By MICHELLE L. KLAMPE

The Press-Enterprise

With every box of books that arrives, every teacher who moves into a classroom and every sports practice that gets under way, Murrieta Mesa High School is coming to life.

After more than two years of construction on the 62-acre campus on Monroe Avenue above Interstate 15, Murrieta Mesa is nearly completed. Murrieta Valley Unified School District's third comprehensive high school will open to more than 1,100 students Aug. 12.

The completion of the $126 million Murrieta school will be marked with two events this week, a fundraising dinner Wednesday and a public dedication ceremony Friday evening.

Proceeds will be used for extracurricular activities such as sports, band or music, supplies or whatever else the school and its students need in the coming months.

"The times are tough, but people are very supportive of our school," Principal Mary Walters said.

Parents and students have also volunteered to help unpack textbooks and assist with other move-in activities.

Kurt Miller / The Press-Enterprise

Lisa Rivera, a library media tech, sorts textbooks in the library of the new Murrieta Mesa High School.

Classes are set to begin Aug. 12.

"I'm just so appreciative" of the volunteers, Walters said. "There's no way we could do this all ourselves."

In addition to the physical move-in, teachers and administrators are also putting together the academic program for Mesa, which will open with freshmen and sophomores, and add juniors and seniors over the next couple of years. They've been writing student and staff handbooks, planning new student orientation, figuring out the school's master schedule of classes and more.

"We kind of took from Vista and M.V. and created our own thing," said counselor Erika Bennett, who transferred to Mesa from Murrieta Valley High School.

Thanks to community donations, each new student will receive a Mesa T-shirt and lanyard along with their textbooks and identification cards when they come for orientation Aug. 3-5.

School and district staff members had a chance to leave a physical mark on the campus just outside the auditorium, placing shoe and handprints and their names in wet cement recently.

Cori Isbell is one of a number of Mesa employees who hope to leave their mark on the campus in other ways, as well. When Isbell found out she would move from Murrieta Valley High to Murrieta Mesa to work in the guidance office and career center, she began to contact colleges around the country.

Her efforts netted Murrieta Mesa more than 100 pennants from colleges across the country. The pennants went up on the walls of the college and career center even before the furniture was in place.

"I just wanted to bring in a diversity of all the colleges and universities," she said. "We just want to make college a very big focal point. I just want the students to walk in and see that."

Reach Michelle L. Klampe at 951-375-3740 or mklampe@PE.com

Opening Murrieta Mesa

Classes will begin at Murrieta Mesa High School on Aug. 12. The school will also host two community events to mark the school's opening.

Preview event: 6 p.m. Wednesday. This fundraiser will include dinner, music, a silent auction and tours of the school. Tickets are $125 per person or $200 per couple. Proceeds will benefit Mesa's activities, athletics and academic programs. To inquire about tickets, call Erin Moran at 951-813-8463 or e-mail emoran@murrieta.k12.ca.us or abaker@murrietta.k12.ca.us.

Dedication Ceremony: 6 p.m. Friday. Principal Mary Walters and others will speak at the event and tours will be available. This event is free and open to the public. The school is at 24801 Monroe Ave.