Mendoza Elementary School

One of the greatest joys in education is watching a vision become reality through the efforts of an entire community.
Over the past several months, our Mendoza campus has undergone a beautiful transformation, creating a more welcoming and inviting environment for our students, staff, families, and visitors.
In addition to enhancing the appearance of our campus, the new turf addressed a previous tripping hazard caused by loose landscaping rocks, improving safety for everyone who visits Mendoza.
A special thank you to Linda Flath, whose persistent communication and coordination with our Operations Department helped make the turf installation a reality.
Thank you as well to Ms. Treat and Ms. Moss, who spent part of their weekend collecting and delivering gently used patio furniture to our campus. Ms. Mellum, for repainting our paw prints, and Ms. Paula for your designs.
We are also incredibly grateful to Ms. Treat for helping secure a donation of 400 rocks from JJ's Landscaping. Each grade level painted rocks that now surround our butterfly garden and other areas of campus, creating colorful reminders of the students who make Mendoza such a special place.
Thank you to our PTO for providing funds to purchase desert-friendly plants that continue to beautify our grounds and make our campus feel more welcoming and alive.
While we still have a few projects in the works, Mendoza has become an even more beautiful place for students to learn, families to visit, and our community to gather. This transformation is a testament to what can happen when a school district, staff, families, PTO, and community partners work together toward a shared vision.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed their time, talents, resources, and support.

It's a Wrap Mendoza Staff!
We worked hard, laughed hard, and accomplished so much together this year. As we close out another amazing school year, it's time to rest, recharge, and enjoy a well-deserved summer break.

Thank you to our incredible staff for your dedication, resilience, and heart. Everything we do is for our students, and because of you, they are leaving this year stronger, more confident, and ready for what comes next.

Enjoy the summer, make wonderful memories, and take time to rejuvenate. We'll be ready to welcome our Mendoza Pups back before we know it!

💕 From our first STEM Buddies meeting to the end of the year, these friendships have grown so much! Ms. Stoner and Mrs. Treat's 5th graders loved spending time with Mrs. Gaebel and Mrs. Davis's Kindergarten classes and making memories that will last long after this school year ends. Check out this video highlighting some of our favorite Kinder Buddy moments from the year! 📹

Look out, Mendoza—Principal Simpson is getting in on the hovercraft action! 😄👏
After cheering on our amazing 6th grade engineers, she couldn’t resist hopping on for a ride herself—and let’s just say, she nailed it! 🦸‍♀️💙 What better way to celebrate the hard work, creativity, and innovation of Mrs. Collins’ class than by taking their student-designed hovercraft for a spin?
This is what learning looks like at Mendoza—hands-on, exciting, and full of unforgettable moments! 💡✨
Way to go, students… and points to Principal Simpson for her adventurous spirit! 😎🚀

🚀 Future Engineers Take Flight at Mendoza Elementary! 🚀

Mrs. Collins’ 6th grade students didn’t just study physics — they built it.

Over the past several weeks, students explored the real-world science behind hovercrafts, learning how air pressure, friction, lift, and force interact to create motion across a cushion of air. Then came the exciting part: turning theory into reality. 💡🔬

With incredible support from the MPS Carpenter Shop — Allan Palmer, Jim Webster, and Bert Taft — students designed, built, and officially tested their hovercraft prototypes this week.

And the result?

Pure excitement.

The energy on campus was electric as students watched their creations glide, problem-solved in real time, and celebrated months of teamwork, creativity, persistence, and engineering thinking paying off.

This hands-on STEM experience was made possible through the support of a grant from the Arizona Diamondbacks and Honeywell, helping students experience learning not as memorization — but as discovery, experimentation, and innovation in action. ⚾💙

Projects like this help students build more than hovercrafts. They build confidence, collaboration, resilience, and curiosity — the exact skills that carry young learners far beyond the classroom walls.

Outstanding work by Mrs. Collins and her students. Mendoza’s future engineers are already rising. 🌟

Students in Ms. Silvas’ 4th grade class took the stage to perform a wonderful play centered on character development. From their costumes and memorized lines to their songs and expressive performances, the students truly brought their characters to life.

The message of the play was powerful, not just for children, but for adults as well—reminding us of the importance of making positive choices, growing through challenges, and becoming our best selves.

Parents, Ms. Silvas, and I could not have been more proud of the confidence, preparation, and heart these students displayed. What a fantastic performance and a memorable learning experience for all!

Water Day at Mendoza!!
Today was all about celebrating the end of a wonderful school year with some well-deserved fun!

Our 2nd–6th grade students enjoyed an exciting day at the Shepherd Aquatic Center, while Mendoza was transformed into a water wonderland for our kindergarten and 1st grade students. From splashing and playing to laughter shared with friends, there were smiles everywhere you looked.

A huge thank you to our staff who helped make the day safe, memorable, and full of joy for our students. These are the moments and memories our Pups will carry with them long after the school year ends.