Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well! In today's issue, we highlight Meadows Elementary, Literacy Night taking place at Pacific, and MBUSD students honored at the first MBCC Luncheon of the year!

As the Thanksgiving break approaches, I feel grateful to be part of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District community. There is so much to celebrate and appreciate within our District. I want to express my gratitude to our dedicated staff, educators, administrators, committed families, students, community partners, PTAs/PTSAs, MBEF, and MBX for their support of MBUSD. I also want to thank our Board of Trustees for their dedicated commitment to our schools.

I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends. Wishing you a happy and safe holiday!

Spotlight on Meadows (Special Thanks to Principal Michelle Krzmarzick)

Meadows Elementary has been buzzing with energy this week with academics and activities leading up to Thanksgiving Break. Many classes are celebrating their writing of narrative and informational compositions by sharing their writing with peers for compliments and specific feedback for improvement. Students are also ending math units before the break by assessing for learning and looking for areas in students’ work that might need more support in December.

This week, we enjoyed our very first whole-school International Friendsgiving Day during lunch in the cafeteria. Our Student Council and No Place For Hate Committee developed this activity to promote the sharing of cultural foods, music, and dress. The community was asked to bring food from a culture they embraced to share during lunch. Each item was labeled with the name of the food, the country it originated from, and a list of ingredients that some students may have sensitivities to. It was a tremendous success, and we can’t wait to do it again next year.

We also honored four students this week who rushed to assist a student who began choking on her lunch last week in our school cafeteria. The fourth grade students, who were all a part of Girl Scout Troop 10885, ran to an adult to get help. Since the girls learned about the Heimlich Maneuver when they were Girls Scouts in second grade, one of the students quickly performed this on the choking student, which quickly dislodged the food. The adult arrived seconds later, but the quick-thinking students had already solved the problem! We invited the firefighters from Station 2 to come and honor the girls at our fire drill this week and to give them some treats from the station. Mascot Sparky even came for the moment! We have so much to be thankful for during this season. Happy Thanksgiving, Manhattan Beach Unified School District community!

We also honored four students this week who rushed to assist a student who began choking on her lunch last week in our school cafeteria. The fourth grade students, who were all a part of Girl Scout Troop 10885, ran to an adult to get help. Since the girls learned about the Heimlich Maneuver when they were Girls Scouts in second grade, one of the students quickly performed this on the choking student, which quickly dislodged the food. The adult arrived seconds later, but the quick-thinking students had already solved the problem! We invited the firefighters from Station 2 to come and honor the girls at our fire drill this week and to give them some treats from the station. Mascot Sparky even came for the moment! We have so much to be thankful for during this season. Happy Thanksgiving, Manhattan Beach Unified School District community!

Staff Spotlight: Alison Timmer | 1st and 2nd Grade General Music Teacher

This is Alison’s eighth year in MBUSD. She is our District’s elementary general music teacher and has worked with over 3,000 first grade and second grade students across all five elementary school sites!

Before coming to MBUSD, Alison spent nine years teaching elementary and middle school band, strings, and choir in Baldwin Park. She has her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Education from USC. Alison says that her favorite part about the job is “sharing music with kids that are so enthusiastic about learning and life. Seeing the joy on their faces and in their bodies when we interact with music is a constant reminder of the power of music.”

Alison shares that music has made her life better in so many ways. “With being a music educator, I am able to provide the opportunity for music to make a positive impact in the lives of others as well. I love that Manhattan Beach values music education in the early grades because music can start working its magic so early in the lives of these children.” She is most looking forward to incorporating new instruments and technology into the general music curriculum.

Alison’s interests include being on the water, in the mountains, or around a campfire with her family. They love being outdoors!

And speaking of family, when Alison said music has made her life better in so many ways, that includes bringing her and her husband together! “We met in the marching band at USC where he played trombone and I played saxophone. Having a partner who understands the importance of music education has been such a blessing!”

Manhattan Beach Coordinating Council First Luncheon of the Year!

