The Governor’s proposed budget for education will have a major impact

on our schools and children. Be informed, get the facts– http://www.mpsaz.org/info

A Message from Principal Warren

Dear Parents,

Our next grading period will be ending the second week of March. Spring pictures will be on Mon-

day, March 9th. Only students who have prepaid will have their pictures taken. There will be an EAR-

LY RELEASE on Wednesday, March 11th at 11:45 a.m. On Friday, March 13th it will be Porter night at

Peter Piper Pizza so please join us. We will be having our third Track & Field Day all day on Friday,

March 13th hosted by Mr. Buxton, the PE teacher. This will be for grades 3-6 all day. This event will

be all day and parent volunteers would be appreciated. Spring break will be March 16th- 20th and

school will resume on Monday, March 23rd.

AzMERIT is the name of the new state test for Arizona students. All of our 3rd—6th grade students

will be testing online this year. The testing window is from

March 30th until May 8th in order to accommodate all stu-

dents. The staff will be following a testing schedule that

changes daily. Your child’s teacher will send home a sched-

ule of their testing days during that window. Please under-

stand that we are required to test all students and there are

three exams. No visitors or parents will be allowed in the

testing areas. We thank you and appreciate your under-

standing of this new testing schedule. There is also more in-

formation provided in the March newsletter on the AzMERIT

test.

We are proud to announce that Porter Elementary will be

receiving a site visit from Arizona Education Foundation A+

Schools of Excellence on March 24th and 25th. The judges

will be at Porter for two days visiting with students, teach-

ers and staff. We will find out the end of April if we will be

awarded the A+ School of Excellence for 2015. Go Porter

PRIDE!

Cordially,

Paula Warren/Principal

In this Issue

Principal’s Message P. 1

AzMERIT Information P. 2

Title 1 Tips P. 2

Media Center Messages P. 3

Lunch Bunch P. 4

Peter Piper Pizza P. 4

Staff Recognition P. 4

Health Office News P. 5

3,6,9, P.E. is fine! P. 5

Enrichment Classes P. 6

Upcoming Events P. 6

Asbestos Awareness P. 7

Conciencia Asbesto en español P. 8

March 2015

Porter Press p. 2

Title 1 Tips

Building Positive Work Habits: The Perfect Worker What the Employer Really Wants/How parents can help build this

There are some work habits that all employers hope their new hires will have. Consider how you

support your child to be the "perfect worker." Here are the top 10 listed on job websites today.

1. Punctuality and Attendance - being at work unless you are truly ill or there is an emergency - being on

time every day

o Parent Support: Are you helping your child to never be tardy? Are you making sure to schedule ap-

pointments and trips during breaks?

2. Productivity - working to assure both quality and quantity measures are met

Parent Support: Are you making sure your child has all assignments in on time and holding him/her accountable when they are not in on time?

3. Initiative - starting work without being told to do so

Parent Support: Are you letting your child know they are doing a good job when he/she starts something on his/her own?

4. Cooperation - getting along with people...boss, coworkers, customers

Parent Support: Do you make sure your child is learning to work as a family team with sib-lings or other adults? Do you help your child understand how to compromise?

5. Honesty and Trustworthiness - doesn't cheat, steal, or lie

Parent Support: Do you make sure your child tells the truth even if that means a consequence?

AVID Elementary is preparing students as early as kindergarten to be college and career

ready at school. We know parents can prepare them too. After all, you are your child’s

first and most important teacher!

AzMERIT Information

Click here for AzMERIT Information in English

Haga clic aquí para obtener información AzMERIT en español

MED

I

A

MESSAGES

Library Les-son Sched-

ule

Grades K-1 Grades 2-3 Grades 4-6

March 2-6 Around the Globe Around the Globe Around the Globe

March 9-13 Game Show Game Show Game Show

March 23-27 Community Helpers Cyber Ethics Cyber Ethics

March 30-April 3 Poetry Poetry Poetry

Battle of the Books

Battle Three: March 30th @ 1 pm

Where: Porter Multi-Purpose Room

Battle Three Titles Among the Hidden by Haddix

Bunnicula by Howe

Island of the Blue Dolphins by O’Dell

Featured Picture Book

A new picture book from the hilarious au-thor of the bestselling Dear Dumb Diary se-ries!

