Mustang Memo 8/29/25

Posted Date: 8/29/25 (3:12 PM)

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Mustang Memo

Manzanita Elementary School Newsletter

August 29, 2025

New to Our School

Welcome Laura Kupper (2nd grade) to the Manzanita Community! Here's a little about Laura:

I grew up in Tucson, Arizona and I went to Sunrise, Orange Grove, and Catalina Foothills High School. I graduated from the University of Arizona and taught at Canyon View for 18 years. This will be my 19th year of teaching. I did my student teaching in Kindergarten at Ventana Vista, taught 1st grade for 3 years, and 2nd grade for 15 years at Canyon View. Throughout my time at Canyon View, I taught a few 1st/2nd grade combo classes and a 2nd/3rd combo class.

I met my husband Jonathan in high school and we have two children. Jonathan is the Executive Chef at the Hilton El Conquistador, which works in my favor since I do not know how to cook! My son Logan is in 7th grade at Esperero and my daughter Lainey is a 5th grader here at Manzanita. We have a 5 year old Golden Retriever named Winston and a 1 year Golden Retriever named Poppy. We spend most of our time at the pool for swim team or to play and relax.

What's Happening at Manzanita?

Monday

9/1/25

HOLIDAY - NO SCHOOL!

Tuesday

9/2/25

NO MORNING ORCHESTRA

Band-Woodwinds & Percussion - 3:00pm-4:00pm

Wednesday

9/3/25

NO EARLY RELEASE - 3:00 Dismissal

Advanced Orchestra - 3:00pm-4:00pm

Thursday

9/4/25

Beginner Orchestra All Instruments - 7:15am-7:55am

Choir - 3:00pm-4:00pm

Band - Full - 3:00pm-4:00pm

Friday

9/5/25

Principal's Breakfast - Kindergarten - 7:15am

FFO Meeting - 8:15am

Choir - 3:00pm-4:00pm

Band - Extra Practice - 3:00pm-4:00pm

AM Drop Off & PM Pick Up

Morning drop off and afternoon pick up:

Parents/guardians are not permitted on campus during these high-traffic times. We are committed to each child's safety and ask that each parent/guardian partner with the school staff to make our campus safe.

No one likes the long drop off and pick up lines.

Ways to avoid THE LINE

Apply for Open Enrollment Bus Service click here: OE BUS SERVICE
Park at La Encantada and walk your student(s) to end of the sidewalk by the 5th grade ramp

Not ways to avoid THE LINE

Parking at the condos next door and walking to school
Parking on Campbell Ave or Manzanita Ave and walking to school
Parking in the MZ parking lot and walking your student to the front gate
Waiting until 8:05am to come to school

Ways to make the line move faster during AM drop off:

Pull all the way forward until the cars in front of you have come to a complete stop
Make sure your student is ready to get out of the car as soon as you stop
If your student needs extra assistance getting out of the car, please pull all the way down to the end (near the dumpsters) where a staff member can help your student get out of the car (parents need to stay in their car for safety reasons)

Ways to make the PM pick up line move faster:

HAVE YOUR PLACARD VISIBLE TO THE PERSON ENTERING THE NUMBERS IN THE SYSTEM
Pull all the way forward
Stay off of your cell phone & keep the line moving

Manzanita Family Support

From time to time, we all deal with life challenges. In those moments, we need each other to keep afloat. Please allow us to support you if we are able.

Below is a link to a brief questionnaire. Only Mrs. Flores and Ms. Heyser, counselors at Manzanita, and Mr. Henikman, principal at Manzanita, have access to the information provided. Everything submitted will be kept with absolute privacy. If you would prefer to have a conversation instead of submitting, please contact Mrs. Flores or Ms. Heyser directly at 520-209-7812 or 520-209-7805.

Questionnaire

A link to additional community support and resources for families in need is provided below.

Community Resources

Some days we receive, other days we give. We need both to live fulfilling lives.

Principal's Breakfast 25-26

Prior to most FFO meetings, we host a Principal's Breakfast beginning at 7:15am. This provides an excellent chance to connect with Mr. Henikman and network with other families whose children are in your student's grade level. We encourage you to remain for the FFO meeting that follows.

We'll provide light breakfast fare along with coffee, juice, and water. Please use the linked questionnaire to register, as this helps us plan for the appropriate number of attendees. RSVP Required.

Principal’s Breakfast Sign Up

The dates are as follows:

Kindergarten - September 5th

1st grade, Multiage, 2nd grade - October 3rd

3rd grade- November 7th

4th grade - February 6th

5th grade - March 6th

All Grades-Last Chance - April 10th

Choir T-Shirt Orders

If your student is in the MZ Choir and you would like to order a t-shirt, please use the link below.

Choir T-Shirts

Yearbooks - ORDER NOW!

Get a jump on ordering your student's yearbook!

Place your order HERE.

The school code is: 26593

Please keep track of your order information for future reference. The front office does not have a history of the orders.

The school will not be ordering extra yearbooks for families to buy at the end of the school year.

Save The Date

9/8/25-9/19/25 - Silver Mustang Lunches

9/18/25 - Picture Day

9/20/25 - Fun Fit Family Saturdays Begin

10/3/25 - Principal's Breakfast (1st grade) 7:15am, FFO Meeting 8:15am

10/6/25-10/10/25 - FALL BREAK - NO SCHOOL

10/18/25 - Desert Dash - Sabino Canyon

60 Day Preview

The governing board considers the adoption of core and supplemental materials/resources at a board meeting following a 60-day preview. The materials are available for public review from August 13 - October 12. Please use the link above to view the materials or you can view them in the front office.