Mesquite High School (Arizona)

Mesquite High School
Mesquite High School
	File:Mesquitesheildoutlook.jpg
Location
	500 South McQueen ; Gilbert, AZ 85233; United States
Information
Type	Public High School
Motto	W.I.T.H Pride (informal); Set your mission, get motivation, and achieve mastery (formal)
Established	1998
School district	Gilbert Unified School District
Principal	Domino Marchiando (retiring at the end of 2007-2008 school year)
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	3350 (2007-2008)
Color(s)	Royal Blue and Silver
Mascot	Wildcat
Information	480-632-4750
Website	Mesquite High School

Mesquite High School is a public high school in the Gilbert Unified School District. The mascot is the Wildcat. It is currently the largest high school in the Gilbert district in terms of enrollment, as well as one of the largest high schools in Arizona in terms of enrollment.^{[citation needed]}

History

The school opened in August 1998 with only freshmen and sophomore students and part of the school not yet completed.^{[citation needed]} The first seniors graduated in May 2001, followed by the first senior class to attend all four years in Mesquite High School in May 2002.

Campus

There are six main buildings in the school, with a courtyard between them.^{[citation needed]} Unlike some high schools, Mesquite does not have any department hallways, with the exception of music, drama, and physical education.

Mostly all classes are in the B and G buildings and the portables located near the staff parking lot.^{[citation needed]} The A building holds the administration offices and the library, plus many of the science classrooms on the second floor. The auditorium plus music and drama classes are located in the F building, which is adjacent to the D building, home to the school's main cafeteria. There are also food courts in the B and G buildings. The gym and the physical education classes are located in the C building.

Extracurricular activities

The school's journalism classes publish a student newspaper The Shade. There are 50 clubs present in the school, including Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corp, National Honor Society, Key Club, FBLA, Drama Club, Ecology Club (which handles the school's recycling program), European club , etc. The school has a Student Council (STUCO). The school also has four orchestras, five choirs, and six bands (including marching and jazz bands).

Bands

Mesquite High School's bands are under the direction of Mr. Ron Andre and formerly Mr. Chris Rainer. Concert bands, including Symphonic Band, Symphonic Winds, and Wind Ensemble, are year long programs and have four concerts throughout the school year. Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble are mostly conducted by Mr. Andre while Symphonic Winds is conducted by Mr. Rainer. Throughout the school year, the top two bands participate in several Area and State band festivals. Aside from the concert bands, Mesquite High School also has an amazing marching band.^{[citation needed]} Students in the marching band program are extremely dedicated and it is through their dedication, hard work, and effort, as well as motivation and guidance from the band directors, that leads the Mesquite marching band to success.^{[citation needed]} The marching band is conducted by student drum majors and each section also has its own section leader. In the 2007 marching season, their show featured music from City of Angels (musical).^{[citation needed]} Mesquite's marching band has earned many awards in competitions, placing 4th at the 24th Annual Big Orange Classic at Riverside Community College, and receiving Superior with Distinction and all captions at the Division I State Marching Festival.^{[citation needed]} Mesquite's two jazz bands swing to the beats of Miles Davis, Louis Armstrong, and other jazz greats. They have fun performing for a live audience in the spring concerts and are always a great hit.^{[citation needed]} Everyone enjoys the blues, jazz, latin, and sometimes rock music played by these bands, and members also perform their own solos in the various pieces.

Orchestra

The Mesquite High School Orchestra consist of four groups. In order from highest to lowest: Symphony, Chamber, and Concert. The fourth group is the orchestra's show group, The Strolling Strings.