Mesa 365

Kodiak 6th – Shaw Shaw; Luke Schempp

Atlas 7th – Paxton Sugiyama; Inaya Velani

Polar 7th – Isaac Weiss; Abbey Seymour

Panda 7th – Easton Jones; Chloe James

Glacier 8th – James McClintock; Addilyn Mosley

Grizzly 8th – Sean Loban; Mackenzie Bamber

Panda 8th – Mason Everette; Taylor Ghilardi

Kodiak 6th – Madeline Hungerford; John Gordon

Atlas 7th – Hunter Alsup; Rylee Grimm

Polar 7th – Gracey Glick; Teddy Shoemaker

Panda 7th – Ty Jones; Olivia Addler

Glacier 8th – Catherine Gramling; Caleb Murray

Grizzly 8th – Krystal Torres Munoz, Tru Turnbaugh

Panda 8th – Claire Bohman; Noah Rutoski

Not pictured: Caleb Murray, Krystal Torres Munoz

Jessica Atkinson - SPED Social Worker

Jessica has made a significant impact on the team and students, particularly within the AN program. Her positive attitude, willingness to help, and strong support for students' social, emotional, and academic needs have been invaluable. Her dedication and commitment to the students have created a positive and supportive learning environment.

Margaret Grundman - Front Office Secretary

Margaret's positive attitude and dedication to her work have made her an invaluable asset to the front office. Her ability to remain calm under pressure, her willingness to help others, and her warm welcome to parents and students have created a positive and supportive school environment.

Niki Brock - 6th Grade Language and Literature Teacher

Niki is a dedicated and innovative educator who has significantly contributed to Mesa through the pioneering PAWS program. Her commitment to student success is evident in her tireless efforts to ensure the program runs smoothly, and her willingness to go above and beyond to support her colleagues. Niki’s positive attitude, strong work ethic, and student-centered approach make her an invaluable asset to the school community.

Jen Gross - Assistant Principal's Secretary

Jen's versatility and willingness to assist colleagues have been instrumental in the school's success this year. Her extensive knowledge and positive attitude have made her a valuable asset, and her sense of humor has brightened the work environment.

Ms. Armstrong and the choir concert put on a beautiful display of voices harmonizing to create a truly enchanting experience. The audience was captivated by the heartfelt performance, leaving a lasting impression on all who attended.

The combined band and orchestra concerts were a spectacular display of musical talent, showcasing the growth and dedication of young musicians from elementary to high school. The audience was awestruck by the lovely tunes provided by each ensemble. Many thanks to Douglas County High School for hosting everyone and to all the student musicians that played.

Ms. Jurim supported several students in entering their art work into this district wide juried art show themed around the book Whale Fall by Melissa Stewart. Several Mesa students' pieces won awards. Congratulations to Sonya Golanek, first place, mixed media; Desmond Albers, first place, sculpture. Congratulations to the following honorable mentions: Kenna Wood, August Hinman, Klaire Willie, and Ava Dale.

This fall Mesa Middle School presented Matilda on November 16th. Students of all grades participated. They were responsible for not only fantastic performances but fun custom, makeup, hair, set, light and sound designs, and running all of the technical equipment. With a cast and crew of 70 students It was a great opportunity to see how multitalented students at Mesa Middle are.

Colorado Dept. Public Health and Environment held a poster contest to get the word out about Radon. Mesa student, Addi Mosley entered the Radon contest and won first place in the state! She will be receiving a $300 gift card.

Unified Flag Football had an incredible first season! Our athletes had a blast playing against their peers, learning the game, and demonstrating excellent sportsmanship.

We’re thrilled to announce that our team took first place at the Special Olympics Denver Area Regional Flag Football Tournament! Our athletes shined on both offense and defense, and we couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and dedication.

A special thanks to our amazing peer partners who helped lead our team to victory and exemplified the Mesa Bear spirit of inclusion and kindness.

