JACKRABBIT NEWS

“When you be-

lieve in a

thing, believe

in it all the

way, implicitly

and unques-

tionable.

- Walt Disney

Registration Information

It’s hard to believe, but it’s time for students to begin selecting their courses for the

2016-17 school year. Student Advisors have already visited English classes to share

course selection information and materials with students and teachers set aside time on

Signature Day, January 26, to advise students on placement options for next year.

Students will turn in their course selections on January 29 in preparation for individual

and small group meetings with student advisors to finalize the process.

Below is the schedule for Student Advisors meetings with each grade level. Please en-

courage your students to select their courses carefully. Only courses that have ade-

quate enrollment will be offered next year, so their initial selection is critical. The ability

to change courses will be very limited after students have met with Advisors and com-

pleted the enrollment process, so they need to choose carefully.

Students who do not fill in the form completely (don’t pick enough electives or alter-

nates) will have courses selected for them and will have limited (if any) opportunity to

change those selections – so it is important for them to complete their forms, turn them

in on time and meet with Advisors to review their selections.

Students who do NOT have an English class will be called in by Student Advisors to

complete the course selection process after all of the regularly scheduled class meet-

ings are finished. This slight delay will, in no way, negatively impact a student’s ability

to request or receive course requests.

Student Advisors will meet with students to collect and check course selections:

January 27 Jr High Visits Taylor

February 1-5 Class of 2019 Current Frosh

February 8-10 Jr High Visits Kino, Rhodes, Franklin

February 16-19 Class of 2017 Current Juniors

February 22-25 Class of 2018 Current Sophomores

March 1-4 Clean Up Days Meet with students who were absent or do not have an English class

Mesa High Newsletter February 2016

In this Issue

Registration Information

Student Advisement In-

formation

Senior Scoop

Yearbook News

Spotlight Teacher/Staff

AVID Information

Events for January

The 9th Annual Mesa High School

Science and Engineering Fair is Fri-

day, February 12th in the small gym

and parents are welcome to come vis-

it after signing in as visitors in the

front office.

Student Advisors

Students are assigned an advisor according to their last name.

Ms. Leonard A—Ca Dr. Butler Ce-Ga Mr. Donald Ge—Ll Ms. Galindo Lo—O Ms. Gamboa P—Sa Mr. Rivas Sc—Z Ms. Carillo Intervention Specialist

Please call 472-5918 and Ms. Schumacher will sched-ule an appointment with your student’s advisor. Ad-visors are available from 6:30a.m.—3:30p.m. Stu-dents may schedule ap-pointments with their advisor by going to the Advisement Office before school, during lunch, or after school.

A Message from the Student Advisors:

Parents and students,

We wanted to remind you about an event that the guidance

staff is planning for all seniors in February. As you may know,

we hosted an event in September with ASU, U of A, and NAU

where we invited seniors to attend an application work-

shop. This was our first year hosting this workshop and I am

glad to tell you that preliminary numbers are showing this event

was a success! Recent numbers from U of A that show our ad-

mission rate has increased 80% from the END of last year, and

we expect this number to increase. We would not be surprised

if we more than doubled our admission rates by the end of this

year!

Now we want to impact the rest of our seniors. On February

11th, we will be hosting an event we are calling “Senior Re-

source Day”. We will be inviting ALL Seniors to attend 2 ses-

sions that we hope will help them prepare for life after high

school. Our sessions will include: an MCC application work-

shop, a FAFSA workshop, a scholarship workshop, a college

and military fair, a resume/interview tips workshop, and a work-

shop on outside resources. We have asked ALL seniors to sign

up for 2 of these sessions based on their post-graduate goals

and we hope that we can then use our reps to help follow up

with students based on their interests. We would appreciate

you asking your children about this event and encouraging them

to complete the applications (college, scholarship, FAFSA,

etc...) they started as well. We are very excited about this event

and hope that we can increase the number of students who fol-

low through with their ECAP (education and career action plan)

that they have been working the past 4 years on! We want to

thank you in advance for letting us work with your kids.

It’s hard to believe that nearly four years have passed since the class of 2016 first became

Jackrabbits. Graduation is right around the corner and will be here before we know it. This is

an exciting, yet hectic time of year for students, staff and parents. Below, you will find some

suggestions that will help us all navigate through this final stretch and make graduation evening

night to be remembered!

Students: Don’t let senioritis endanger your final quarter.

Attend classes daily, complete and turn in all assignments

Check your grades frequently

Communicate with your teachers!

Parents:

Read all correspondence from the school – we send out a lot of information this time of year!

Senior Deficiency Letters

Graduation ceremony and rehearsal information

Senior recognition events

Check your child’s grades through the Parent/Student Portal regularly. If you do not have

access to your student’s portal, please contact our attendance department and they will

help you set up access.