When Donut the bear is told his story is over and he has to leave, he donut want to do it. After all, he hasn't had a chance to have any fun! Will Donut's sneaky schemes

Featured Chapter Book

From the author of the New York Times-bestselling I Survived series come five har-rowing true stories of survival, featuring real kids in the midst of epic disasters.

From a group of students surviving the 9.0 earthquake that set off a historic tsunami in Japan, to a boy nearly frozen on the prairie in 1888, these unforgettable kids lived to tell ta-les of unimaginable destruction -- and, against all odds, survival.

Read their incredible stories: The Children’s Blizzard, 1888 The Titanic Disaster, 1912 The Great Boston Molasses Flood, 1919

Porter Press p. 4

Employees

of the Month

Mr. Louis Jatta received a

reserved parking space and a $5

QT gift card for being our

March certified employee of the

month.

Ms. Bert Shepstead,

classified employee, received a $5 QT

card and Mrs. Lori Scott

received a reserved

parking space as our

March classified employees of the

month.

March Lunch Bunch

Porter Pride!

Prestyn Johnson,

Elijah Hernandez,

Isaac Montero,

Jackson Belliston,

Jeffrey Andersen,

Jaznellie Morones

and

Valentina Sandoval.

Porter Family “FUNdraiser”

2122 E. Baseline #D (Gilbert & Baseline)

Porter Family “FUNdraiser”

2122 E. Baseline #D (Gilbert & Baseline)

News from the Nurse

When is your child too sick to come to school?

That sometimes is a hard question for parents.

Here are some guidelines to help you know

when to keep your child home, and when to

send them to school.

If your child has a mild cold but otherwise feels

fine, go ahead and send them to school. They

can be at school with a cough, but not if they are

coughing too much that the teacher can’t teach

or they cannot focus on learning. If your child

has a fever above 100.0, vomiting, or diarrhea

they should not be at school. They also should

be fever free, with no vomiting or diarrhea for 24

hours before coming back to school. If your

child has a contagious disease, they should be on

antibiotics for 24 hours before they are consid-

ered not contagious and can return to school.

If you have any questions, you are welcome to

call the health office at 480-472-6678.

3,6,9, P.E. is fine! A motto many students are chanting around

the school this year. K-2 students continue to

focus on management, loco-motor move-

ments, and fine motor skills. 3-6th graders are

being challenged in sports such as: track and

field, softball, tennis, and volleyball. 4th and

5th graders are in the process of finishing their

Walk-On journals. All the students have com-

pleted Jump Rope for Heart week and have

raised over twenty-one hundred dollars. The

students have met their eight hundred dollar

goal thus, I must paint my hair pink for an en-

tire week. Looking forward, Porter will be

having a Track and Field day for grades 3rd-6th

and Water/Play Day for our Kinder’s - 2nd

grade. Event days are as follows: Track and

Field day will take place March 14th at 8:00

AM and Water/play Day will occur mid May.

Parents are more than welcome to come and

show support for their children. I look for-

ward to seeing what our Porter students can

achieve and how much fun we can have in

Physical Education this last semester.

P.S. Any parents interested in

helping out with Track and Field

Day, please con-tact Mr. Buxton

at 4804726687 or rwbux-

ton@mpsaz.org

Porter Press p. 5

Porter Press p. 6

Upcoming Events

3-9 Spring Pictures

3-11 Early Release 11:45 a.m.

3-13 Track & Field Day 3rd-6th Grade

3-13 Peter Piper Pizza Night 4-8 p.m.

3-16 thru 3-20 Sprink Break

3-23 School Resumes

3-24 & 3-25 A+ Site Visit

3-25 H2O Walk

3-27 Flag Ceremony 8 a.m.