Way to go, Mesa Unified Champions!place holder

In October, we participated in the Special Olympics YAC (Youth Activation Committee) Summit at CU Denver. We joined middle and high school students from across the metro area to discuss ways to foster inclusivity in our schools. We had a great time playing games and enjoying a delicious lunch. A big thank you to our PE partners for joining us on this engaging day!

Congratulations goes out to this team for their exciting win to capture the district championship! Thank you to Coaches Wells, Lueck, and Gross for their support this season!

The 7th and 8th grade teams truly represented Mesa with pride this season. Each player fought hard and gave their all, showcasing dedication and sportsmanship. The effort and determination of every athlete was inspiring and made all of us at Mesa very proud!

The 8th grade A and B girls basketball teams had an incredible season, marked by growth, improvement, and unwavering dedication. We're immensely proud of their hard work and the positive attitude they brought to every game.

Our new ESports program has taken off, thanks in part to the guidance of two college-aged coaches and former ESports players from Douglas County High School. These experienced gamers, eager to share their passion and knowledge, volunteered their time to mentor the younger players, teaching them essential strategies, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Starting after Winter break Mesa players will start league play against other middle schools under the guidance of Ms. Garcia, Mrs. Yehle, and Mr. Ulseth. More information will be coming out about sign ups.

Over the last five weeks, Engineers at General Atomics have mentored and coached Mesa Middle School students to build and code robots. General Atomics Engineers have guided students through meeting mission requirements and working collaboratively.

Polar recently honored its outstanding students for first semester. Individuals were recognized for their achievements. Congratulations to all the award winners!

During Spirit Week, Mesa was "United in ORANGE" to support Bullying Prevention Month's UNITY Day -- to promote kindness, acceptance, and inclusion! Students filled out orange heart sticky notes, on which they wrote an example of how they show kindness, acceptance and inclusion. Then, they placed them on the Unity Wall. They also received a kindness, acceptance and inclusion themed sticker.

8th grade Wellness students recently worked on an "I Am" project. The "I AM" wall is a vibrant, student-created display celebrating the diverse identities and shared humanity of the school community. 8th grade wellness students contributed a piece of paper that began with the phrase "I AM," followed by words or phrases that express their individuality, values, and aspirations.

Students were captivated as New York Times bestselling author Mark Oshiro visited our school library. Oshiro not only signed books but also shared their journey as a writer, inspiring our aspiring authors and igniting a passion for storytelling and reading. Many thanks to The Bookies bookstore for arranging this visit.

One Book One District is an annual literacy initiative that unites the community around a shared book. This year, the chosen book was Whale Fall by Melissa Stewart, a stunning nonfiction picture book that explores the life cycle of a whale. Despite a snow delay, students had the opportunity to virtually meet and ask questions to the author, Melissa Stewart, a renowned children's science writer. The district also celebrated with a community event, "Oceans of Possibilities," featuring interactive booths and an art show. Mesa students were active participants in the art show with many pieces winning awards! Mesa Middle School had the most participants at the community event and we were awarded $1000.00 prize for our library.

Students put their engineering skills to the test in October and November by constructing catapults from everyday items: popsicle sticks, plastic spoons, and rubber bands. The challenge? To accurately launch a miniature wooden pumpkin. The library celebrated the creativity and ingenuity of each participant with a small prize.

In celebration, students were able to collect old recipes to try at home. Mrs. Yehle rewarded the culinary efforts with a small token from the library.

In honor of Native American and Indigenous Peoples Heritage Month (November), Mrs. Yehle shared a taste of tradition with students by offering delicious homemade fry bread. Thumbs up all around!

Mesa is an International Baccalaureate (IB) school that uses personalized student centered inquiry based instruction, with a positive and dynamic culture, where students and teachers are highly successful and effective, based on quantitative and qualitative evidence.

Website: https://mms.dcsdk12.org/
Location: 365 North Mitchell Street, Castle Rock, CO, USA
Phone: (303)387-4750
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MesaDCSD

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