April 19, 2026

There's more below the surface! If you're viewing this on a computer, your email may be clipped. Be sure to click "View Entire Message" at the bottom to read the full newsletter!

Superintendent's Weekly Message

Dear HBCSD Families,

Building strong reading skills in our youngest learners is one of our highest priorities, and your partnership at home makes a meaningful difference—especially for students in grades TK–2.

We are excited to share a valuable resource you can use at home:

https://mclass.amplify.com/homeconnect/

mCLASS Home Connect is a family-friendly website that provides simple, engaging activities to help your child practice important early literacy skills like:

Phonological awareness (hearing and playing with sounds)
Phonics (connecting letters and sounds)
Reading fluency
Reading comprehension

These activities are organized by skill, so you can easily focus on what your child needs most.

How to Use the Site

Click on a skill area (like Phonics or Comprehension) to see activities
Choose from “At Home” or “On the Go” activities for flexibility
Download printable activities or explore more ideas online
Use the site in English or Spanish

The site is designed to support families in reinforcing the same foundational reading skills your child is learning at school. mCLASS Home Connect gives families access to both your child’s progress and practical ways to support learning at home. Together, we can ensure every student builds a strong foundation in reading.

If you have questions about your child’s results or where to start, please reach out to your child’s teacher—we are here to help.

Thank you for your continued partnership,

Warm regards,

Dr. Susan Wildes

Superintendent of Schools, Hermosa Beach City School District

We invite you to participate in the 2026 HBCSD LCAP/Strategic Planning Input Survey, which is open through Friday, May 8. This is an opportunity to share your thoughts on what’s working well and where we can improve. The survey is structured around our core goals, Community, Excellence, and Inclusion, and will directly influence the district’s direction for the next three years. Every response and every comment is read and considered in our planning process.

We'd like to ask each parent or guardian to complete one survey for each child enrolled in our district. The survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes, and all responses are anonymous. Please click here to take the survey.

Hermosa Schools Tours for Prospective Families Sign-Up - Tell a Friend!

Parenting in a Digital World Tip #24: Two Truths & AI

This tip comes from Common Sense Media.

Can your kid spot what’s real and what’s AI? Two Truths & AI is a fast-paced game where families work together to spot AI-generated images. In just 60 seconds, you'll look at three movie posters and figure out which one is fake. It's designed to be fun, but it's also helping your kids build a skill they'll use every day: knowing what's real online.

Play the Game

Missed a tip? Check out our HBCSD Parenting in a Digital World Tips Page.

Hearts of Hermosa 2026 - Come Sail Away Tickets on Sale!

Achors aweigh, Hermosa! The Hermosa Beach Education Foundation invites you to Hearts of Hermosa 2026: Come Sail Away on Saturday, May 9, from 6:00-11:00 PM, at Hermosa Vista School. Enjoy an unforgettable evening featuring nautical glam style, local flavors, and live entertainment with a DJ and band, all in support of Hermosa Schools. Tickets on sale now! Stay tuned for more details and get ready to set sail with our Hermosa community!

Quick Note for HBEF's Benefactor-Level Donors: Benefactors should have received an email on March 24 from the HBEF President with RSVP details and information about their complimentary tickets. Please refer to that message to confirm your attendance. For any questions, please email Belinda Oakes, HBEF President, at president@hbef.org.

Click HERE to purchase tickets at HBEF.ORG/EVENTS

Hermosa View School Principal News

Dear View Families,

We had an amazing week at Hermosa View! Friday was especially exciting. Andy and Reya stepped into the role of Principals for the Day and did a fantastic job keeping everything running smoothly. While I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the pies they threw in my face, they certainly earned that privilege! We also enjoyed a wonderful performance by Ms. Sheue’s class, who sang the song, “Seasons.” Mr. Raghuram also led the entire school singing, “The High Kings Will Ye Go Lassie Go,” an Irish folk song.

During the assembly, we recognized students who have demonstrated friendliness at Hermosa View and awarded fun prizes to those with perfect attendance in March, along with special prizes for students who have maintained perfect attendance since August. We will continue this celebration by raffling off prizes for students with perfect attendance in April at our next assembly in May, so stay tuned!

