MPCSD District Newsletter - March 19, 2025 | | Educating and empowering students while embracing childhood and adolescence. | | |
As the weather starts to improve and the sun shines, it is such a great time to let kids play and explore. All year long we’ve used our MPCSD Speaker Series, in alignment with our strategic direction to grow student belonging, to give us advice on ways to increase our kids’ independence. Dr. Ortiz, our speaker in January, discussed how powerful even little bits of independence are for kids. He said that for children struggling with anxiety, independence was even more effective than traditional therapy or medication in helping kids reduce anxiety. It can be little things like walking solo to a nearby playdate, helping make dinner, taking care of a pet - really anything your child wants to do on their own that they’ve never done before.
I know it’s hard to let go, but I see how important it is for kids to be trusted, to have space to make choices, and learn from mistakes. Doing this now while the stakes are low will pay off immensely when kids get older and have to navigate high school, college, and beyond. We want them to feel empowered, confident, and prepared to deal with life’s challenges on their own.
This is why I am so thrilled to be closing out our Speaker Series with Lenore Skenazy on April 2. You may remember her as “America’s worst mom” as she was called when she let her nine-year-old son ride the New York subway alone and wrote an article about the experience. She followed that up with the best-selling book Free-Range Kids and then co-founded Let Grow, a nonprofit that encourages children’s independence. Most recently, Lenore has helped author the parenting chapters in Jonathan Haidt’s book, The Anxious Generation. Grab a friend and come join me on April 2 at 7 p.m. in the HIllview PAC and be inspired and encouraged by Lenore Skenazy!
In partnership,
Kristen Gracia
| | MPCSD Keeps Aaa Rating, Issues First Measure U Bonds | | |
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and Menlo Park City School District announce $65M* Series A, General Obligation Bonds, 2024 Election, with pricing anticipated the week of March 17, 2025. These tax-advantaged bonds have been rated Aaa by Moody’s.
In November 2024 the MPCSD voters approved Measure U by over 70%, for safe and secure campuses at Encinal, Laurel, Oak Knoll, and Hillview schools. The district has been planning the scope and sequence of bond projects based on the facilities master plan and is now excited to issue the first series of bonds to begin work in Fall 2025.
For more information on the bond issuance and a preliminary official statement, please contact Johnny Ng, CFP®, CRPC™, APMA™, CLF®, Senior Vice President, Complex Manager - San Francisco Markets for Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Inc. at (415) 364-6800 or johnny.ng@stifel.com. See announcement flyer here.
*Preliminary, subject to change
| | | Don't Miss "America's Worst Mom" Right Here in MP! | | |
In person on April 2 at 7:00 p.m. at Hillview. Free childcare provided for potty-trained children.
Our final speaker for the year will be Lenore Skenazy, who has collaborated on this article about children's independence and also helped author the parenting chapters of Jonathan Haidt's bestselling book The Anxious Generation. We look forward to hearing from Lenore in person on April 2 at 7 p.m. at Hillview. You may remember her being called "America's worst mom" after writing about letting her then-nine-year-old child ride New York's subway alone. She followed that up with her book Free-Range Kids and launched the Let Grow movement. She is an expert in children's independence and real-world ways to get our kids back to having some adventures, solving some problems, and blossoming.
| |
As a companion to Lenore's visit, we encourage the MPCSD community to read The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness, particularly the parenting chapters, and reflect on how we can make changes in our own parenting practices to support children to grow and develop into confident, capable young adults. You can find The Anxious Generation and Free-Range Kids at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. Mention your school name at checkout and Kepler's will give back 6% to the school, too. Together we can make positive change for our children!
| | Popular Parenting Class Starts Next Week | | |
Take It Personally with Project Cornerstone: March 26 - May 7, 2025
MPCSD is pleased to again host this six-week series brought to you by Project Cornerstone, a YMCA of Silicon Valley initiative. The course offers tools for strengthening our relationships with our own kids and those in our community. With other MPCSD parents/caregivers in a supportive, welcoming, and safe environment, you will share, discuss, and practice ways to show caring, give support, set boundaries, and build strong relationships that help the youth in your life succeed.
The six sessions are in person at the TERC, 181 Encinal Avenue, Atherton, from 9-10:30 a.m.: March 26, April 2, April 16, April 23, April 30, May 7 2025 (no class April 9 because of Spring Break).
Read the course flyer here. Register for the course here.
| | Intern Host Families Needed | | |
MPCSD partners with the Amity Institute Program to bring Spanish speaking interns to support our schools. Our interns are Spanish language models and informal ambassadors for their country. The internship program depends on host families; if we don’t find host families we will cancel the intern program for 2025-26.
We are in need of three families to host our interns starting in September 2025. Some families choose to host for a whole year while others have the interns stay with them for 3-6 months. We can work with you to determine what works best for your family. All families who have hosted interns in the past developed close connections and long lasting friendships.
If you are interested in becoming a host family or would just like to learn more about what it would entail, please contact the Spanish Immersion and World Language Coordinator, Tami Girsky (tgirsky@mpcsd.org), or one of the host family coordinators, Marta Solsona (msolsona@yahoo.com) or Elizabeth Santana (seniawski@yahoo.com).
| | MPAEF Auction - Don't Miss Out | | |
MPAEF Online Auction: OPEN TO ALL
Through 9 p.m. on March 21, 2025!
There are only three more days to bid on teacher parties, back to school parties, summer camps, fun family activities, beauty treatments, and more! View all items here!
Superintendent Gracia has donated two very special opportunities for MPCSD students. Does your child want to know what it’s like to consider district policies and make decisions for our community, staff, and students? Perhaps becoming an MPCSD School Board Member for a Night is their jam! Or how about becoming the MPCSD Superintendent for the Day with their classmates?
Don’t miss out! Place your bids by Friday, March 21, at 9 p.m. when the online auction closes.
| | |
Kristen Gracia, Superintendent | mpcsd.org
Governing Board
Sherwin Chen, President
Jed Scolnick, Vice President/Clerk
Scott Saywell
Francesca Segrè
Josh Spira
| | | | |
