Mesa Thrives donations directly help support classrooms and fund Mesa Paraprofessionals, helping all students learn and thrive
At Mesa, each student is unique and special. Parents want their children's education to be individualized. In cooperation with Mesa leadership, the Mesa PTO requests that each family provide $350 per student per year (equivalent to $39 per month) to support this goal. Even if you cannot donate the standard $350 per student, we ask every Mesa family to participate by giving what they can. Our goal is 100% participation by October 1st.
While Mesa follows BVSD and state curriculum requirements, not all students learn the same way, or at the same pace. The Mesa Thrives Campaign answers these differences by providing funds to pay for classroom support by a group of experienced education paraprofessionals—so each child’s education is individualized. ALL children benefit from this differentiated learning approach. Please read our paraprofessionals' bios below.
Donate today online via CheddarUp, or by returning a check made out to "Mesa Elementary PTO" with the donation form in your Friday Folder. We are asking ALL parents to participate, even if they can't afford the full donation. Please donate what you can. On the CheddarUp website, you can also select a monthly payment plan. Donations are tax-deductible. Our goal is 100% participation from all Mesa families (in any amount) by October 1st.
Parents are the most important donors to this campaign! You can also check with your employer if they have a company program to match donations. Do you work for Workday, UBS, Wells Fargo, IBM, Xilinx, Dell, Ball, McKesson, Avago, Medtronic, Brocade, Oracle, Northrop Grumman, or Google? These companies and many others MATCH your gift, please check with your employer! For those who have initiated a company match through a corporate matching employer program, please let us know that you have donated to ensure it is counted towards your student's class participation!! You can do so by turning in a yellow Mesa Thrives form to the office which denotes your donation details or by filling out the online CheddarUp link and choosing cash or check at check out and clicking the box for corporate matches.
At Mesa, each student is unique and special. Parents want their children's education to be individualized. In cooperation with Mesa leadership, the Mesa PTO requests that each family provide $350 per student per year (equivalent to $39 per month) to support this goal. Even if you cannot donate the standard $350 per student, we ask every Mesa family to participate by giving what they can. Our goal is 100% participation by October 1st.
While Mesa follows BVSD and state curriculum requirements, not all students learn the same way, or at the same pace. The Mesa Thrives Campaign answers these differences by providing funds to pay for classroom support by a group of experienced education paraprofessionals—so each child’s education is individualized. ALL children benefit from this differentiated learning approach. Please read our paraprofessionals' bios below.
Donate today online via CheddarUp, or by returning a check made out to "Mesa Elementary PTO" with the donation form in your Friday Folder. We are asking ALL parents to participate, even if they can't afford the full donation. Please donate what you can. On the CheddarUp website, you can also select a monthly payment plan. Donations are tax-deductible. Our goal is 100% participation from all Mesa families (in any amount) by October 1st.
Parents are the most important donors to this campaign! You can also check with your employer if they have a company program to match donations. Do you work for Workday, UBS, Wells Fargo, IBM, Xilinx, Dell, Ball, McKesson, Avago, Medtronic, Brocade, Oracle, Northrop Grumman, or Google? These companies and many others MATCH your gift, please check with your employer! For those who have initiated a company match through a corporate matching employer program, please let us know that you have donated to ensure it is counted towards your student's class participation!! You can do so by turning in a yellow Mesa Thrives form to the office which denotes your donation details or by filling out the online CheddarUp link and choosing cash or check at check out and clicking the box for corporate matches.
Meet our Paraprofessionals
Melissa Hickey
This is my 9th year as a Mesa Mustang, 20th year in BVSD! Originally, I taught Kindergarten Enrichment, before full day Kindergarten. I work with Mrs. Gregersen as Library Aide. Additionally, I support kindergarten and first grade during Literacy times. I help run reading groups and support kindergarten teachers during writing blocks. You will also see me supervising first graders during recess and lunchtime.
Nancy Casey
This is my 15th year at Mesa. I am a literacy paraeducator, working with kindergarten through third grade students. I have small reading groups each day. Classes are tailored to the student's needs. We target skills such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, word work, and comprehension. I also support the classroom teachers with written projects. Throughout the year, I do reading assessments for these grades as well.
Dana Kercheval
This is my 6th year at Mesa, and I couldn't be more excited! Shortly before beginning here, I taught fifth grade for 15 years. I support the GT program at Mesa, which includes testing, goal setting, and academic support. I provide support to the teachers and students in (primarily) third, fourth and fifth grades. Over the years, I’ve taught informational reading and writing, sixth grade math and support for mathematicians in other grades, and much more!
Clare Stocker
I have been working at Mesa for 4 years. I provide literacy and math support to third, fourth, and fifth grades. I work with small groups and individual students on a variety of reading, writing, and math topics. My support in the classroom allows teachers to break the class into small groups, personalize lessons, and give extra attention to students who need it. In addition to working at Mesa, I am a research professor in the psychology department at the University of Denver.
Melissa Hickey
This is my 9th year as a Mesa Mustang, 20th year in BVSD! Originally, I taught Kindergarten Enrichment, before full day Kindergarten. I work with Mrs. Gregersen as Library Aide. Additionally, I support kindergarten and first grade during Literacy times. I help run reading groups and support kindergarten teachers during writing blocks. You will also see me supervising first graders during recess and lunchtime.
