A Great First Day in MBUSD

Superintendent's Newsletter

August 25, 2021

First Day of School

Dear Manhattan Beach Unified School District Community,

Welcome to the 2021-22 school year! First and foremost, I hope the new school year finds each of you and your family in good health. And, while I know things the last year and a half were not easy, we should be proud of how we individually and collectively met those challenges. I am excited to be a part of this community, and I was thrilled to see the MBUSD pride that was on display during my visits to all of our campuses today.

I began the morning at Mira Costa High School for our Senior Sunrise – it was a great way to welcome our seniors back to campus for their final year with us. From there, I was able to visit every campus. Teachers and students were smiling, classrooms were humming, and students were learning. Across all of our schools, students are clearly excited to be back in school. Thank you to our principals, teachers, and support staff who made sure our campuses and classrooms were ready for our students and who did such a great job of welcoming them to our campuses today.

New Costa Principal Dr. Karina Gerger and Mira Costa staff welcomed students during their arrival this morning.

MBMS Library was spruced up thanks to their PTA. Librarian Cory O'Meara and Principal Rose Ahrens were happy to show it off.

GV Librarian Heidi Snively rolled out the blue carpet for her new Principal, Tara Grings, and Superintendent!

Meadows Principal Michelle Krzmarzick welcomed all with open arms.

In classroom after classroom, I saw students leaning into all of the new and fresh opportunities the first day of school brings, their excitement being with friends at recess and being back in full-time learning for the new school year. The beginning of any new school year brings new opportunities and challenges for students, and I want to thank our parents for their support at home and for helping to establish good routines for our students as they prepare to come to school each day. We are fully committed to ensuring that our students are provided a high-quality and engaged learning experience and that they are offered the support they need for their academic and social-emotional well-being, and the home-school connection is a critically important part of that.

Pacific's Principal Rhonda Steinberg showed her Panther pride.

Pennekamp's new Principal Sharon Witzansky modeled safe practices for her students.

Principal Jackie O'Sullivan, office manager Nadine Spoerl, and staff worked hard to ensure a smooth first day at Robinson.

Our youngest students enjoyed a fun and safe first day thanks to the Preschool team.

We have received a variety of back-to-school and COVID-related questions. I want to be sure everyone knows about our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document published earlier this week. As a District, we are focused on the core functions of schooling as we start the school year with full in-person learning. Our classrooms are following LA County Department of Public Health guidelines and requirements, and I saw good evidence of students and staff following these important health practices that make an important difference in maintaining safe and healthy campuses.

As you know, a California Department of Public Health order requires all employees to be vaccinated or participate in weekly COVID testing. This and Los Angeles County’s indoor masking requirements for all staff and students are important components of our safe return to campus. We strongly encourage all parents, students, and staff to receive a vaccination when eligible. We are in regular contact with our public health partners and carefully monitoring local conditions. Please watch for more information on COVID testing and vaccination opportunities, along with related health and safety matters that will be shared with you soon.

This is a tremendous community and I know that, together, we will be able to help each child grow academically, socially, and emotionally. There is great promise ahead for MBUSD in the 2021-22 school year and I am glad you and your students are a part of it!

Sincerely,

John Bowes, Ed.D.

MBUSD Superintendent

Manhattan Beach Unified School District

325 S. Peck Avenue

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

310.318.7345