Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this letter finds you well. Today’s issue highlights academics at Pacific, the newest School Resource Officer joining MBUSD, and the latest 2022-23 MCHS school profile.

Highlights of the Week!

Spotlight on Pacific (Special thanks to Morgan Henderson, Kristie Rios,  Stephanie Hubbard, and Principal Rhonda Steinberg)

At Pacific, fifth graders have been working hard on building community. The first writing assignment was a three paragraph essay focused on introducing students to each other. Students presented their writing orally and shared details about their families, themselves, and their thoughts about school! 

Students were encouraged to share descriptive details, which resulted in some lively sharing of information. Teachers worked to strengthen community in other subjects including collaborating on group Matter posters to highlight the main idea that matter is everywhere, and working together to invent successful Rube Goldberg machines in Makerspace. 

MBUSD Staff Spotlight: Anna Lecour

Anna Lecour serves as an Instructional Assistant Intensive Behavioral Intervention at Manhattan Beach Preschool. She began her career at MBUSD in 2001 as a Special Education Assistant and five years later started working in her current IBI role. 

Anna says she chose to work for MBUSD because it’s a district that invests in and provides a positive environment for students and staff. When asked about her favorite part of her job she said that it’s seeing her support making a difference in students' lives. Anna’s passion for her work shows through her commitment to her students.

She is proud of the many positive changes she has been a part of during her time here. One of her proudest achievements was her role in implementing the SMILE program at MB Preschool from its induction. She says, “We created a curriculum with thematic units and can address our students’ social skills in a smaller, controlled environment and watch those skills generalize to the bigger classroom settings.”

Lecour says MBUSD is a wonderful place because of everyone’s collaborative efforts put forward to make sure the needs of our students are met first. 

Thank you for your dedication!

We Are MBUSD!

We kicked off our “We Are MBUSD” campaign across social media this week. This school year’s theme was the inspiration to share stories about our students, staff, and alumni who all make our community what it is today. Each unique story will share the diversity of MBUSD and give you a closer look at who they are. 

Our first feature is on our new Mira Costa Athletic Director, Michael Rosenthal!

Second School Resource Officer Joins MBUSD



We are excited to announce that in partnership with the City of Manhattan Beach and the Manhattan Beach Police Department, MBUSD now has a second School Resource Officer.

Officer Michael Hamilton is assigned to MBMS and our elementary schools and School Resource Officer Donovan Torres is at Mira Costa.  

Read full press release here.

Visit the MBUSD Booth at the Hometown Fair this Weekend! 

MBUSD is at the Hometown Fair this year! Please drop by our booth in Community Place for a meet and greet and we will have a lot of information to share about the District!

Throughout the weekend, our Board of Trustees, Superintendent Dr. John Bowes, Cabinet, and staff, including our Principals will be present to meet our community. 

Our booth is located on Valley Drive, near the north entrance to the Fair. We will be right next to our partner, Manhattan Beach Education Foundation. 

Click the fair map to see the layout for this year!

The Mira Costa Vocal Ensemble will sing the National Anthem at the Manhattan Beach 10K this Saturday and MBMS’s Ocean Wave Chorale will also participate in the annual tradition to sing the National Anthem at the Hometown Fair Saturday morning at the start of the parade! 

Don’t forget to drop by the fair’s Community Showcase! We have eight students who submitted their work that will be presented this weekend.

How to Access California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) Data

The results for SBAC English Language Arts (ELA) and Math, California Science Test (CAST), and the California Alternative Assessment (CAA) are available to view in Aeries.

Directions for accessing your student's scores on Aeries can be found here.

Students receive an overall score for ELA, Math, and Science (5th, 8th, and 11th grades only). This is not a norm-referenced score. CAASPP tests are given statewide and measure the skills of all students against the same academic standards in the same way. The results provide information schools can use to improve teaching and learning.

New MBUSD Formal Complaint System Launched Today

The Manhattan Beach Unified School District is committed to upholding the rights of all school stakeholders to access the benefits of public education in a supportive, equitable, and caring environment. 

We have launched a new formal Consolidated Complaint Form where you can submit concerns about any type of misconduct, harassment, bullying, or non-compliance with Board policies, State or Federal laws.

Rainbow Fentanyl Warning

The California Department of Public Health is warning the public to be aware of the rise in the prevalence of new forms of fentanyl. According to the CDPH, brightly-colored fentanyl (referred to as rainbow fentanyl) has been identified as a new trend by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency. 

