MBUSD Superintendent's Newsletter

Superintendent's Newsletter

May 23, 2025

Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. Today’s issue highlights MBMS, MCHS seniors receiving scholarships, and news features on our staff and students.

Spotlight on MBMS (Special Thanks to 8th Grade Social Science Teacher and ASB Supervisor Megan Mackey, and Principal Luke Olesiuk)

Megan Mackey has been part of the Manhattan Beach Middle School staff since the 2021-2022 school year and teaches 8th-grade Social Science and ASB. Her classroom is a special place on campus, where it is clear that students are engaged in the learning process through a variety of methods. Ms. Mackey is highly skilled at meeting each learner where they are at, from providing additional challenge opportunities when students are ready to take that step to providing differentiated options to other learners who could benefit from some extra support. The most impressive part is how seamlessly all of this happens within her classroom, and how all students are able to learn side by side, regardless of the topic.

On top of her Social Science responsibilities, Ms. Mackey runs the MBMS ASB program, including all the special events on campus throughout the year. For the 2024-25 school year, this has included numerous spirit weeks (as well as an “undercover staff spirit week” where students were challenged to guess each day’s theme), lunch time activities (last week’s staff dunk tank was a huge hit with the students) and after-school festivals (with the highlight event being the annual haunted house, which offers collaboration across several advanced electives on campus!). Ms. Mackey’s collaborative and organized nature helps these events run smoothly, and her ability to include the many ASB students in this process provides them with a sense of accomplishment and inclusion that is rare to find at other middle schools.

MBMS is grateful to have such an amazing staff member, who brings so much to her classroom and our entire campus every day!

Staff Spotlight: Jackie Murphy | Kindergarten Teacher

Jackie Murphy is a Kindergarten teacher at Pacific Elementary and is in her 20th year in MBUSD. She began her journey as a 5th-grade teacher and Student Council advisor in Inglewood and MBUSD. She later taught 3rd grade and eventually returned to teaching kindergarten. Over the years, she has worn many hats, including serving on the PTA Executive Board, representing Pacific at Kindergarten Orientation, and being selected to speak at MBUSD’s Kindergarten Information Day this year.

“I have grown as a professional, as a parent (I'm a "double agent"! My two daughters are in 1st grade and 4th grade at Pacific!), and as a person. I adore and am constantly inspired by my Pacific Family!! They are incredible educators and people,” Jackie shared.

Jackie was honored as Pacific Elementary’s 2025 Teacher of the Year, and says it has been a fantastic experience.

Her journey to the classroom has been just as dynamic as her teaching! Jackie has lived in Hong Kong, Singapore, Toronto, and Palo Alto. She often incorporates her accents in character as Ms. Bat, Princess Leia, Delilah the Gingerbread Girl, and the many other personas she brings to life while teaching!

She earned her Developmental Psychology degree from Stanford University and a Master’s and Teaching Credential from USC. Before and during college, she taught preschool and was the Lead Two-Year-Old Teacher at a private school in Hong Kong.

When asked what she loves most about teaching, Jackie said it’s the stories she gets to tell and the connections she makes. “I always tell people that I am never bored at my job! It's so hard to choose a favorite, though. I love teaching at the same school my children attend. It is also so rewarding to have former students come back to visit and tell you about their lives, and to have had the honor to be a part of it. It's fun to see how you imagined they would grow up to be, and usually holds true!”

A fun fact Jackie shared is that she used to be a wedding coordinator. When she is not working, she is busy helping build and paint sets for her daughters’ musical theater shows at Haven Arts Academy. The most recent performance was The Little Mermaid, where her daughter Elise played a Jellyfish and her daughter Julia starred as Ariel. Jackie also enjoys making special memories with her boyfriend Daniel and their children Donovan, Julia, and Elise!

Memorial Day - Monday, May 26

All MBUSD schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 26, for Memorial Day. We honor and remember the brave individuals who gave their lives in service to our country. School will resume on Tuesday, May 27.

