office. We are bringing back everyone’s favorite fundraiser...PENNY WARS! The funds raised will be used to help fund future PTO activities and to help our teachers with supplies and learning tools they might need. Please see the flyers that have gone home with your child. Start saving your change! This is a grade level challenge so good luck to all of our grades!

Upcoming PTO Events

Entire month of February: Penny Wars

Friday, February 3rd: A Red Carpet Affair dance @ 6:00pm.

Tuesday, February 14th: PTO meeting (3:45pm in the Library)

Thursday, February 23rd: Pizza @ Literacy Night 5:00-5:30pm, Literacy Night activities in MPR 5:30-7:30pm

Sincerely, Sarah Early, PTO President

OPEN ENROLLMENT RENEWAL FOR THE 2017-2018 SCHOOL YEAR

Open enrollment enables Arizona students to attend public schools outside their attendance area or their districts for one year. In order for a student to be considered to continue at Mendoza on Open Enrollment status for the next school year, parents must complete the Open Enrollment form and return to Mendoza’s front office before March 1

st, 2017.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Knutson at 480-472-1953.

A NOTE FROM OUR PRINCIPAL

Dear Mendoza Parents and Families, It was wonderful seeing everyone at our Parent—Teacher conferences in January. We would like to continue the ongoing communication with you throughout the year! Please check out our new communication system called PEACHJAR. The Peachjar link can be found on our Mendoza website. Just click on the Peachjar link, and you can view all the flyers that have been posted about our upcoming events and other school information. This is an important time of the year as we are continuing to work hard to increase the progress and growth of our students. Please be sure to help your child to do their best by:

Making sure your student is here every single day and is on time. Consistent attendance is the best way to ensure their success. Please schedule appointments (medical, dental, orthodontist, etc. before or after school, if possible) and plan trips on non-school days, if possible.

Provide your child with a good night’s rest and a nutritious breakfast.

Be an active parent. Read with your child and help them with their homework daily.

Encourage your child to work hard at school everyday. AzMERIT, AIMS Science, and District Testing are coming up soon. We are asking that parents not schedule appointments during testing time, as students can not make up these tests. Listed below are important upcoming dates. Testing schedule times will be send home closer to the testing dates.

April 6th or 7th: 4th grade AIMS Science

April 17th—28th: District CRT Test (K, 1st and 2nd grade)

March 27th—May 5th: AzMERIT (3rd—6th grade) Please continue to join us at Mendoza for our fun school events! Please check out our calendar of events on our Mendoza website @ http://www.mpsaz.org/mendoza/. Thank you for your support! I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming Mendoza events. Sincerely, Deb Lynch Principal, Mendoza Elementary

Thank you for being a supportive partner and for encouraging your child to read 20 minutes a day. Students will be earning certificates and rewards for accomplishing their reading goals each month. Please read with your child, and/or encourage your child to read every day for 20 minutes.

From the Library This month in the library we’ve been talking about book, author, and illustrator awards. On January 23rd, the American Library Association announced their annual Newbery and Caldecott award winners. The Newbery Medal winner is The Girl Who Drank the Moon, by Kelly Barnhill. The Caldecott Medal winner, which is given to the best illustrated children’s book, is Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jena-Michel Basquiat, illustrated and written

by Javaka Steptoe. Our library will be purchasing these books and other award winner’s books with the monies donated through ECA and funds raised through our fall book fair.

Drama Club News

Drama Club presents

“Beauty and the Beast”

Our students are working very hard to present this musical for

you! Please mark your calendars for Friday, March 24th. Our drama

club will be performing in the auditorium at Red Mountain High School. There is no charge for this performance...so let’s show our

support and fill the auditorium up!

1

1:55pm Early Release

2

3 6:00-8:00pm Red Carpet Affair @ MPR

6

7

8 1:55pm Early Release

9

10

13

14 3:45pm PTO Meeting

15 12:25pm Extra Early Release Student Council Popcorn Fundraiser begins

16 6:30pm Band Concert @ MPR

17

20

NO SCHOOL

21

22 1:55pm Early Release

23 5:30-7:30pm Family Literacy Night

24 Nerd Day-PTO TOP DOG Testing

27 28 Upcoming March Events

March 1st: Popcorn orders due March 13th—17th: Spring Break March 3rd: Spring pictures March 27th: AzMERIT testing begins March 10th: 12:25pm Extra Early Release

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PARENT ENGAGEMENT (Formerly Parent Involvement) STUDENT LEARNING: Academic success increases when learning extends beyond the school day. Mendoza teachers communicate their homework expectations with students and parents early in the school year. Parents can learn ways to work with their child at our Literacy and Math nights. Independent reading is a large part of each teacher’s homework expectations. To motivate students to read at home, we have initiated a Principal’s Reading Challenge program. Parents and students can get homework assistance through www.doyourhomeworkarizona.org. Students are more successful in school when they are well fed. Mendoza offers a breakfast and lunch program. Parents can apply for free or reduced priced meals for their Mesa Public School students by going to http://www.mpsaz.org/food/meals-applications. Mendoza, also, participates in the AZ Brain Food program which provides food for students to take home for the weekend. Contact the school nurse for information about applying for this program.

P.E. Healthy Habits

Choosing Sneakers Whether you walk, run, pedal, or putt, your feet are getting a workout too. To get the most out of your favorite activity and to reduce your chances of injury you need the right shoes. Work on your timing Shop for shoes at the end of the day or after exercise. This is when feet tend to be their largest. Play to your specialty If you do a specific sport or activity such as walking, running, or basketball three or more times a week, look for shoes designed for it. Otherwise, cross-trainers are fine. Get a good fit heel to toe Try with socks that are the same weight as those you wear when you exercise. Look for a comfortable fit that doesn’t let your heels slip. Rotate your ankles to check for spots where the shoes pinch or rub. Take them for a test run Walk or jog a few paces, checking for comfort. Shoes that fit well shouldn’t require a break-in period. Don’t be enticed by the price Just because footwear is expensive doesn’t mean it’s always the best choice for you. What’s more important than the cost is the fit, support, and comfort that shoes provide.

BOOK EXCHANGE During Family Literacy Night, for every two books donated, select one book to take home. Books will be

collected in the Media Center beginning February 13th.

The year has gone by so fast and your students have been busy learning new social skills each month. I hope they are talking with you about what we work on. One-on-ones and groups have continued during the 2nd semester and I am always open to hearing from parents if you have any concerns. Please feel free to ask for me or introduce yourself. In February I will be working on the following materials:

Kindergarten: How to communicate in a respectful way when there is a conflict.

1st grade: Managing worry

2nd grade: Using the book, The Dot, we’re talking about ways to be motivated for success even when things are difficult.

3rd grade: How to deal with bullying in a positive way

4th grade: Problem Solving Part 2-learning the steps

5th grade: Dealing with gossip and ways to respond

6th grade: Bystanders, how they can confront when there is a problem

I will also continue to have materials for Civil Rights and Black History Month that will show examples of true heroes and how they made a difference. I enjoy my time with the students in the classroom and work hard to make sure each student is aware that they are special. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns at 480-472-1957. Gary Ingle, Counselor