Communicate with your child’s teachers if you have questions or concerns

If your child is enrolled in a MDLP online class, check his/her progress and make sure s/he

is completing the class. Students who are taking classes through MDLP must complete

those classes PRIOR to the end of the semester, so pay attention to those due dates!

Graduation Rehearsal – Thursday, May 26 @ 6:30 AM. Students MUST be in attendance at graduation rehearsal if

they want to participate in the graduation ceremony that evening!

Graduation – Thursday May 26 @ 7:00 PM at Jackrabbit Stadium

Parking on campus is limited:

Please carpool as much as possible and follow the directions of security, police and ROTC students who are direct-

ing traffic.

Overflow parking is available at the old driving range on the north side of the campus.

Seating is limited:

- There is open seating on both sides of the stadium. Arrive early to ensure you can park and be seated prior to our

7:00 pm start time.

- Jackrabbit Stadium will be at capacity for the commencement ceremony. For this reason, we will not allow guests

to bring any items that may distract from others’ enjoyment of the ceremony.

- Balloons, signs, coolers, large bags or other items that may impact seating or visibility will NOT be allowed.

- Air horns, fireworks, cow bells, and all other noisemakers are also prohibited so that ALL parents and family

members may enjoy the ceremony and experience the sound of their child’s name being read.

- Accessible seating is available for those with physical limitations (limit 4 per family). Call Barbara Escamilla at 480-

472-5905 after March 15 to request special seating.

Spotlight Teacher

Erika Brantley, English Teacher (9th

and 10th Grade)

Years at Mesa High: This is my first

year at Mesa High.

Something unique: I was born in

Germany.

Hobbies: Cooking, reading, travel-

ling, scrapbooking and church activities.

Favorite Quote: “To whom much is giv-

en, much is required”

Favorite Song: “You Raise Me Up” by

Josh Groban

If I could retire today: I would be a

motivational speaker encouraging

young people to strive for excellence!

Have you pre-ordered your 2016 Mesa High yearbook?

We have extended the deadline for pre-orders through

March 11th. The current price is still, a very low, $69 if

you compare to other schools. Each book will include vir-

tual reality videos through Aurasma. Don't miss out on

your chance to own this one of a kind keep-sake of memo-

ries. Digital media is fun, and websites like Facebook and

Snapchat will not be around forever, but a 125+ page hard

cover book can be passed down from generation to gener-

ation. You can purchase the book in the bookstore or

online at http://www.mpsaz.org/pay/

Do you want to be a part of the award winning Mesa High

Yearbook Staff? Current Freshmen, Sophomores and

Juniors can sign up for GV30 Digital Publication Studio on

your registration materials. Learn photography, journal-

ism, Adobe Software and communication skills through

creation of theme, design and layouts in the 2017 year-

book. Interview that football quarterback and write a story

about the amazing homecoming events and your work will

be published. We take fieldtrips to ASU Cronkite and get

free admission to school events. There are also opportuni-

ties for leadership, which looks amazing on college and

scholarship applications. Register for GV30 now for next

year.

Parents of Seniors can order a special shout out to

their graduate in the 2016 book. Please see http://

www.mpsaz.org/mesa/staff/tctapia/gv31/ybpurchase/ for

more information. We will only be taking orders through

February 26th, so order today.

Lastly, we have a few overprints of the 2015 and 2014

yearbooks. We will have a 50% off clearance sale in the

bookstore the week of March 7th through Spring

Break. Books will be available for $30 until sold out.

Remember, pictures of school events can be emailed from

parents and students to tctapia@mpsaz.org, any-

time. Any questions, contact Tamara Tapia at (480) 308-

5659. Smile for the cameras!

Erika Brantley

Spotlight Staff Member

Crystal Rodriguez, Security

Years at Mesa High: 4years at Mesa

High and 13years with the district.

Something unique: I am an identical

twin.

Hobbies: Reading, shopping, hanging

out with family.

Favorite Quote: “People will forget what

you said, People will forget what you did,

But people will never forget how you made

them feel.” - Maya Angelou

Favorite Song: “Thinking Out Loud” - Ed

Sheeran

If I could retire today: I’m retired! I

wouldn’t be doing anything.

Crystal Rodriguez

Marketing Students Take Top Spots

The Marketing students competed in the 2016 Desert District DECA competition this month. All 29 students that attended were interviewed by a business profes-sional, the students shared their ideas on how to solve a business problem. Six of our Mesa students came out victorious!

Congratulations to Junior Brian M. for winning a Top

Role Play Medal in Apparel & Accessories, Junior Czi-

ana S. for winning a Top Role Play Medal in Hotel &

Lodging Management, Junior Nick A. for winning a Top

Role Play Medal in Marketing Management, Sophomore

Angelica H. for winning a Top Role Play Medal in Princi-

pals of Marketing Management, Junior Alex B. for win-

ning a Top Role Play Medal in Marketing Management,

and Junior Giselle M. for winning a Top Role Play Medal

in Retail Management. In addition, Sophomore Angelica

H. earned a Best Overall Medal in her Role Play catego-

ry. Great job Marketing students!!