MB Rotary Celebrates Outstanding Teachers of the Year

We thank our community partner, the Manhattan Beach Rotary, for honoring our Teachers of the Year this week. For the past 74 years, this tradition has celebrated outstanding educators from both Manhattan Beach Unified and American Martyrs School through a special awards ceremony. The Manhattan Beach Rotary Club has long demonstrated its commitment to recognizing excellence in education. At this year’s event, each school site administrator from our eight schools shared heartfelt words about what makes their Teacher of the Year truly exceptional.

Congratulations to the following MBUSD Teachers of the Year:

MB Preschool | Nataly Garcia

Grand View Elementary | Susan Holton

Meadows Elementary | Heather Tuttle

Pacific Elementary | Jackie Murphy

Pennekamp Elementary | Liana Kuklinski

Robinson Elementary | Megan Montz

MBMS | Susan Steinmetz

MCHS | Maddie Hutchinson

Mira Costa Teacher of the Year Maddie Hutchinson received a double honor as she was also chosen as the 2024-25 District Teacher of the Year by MBUSD.

City Council Honors and Recognitions

MCHS Senior Maia Rocha Speaking at City Council

MCHS Teacher Maddie Hutchinson and City Council

Pacific Elementary Principal Amanda Vavao Receives Honor Recognizing

Pacific as CA Distinguished School

At this week’s City Council meeting, the City of Manhattan Beach recognized several outstanding achievements from our MBUSD community.

Mira Costa senior Maia Rocha was honored as one of only 30 high school seniors to receive a $50,000 STEM Scholarship from Edison International. Maia will attend USC, where she plans to study Human Technology Interaction. This cutting-edge program unites faculty and students from multiple disciplines to solve complex sociotechnical challenges through innovative design, research, and development.

The City also recognized Pacific Elementary, which recently earned the title of California Distinguished School. Principal Amanda Vavao proudly accepted a certificate of recognition on behalf of the school.

In addition, the City honored our MBUSD District Teacher of the Year, Maddie Hutchinson, celebrating her outstanding contributions as an educator and leader.

Working Together for Safer Schools

Over the past few weeks, members of our District team have been walking campuses, sitting in classrooms, and talking face-to-face with school leaders, staff, and parents, alongside our safety partners: Chameleon and Associates, ICS4Schools, and Emergency Management Safety Partners (EMSP). These site visits have gone beyond checklists—they’ve been about listening, observing, and understanding what safety looks and feels like on each campus. And what we’ve heard has been thoughtful, honest, and deeply rooted in care for our staff and students.

You've shared real concerns and questions about school entrances and exits, training needs for staff, emergency drills, and communication tools. We want you to know we hear you. And more importantly, we’re acting on what we’ve learned. Between now and the end of the school year, we’ll continue visiting campuses and working together to make immediate improvements. Then, in August, we’ll bring all school staff together for a District-wide safety training focused on building confidence, clarity, and readiness for emergencies.

This work isn’t just about systems or protocols—it’s about creating an environment where every student, staff member, and family feels safe, informed, and supported. Here’s what’s already underway:

Continuing site visits to identify and address school-specific safety needs
Clarifying and standardizing emergency procedures across all campuses
Providing consistent, role-specific safety training for all staff, including aides, substitutes, and new employees
Improving communication tools and protocols for staff and families
Hosting a District-wide safety training in August for all school employees focused on emergency preparedness, decision-making, and response roles

We’re grateful for the partnership, the conversations, and the shared commitment. Together, we’re creating safer, stronger schools.

Safety Involvement Form Open

We encourage our staff and families to take an active role in supporting our safety initiatives. There will be multiple opportunities to get involved. If you are interested in participating, please fill out this form.

Mira Costa PTSA Volunteers Honored at Appreciation Breakfast

Left to right: Carolyn Mukai and Heather De Roos

PTSA volunteers were celebrated with a breakfast at the Mira Costa Athletic Complex Terrace in recognition of their invaluable contributions. These dedicated individuals commit thousands of hours to support events, programs, and meaningful opportunities for both students and staff across our campuses. They are leaders who work tirelessly behind the scenes, many times, to make a lasting impact in our schools! Volunteers commit thousands of hours to support events, programs, and opportunities for staff and students.

Two standout volunteers, Carolyn Mukai and Heather De Roos, were honored with the Volunteer of the Year award for their service.

