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Community Matters Quarterly
Fall 2021
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World Class. Community Funded.
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The Community Newsletter of your Menlo Park City School District
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Just when you thought elections were over....
ballots arrive next week!
Read below for details!
Now...we're back fully in person. What has your public school district been up to?
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From Superintendent Burmeister
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Dear Community,
School is in full swing at Encinal, Laurel, Oak Knoll and Hillview Schools, and the Early Learning Center. We've had a very smooth start to the year and are excited to have all students back to school in person, full time.
The new school year energy of the fall always reminds me just how fundamental schools are to their community. The cadence of life seems to follow the schools' activities and we are proud to contribute so essentially to the rhythm of our Menlo Park and Atherton community.
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That said, as a new school year settles in, we can also start to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of commitments competing for our time and attention: afterschool activities and sports, our own jobs, the pressures of parenting, still navigating the pandemic. It can be a lot, and so often the "Silicon Valley way" is to take on more and more. I invite you to read my latest blog for a different perspective, one in which we can choose a "Smaller Plate."
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I always encourage you as a community member to learn as much as possible about our schools. We work hard so that they continue to be a draw to families moving here, and a main reason why our property values remain strong. Next week I will be hosting two community engagement events around financial matters, along with other district leaders and consultants. Please read more about these events below and accept my personal invitation that you attend, ask questions, and learn more as we continue our long-term financial planning together.
I also invite you to attend School Board meetings, which are listed in the "Dates to Note" section. You may also email [email protected] any time with your thoughts. Thank you for supporting your community school district.
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Dates to Note
School Board meetings return to in person at 181 Encinal Ave., Atherton. There is limited seating and the Board requests that all in-person attendees be vaccinated or receive a negative COVID test within 3 days of attending; please connect remotely if possible. Please see our website under "Announcements" 72 hours in advance of each meeting for the agenda and details for joining.
October 1 - Last Day of the One Community Campaign. Donate here.
October 4 - No School for Students, Staff Professional Development
October 4 - Community Engagement: Board Study Session on Financial Future, 4-6 p.m. over Zoom. Details here.
October 6 - Community Engagement: Why A Parcel Tax? 12-1:30 p.m. over Zoom. Details here.
October 7 - School Board Meeting, Open Session 6 p.m. over Zoom or in person
October 12 - Speaker Series "Radical Empathy" with Terri Givens 6:30 p.m. over Zoom. Details here.
October 21 - School Board Meeting, Open Session 6 p.m. over Zoom or in person
November 11 - No School, Veterans Day
November 16 - Speaker Series "Hooked" with Michael Moss, 6:30 p.m. over Zoom. Details here.
November 18 - School Board Meeting, Open Session 6 p.m. over Zoom or in person
November 22-26 - No School, Thanksgiving Break
December 9 - School Board Meeting, Open Session 6 p.m. over Zoom or in person
December 20-January 3 - No School, Winter Break
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Covid & Our Schools: From Response to Management
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Now in our nineteenth month of dealing with Covid, MPCSD can confidently say that it has learned how to manage providing education during a pandemic very effectively. While most districts across the state were only open to in-person learning for a couple of months last spring, MPCSD was open almost all of last year and learned a ton about how to keep students, staff, and our community safe. That's why, when this year opened, MPCSD had more experience than most districts with things like contact tracing and case notification, and which health and safety measures are most helpful (like masking, ventilation and hand hygiene) and which could be relaxed (constant surface disinfecting). While other districts are still learning how to respond to Covid, MPCSD is successfully managing it and showing how school can be safely provided despite the pandemic's challenges.
New School Year Off to a Great Start
The 2021-22 school year brings all students back together on our campuses, full time. Even with our schools at full capacity, we have very few Covid cases (13 cases since school opened on August 19) and we have no indication of on-campus spread. Health and safety protocols remain in place, such as:
- Covid-safe ventilation including MERV-13 filters in our HVAC units and 2 HEPA filters in every classroom
- 97% vaccination of staff AND weekly testing
- Pool testing on campus for over 80% of students (families choose to opt in)
- 3-foot distancing in classrooms and outdoors when eating
- Vaccination requirement for all volunteers and visitors
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Wind instruments and choir take place outdoors
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Student Covid testing is provided weekly
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Eclaire the service dog visits Hillview
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Academics Bounce Back
The community can be very proud of the work MPCSD has done to keep its schools safe while delivering a robust academic program and identifying and overcoming setbacks from distance learning. Our local assessments show:
- Academic performance as measured in Spring 2021 has rebounded or even exceeded pre-pandemic levels
- In English Language Arts 84% of students meet or exceed standards, a 5% growth over 2020
- In Math 64% of students meet or exceed standards, a 13% growth over 2020
Wellness Takes Center Stage
MPCSD is increasing its focus on mental health and the whole child to support students and families as we all cope with pandemic trauma.
