Mesa Verde's Renaissance program inspires the acceptance and excitement for academics that's traditionally reserved for athletics. Through Renaissance, the aim is to increase student performance and teacher enthusiasm, and to raise the level of community participation in schools. They also give away Renaissance cards to students who academically achieve high enough. It is currently run by Mrs. LaBelle.
Mesa Verde's assistant principal is Adam Rauch.[2]
Mesa Verde's school day is divided into 6 blocks for instruction and 2 lunch periods, one for 6th graders and the other for 7/8th graders. The instructional blocks rotate daily except for D block. School starts at 9:00 am Monday - Thursday and at 9:40 am on Fridays.
Mesa Verde has rallies about three times a year.
They have a program that allows you to skip pre-algebra in 7th grade and move onto algebra.
(2006–2007)
The Student Leadership class (also known as ASB), led by teacher Kevin Lorch, created a drive to raise money for the homeless. The students in the class spend the night in separated class rooms at the school and raise $420 for a homeless program in neighboring Simi Valley. Mr. Lorch hopes to continue with this drive next year and raise more money for the homeless cause.
Mesa Verde, along with its sister school, Chaparral, hosted an extra physical education program after-school for students interested in a new sport for most, field hockey. It was a success and the students were allowed a day off of school to participate in a tournament with schools in the Ventura County and surrounding area.
This year, Mesa was lucky to reintroduce 8th Grade Portfolio Sharing Day which did not take place last year because of difficulties. But this year, many Moorpark citizens and student parents were able to participate in this educational activity for the students to learn what an interviewing process is like. It was a chance for the students to become comfortable in a stressful environment and for the parents to learn what their children have been doing this school year.
Renaissance is a school spirit program run by a few teachers and many students that put on rallies for the students and provide "perks" for students who receive good grades or have raised their grade by 1 grade point. This year provided an interesting twist as one of the students in the program, also a Leadership student, decided to allow the assistant principal to cut her hair in front of the whole school. She donated it to the Locks of Love foundation to create wigs for women with cancer.
Other Traditions
Every year, promoting 8th graders are allowed a day together at Disneyland. It is a tradition cherished every year by the soon-to-be freshmen. Although due to these tough times, Disneyland may have been taken away and replaced with Magic Mountain
Every year, the new 6th graders go to outdoor school and learn things about the environment, and some say they were disappointed by it while others were disappointed only because they couldn't return the next year.