Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. Today’s issue highlights academics at Pennekamp, an update about last week's hate incident at Mira Costa's Football game, and a new partnership with the Los Angeles Kings.

Spotlight on Pennekamp (Special thanks to Megan Howard and Principal Sharon Witzansky)

Pennekamp 5th grade mathematicians are already sharpening their skills. The school year started with Jo Boaler’s Stanford University youcubed “Week of Inspirational Math(s),” which focuses on brain growth from making mistakes, the power of struggle, the importance of depth (not just speed), and believing in oneself.  

Students have since been introduced to the Eureka math curriculum, which is framed in the “learn, practice, and succeed” trio model and supports both differentiation and remediation. This week students were hard at work on Module 1 (Place Value and Decimal Fractions) Lesson 16 (dividing decimals). In conjunction with individual online IXL math diagnostics, students have been practicing new skills in various formats, such as drawing a model, explaining the process in words, showing steps to working out the solution, and using the standard algorithm.  

Check out the photos from Mrs. Howard’s 5th grade class!

MBUSD Staff Spotlight: Patti McCullum

This week we are excited to highlight our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Patti McCullum. She began her career at MBUSD in 2017 as a 5th grade teacher at Robinson Elementary. After serving in this role, she moved into her current position at MBUSD where she supports classroom teachers with their students’ intervention and acceleration of academic needs. She says she chose to work at MBUSD because of the “Personalized Learning Framework integrated into every aspect of education. The teachers know their learners and work hard to meet each student’s individualized needs.”

Patti says her favorite part of the job is working with the incredible teachers and principals in our District. She shared that every teacher she works with from K to 12 is dedicated to their students to help them grow academically, socially, and emotionally. 

When asked what her biggest achievement is, she said it’s connecting with teachers and supporting them as they work with their students. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside such highly qualified and dynamic educators. It is an honor each day to work with our team of teachers here.”

In her 23rd year as a teacher, each day she walks onto campus feeling thankful! “I share my passion for education with my team and I love learning from my colleagues.”

Writing Workshop at Pacific 

The district-adopted Writing Workshop approach for elementary students is designed to provide meaningful opportunities to advance writing, reading, speaking, and listening skills aligned with the California English Language Arts Standards.

Students recently read The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo in class, analyzing, inferencing, and interpreting characters. They first collaborated and shared what they thought made writing strong by analyzing a debate statement. 

Utilizing the book, 4th-grade teacher Emily Brunick lifted students' writing skills level by having them write debate speeches as they debated two specific characters and needed to use textual evidence to anchor their claims. By drawing on specific details in the text and discussing the two specific characters, students were encouraged to collect, draft, revise, edit, publish, and present a well-crafted expository text. 

Mira Costa Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony!

Six new alumni joined the esteemed Mira Costa Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame recently. Congratulations to John Bernards (Class of 1956), Chuck Currier (1972), Dr. Daniel Ennis (1992), Brad Haga (1970), Bill Kelly (1953), and Le Valley Pattison (1982).

The six honorees were celebrated by the Mira Costa community with a full day of activities at the 9th MCHS Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame assembly. The morning of the ceremony, alumni were part of a special breakfast with student leaders. These alumni were then honored at two assemblies attended by dignitaries, staff, and students. 

Every year, a group of alumni is selected for recognition by the MCHS Distinguished Alumni Selection Committee. Community members have the opportunity to nominate individuals who have made significant contributions to the high school, community, country, and society. 

You can watch the full induction ceremony below!

The committee will begin accepting applications for this program in late spring. You can learn more about the Mira Costa Alumni Association here.

MBUSD Partners with the Los Angeles Kings

We are so excited to announce that we are the first local school district to partner with the L.A. Kings on a special complimentary ticket distribution program.

With the season opener next Tuesday, the L.A. Kings have announced they will provide two free tickets ($5.44 fee will apply per ticket) to each student and each staff member for upcoming games in November and December at the Crypto.com Arena!

These games include: 

• Tuesday, November 8 | vs Minnesota Wild
• Saturday, November 12 | vs Detroit Red Wings
• Sunday, November 27 | vs Ottawa Senators
• Tuesday, November 29 | vs Seattle Kraken
• Thursday, December 1 | vs Arizona Coyotes
• Saturday, December 3 | vs Carolina Hurricanes
• Thursday, December 22 | vs Calgary Flames

We will send an email out next Tuesday, October 11 with details on how tickets can be redeemed. Every student and staff member will receive a unique code that can only be used once. (Student codes will be sent to parent/guardian). We hope you take advantage of this wonderful offer! Go, Kings, Go! 

