Mountain Trail Middle School offers two events to help students start the school year

By Stacy Mantle
Mail

Starting at a new school can be exciting, but it can also come with plenty of questions.

To help students feel prepared before the first day of classes on Aug. 4, Mountain Trail Middle School is hosting two welcome events to introduce students and families to the campus, teachers and school community.

Principal Patrick Clancy said creating a welcoming environment is one of the school's top priorities.

"I'm excited to welcome students to the 2026-2027 school year. Whether students are returning to Mountain Trail, or walking through the doors for the first time on August 4th, I look forward to making this an incredible year."

Coyote Camp

The first event, Coyote Camp, will be 8:30-11 a.m. Wednesday, July 29. The free program is designed specifically for incoming seventh- and eighth-grade students who are new to Mountain Trail Middle School.

Made possible through a generous donation from the Mountain Trail Middle School Parent Teacher Student Organization, Coyote Camp gives new students an opportunity to become familiar with their new school in a relaxed, fun environment before classes begin.

Participants will receive their class schedules a few days early, meet teachers and fellow students, tour the campus, learn where classrooms are located and participate in games and icebreakers. Each student will also receive a Mountain Trail T-shirt.

No advance registration is required. Families can drop students off between 8:15 and 8:30 a.m. in front of the school, where staff members and student leaders will direct them through check-in and introduce them to their groups. Students will be ready for pickup by 11 a.m.

Mountain Trail Middle School orientation

The second event, Mountain Trail Middle School Orientation, will take place Monday, Aug. 3, from 5p.m. to 7 p.m. and is open to all Mountain Trail students and their families. The school is located at 2323 E. Mountain Gate Pass in Phoenix. 

Unlike a traditional open house, Orientation Night gives students the chance to experience a shortened version of their first school day before classes officially begin. Starting at 5 p.m., students will follow a condensed version of their schedules, visiting each class, meeting their teachers and learning what to expect during the upcoming school year.

Families are encouraged to attend alongside their students, providing an opportunity to navigate the campus together, ask questions and become familiar with school routines before the first day.

School leaders say both events are designed to build confidence, reduce first-day anxiety and help students begin the new school year feeling connected and prepared.

Additional details about both events will be shared with families in the coming weeks, but parents are encouraged to save the dates and take advantage of these opportunities to help students make a smooth transition into the 2026-27 school year.

Editor’s note: A grant from the Arizona Local News Foundation made this story possible. The foundation awarded 15 newsrooms to pay for solutions-focused education reporters for two years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.

Stacy Mantle
Education Solutions Reporter

smantle@iniusa.org

Meet Stacy
Stacy Mantle is joining the team at Independent Newsmedia, Inc. as an Education Solutions journalist, thanks to a grant from the Arizona Community Collaborative. She has a long history in education that ranges from teaching junior high and middle school to developing curriculum and standards-based assessments.

Community: A longtime advocate for animal welfare, Stacy is deeply involved in rescue efforts and volunteers with several nonprofit organizations.

Random Fact: Once upon a time, she shared her home with a pet coyote and two wolf hybrids. The experiences were wild enough to become the subject of her first book!

Education: She holds a BA in English with a minor in Political Science, a Post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education, and an MBA with a emphasis on Marketing.

Hobbies: In her spare time, Stacy writes fast-paced urban fantasy novels, crafts small-batch artisan soap, and is always up for hiking or off-roading through the Arizona wilderness with her husband of 23 years.