March 23, 2020

Dear MPCSD Parents, 

It’s me again! We all look forward to my emails becoming less frequent, if for no other reason than it is an indication that school is returning to normal. In the meantime, I hope you feel as though you are getting the right information, at the right time, with the right tone. That is our goal!

Many have asked how long I anticipate this Shelter in Place will last. From everything I am hearing, it is likely that our Shelter in Place in the Bay Area will be extended beyond April 7, 2020. How long it will last is really anyone’s guess. At this time, I am asking teachers to begin planning through the end of April. This is not to say that I have any reason to believe we will return from Shelter in Place at the beginning of May. It is simply an attempt to offer staff a horizon around which to plan. Once we have more solid information, we’ll recalculate.

One common refrain I hear from parents since we started Distance Learning is how challenging this dramatic shift is for their family’s routines, communication, and relationships. If you are struggling, please know that you are not alone . One glimpse on social media and you’ll realize that parents across the country are struggling with the same dramatic shift in their family’s dynamic. 
In an effort to provide you with some support and resource, we have reached out to a trusted and well-respected partner, Karen Junker, who has been serving our district for many years as a parent-coach and staff trainer around Restorative Practices. Many of our most appreciated and effective social-emotional learning (SEL) strategies come from Karen and her training.

MPCSD has contracted with Karen to provide four separate “Parent Circles” for each of our four K-8 school sites (Encinal, Laurel, Oak Knoll, and Hillview) for a proactive and interactive conversation entitled “ How to Manage and Nurture Healthy Relationships at Home. ”

These Parent Circles will be conducted via Zoom and limited to 30 participants per school THIS Thursday, March 26, 2020 . Click this link to register for your school’s respective Parent Circle. Karen asks that each participant come with one “tip” or suggestion to share with others. Our principals and school counselors are thrilled to be able to share Karen’s wisdom and resources with you; see schedule below.
Until the next email,
Erik
Erik Burmeister, Superintendent | mpcsd.org
Governing Board
Stacey Jones , President
Sherwin Chen, Vice President
David Ackerman
Mark Box
Scott Saywell