Next week, we will be celebrating Earth Day. In honor of Earth Day on Wednesday, students are encouraged to wear green and walk or ride their bike to school. During recess, we will also practice taking care of our campus by picking up trash. Additionally, we are partnering with the Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library for a book donation drive from April 20–24. Please see the flyer below for more information.

Here’s to a great week ahead!

Warmly,

Dr. Jessica Ghobrial, Hermosa View Principal / HB Preschool Director

Hermosa Vista School Principal News

Dear Vista Families,

Students are working diligently this final trimester as they prepare for end of year activities which include CAASPP, mCLASS/DIBELS, and iReady assessments. We appreciate your support in ensuring students arrive on time and attend school regularly so they can fully benefit from the engaging instruction provided by our dedicated teachers. During this busy season, we encourage families to help students stay healthy, and schedule appointments outside of school hours. Supporting consistent attendance helps reinforce the importance of school as students’ top priority and responsibility.

In celebration of Earth Week, we are excited to partner with the Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library for a book donation drive from April 20-24. Families are invited to bring used books to the school office, where they will be collected and donated to support our local community.

Finally, we will be holding our last Flag Ceremony of the school year on April 24th at 9:00am. We invite you to join us as we celebrate students who have been SURFing at Vista and consistently demonstrating all four of our schoolwide expectations. We will also have some fun activities planned, including the Dolphin Dash winner getting a chance to pie the principal!

Warmly,

Grace Yang, Hermosa Vista Principal

Hermosa View & Vista

Mad Science Night!

April 29, 2026

Fire & Ice Show 6:00-7:00pm

Science Stations 6:00-8:00pm

Slime Booth

Super Physics Booth

Rocks & Minerals Booth

Location: Hermosa View School

Hermosa Valley School Principal News

Dear Valley Families,

Flag Ceremony

This past week, we honored students who exemplify making Everyone Feel Welcome as part of our PBIS W.A.V.E. expectations. These students consistently model kindness, inclusion, and respect for others, helping to create the positive culture that makes Hermosa Valley such a special place. We are proud of them, and so many more, and grateful for the example they set for our entire school community.

Dolphin Dash Goal Reached (and Exceeded!)

We also celebrated hitting — and exceeding — our $100,000 Dolphin Dash goal! As promised, I was pied in the face - check out that action shot! Thank you to the HVPTO for your incredible dedication and support of our schools. We truly have the best parents on the planet (says the biased principal 😉).

4th Annual Hermosa Valley Empty Bowls

Thank you to Ms. Ripley and our fantastic Valley artists for putting on a wonderful Empty Bowls event last week! Empty Bowls is an international grassroots movement designed to raise money for food-related charities such as food banks and soup kitchens, while bringing awareness to hunger. Our students created unique pottery, delicious soup was served, and our talented band provided the music - thanks, Dr. Clements! It was a meaningful event highlighting an important issue.

Math Olympiad – Math Field Day

This past Saturday, our students represented Valley at Math Field Day. They worked hard, and our dedicated teachers showed up to support each grade-level competition. Go Valley Math!

Spring Band Concert

Come join us for our Spring Band Concert on Tuesday (4/21) in the Valley MPR! Our musicians have worked incredibly hard and will be performing music representing America 250, as our nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this July 4, 2026.

Valley Athletics

Our Valley athletes are working hard this season and will be playing this Tuesday (4/21) @Parras in their upcoming Boys Flag Football & Girls Volleyball vs. Parras. Good luck to our student-athletes!

Earth Week

Reminder

7th Grade Catalina Camp (CIMI/Toyon Bay) is coming up this week (April 22–24). Please make sure you are reading all of the important messages going out from Ms. Shannon!

Thank you for being such an amazing community. Go Dolphins!

Warmly,

Jessica Bledsoe, Hermosa Valley Principal

The Weeks Ahead

View the Full HBCSD Upcoming Events Calendar Here!

STAR Education Program (TK-6)

STAR Camp Registration NOW OPEN at STARINC.ORG!

Stay Connected with Community Flyers!

Visit our Community Flyers webpage to explore more opportunities and events from our community and education partners, including the City of Hermosa Beach, Mira Costa High School, and Redondo Union High School. To submit a flyer for consideration, please complete this form.