Wildcat Press Newsletter
Nov 8, 2020 Vol. 16
Principal's Message
Hello Wildcat Pride,
I want to send my congratulations to all of our fall student athletes and their families. Every team qualified for post season competition this is a huge accomplishment.
I am also excited to tell you that this week Mesquite was named an Arizona Cardinals and State Farm Good Neighbor school. With that comes a $100,000 grant to upgrade our stadium and its turf. We are super grateful for the honor, and appreciative of the work of Coach Rick Cunningham and Coach Scott Hare to help secure the grant.
In my letter to my staff this week I was sharing that one of the things that I am very proud of is that I am a veteran of the United States Army and that I will forever have the designation being an Airborne Paratrooper. I think one of the funniest things is that I was not and still am not a fan of heights. This week we have Wednesday off to celebrate the veterans present and past that have entered the service and sacrificed, in many cases, life and limb for this country. I want to send my thanks to the members of our community who took that oath and chose to stand up for democracy in the face of evil. I want to add a thank you to the families who stayed behind in the sleepless nights and prayerful days until their loved one returned home. Please take time this week to find a veteran to thank.
Thanks to all of our Veterans and their families, have a great week.
Rod Huston
Principal
Mesquite High School
@MHSAZ_Principal
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MHS Administrative Team!
Mrs. Marguerite Brown
Assistant Principal
Activities and Clubs
Grade Level: Freshman
Juniors Last Name O-Z
@MHSWildcat_News
Mr. Rudy Alvarado
Assistant Principal
Athletic Director
Grade Level: Sophomores
Juniors Last Name E-N
@MesquiteAthDept
Mrs. Mitzi Escobar
Assistant Principal
Registration & Academics
Grade Level: Seniors
Juniors Last Name A-D
@Mhsescobar
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2020-2021 Bell Schedule
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Activities for November
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PAWs-atively Awesome
2nd grade reading at Islands Elementary
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Wildcat Counseling
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Early College Programs
It’s never too early to start thinking about college. CGCC has programs designed to help students seamlessly transition from high school to college. These programs allow students to earn college credit while in high school, save on tuition and transfer these credits to a degree or certificate program.
Achieve a College Education (ACE):
ACE is an early college two-year, scholarship-based program. The mission is to increase the success rate of the first generation, under-represented or financially disadvantaged college-bound students. Students take classes at CGCC’s Pecos campus on Saturdays during the school year and Mondays-Thursdays during the summer. Eligible sophomores may apply for this program. Learn more at cgc.edu/ace.
Hoop of Learning:
Hoop of Learning is a scholarship-based program for American Indian students created to encourage and empower students to complete high school and transition to college. The goal is to reduce economic and cultural barriers that American Indians may face entering higher education. Students take classes at CGCC’s Pecos campus on Saturdays during the school year and Mondays-Thursdays during the summer. Eligible 9-12th grade students may apply for this program. Learn more at cgc.edu/hoopoflearning.
Applications for the ACE and Hoop of Learning early college programs are available in the MHS Career Center. The application deadline is November 30, 2020.
Contact Sandra Martinez, the Chandler-Gilbert Community College Embedded Advisor at Mesquite High School, if you have any questions.
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Message from our Athletic Director
I wanted to celebrate successfully completing our Fall regular seasons for badminton, volleyball, swim/dive, and cross country. We've never had a season quite like 2020 and am proud of the measures all our student-athletes took to stay safe and healthy during these times. Badminton and volleyball will host playoff games this week and we'd love to see you there. Badminton starts at 6 on Mondayand is FREE. Volleyball will host Saguaro HS on Tuesday at 6:30 with those tickets to be sold through www.gofan.co
As for our Winter sports, the current Covid data for the county, district, and zip code of MHS is above the threshold put out by the AIA. With that said, we are delaying Winter sport tryouts and will not be having tryouts next week. Please have your student reach out to their coach about open gym/field times along with updates to the tryout schedule. Right now, schools are reevaluating on a weekly basis to determine when we can start.
As you read that, you may be wondering why Fall sports are continuing on while Winter is put on hold. That's because at the start of the school year, the AIA came out and said each season would have to meet the benchmark data requirements to begin their season. Once we start, it then turns over to individual programs to follow guidelines and shut down when necessary. Updates will be communicated to parents as we get them.
Thank you,
Mr. Alvarado
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HEALTH OFFICE HOTSPOT!
GPS Health Services Website
COVID - it seems like we can't escape it, and we even want it to disappear. But, now is when we need to stay vigilant! In order to stay "on top" of the situation a few suggestions:
1. COVID TESTING: If you choose to have your child tested for COVID, regardless of what time you choose to have your child tested, please do NOT send your child to school until the results are known. Once the results are known, whether positive or negative, please call the Health Office for further direction.
2. QUARANTINE: Sometimes students need to be quarantined, through NO FAULT of their own. If students need to be quarantined, they CANNOT test their way out of quarantine. In addition, the student will NOT be able to participate in their sport/after school activity until the quarantine days have come to an end.
3. SPORTS / AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITY: A positive student who plays sports MUST follow AIA Return to Play guidelines. Check with the Athletic Office BEFORE returning to the sport/activity.
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National American Indian Heritage Month
Code Talkers
During World War I and World War II, hundreds of American Indians joined the United States armed forces and used words from their traditional tribal languages as weapons. The United States military asked them to develop secret battle communications based on their languages—and America’s enemies never deciphered the coded messages they sent. “Code Talkers,” as they came to be known after World War II, are twentieth-century American Indian warriors and heroes who significantly aided the victories of the United States and its allies.
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About MHS
Email: mhsinfo@gilbertschools.net
Website: https://www.gilbertschools.net/mesquitehigh
Location: 500 South McQueen Gilbert, AZ 85233
Phone: 480-632-4750
Twitter: @MHSWildcat_News