At Zaharis…

Our school is a family.  We care for one another and value each other’s voices. 

We are all learners and our passions are contagious.  We unite as we celebrate each other’s growth, achievements and successes. 

It is important to share our stories.  This is one way we merge heart and intellect.      

Children are brilliant.  Their feelings, ideas, gifts and talents are respected and shared.

Smiles and laughter make everything easier.  Love serves as a motivator until desire to learn is cultivated.

Learning that travels through the heart inspires greater meaning and purpose.    

Learning is a social experience.  We make meaning together through collaborative dialogue.    

We learn through inquiry.  The learning in our classrooms mirrors the work that readers, writers, mathematicians, scientists, and social scientists do. 

Students and teachers need time—time to think, time to wonder, time to explore, and time to share their findings— together.  

Home of the Soaring Eagles

James K. Zaharis Elementary School is part of the Mesa Public School District serving kindergarten through sixth grade students. Zaharis is unique to the Mesa Schools—while it is a neighborhood school, it draws students from both near and far.  

We strive to honor what John Dewey said about a hundred years ago:  Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.  At Zaharis, our students see themselves as democratic participants in the world whose voices and opinions count. In an authentic learning environment, they are mathematicians, historians, readers, writers, scientists, and social scientists. 

Critical thinking is nurtured through a workshop pedagogy where we place a premium on inquiry-based, hands-on learning.  Children develop independence as learners and the ability to work together to raise questions, investigate issues, and solve problems. Our classroom communities are alive with a passion and fire for learning.  Children apprentice themselves to their teachers and they work side-by-side to make sense out of the world. 

Zaharis places a very heavy emphasis on literacy development. We help children grow as readers by using real books. Literary discussions illuminate our classrooms, as we challenge ourselves to look at the world through new perspectives. At Zaharis, children develop a love for reading, and it becomes a central part of their lives.

There is a reason visitors come from all over the world to take a peek at what’s happening at Zaharis.  Why is that? Catch a glimpse or take a tour and discover for yourself!