- Thanks to Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation support, MPCSD has partnered with StarVista to provide every MPCSD family with three free counseling sessions and referral to ongoing support.
- The district is rolling out RULER to teach staff and students about emotional regulation and how to gain a healthy understanding and expression of our emotions.
Thinking Broadly
Even as it manages the pandemic, the district continues to focus on other important issues like equity, facilitated by the new Coordinator of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Marissa McGee, with the goal of creating classrooms, schools, and a community that is antiracist and includes all voices in its curriculum and staff. The district is also advocating for schools as the City of Menlo Park develops its Housing Element. MPCSD is educating itself and preparing for how to mitigate the enrollment impacts of the updated Housing Element, which requires 3,000+ new housing units in Menlo Park over the next decade.
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MPCSD's Financial Future: Get Informed
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MPCSD has been communicating its financial planning process with the community regularly since 2017 when Measure X was passed overwhelmingly, as a four-year runway to provide the Board time for long-term planning. In the winter and spring of this year, we hosted community engagement opportunities as we made $1.5 million in cuts and the Board decided to place a parcel tax to replace Measure X on the ballot this year. Cuts and a long-term parcel tax that will support a generation of MPCSD students are both part of the district's plan for long-term sustainability in the face of multiple funding challenges.
Now we invite the community to again participate in two upcoming engagement sessions:
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MPCSD's Financial Future Board Study Session, Monday, October 4, 2021 from 4-6 p.m. Zoom link here.
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Virtual Lunch with the Superintendent: Why a Parcel Tax? on Wednesday, October 6, 2021 from 12-1:30 p.m. Zoom link here.
The October 4 event will focus on MPCSD's future financial challenges, including the loss of Title 1 funding, the mandatory addition of transitional kindergarten, changes to the Tinsley Voluntary Transfer Program with potential loss of $1.5 million in funding for transfer students, and the enrollment impacts of the City of Menlo Park’s obligation to add 3,000 housing units over the next ten years. This Study Session will include School Board Members, Superintendent Erik Burmeister, SMC Counsel’s Office, Capitol Advisors, and Facilities Consultants from RGM Kramer, Inc.
The October 6 event will focus on the upcoming Parcel Tax, Measure B, and questions related to why the Board placed it on the ballot, the role the parcel tax plays in achieving financial sustainability, and the measure’s relationship to the challenges that will be discussed on October 4. The Virtual Lunch will feature Superintendent Erik Burmeister in conversation with the District CBO, members of the Finance and Audit Committee, and elected School Board officials.
Both events offer opportunities for the public to ask questions and provide input. MPCSD believes the current challenges can be successfully mitigated, and that an informed community is key to creating a sustainable financial plan for the next generation of district families. The events will be recorded and available for public viewing at the district’s Community Engagement webpage.
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After a hiatus to allow the market to distance its vendors, the Menlo Park Farmers Market has welcomed us back on a monthly basis! Stop by to say hello or ask questions. Superintendent Erik Burmeister and other members of the Leadership Team will be at the market October 17 and December 5. See you there!
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About 450 people received flu shots at our clinic at Hillview Middle School on September 18. We have partnered with Safeway Pharmacy to host Covid vaccine and flu shot clinics, and have another Covid vaccine clinic planned for November 6, pending approval of the vaccine for children aged 5+. This is another way we are serving the community!
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Over the summer, MPCSD hired two new members of its Leadership Team. The vacancy for Oak Knoll's Assistant Principal was created when Alicia Payton-Miyazaki became principal of Oak Knoll School (read more in this recent InMenlo article). A robust search and many incredibly qualified candidates led us to Chana Stewart, most recently the assistant principal of Aspire East Palo Alto Charter School. She has over ten years experience as a kindergarten-first grade classroom teacher, mentor teacher, and wellness team lead. She has authored many publications and presentations and engaged in research and volunteerism in various aspects of education, from implementing Next Generation Science Standards to social-emotional learning to creating culturally responsive school communities. Additionally, Ms. Stewart holds a bilingual credential in Spanish, which she pursued along with her master’s degree in elementary education at Stanford University, to help her understand and address the educational inequities faced by many English Language Learners in the state of California. That expertise and dedication will serve MPCSD well in its mission to nurture and educate all students. Chana has hit the ground running as Oak Knoll's Assistant Principal beginning this school year.
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MPCSD also welcomed Marissa McGee as Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator, in a shared role with Ravenswood City School District. Marissa has spent her career in communities that have been historically underserved due to systemic inequities. She taught kindergarten, first, and second grade in Washington, D.C. While there, she also served as a Parent Advocate at DCSRN where she helped families navigate the school choice system by identifying schools that aligned with their wants and needs for their children. In 2016, she was featured in a special NPRed series that highlighted 50 great teachers.