Heather De Roos began her volunteer journey in MBUSD in 1st grade at Grand View Elementary when she first became a room parent. Since then, she has taken on numerous leadership roles across the District from 2013 to today. Her service highlights include being the Grand View PTA President, Mira Costa PTSA President, and the District’s PTA Council President.

She has made a difference by being a communications lead on the Grand View PTA and Mira Costa PTSA Communication Committees. She has also worked as a site lead volunteer for Measure C & EE facilities bond campaign and served on the MBEF Board for 10 years. Heather has contributed to countless events and programs that enrich student experiences across MBUSD. Reflecting on her years of service, she shared:

“Giving back to this community I love has been an absolute honor, and I feel so incredibly fortunate to call Manhattan Beach home. If I could, I’d shout from the rooftops that every local family should send their kids to our schools—they are extraordinary. Through this work, I’ve met some of my closest friends, and I’ve watched my son grow and thrive thanks to the dedication of so many staff members and volunteers who have supported him along the way. He’s heading to his dream school, CU Boulder, in the Fall, prepared and confident because of all the people who invested in his journey.”

Carolyn Mukai has also made a lasting impact through her involvement with the Pennekamp and Mira Costa PTSAs. Over the past nine years, she has served in key booster roles as the Band Boosters VP of Operations and the Track and Field Boosters Treasurer. Beyond this, Carolyn has volunteered her time with Young at Art, the science lab, and library programs. She also sits on the MBX Governance Board and has been part of the District’s Green Committee. She has also played a significant role in organizing campus beautification days at Pennekamp and Mira Costa.

“I just don't know how to say no, but I always wanted to serve and support the schools that my kids attended, so every minute was amazing to me…When I first started on the Pennekamp PTA years ago, Pennie, my then-president, said we needed a slogan or motto to get everyone motivated. I found one on the internet for TEAM, together everyone achieves more, and that is what I looked to as my guiding force. It's so much more fun and easier to volunteer with lots of people, not being a solo volunteer.”

We are grateful to Heather, Carolyn, and all our PTSA and PTA volunteers for making a difference.

MBCC Scholarship Luncheon Celebrates Student Excellence

The Manhattan Beach Coordinating Council (MBCC) hosted its annual Scholarship Luncheon this week, honoring a remarkable group of graduating seniors for their academic achievements, community service, and personal growth. The event brought together local leaders, educators, families, and supporters to celebrate the bright futures of these outstanding students.

This year, 117 student notebooks were submitted for consideration. $24,500 in scholarships were awarded through the MBCC and its community partners, recognizing a diverse group of students who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and promise.

The MBCC Scholarships, each totaling $3,000, were awarded to:

Henry Michael - Boston College - Major: Business
Ora Ben-Shaul - Indiana University - Major: Business
Charles Farber - Georgetown University - Major: Government
Arya Nathan - University of Wisconsin - Major: Computer Science

The luncheon also honored:

Eva Asiddao - Joyce Davis Scholarship ($3,000)

New York University (NYU) - Major: Global Liberal Studies

Liliana (Kai) Brennan - Desolation Wilderness Scholarship ($5,000)

UC Irvine - Major: Undeclared

Anthony Rakota - MBPOA Officer Martin Ganz Memorial Scholarship ($1,500)

Rutgers University - Major: Criminal Justice

Elizabeth Witherell - Surfrider Foundation Scholarship ($3,000)

Duke University - Major: Marine Science and Conservation

Each student took the stage to share their future plans, passions, and gratitude for the community that helped shape them. The MBCC Scholarship Luncheon continues to be a cherished tradition in Manhattan Beach. Congratulations to this year’s scholars!

Superintendent’s Educational Technology Advisory Committee Meeting

This week, the Superintendent’s Educational Technology Advisory Committee met for the last time and presented their recommendations regarding appropriate technology use to Cabinet. The committee reviewed research and engaged in discussions about what is best for students in our schools. The goal of the committee’s work was to provide recommendations that strike a healthy balance between embracing technology where it can increase access and capacity for learning, and reducing its effect as a distraction or negative social-emotional aspect of students’ development.