MCHS Football Game Hate Incident Update

MBUSD is a school community that aspires to be a safe place for everyone. It is with sadness and frustration that I share the following information about a hate incident that occurred last Friday at Mira Costa’s Waller Stadium during a football game with the visiting Culver City High School team. A group of MBMS students used the “N-word” and threw items at our visiting guests from Culver City. This was deeply appalling and highly offensive, and these students’ actions have impacted both communities.  

I have said it before, and I want to be clear. Racism and acts of hate are unacceptable and will not be tolerated at our school sites by anyone in our community. Our community should be a place where all individuals feel respected and supported, including visitors to our campuses. 

District and school officials have conducted a thorough and full investigation in conjunction with the Manhattan Beach Police Department School Resource Officers who serve MBUSD schools. This has resulted in disciplinary consequences for the individuals involved. The law prevents us from sharing specific details involving the discipline of students, but we can share that this incident has been taken very seriously and that we have handled it in alignment with student discipline policies, procedures, and law. 

In addition, school and district leaders, along with community members, have been in contact with the Culver City community. Board President Sally Peel, MCHS Principal Karina Gerger, and I have each spoken with our counterparts to express our dismay at the outrageous and bigoted actions of these students. 

All attendees, including middle school students at a high school event, are expected to behave responsibly and show good judgment. While we understand that there were only a few students who participated in this egregious, racist behavior, we know that there are times when the actions of a few can have consequences for all. We have updated attendance rules for entry to Waller Stadium. Effective immediately, and for the rest of this football season:

1) MBMS students will be permitted to attend Costa football games ONLY if accompanied by their parent who stays at the game and provides supervision.

2) MBMS students must present their school identification card prior to entry to Waller Stadium and keep it with them at all times. Students must present their school identification card upon request by a school administrator or campus supervisor and security personnel.

3) Attendees who are MBUSD elementary students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian for entry. 

4) If you are attending the game to cheer on our Mira Costa team, you must enter through the Stadium Way main gate on Peck Avenue or through the west entrance on Meadows Avenue.

5) Attendees to our campus from the visiting team will enter only through the Peck Field entrance via the track to the visitors' section of the bleachers.

6) As a reminder, there is already a no-re-entry policy at our Varsity Mira Costa football games. 

Let me ask all parents to review these rules with their student(s).

Actions like those taken by our students last week adversely affect our efforts to build a strong and inclusive community. Any time something like this occurs, we must work to redouble our efforts to combat the sentiments expressed by - and perceptions of our community created by - these individuals. Our Board Goal #2 focuses on our commitment to continuing to develop a climate of care, equity, diversity, social justice, and inclusion in all MBUSD schools. To that end, our Inclusion Stand Up Commitment, which our Board of Trustees has endorsed and which we ask all students and families to support, says that we will act with empathy, speak out against prejudice, bigotry, and racism, and protect our neighbors by being inclusive and building communities where everyone feels welcome. To be clear, this includes offering an environment beyond the classroom, and including athletic events and activities, that embraces individuals from all backgrounds.

It is apparent we need to continue to reinforce and provide more learning opportunities and communication about embracing everyone, including guests and visitors, in our community. School leaders across the District, and in particular at MBMS, are planning a number of student and parent education programs, and we hope that you will consider participating in these as a way to support our efforts to ensure that we can be a truly inclusive community. 

The safety of every person on our campuses is our top priority, and this includes physical, social, and emotional safety. All MBUSD schools should be welcoming spaces. To help us, we ask that if you see or hear about an incident of racism, hate speech, harassment, intimidation, or bullying please report it through our Sprigeo Platform here. A report can also be submitted anonymously. There is a Sprigeo tab on each school website.

