Good morning, Tempe. Graduation season continues this week, with another TUHSD school sending its seniors out tonight.
🎓 Marcos de Niza graduates tonight. Class of 2026, 7 PM at the school stadium.
📚 Five library programs over the weekend. Writing, Legos, storytime, puzzles, dinosaurs.
🚌 Kyrene's bus driver plan is showing results. The district covering south Tempe has the numbers.
🎓 Marcos de Niza graduates tonight
The Padres send their Class of 2026 across the stage at 7 PM tonight, Thursday, May 28, at the Marcos de Niza stadium near McClintock and Southern.
Key facts:
- When: Thursday, May 28, 7 PM.
- Where: Marcos de Niza HS stadium, south Tempe.
- School: Marcos de Niza HS, the Padres, one of six high schools in Tempe Union High School District (TUHSD).
This is another TUHSD graduation in a busy late-May stretch for district families. McClintock's ceremony was covered in Monday's brief. The other four TUHSD high schools (Tempe HS, Corona del Sol, Mountain Pointe, and Desert Vista) round out the district's six. Event listing.
The weekend
Tempe Public Library carries most of the weekend's programming. Five things between Friday and Sunday for kids, teens, and adults.
- 📝 Writers Connection. Friday 2 PM. Informal critique group for writers at all levels. Free. Tempe Public Library. Details.
- 🧱 Lego Lab. Friday 4 PM. Engineering and computer science with LEGO Education SPIKE. Ages 6 to 11. Details.
- 📖 Coloring with Cay'dence. Saturday 11 AM. Storytime and guided coloring for ages 2 to 7, families welcome. Details.
- 🧩 Puzzle Swap. Sunday 1 PM. Bring a gently used jigsaw, leave with a different one. Held the last Sunday of the month. Details.
- 🦕 Sunday Funday: Dinosaur Decorations. Sunday 3 PM. Make dino crafts to kick off the library's Summer Reading Program. Ages 6 to 11. Details.
Around Tempe
🚌 Kyrene's bus driver incentive program is showing results. Kyrene (the district covering south Tempe plus parts of Phoenix and Chandler) reports the program designed to retain drivers is working. The Tempe Independent has the rundown. Details.
📰 End-of-school-year angst. A Tempe Independent column on how the conclusion of the school year hits parents and students with relief and stress in equal measure. Column.
💧 The Valley and the Colorado River. A second Tempe Independent piece on long-term water uncertainty across the metro area. Read.
🍽️ Summer food access. A Tempe Independent piece on the gap in meal access for Arizona kids when school cafeterias close for summer. Column.