Nancy Casey
This is my 15th year at Mesa. I am a literacy paraeducator, working with kindergarten through third grade students. I have small reading groups each day. Classes are tailored to the student's needs. We target skills such as phonemic awareness, vocabulary, fluency, word work, and comprehension. I also support the classroom teachers with written projects. Throughout the year, I do reading assessments for these grades as well.
Dana Kercheval
This is my 6th year at Mesa, and I couldn't be more excited! Shortly before beginning here, I taught fifth grade for 15 years. I support the GT program at Mesa, which includes testing, goal setting, and academic support. I provide support to the teachers and students in (primarily) third, fourth and fifth grades. Over the years, I’ve taught informational reading and writing, sixth grade math and support for mathematicians in other grades, and much more!
Clare Stocker
I have been working at Mesa for 4 years. I provide literacy and math support to third, fourth, and fifth grades. I work with small groups and individual students on a variety of reading, writing, and math topics. My support in the classroom allows teachers to break the class into small groups, personalize lessons, and give extra attention to students who need it. In addition to working at Mesa, I am a research professor in the psychology department at the University of Denver.
Mesa Thrives FAQs
Doesn’t the state and county provide education funds?
Under the current state and county revenue formulas, there are not enough funds to pay for
paraprofessionals to the level deemed optimal at Mesa. Funds provided by parents are used to
bridge the gap.
Who are the paraprofessionals? (see bios above!)
Educational aides in kindergarten classes ∙ Literacy support in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades ∙ Math &
literacy support in 4th and 5th grades ∙ Talented and Gifted Program Coordinator ∙ Librarian
We can’t afford the $350 amount at this time; can we still participate?
YES! Any amount counts toward participation. We know some families are not able to donate the
suggested amount, but we ask all families to give what they can. If you pay on cheddarup.com, you
can choose a payment plan.
How many fundraisers does Mesa conduct during the school year?
The Mesa Thrives Campaign is the only fundraiser that we ask all parents to participate in. Other
fundraisers, such as Fall Fest, Fun Run, Book Fair, and Heart Challenge are optional.
Do all the funds go to the paraprofessionals?
Ninety percent of funds collected in this campaign go directly to paying for paraprofessionals at
Mesa. Ten percent of funds are reverted to BVSD. If you pay by CheddarUp via credit card, a 3%
charge will be added to your donation plus a small processing fee. You can avoid the 3% fee by
paying by electronic check, which costs $0.45.
Does paying more than the suggested amount help?
YES! Last year numerous families at Mesa gave more than the suggested amount and some had
corporate sponsors that matched their contribution. Without these donations, we would not reach
our goal.
What happens if Mesa does not reach its fundraising goal?
We would have to run additional fundraisers at Mesa or reduce the paraprofessional staff time.
Do employers match contributions to the Mesa Thrives Campaign?
Some employers match employee contributions. However, parents are the most important source of
funds for our campaign. We need you!
Are there tax benefits to my contributions to the Mesa Thrives Campaign?
Donations are tax-deductible. Contact your tax expert to verify eligibility to deduct your donation.
How do I give?
Visit the CheedarUp site to give online, or complete the donation card sent out in the Friday folders and put it
with your check in the attached envelope. Please make your check out to "Mesa Elementary PTO" and return it with your Friday folder.
Doesn’t the state and county provide education funds?
Under the current state and county revenue formulas, there are not enough funds to pay for
paraprofessionals to the level deemed optimal at Mesa. Funds provided by parents are used to
bridge the gap.
Who are the paraprofessionals? (see bios above!)
Educational aides in kindergarten classes ∙ Literacy support in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades ∙ Math &
literacy support in 4th and 5th grades ∙ Talented and Gifted Program Coordinator ∙ Librarian
We can’t afford the $350 amount at this time; can we still participate?
YES! Any amount counts toward participation. We know some families are not able to donate the
suggested amount, but we ask all families to give what they can. If you pay on cheddarup.com, you
can choose a payment plan.
How many fundraisers does Mesa conduct during the school year?
The Mesa Thrives Campaign is the only fundraiser that we ask all parents to participate in. Other
fundraisers, such as Fall Fest, Fun Run, Book Fair, and Heart Challenge are optional.
Do all the funds go to the paraprofessionals?
Ninety percent of funds collected in this campaign go directly to paying for paraprofessionals at
Mesa. Ten percent of funds are reverted to BVSD. If you pay by CheddarUp via credit card, a 3%
charge will be added to your donation plus a small processing fee. You can avoid the 3% fee by
paying by electronic check, which costs $0.45.
Does paying more than the suggested amount help?
YES! Last year numerous families at Mesa gave more than the suggested amount and some had
corporate sponsors that matched their contribution. Without these donations, we would not reach
our goal.
What happens if Mesa does not reach its fundraising goal?
We would have to run additional fundraisers at Mesa or reduce the paraprofessional staff time.
Do employers match contributions to the Mesa Thrives Campaign?
Some employers match employee contributions. However, parents are the most important source of
funds for our campaign. We need you!
Are there tax benefits to my contributions to the Mesa Thrives Campaign?
Donations are tax-deductible. Contact your tax expert to verify eligibility to deduct your donation.
How do I give?
Visit the CheedarUp site to give online, or complete the donation card sent out in the Friday folders and put it
with your check in the attached envelope. Please make your check out to "Mesa Elementary PTO" and return it with your Friday folder.