The picture here is what rainbow fentanyl looks like. It can be found in many forms, including pills, powder, and blocks that can resemble sidewalk chalk or candy. Any pill (regardless of its color, shape, or size) that does not come from a health care provider or pharmacist can contain fentanyl and can be deadly. Please be vigilant and if your child is old enough, have conversations to educate them about it. 

Fentanyl is 80-100 times more potent than morphine and 40-50 times more potent than heroin and, as a result, is a major cause of overdose for individuals. Officials say people purchasing these pills are likely unaware that it contains fentanyl.

Things you can do to keep yourself and others around you safe:

1) If you find any pill(s) at your property and are unsure about the identity, do not touch it without proper protective gear including a mask and gloves. Once removed you can properly dispose of it at the Manhattan Beach Police Department's unwanted medication/pills drop-off center located in their lobby. You can always call MBPD’s non-emergency tip line if you have any questions at 310-802-5140. 

2) Speak with your student about this information so they know the risks of buying or sharing prescription medication and that these pills exist. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has provided the following resources for parents and families on how to speak with their children about drugs. Read here and here.

3) Call local law enforcement if you or your student have seen these pills outside of your home.

4) Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is used for overdose rescue. Healthcare providers may prescribe this to patients who are at an increased risk of opioid overdose and other risk factors. Pharmacies in CA may now provide Narcan without a prescription, but availability is limited to particular locations. You can find a list of participating pharmacies here. 

5) Contact the Substance Abuse Service Helpline (844-804-7500) to get help for a friend or loved one struggling with substance abuse.

You can find more information here:

CDPH - What is fentanyl?

United States Drug Enforcement Administration - One Pill Can Kill

Mira Costa’s Sailing Team Brings Home Win

We are so proud of our Mira Costa Sailing Team! They competed at the Pacific Coast Interscholastic Sailing Association’s SoCal #1 Regatta at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach recently. Mira Costa took 3rd place in the Silver fleet competition and 4th place in the Gold fleet. 

The Mira Costa FJ (Flying Junior) Sailing team is based out of the King Harbor Youth Foundation and has thirteen students who represent Costa! “Flying Junior” is the type of boat they compete with. 

The sailing team welcomes new students throughout the season and in the summer. You are not required to have prior experience!

Tyler Burks, Kerala Alexander-Zitske, Lili Brennan, Gabe Hansen

Learn all of the Latest Information about Mira Costa!

Click the image below for the 2022-23 MCHS Profile

Hear from Teresa Nielsen, Los Angeles County Office of Education Teacher of the Year! 

High School Voter Education Week At Mira Costa

In recognition of California Department of Education’s High School Voter Registration week, the Beach Cities League of Women Voters were at Mira Costa this week to assist students with voter registration. 

Sixty-one students were able to register during office hours on the Mustang Mall.

Costa staff have also been in touch with the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder County Clerk’s Office to potentially have a FLEX voting center on campus for students and staff.

Construction Update: MBMS New Music Building

Construction of the MBMS new music building is coming along. Construction crews are busy working on roofing, main underground electrical work, and connections of water, sewer, and storm drain to the new building from the current MBMS site. 

Crews will begin building concrete sidewalks next week!

The 5,500-square feet of space will be home to various types of spaces for the choral and instrumental groups.

Robinson’s Commitment to the “No Place for Hate” Program

For the third year, Robinson students committed to the Anti-Defamation League’s No Place for Hate program. Students signed the banner, which now hangs in the cafeteria. No Place for Hate provides schools with a framework to commit to maintaining a climate where students from all backgrounds feel safe, respected, and have a sense of belonging throughout the school year. Students and staff work together to develop projects. 

No Place for Hate was first launched in MBUSD with a pilot program at Robinson during the 2020-21 school year. Last June, four of our schools were officially recognized as “No Place for Hate” campuses. Our schools joined more than 1,800 sites across the nation to earn the designation. This is just one of many programs implemented at various of our school sites that work toward our mission to continue creating a Culture of Care at our school sites.

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

Latest COVID-19 Updates

You can find all of our COVID-19 information, guidance, and updates on our

District COVID-19 page. This is updated with new information as LACDPH guidelines and protocols change. 

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 7. 

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

Sincerely,