Principal's Message
We all know that a significant focus during April is AASA State Testing. However, we managed to fit in some fun as well. Our awesome Knights earned a free dress day for filling the IB Ticket container. The winning Academy Battle of the Books team continues to shine in District-level competitions. Lastly, the 6th graders showed off their knowledge of the Renaissance through presentations and band and orchestra performances at an evening showcase for families. May will bring many celebrations for our 8th graders and other fun for all the Knights.- Ms. Wilfert
Mesa Academy's IB Students and Teacher of the Month
Every month teachers are given the opportunity to nominate students and a teacher that exemplify IB Profile Traits. Congratulations to the following MAAS Knights for being recognized as our IB Students and Teacher of the Month: Ify Ubosi (4th Grade), Alaina Moeser (5th Grade), Valette Lara (6th Grade), Katherine Trendler (7th Grade), Ember-Lynnne Tansey (8th Grade) and Ally Chiren (teacher).
International Students
IB students have a deep respect for the traditions and cultural experiences of others, and when we can't experience something firsthand, learning from one another is always valuable to us as human beings. At MAAS we have international students and students who have lived in other countries. In our next issues, we will share some of their stories and experiences.
Sophia Doulah
Chess Club 2022-23 Champs!
Renaissance Concert
The 6th grade social studies classes along with the beginning band and prep orchestra combined for an interdisciplinary activity about the Renaissance. Students studied history, politics, background, and technology as well as musical composers, styles, and music compositions. On Tuesday, April 25 the students gave a short presentation to their parents about their learning followed by the band and orchestra performing Renaissance music.
2023 MYPO and JHFO Orchestra Concert
Congratulations to the following students on a performance well done and to Ms. White for all of her dedication to our Orchestra Program:
Mesa Young People's Orchestra
Preston Rule, Allie Brown, Danny Swinehart, Elijah Rencher, Elijah Iguado, Monique Wong, Emma Hirsch, Neil Sykes, Joshua Acosta, Layla Spangler, William Taylor, Gideon Vickeryk, Julia Norton, Keira Stimmler, Walker Robles, and Dylan Moore.
Junior High Festival Orchestra
Amelia Clement, Bryson Parker, Yasmine Phaklides, Arianne Rencher, Charlotte Whitmer, Olivia Merrill, Anna Patterson, Kira Schultz, Alyssa Smith, Kendall Von Burg, and Simon Newman.
Advanced Work from our Band Students
Mr. Asher Norton composed this piece of music- then arranged it for piano, bassoon, and violin. This is collegiate-level work- bravo to Asher! In addition, the Junior High Honor Band performance at the Mesa Arts Center- Katie Trendler, Seth Overman, and Marcus Rogers played in the band and put on a wonderful performance. Congratulations to those first-rate band kids! -Mr. Dixon
Battle of the Books 22-23
Last Wednesday, April 26, Mesa Academy's Battle of the Books Team, Caitlin Ngo, Rebecca Wehrman, and Chelsea Reeves competed in the 2nd half of the District Competition. They were one of the top 12 teams from 40 participating schools. They only missed one question in the 1st and 2nd phases and they ended up in a Battle for 4th place with Wilson Elementary. The 4th place position went to Wilson but we are so very proud of our Mesa Academy Battle Team for all their hard work and dedication.
Communicators
One of our IB Learner Profile Traits is that of a Communicator and at MAAS we strive to create strong communicators in either Spanish or Mandarin. Communicators understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. Our Spanish 2 students did just that in April in their Art Unit. Students learned terms to describe different aspects of art pieces. Then, students worked to compare works of art, along with their painters.
To finish up this amazing unit, students were allowed to recreate paintings of their choice. They got to work creatively to recreate the different styles of art pieces.
Speaking of ART!
