Mesa Beat

Parents of students attending Mesa schools can learn about the district’s sex education program during an upcoming meeting designed to answer their questions.

An informational meeting will present an overview of the lessons that will be given and an opportunity to meet the teachers, Cindy Maguire, Kay Russell and Larry Clouse.

The Mesa Unified School District offers four lessons for seventh-graders and four lessons for ninth-graders on the physiological and psychological aspects of human sexuality. The program encourages sexual abstinence before marriage and emphasizes possible consequences of teenage sexual activity, including pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, according to the district. The ninth-grade curriculum also includes the subject of dating-violence prevention.

The meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. August 19 at Kino Junior High School, 848 N. Horne Rd., Mesa, in the auditorium for grades seven and nine.

Project MESA is part of the science curriculum and is coordinated by the district’s Science and Social Sciences Department. For a Project MESA overview and details about the lessons, visit www.mpsaz.org/hlted/curriculum.html

For more information, parents may call Cindy Maguire or Larry Clouse, Project MESA specialists (480) 472-0266.

Opportunities for adult education  will be availble to the community through the Mesa Unified School District this fall. Registration begins Aug. 5; classes are free and available days, evenings and Saturdays throughout Mesa.
Registration takes place at the offices of the Adult Education program, 546 N. Stapley Drive.
Courses include: English Language, Adult Basic Education, General Education Development and Civics and Citizenship. For more information, call (480) 472-7259 beginning Aug. 5 or visit www.mpsaz.org/commed to register.

Mesa schools superintendent Debra Duvall was the recipient of this year’s  Educational Excellence in Leadership Award through the Education Research and Development Institute summer conference. 
The award recognizes an outstanding superintendent who has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills that affect students in classrooms each day through individual contributions to the district and the field of education.
A gift of $5,000 comes with the award and may be used for the district as Duvall chooses. Although she has not made a final decision, Duvall is looking at creating a teacher or student scholarship with the money, according to a statement released by the district.
Earlier this year, Duvall was named as the Arizona Superintendent of the Year by the Arizona Association of School Administrators. She has been the superintendent of the Mesa Unified School District since 2000.