In addition, we know that part of our effort to combat hate relies on conversations that take place at home. We know dialogue with your student(s) on what happened can be difficult. We want to provide some resources to assist you in navigating this issue, should you find them helpful:

• Kids Health
• Child Mind Institute
• PBS Kids for Parents

We appreciate your assistance in fighting racism and hate, not just in school, but in our community as a whole. This incident does not and should not reflect who we are, and it will take a united effort to ensure that we can put an end to all of these activities, including not just the students’ behavior at last week’s football game but also the other racist, anti-Semitic, and hateful events that have been reported in recent months. We hope through our response to this incident we can raise awareness about the work that needs to be done. We will continue to address and work to prevent racial discrimination and any form of hate in our schools by promoting respect and kindness and building a community of care - thank you for your support and partnership in advancing this important work.

100 Yards of Unity Campaign

Students and staff came together to unify and stand up against hate and intolerance during halftime at our recent football game. They stood on the track linking hands as one committing to a kind and inclusive environment on campus and in the community and rising together.

The student-led initiative by senior Brent Torres was intended to make a difference and it was important to him to emphasize students showing their commitment to denounce hate in our community. He also worked with students Rebecca Rytz, Gwynn Parkers, and MCHS staff. During the presentation, students spoke on ways to uplift one another. 

You can watch the full halftime show below!

United Against Hate Week Coming Up 

To stop hate in our community, MBUSD will participate in LA vs Hate’s United Against Hate Week on November 13 - 19. LA vs. Hate is a program of the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations and other partners. The recognition of this week was created in direct response to the rise in hate crimes and incidents that have posed a threat to the safety and civility of neighborhoods across Los Angeles. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the community-driven approach to empower one another to build inclusive healthy communities. 

During the week of action, communities raise awareness about the dangers of hate, the need for respect, and civil discourse among all county residents and students. We will keep you updated on the events that happen across our District during this time.

Hometown Fair Highlights 

It was the first year our District had a booth at the Hometown Fair! 

MCHS & MBMS Choir Director Performs at the Hollywood Bowl 

Choir Director Kate Crellin sang with Pentatonix at the Hollywood Bowl during their Bohemian Rhapsody performance! The renowned A capella group is a Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling group. Kate is part of a USC Thornton Alumni and Students choir group that had the opportunity to be part of this event!

Walk and Roll to School Day: Wednesday, October 12 

We are looking forward to participating in the Annual Walk and Roll to School Day. Please look out for communications by each of your student(s) school sites on the walking route maps and meet and departure times happening next Wednesday, October 12. 



Thanks to our community partners Beach Cities Health District for leading this in the South Bay. All MBUSD students, families, and staff are invited to join their school sites and walk or bike to school. This event encourages physical activity, creates a strong sense of community, and teaches pedestrian safety skills.

We look forward to seeing our community next week! The Board of Trustees, myself, and Cabinet will be participating. Share photos from your walk by using the hashtag #MBUSDWalktoSchoolDay.

Learn more about this day here.

Learn all of the Latest Information about Mira Costa!

Click the image below for the 2022-23 MCHS Profile

Join the MBUSD Family!

We are hiring classified and certificated staff. We’re looking for individuals with a passion for helping students discover the joys of learning and creating a safe and engaging learning environment. 

We have a MBUSD Personnel Commissioner position opening. Click here for more information and to apply.

A Personnel Commission is a nonpartisan public body responsible for the administration of a “merit system” for the selection, retention, and promotion of classified (non-certificated) employees in a public school district. 

Click the links below to learn about the variety of MBUSD job openings currently available.

Classified Job Opportunities

Certificated Job Opportunities

Upcoming Events

Register NOW for the Skechers Pier to Pier Friendship Walk!

You can register for your child’s school site team here. 

The walk supports both children with special needs through the Friendship Foundation and our local students through MBEF. Make sure to designate your contribution to MBEF to benefit our schools!

Mira Costa Drama/Tech students are already preparing for their fall and spring shows! Click here for more information! Pre-sale tickets go on sale October 17.

TEDx MANHATTANBEACH 2022

Tickets are on sale now!

Saturday, November 5 | 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. | Mira Costa Auditorium

Good for the Mind! Explore the interactive Expo, sample delicious food & beverages, and enjoy new experiences shared with our community. Raci Levine, a junior of Mira Costa High School and President of the Jewish Cultural Club at MCHS is a speaker this year.

Student discounts are available.

The next Superintendent Newsletter will be published on Friday, October 14. 

Thank you as always for your continued support and partnership. Have a wonderful weekend!

Sincerely,