Congratulations to our Young At Art Artists whose work is on display at Historic Irving for the District Art Show! They made an amazing showing and we had tons of fun Opening Night! Five of our students won in their category or received an Honorable Mention! Meztli Garcia Chavez- Honorable Mention in the Ink/Marker category for her piece, "Gone" Jasper DiPalermo- 2nd Place in the Watercolor/Watercolor Pencil Painting category for their work, "Teen Bedroom" Rowahn Pritchard- Honorable Mention in the Digital Art category for their work, "Storybook" Lauren Cooper- 3rd Place in the Digital Art category for her work, "Love of Reading" Kysa Hamann- 1st Place in the Digital Art category for her work, "Typing Worlds" Outstanding Job, everyone!- Ms. Chiren
Gardeners in the Making
Calling all gardeners!! Mrs. Clanton's 5th graders stepped right up for the job. In the 4th quarter, they are learning about Survival Traits and how traits and characteristics are passed down in both plants and animals. In only two days, amazing support from families, Mrs. Poole, and some hard work they all got their hands dirty preparing the beds and planting. Students spent the week prior discussing what they would like to grow and what was in season to be planted in April. They also discussed different varieties of the same vegetable and how the traits and characteristics of each of those plants might be different as they grow and produce. Now that all the plants have been planted it is the job of the students to ensure that the garden is watered and maintained every day. Our 4th and 5th-grade students will also be incorporating all that they are learning about the garden - specifically the Salsa garden bed in their Spanish class with Sra. Sandoval. In their Exploratory Spanish Class, they will learn how to pick the best salsa ingredients, how to handle their crops, and how the ingredients work together to make the best salsa for varying salsa eaters. The learning and experience is their ultimate goal... the harvest is the reward!
Welcome to the World of 4th & 5th Grade Mandarin Chinese
The 4th and 5th graders are learning Chinese numbers up to 100 with some exposure to over 100 to 1000. We are counting up to 100 for sure with a tennis ball throwing activity and an exercise that the students like to call a dance. The 6th graders are learning about countries, people, and languages while the 7th graders are learning colors. Our 8th-grade Mandarin students are wrapping up their Level 2 Chinese Language study and singing two songs in Chinese. For the most recent song, 'You look great when you smile', we are making a music video of the whole class singing and acting.
Spanish Language Students get excited!
Students in rooms 11 and 12 were excited to show off their Spanish Language skills this last quarter! The 4th and 5th graders played games to quiz their number facts while the 6th-8th graders ran skits about family members and emergencies. Here are pictures of our 8th graders responding to accidents and emergency room scenarios.
2022-23 UKnighters say Goodbye!
Our UKnighters had a blast at their last meeting in March. They shared warm wishes and words of gratitude with their buddies. Of course, there were games and lots of fun. Our UKnighters practiced their last IB Learner Profile Trait, Communicator. They lined up according to height and birthdays without verbal communication. Mrs. Shcmitt and Sra. Sandoval had lots of fun watching them interact. It was a great year with this group of Knights. We hope the friendships they made helped make this year a great one!
Finals are around the corner...are you ready?
MAAS Drama on the RM Stage
On Friday, May 19th the Mesa Academy Drama Club will perform two student-written plays at Red Mountain High School. The students cast their own plays, and the writers are directing their own work. The performance will begin at 9:00 am in the Red Mountain auditorium. Both plays center around a murder mystery. Any questions email Robyn McFarland, Drama Club Advisor, at rfmcfarland@mpsaz.org
PTO Information and Calendar
Save the Date
May 11 6-7pm in MPR Close Up Meeting for current 7th grade parents for the 8th grade trip of 2024.
Interested in MAAS?
Preparing students for life in the 21st century and helping students become life-long learners who understand how to navigate successfully through an ever-changing and increasingly interrelated world is not a secret. Share what we do at Mesa Academy with your family, friends, and neighbors and encourage them to visit our school website for more information.
Your 2022-23 Knightly Newsletter Team: Amelia Clement, Adri Cardall, Anna Reeves, Arianne Rencher, Charlotte Whitmer, Emma Hughes, Hadley Kennington, Jessie Olmedo, Kendall Von Burg, Kira Shultz, McKenna King, Oliva Merrill, Ryan Weinstein, Valette Lara, Xavier Vaughan, Jazzy Pascacio, Helynn Castro, Abi Allport, Alia Cluff, Julia Norton, Layla Spangler, William Taylor, Addison Wells, Scarlett Sawyer, and Mrs. Sandoval.
Credits:
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