Before joining MPCSD and Ravenswood, Marissa worked in Oakland as a Program Consultant at New Teacher Center. Growing up in the Bay Area, she finds this work especially fulfilling. Marissa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a focus on Social Stratification and Inequality, and a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Stanford University, where she currently serves as a lecturer. She is also the author of Free the Curls, a book that was featured in a recent Almanac article. Marissa will help us better understand and meet the needs of every family.
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You're Invited - Speaker Series 2021-22
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Menlo Park City School District proudly presents its annual Speaker Series, with incredible events that are open to the whole community. And Zoom makes it even easier to attend! Please check out our full line-up at this website, and read about our two upcoming events below.
Thanks to local favorite, Kepler's Books, all four books featured in this year's series are available for purchase on one handy site. Visit Kepler's MPCSD page to view the books and authors that are part of this year's line-up.
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Our next event features local author, political scientist, and Menlo Park resident Terri Givens discussing her recently published book Radical Empathy: Finding a Path to Bridging Racial Divides. October 12, 6:30 p.m. over Zoom. Register here.
This conversation between Terri Givens and MPCSD Superintendent Erik Burmeister will continue MPCSD's journey toward antiracism by addressing how we begin healing our racial divides within our current political context. Terri's intimate knowledge of our community and expertise as a political scientist will bring a unique perspective to this issue that is sure to resonate with the MPCSD community.
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Who doesn't think about food in November? Join Pulitzer prize-winning investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Michael Moss as he shares research from his latest book, Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit our Addictions. November 16 at 6:30 p.m. over Zoom. Register here.
What’s behind the food industry’s hold on our senses and wallet? With surprising facts and cooking demonstrations, learn why our brains make bad food choices, how the industry takes advantage of that, and what we can do to break free. And just in time for the food-obsessed holidays!
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Spots Open in Award-Winning ELC
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The Early Learning Center, recipient of a 2021 Kent Award for outstanding program, has openings in school-day classrooms at Oak Knoll and Laurel for children 3-5 years old. Classes run from 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily.
The Menlo Park City School District’s Early Learning Center nurtures young children’s curiosity, sense of wonder, belonging, and deep engagement with the world around them, preparing them to develop the critical skills needed to enter kindergarten and reach their full potential. Our caring and knowledgeable teachers support the development of friendships, foster positive conflict resolution skills, and ensure that children have a sense of belonging and feel safe and valued for their unique gifts.
Please visit ELC's website for details and contact 650-463-1236 to enroll, learn more or schedule a private tour.
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International Walk/Bike to School Day Oct. 6
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International Walk & Bike to School Day is October 6! MPCSD schools will be participating. Please look out for more students on the roads, October 6 and every day! We are pleased to report that two MPCSD (Laurel School) students, Zia and Khloe, submitted posters (shown here) that were selected as winners by the San Mateo County Office of Education to promote this special day.
In case you missed them, both the Atherton and Menlo Park police departments provided safe walking, biking, and driving tips in these community letters: APD / MPPD
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The City of Menlo Park has an activity book to help prepare students to walk and bike, as part of the Safe Routes to School program. Find it here.
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Parents Show Support in Annual Campaign
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Every fall, the school Parent Teacher Organizations and the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation partner to run the One Community Campaign. We target 70% of parents donating to the OCC, which provides significant funding for MPCSD's schools to support:
- A 15% reduction in class size, as compared to the California average;
- 26 credentialed teachers in art, science, music, library and PE;
- Professional development for 300 MPCSD teachers and staff focused on social and emotional learning, anti-racism, diversity and inclusion;
- 11 psychologists and counselors and the creation of a new student drop-in wellness center at Hillview Middle School;
- New, on-demand counseling services available for any MPCSD student or family, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; and
- One additional HEPA filter for every classroom to enhance air quality during the COVID pandemic and wildfire season.
The Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation also accepts donations from local businesses, realtors, and community members like grandparents and neighbors. To make a community donation and support excellent public education in our town, please see the MPAEF website.
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Community Connection - Engage with Us
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Hillview Hawks, Laurel Squirrels, Encinal Eagles, Oak Knoll Otters. These mascots represent MPCSD's four award-winning schools that are the hearts of their neighborhoods and the pride of our community. As partners in educating our future, we welcome your interest, questions, and feedback at any time. Use the links below to access each school's website, or email [email protected].
School websites:
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Erik Burmeister, Superintendent
Board of Education
Sherwin Chen, President
Scott Saywell, Vice President
David Ackerman
Stacey Jones
Francesca Segrè
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