The Manhattan Beach Coordinating Council continues its tradition of honoring our students. MBUSD students from Pacific Elementary, Pennekamp Elementary, MBMS, American Martyrs, and Mira Costa were recognized this week. It’s always inspiring to hear each student’s story from their own teachers and why they were selected to be a recipient.

Every year, MBCC hosts five luncheons to recognize students from across Manhattan Beach, one of which is the large scholarship luncheon at the end of the year.

8th Grade Roadshow with Mira Costa and Redondo Union

Hermosa Valley School hosted the annual 8th Grade Roadshow, a much-anticipated event showcasing Mira Costa and Redondo Union High Schools. Designed to give students a glimpse into high school life, the event featured engaging presentations led by our staff and students from both schools.

Mira Costa teacher Lisa Claypoole spearheads the event. Mira Costa students, many of them who are Hermosa Valley alumni - shared their personal experiences and highlighted various programs, including ASB, Link Crew, Model United Nations (MUN), athletics, Drama/Tech, music, and journalism.

Mira Costa’s amazing Winterguard and SAX Pack delivered lively performances, leaving a lasting impression on the 8th graders. The Roadshow continues to be a tradition that helps students envision their next educational journey and inspires them to explore the programs both high schools have to offer!

Complying with City of Manhattan Beach Bike/E-Bike Ordinances

Our E-Bike Safety program remains a key focus during the 2024-2025 school year. Since launching the initiative on November 4, we have certified 561 e-bike riders as of November 16. Of these, 421 completed their certification through our 21 District-sponsored E-Bike Sense sessions. 140 students completed private classes.

In partnership with the City of Manhattan Beach and the police department, we remind our community that several City ordinances apply to bicycles and e-bikes. According to Manhattan Beach Municipal Code 3.01.020—Operation of bicycles, electric bicycles, and motorized bicycles—it is illegal to park against windows, parking meters, or on a sidewalk that obstructs sidewalk accessibility or passage. It also states that bicycles of any type should not be parked in a way that causes a hazard to pedestrians, traffic, or property.

Local law enforcement also emphasizes that bikers should avoid attaching bikes to posts, fences, or buildings. Please encourage your students to follow this ordinance and park their bikes according to the law.

Municipal Code 3.01 also contains safety rules requiring bike riders to use bike lanes where possible and, on streets without bike lanes, to ride close to the right curb or edge of the roadway. It also prohibits speeding, racing, or stunt activities.

We plan to enforce the same e-bike safety program for 4th and 5th graders starting December 9. If your elementary student rides an e-bike to school, they must have an MBUSD-registered sticker on their e-bike to be permitted to park on campus. Please click here to sign up for an elementary District-sponsored in-person E-Bike Sense course.

For more information about MBUSD’s E-Bike Safety Program, please visit here.

Every Day at School Counts

As we prepare to take time off from school for the upcoming holidays, we would like to remind all families about the importance of regular school attendance.

Please keep in mind that MBUSD is actively following guidelines for chronic absenteeism, as required by the State of California. Chronic absence — missing 10 percent or more of school days due to absence for any reason — excused, unexcused absences, and suspensions — leads to missed instructional time and can lead to students struggling with peer interactions, needing social and emotional support, and experiencing credit deficiency in high school. Daily routines are essential for reducing stress and creating a sense of security and belonging for students and adults, aligning with our Climate of Care.

Additionally, our schools are required to notify families and hold meetings to address chronic absenteeism. Please understand that these meetings are meant to be proactive and often lead to positive experiences for students and families.

Please take steps to keep your child healthy and send them to school unless they are truly sick. Every day of school is an important opportunity for students to learn and connect with peers and their teachers.

MBEF Giving Day Celebrations

Thank you, Manhattan Beach, for an incredible MBEF Giving Day! Parents, students, educators, MBEF Board Members and MBUSD administrators came together to celebrate MBEF’s impact on our schools. With the help of a match from Chevron, MBEF raised nearly $800K toward the $5M Annual Appeal goal to help fund grants for educators and programs in schools next year. The Annual Appeal is MBEF's largest fundraiser and will end January 31.

