1. When does school start for the 2020-2021 school year?
2. What time does my child go to lunch?
3. Am I able to have lunch with my child?
4. Am I able to observe my child’s class during the day?
5. How do I get my Parent Activation Key?
6. When is the next Extra Early Release?
7. When does my child have PE, Music any special?
8. What is my child’s room number and phone number?
9. What is your Birthday Celebration policy?
10. Am I able to volunteer in the classroom?
11. What supplies does my child need for school?
12. Do the students wear uniforms?
13. Will my children be able to ride the bus?
14. What are Porter's boundaries?
15. Do you accept open enrollment?
16. When is the last day of school?
17. Do you have Honor Roll at Porter?
18. When is Parent Teacher Conferences?
19. School Map
20. What are the school hours? Extra Early Out Days.
21. What time is there supervision for student drop off and pick up?
22. What are Porter's rules for student cell phones on campus?
23. Acronyms and Frequently Used School Terms
Answers
1. When does school start for the 2020-2021 school year?
Students report to school on August 4th, 2020. You may view the entire year’s calendar by clicking on District Calendar link.
2. What time does my child go to lunch?
| Grade | Room | start time | end time |
| Kindergarten | 1, 2, 5 | 10:45 | 11:25 |
| 1st Grade | 6, 11 | 11:20 | 12:00 |
| 2nd Grade | 7, 8, 10 | 11:00 | 11:40 |
| 3rd Grade | 23, 24 | 11:10 | 11:50 |
| 4th Grade | 25, 26 | 10:55 | 11:35 |
| 5th Grade | 15, 16 | 11:05 | 11:45 |
| 6th Grade | 30, 31 | 11:15 | 11:55 |
|
Mixed Grades |
4, 33, 34, 36 |
11:25 |
12:05 |
3. Am I able to have lunch with my child?
Yes, you may have lunch with your children. All visitors to our campus MUST check in first at the front office and receive a visitor’s pass.
4. Am I able to observe my child’s class during the day?
Yes, you may observe in your child’s classroom. We ask that you make arrangements with your child’s teacher in advance of your visit.
5. How do I get my Parent Activation Key?
Review and monitor your child's grades, attendance and other education-related information from your home or work computer. To begin your My MPS account, please visit the school office to pick up your activation key. If you have children at more than one school in the district, you will need to visit only one of the schools - one activation key will give you access to all children in your family. Learn more at the MY MPS.
6. When is the next Extra Early Release? 20-21 TBD
Throughout the school year the District has set aside extra early release days for teachers to participate in professional development or for grading. Those days and times are as follows.
September 18, 2019 - (12 noon) February 12, 2020 - (12 noon)
October 4, 2019 - (11:30 a.m.) March 6, 2020 - (11:30 a.m.)
November 6, 2019 - (12 noon) April 1, 2020 - (12 noon)
December 20, 2019 - (11:30 a.m.)
You may also go to the calendar tab to view Porter’s Early Release Schedule or click Calendar.
7. When does my child have PE, Music any special? 20-21 TBD - Remote Learning Schedules to be determined by teacher
Click specials to view schedules for 20-21 school year. This schedule may change throughout the year, please verify with the teacher for up to date changes in their schedule.
8. What is my child’s room number and phone number?
Click on the Staff tab for more information on your child’s class or click Staff.
9. What is your Birthday Celebration policy?
Birthday celebrations should be done off campus. Parents who would like to do something special for the class in honor of a student birthday should discuss this with the teacher. District 'TREAT' policy is store bought food items only.
10. Am I able to volunteer in the classroom?
YES, we love volunteers. Please speak with the office staff if you would like to volunteer.
11. What supplies does my child need for school?
Currently, we do not require any family to provide their child’s own supplies. However, we are very grateful for donations. If you are able to help, you may call or e-mail your child’s teacher. The following is a suggested list of items the classrooms seem to run out of the most. For a more detailed list by teacher, check out the grade level webpages by grade level under Academics.
| Kleenix/Tissues | Pencils | Crayons |
| Elmer's Glue | Glue Sticks | Index Cards |
| Pencil Eraser Tops | Colored Pencils | Folders |
| Spiral Notebooks | 2" 3 Ring Binders | White Board Markers |
12. Do the students wear uniforms?
No, Porter does not currently require students to wear uniforms. We do have a dress code that students must follow. Click Student Handbook to be linked to the District dress code.
13. Will my children be able to ride the bus?
Students that live between Lindsay and Val Vista, Southern and the I-60 will be bused to Porter. Students that live between Lindsay and Gilbert, Southern and the I-60 are considered close enough to walk to school. Porter has crossing guards at Hampton and 24th Street; Hampton and Yale. Click District Transportation to access Bus Rules of Conduct and Bus Discipline.
14. What are Porter's boundaries?
Click here to view the boundaries of all Mesa Public Schools.
15. Does Porter accept open enrollment?
Yes we welcome open enrollment after taking into consideration our current enrollment and class size.
16. When is the last day of the 2020-2021 school year?
May 20, 2021.