3-27 6th Grade Renaissance Faire

3-30 Battle of the Books 1 p.m.

4-3 No School

4-9 Books Come Alive Reading Night

4-15 Early Release 12:15 p.m.

After school enrichment classes

Cartooning and Karate

Cartooning classes for kids at Por-

ter. Young Rembrandts will be

held on Mondays from 2:20-3:20

p.m. starting 4/6 through 5/4. $45

for a 5 week session.

Call 480-659-1139 for further details or

to enroll please visit:

www.youngrembrandts.com

SWCMA "K-6" after school martial

arts program is an age and ability

appropriate training program that

teaches more than just martial

arts. SWCMA class will be held on

Thursdays from 2:20-3:20 p.m.

starting 4/2-5/14. Fee is $63 for a 6

week session.

Call 480-443-2550 for further details or

to enroll please visit:

www.swcma.com

Mesa Unified School District #4 • Operations Department

555 South Lewis Street, Mesa, AZ 85210

Date: February 2015

To: Parents, Guardians and Employees of Mesa Unified School District #4

From: Keith Bonkoski – Maintenance Supervisor/Asbestos Coordinator

Subject: Asbestos Awareness and Management Plan

The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) requires all private and pub-

lic elementary and secondary schools to inspect for asbestos containing materials in

school buildings. The AHERA protocol also states that the Local Education Agency

(LEA) perform a three-year inspection, and every six months a site surveillance inspec-

tion, and to provide notification to all parties concerned of any changes or updates.

Parent and employee notifications must be made on a yearly basis. During the school

year there may be asbestos removed from this site if a response action is required or if

there are renovations.

The Mesa Public Schools Management Plans are available for review at the Operations

Building located at 555 South Lewis Street in Mesa. Your site specific Management

Plan is located at each school/site Administration Office.

Although some material containing asbestos might be found at your site, it presents no

health hazard to students or staff. This material is inspected every six months, as stated.

If you have any questions concerning this matter, please contact me at 480-472-6014.

Thank you,

Keith Bonkoski

kabonkoski@mpsaz.org

Mesa Unified School District #4 • Operations Department

555 South Lewis Street, Mesa, AZ 85210

Para: Padres, tutores y empleados del Distrito Escolar Unificado No. 4 de Mesa

De: Keith Bonkoski - Supervisor de mantenimiento/Coordinador de asbestos

Asunto: Conocimiento de Asbestos y Plan de Gestión

La Ley de Respuesta a una Emergencia de Asbestos (AHERA-por sus siglas en inglés,

Asbestos Hazard Emergency Reponse Act), requiere que todas las escuelas privadas y

públicas de primaria y secundaria sean inspeccionadas por materiales conteniendo as-

bestos en los edificios escolares y de entregar un informe (plan de gestión), al Estado de

Arizona. El protocolo AHERA también establece que la Agencia Local de Educación,

(LEA-por sus siglas en inglés, Local Education Agency), ejecute una inspección de tres

años y cada seis meses una inspección de vigilancia en el lugar y notificar a todas las

partes interesadas de cualquier cambio o actualización. Los avisos a los padres y

empleados deben llevarse acabo anualmente. Durante el año escolar puede que ocurra

una eliminación de asbestos de esta localidad si se requiere una acción de respuesta y/o

remodelación.

Los Planes de Gestión de las Escuelas Públicas de Mesa están disponibles para su re-

visión en el edificio de Operaciones localizado en 555 South Lewis St., Mesa, AZ.

85210. Su Plan de Gestión específico está ubicado en la oficina administrativa de cada

escuela.

Aun cuando algún material conteniendo cantidades pequeñas de asbestos puede ser

identificado en su instalación, esto no representa riesgo alguno para la salud del personal

o los alumnos. Estos materiales son inspeccionados cada seis meses como se ha estipu-

lado.

Si tiene alguna pregunta respecto a esto, por favor llámeme al 480-472-6014.

Gracias,

Keith Bonkoski

kabonkoski@mpsaz.org