Manhattan Beach Education Foundation is Hiring!

MBEF is currently hiring for the position of Development Coordinator. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to MBEF’s success and support educational excellence in Manhattan Beach. If you are motivated, community-oriented, and want to make a difference, this job might be the right fit for you!

The full-time role supports the development efforts and manages the donor database to ensure accuracy and consistency. Working at MBEF means being part of a small, dynamic team that makes a big impact in our schools.

If you See Something, Say Something

Following the conclusion of an MBPD and school investigation, we want to inform our community of hateful graffiti found at MBMS. Chalk graffiti was discovered on the sidewalk near the parking lot that included profanity and a drawing of a Nazi swastika. A staff member made the report early in the morning before the start of the school day on November 1.



School staff promptly removed the graffiti to maintain a safe and respectful environment for all students, staff, and community members. During their investigation, the MBMS administration partnered with MBPD to try to identify anyone who may have taken part in these hateful actions. The investigation was unable to identify the perpetrators.

The antisemitic graffiti incident and hate acts of any kind have no place in our community, near or on our campuses, and we will continue to take steps to combat it. We appreciate the staff member who promptly reported this incident and helped us to ensure that it was addressed and investigated appropriately. We ask all of our community members to be upstanders, not bystanders when we see acts of hate and intolerance. Please remind your student(s) to say something if they see or hear something.

MBUSD Students Compete in Math Competition

Congratulations to Grand View, Meadows, Pennekamp, and MBMS students for competing in the Number Tournament in Temple City last weekend. This year, Pennekamp and MBMS students brought home the win! Congratulations to the following students:

Individual Category 

2nd Place: Anderson T. (5th Grade)

3rd Place: Arik A. (4th Grade) 

Team Categories

4th Grade 

2nd Place: 4 Factorial - Arik A., Noah F., Judah F., and Ethan H. 

3rd Place: PK Dragonometry - Morgan S., Dean K., Parsa S., and Jonah B. 

5th Grade

2nd Place: May the 5th Be With You - Anderson T., Preston C., Deven K., and Tyler W. 

6th Grade 

3rd Place: Pi Rats of the South Bay - Lily F., Samantha L., and Neil K. from Manhattan Beach Middle School

Congrats to Aiden P. from Grand View and the following students from Meadows: Edward A., Sienna S., Vikram S., Kota K., Isha T., Akash M. , Nicholas B., and Nathaniel F., Ayush K. and Samuel L. from Pennekamp, and Rohan P. and Deven P. from MBMS.

Number Tournament is an initiative of Math Is Cool, a nonprofit organization. Its goal is to promote the love of learning math and provide math education resources.

Literacy Night at Pacific 

Pacific Elementary’s 2nd Annual Literacy Night was a fun-filled evening that sparked creativity and celebrated the joy of reading! Students participated in the library scavenger hunt, brought their imaginations to life at the comic strip creation station, created flip books, and read books. Special guest author and cartoonist Jorge Cham drew cartoon portraits of students.



Principal Vavao was an enthusiastic guest reader! The event had a line-up of other guest readers, including Author Mr. Seth Fishman, Pacific Playground Supervisor Ms. Catherine Haley, and Fireboat Captain Mr. Matt Rhodes. Literacy Night brought the community together and showcased the school’s commitment to literacy!

The L.A. Kings have announced they will provide two free tickets (an estimated processing fee of $7.50 will apply per ticket) to each student and each staff member for upcoming games at the Crypto.com Arena!

You can find the full list of games and instructions on redeeming your tickets here. 

An email with details on how tickets can be redeemed was sent out November 14 to all staff and families. Every student and staff member received a unique code that can only be used once (student codes were sent to the first parent/guardian listed in Aeries). We hope you take advantage of this wonderful offer! Go, Kings, Go!

The next Superintendent’s Newsletter will be published on December 6. Have a wonderful weekend and Thanksgiving break!

Sincerely, 

Manhattan Beach Unified School District

325 S. Peck Avenue

Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

310.318.7345