17. Do you have Honor Roll at Porter?
In grades 4-6 we recognize various levels of student achievement through three types of honor roll each quarter. Students who earn straight A’s become a member of the LION’S DEN and receive a certificate. First time Lion’s Den members receive a Pride Paw Pin. Any student with straight A’s all four quarters will be recognized at the end of the year awards assembly and receive an honor certificate with a gold seal and Lion’s Head Pin. Students who earn all A’s and one B become a PORTER PRIDE member and receive a certificate. Our Special Education Students who demonstrate outstanding effort in all academic and citizenship areas shall become a CUB’S CLUB member and receive a certificate.
18. Parent Teacher Conferences for 2020-2021 school year TBD. Click the link below for the fall conference letter.
Fall Parent Teacher Conference Letter.
19. School Map
20. What are the school hours? Extra Early Out Days.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday school hours are 7:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
(Drop off no earlier than 7:05 a.m. and pick up no later than 2:15 p.m.)
Wednesday school hours are 7:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
(Drop off no earlier than 7:05 a.m. and pick up no later than 1:45 p.m.)
EXCEPTIONS:
The following days students will be released earlier for Teacher Professional Development or grading day. See the times listed above #6.
20-21 TBD
September 18, 2019 February 12, 2020
October 4, 2019 March 6, 2020
November 6, 2019 April 1, 2020
December 20, 2019
21. What time is there supervision for student drop off and pick up? There is adult supervision outside for student drop off from 7:05 - 7:25 a.m. Please do not drop off your child(ren) before 7:05 a.m.
There is adult supervision outside for student pick up for 15 minutes after the dismissal bell rings. Please pick up your child(ren) promptly.
22. What are Porter's rules for student cell phones on campus? As a rule cell phones are not allowed at school. However, we understand parent concerns for their child's safety, especially those who walk home. When students are on campus their cell phones must be turned off and in their back pack unless they have received permission by a staff member to use it. This is usually for an educational purpose. Please instruct your child to only use their cell phones when they are off Porter campus. Phones being used on campus without permission may be taken away until the end of day. Repeated offenses may require a parent to pick up the cell phone from the front office.
23. Acronyms and Frequently Used School Terms - Click on the link for a detailed list of acronyms and school terms.
Porter Frequently Used Terminology
| ADA | Americans with Disabilities Act | |
| ADE | Arizona Department of Education | |
| APE | Adapted Physical Education | |
| AVID | Advancement Via Individual Determination | |
| C&I | Curriculum and Instruction | |
| ClassDojo | Online classroom communication app | communication between parents and teachers |
| CSC | Curriculum Services Center | |
| DIBELS | Dynamic Indicator of Basic Early Literacy Skills | reading fluency assessment |
| DOK | Depth of Knowledge | |
| ECA | Extracurricular Activity Tax Credit | state tax credit for education |
| ED | Emotional Disability | |
| ELAD | English Language Acquisition Department | |
| ELL | English Language Learner | |
| ESL | English as Second Language | |
| EVIT | East Valley Institute of Technology | |
| FERPA | Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act | |
| FLUENCY | Ability to express oneself easily and articulately | |
| GED | General Education Diploma | |
| GPA | Grade Point Average | |
| GTP | Gifted and Talented Program | |
| GUS | Growing Up Successfully | for students with behavioral issues |
| HSA | Health Savings Account | health care |
| HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act | |
| IDEA | Individuals with Disabilities Education Act | |
| IEP | Individualized Education Program | |
| IQ | Intelligence Quotient | |
| K-6 | Kindergarten through 6th Grade | |
| LD | Learning Disability | |
| LEA | Local Education Agency | |
| LRE | Least Restrictive Environment | |
| LVPO | Limited Value Purchase Order | PO for district personnel use |
| MAC | Mesa Arts Center | |
| MDLP | Mesa Distance Learning Program | online |
| MEA | Mesa Education Association | |
| MELP | Mesa Early Learning Preschool | |
| MESPA | Mesa Education Support Personnel Association | |
| MET | Multi-Disciplinary Evaluation Team | |
| MID | Mild Intellectual Disability | |
| MOID | Moderate Intellectual Disability | |
| MPS | Mesa Public School | informal district name |
| MUSD | Mesa Unified School District No. 4 | official district name |
| OCD | Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder | |
| ODD | Opposition Defiant Disorder | |
| OT | Occupational Therapy | |
| PBIS | Positive Behavior Interventions & Supports | |
| PT | Physical Therapy | |
| PTO | Parent-Teacher Organization | |
| RED | Review of Existing Data | |
| SIAP | School Integrated Action Plan |
|
| SEL | Social Emotional Learning | recognizing and managing emotions, empathy for others, maintaining cooperative relationships |
| SIAC | School Improvement Advisory Committee | |
| SID | Severe Intellectual Disability | |
| SLD | Specific Learning Disability | |
| SLLD | Speech and Language/Learning Disability | |
| SLP | Speech and Language Program | |
| SPED | Special Education | |
| SRO | School Resource Officer | police officers who work at schools |
| STAR | Situation, Task, Actions, and Results | |
| STEAM | Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math | |
| STEM | Science, Technology, Engineering and Math | |
| STUCO | Student Council | |
| SYNERGY | General education data management system | |
| WICOR | Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading | |
| WIN | What I Know |