Wish us luck at the DECA State Career Development

Conference on February 29th

through March 1st

.

AVID, Advancement Via Individual Determination, is a schoolwide transformation effort focused

on leadership, systems, instruction, and culture. AVID is designed to increase the number of students

who enroll and succeed in higher education and in their lives beyond high school. AVID-trained educators

teach students academic and social skills to help them develop the habits and behaviors needed to succeed in

rigorous curriculum.

In the junior high and high school, one component of the AVID college readiness system is an elective class

that students attend daily. In this elective class, students receive tutoring and a college readiness curriculum

to prepare them for entrance into four-year universities upon high school graduation.

AVID students are provided an opportunity to visit colleges and universities throughout Arizona. Guest speak-

ers are invited to discuss careers. Students are encouraged to explore career options.

The Mission of AVID

AVID’s mission is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for

college readiness and success in a global society.

AVID Offers Opportunities to serve the community Instruction in study skills and other college-level organizational skills Weekly participation in high-level, college-style tutorials Rigorous curriculum Preparation for college entrance exams and the college application process Guest speakers about colleges and careers Field trips to colleges and other great places! Fun activities in our AVID family!

The Typical AVID Student The goal of attending a four-year university GPA between 2.0 and 3.5 Above average potential Teacher recommendations Counselor recommendations Commitment to education as evidenced by attendance and behavior Please note that these are suggested attributes for an AVID student, but are not requirements. All applicants will be closely considered for the AVID Elective.

Applications are available from junior high school and high school student advisors and AVID coordinators. They should be completed and returned to the Student Advisement area of the office. AVID candidates will be interviewed. Selection may be based off teacher recommendation, application information, student data, a writ-ten response, and interviews.

2/1—2/5—Current 9th Grade Registration

2/1—2/5—Battle of the Bands Audition

2/2—Boy’s Basketball @ Dobson 4pm,

5:30pm, 7pm

2/2—Girl’s Basketball vs. Campo Verde (H)

4pm, 5:30pm, 7pm

2/2—Orchestra Concert 7pm

2/3—Late Late Start Day—Classes begin at

10am

2/3—Adult ESL Classes—Media Center @

7pm

2/3—Boy’s Soccer vs. Tolleson (H) 6pm

2/5—Boy’s Basketball vs. Desert Ridge (H)

4pm, 5:30pm, 7pm

2/5—Girl’s Basketball @ Queen Creek 4pm,

5:30pm, 7pm

2/6—AFJROTC Field Day

2/8—2/11—Battle of the Bands

2/9—Valentine’s Movie Night 6pm

2/10—Adult ESL Classes—Media Center @

7pm

2/11—Senior Resource Day

2/11—Mr. Jackrabbit 3pm

2/11—Boy’s Basketball vs. Hamilton (H) 4pm,

5:30pm, 7pm

2/15—President’s Day—No School

2/16—2/19—Current 10th Grade Registration

2/17—Senior BBQ—Both Lunches

2/17—Adult ESL Classes—Media Center @

7pm

2/23—2/25—Current 11th Grade Registration

2/23—Teacher Talent Show 7pm

2/25—Drama 1 Performance 7pm

2/26—Spring Sports Assembly

COLLEGE 101 & COMMUNITY

INFORMATION EVENT!

Would you like to know how to apply for Financial Aid, Schol-

arships and Grants?

Mesa High School is hosting a Financial Aid Night on

February 18, 2016 STARTING AT 7:00 PM WITH A BRIEF

PRESENTATION FROM GCU

YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH REP-

RESENTATIVES FROM ASU, NAU, U OF A, MCC, GCU AND RECEIVE

INFORMATION ON SCHOLARSHIPS, LOANS AND GRANTS. ALSO,

LEARN ABOUT THE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY SERVICES, WHICH ARE

AVAILABLE.

Where: Mesa High School in the Media Center

Further information please feel free to contact Mrs. Harris at 480-472-5935 or Mrs. Carrillo at

480-472-5973

Universidad 101 Y Noche de In-

formación Comunitaria ¿Quieres saber cómo aplicar para ayuda financiera, becas y

subvenciones?

Mesa High School está organizando una Noche de ayuda financiera en

FEBRERO 18, 2016 A PARTIR DE LAS 7:00 PM CON UNA BREVE PRESENTACIÓN DE Mesa Community College

Usted también tendría la oportunidad de reunirse con representantes de ASU, NAU, U de A, MCC y GCU, Así, recibir información sobre becas,

préstamos y subvenciones. TAMBIÉN, CONOCER LOS DIFERENTES SER-VICIOS DE COMMIDAD, QUE ESTÁN DISPONIBLES PARA USTED Y SU

FAMILIA.

Donde: Mesa High School en el salón Career Center

Para obtener más información póngase en contacto con la Sra. Carrillo en 480-472-5973