There were 24 members on the committee, made up of parents/guardians, certificated and classified staff, and administrators. Elementary and secondary student panels were also interviewed as part of the process. The presentation included recommendations for home, District, school, and classroom. An MBUSD parent presented home recommendations focusing on providing digital citizenship education opportunities for families, teaching parents not to contact students through text or other smart-phone dependent ways throughout the school day, and encouraging families to join pledges to delay giving smartphones to their kids.

Committee recommendations for the District included creating an enforceable cell phone policy with professional education, providing equitable access to technology, and increasing digital literacy for students, staff, and families. School recommendations included restricting smart watches and phones in elementary schools, creating a digital citizenship pledge, and creating a positive reinforcement of personal (not digital) engagement. At the classroom level, an MBUSD teacher presented the recommendations for further limiting cell phone use in high school and having access to more Chromebooks so that students do not need to use a phone for online class activities.

District administration will review these recommendations and use them to inform the process of updating or creating new policies and practices for the appropriate use of technology in our schools.

Sprigeo

At MBUSD, the safety and well-being of our students is a top priority. We believe that creating a secure learning environment is essential to every child’s academic success. One tool that we use is Sprigeo, an online reporting system that allows anyone to confidentially report incidents of bullying or threats to school safety.

Sprigeo provides students, staff, and our community with an accessible and secure way to communicate concerns directly to school administrators. It serves as an additional channel for reporting bullying or safety threats—helping our team to respond quickly and appropriately to protect our school community.

Students, staff, or parents can submit a report in several convenient ways:

Use the direct link on our MBUSD website
Visit Sprigeo.com
Download the free Sprigeo mobile app on the Apple Store or Android Store

Once the form is submitted, the report is sent via secure email to designated school administrators. Reports may be submitted anonymously; however, over 90% of reporters choose to include their name, which helps us follow up effectively. Including this information also allows for an acknowledgement to be sent immediately to the person submitting the report, confirming the report’s receipt. Site administrators review reports and address concerns as they are submitted.

Students often hesitate to report bullying or unsafe situations out of fear of retaliation. Sprigeo removes this barrier by allowing students to report concerns discreetly from a personal device or home computer—giving them a safe space to speak up. Students may still share a concern by speaking to an administrator, counselor, or the front office in person.

We encourage you to watch our MBUSD-produced video for a quick overview of how to use Sprigeo: Watch the video

Thank you for supporting our efforts to ensure a safe and welcoming learning environment for every student.

K-9 Search at MBMS

Our longtime K-9 drug-detection partner, Interquest, and Manhattan Beach Police Department’s K-9 search unit trained in weapon detection visited MBMS this week to conduct a safety check. A total of eleven classrooms, along with the school office, P.E. areas, and locker rooms, were randomly selected for the search.

Buster from Interquest and Rio from MBPD, along with their trained handlers and MBUSD School Resource Officers (SROs), led the search. These handlers and dogs are specially trained for searches on school campuses and assist our District in creating a safe, drug-free, and weapon-free campus for all students.

Classroom searches are performed efficiently with the handler and an administrator present. Students and staff are asked to exit the room and leave their belongings behind during this visit. The K-9 unit then surveys the space. If a dog alerts to a particular item or bag, the student and belongings are searched in accordance with California Education Code guidelines, MBUSD policy, and the School Site Discipline matrix.

Though there is a brief interruption to instruction, searches are done to minimize disruption to educational time. Staff were notified in advance that the search would take place this week. We thank Interquest, MBPD, and our SROs for their continued partnership in maintaining a safe environment for staff and students.

Mira Costa Girls Lacrosse Finishes Season as CIF Finalists

Congratulations to the Mira Costa Girls Lacrosse team for an incredible season! The team earned a spot in the CIF Southern Section Ford Division 1 Championship game, finishing as the runner-up in a hard-fought final. A big thank you to coaches Maddy Morrissey and Rob Zoppo for their outstanding leadership and dedication throughout the season. Go Mustangs!

MCHS Boys Volleyball CIF Championships

Congratulations to the MCHS Boys Volleyball team for winning the CIF Southern Section Ford Boys Volleyball Division 1 Championships! Thank you to Coach Greg Snyder and his staff!

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