Educating and empowering students while embracing childhood and adolescence.

Dear MPCSD Community,

As we wrap up another school year here in the Menlo Park City School District, I think about what makes our schools special and it keeps coming back to community. Just recently families and friends have come out to see our amazing students perform in our spring musical, Oliver, Jr. and our Hillview band and orchestra concert. We have hosted science events, movie nights, parent book clubs, family bingo nights, welcomed incoming families with play dates and gatherings, and participated in the city of Menlo Park’s bike rodeo. Our parent leadership organizations - the PTOs and the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation (MPAEF) - are preparing end of year volunteer thank you and recognition events. The MPAEF's community Schoolhouse Rocks 5K, Fun Run & Festival is on Sunday, and you’re invited! Read more about that below. It is a whirlwind of activity that celebrates the community of our schools as well as the big community around them.

Another focus in MPCSD that wouldn’t be possible without our community is the work on our Measure U bond projects. With your support we are improving safety and security, and planning for the HVAC project to begin next month. Read more in the Measure U update below, including the first annual report from our Citizens’ Bond Oversight Committee, another way the community engages with us.

The community will elect three school board members this November and we welcome you to consider running. See below for our upcoming Candidate Information Event. Join our community!

I am grateful to serve MPCSD and so proud of the many ways our schools contribute to the vibrant community we all value. Thank you for your continued trust and partnership.

Sincerely,

Kristen Gracia

MPCSD's youngest learners at the Early Learning Center (ages 2-5) are raising chicks (pictured)! After 21 days of patient waiting, students watched the chicks hatch, hypothesized and investigated what happened to the eggs that didn't make it, and voted on names for them. Winning names included Era, Freddy, and Betty. Students are honing skills like observation - intentionally watching how the chicks move, eat, and rest. They learn to gently hold, interact with, and talk to the chicks. It has been a delight to watch these compassionate young students learn and grow from this special experience.

You may see some local student art on the next SamTrans bus that passes by, typically along El Camino Real! That’s because four Encinal students were winners in this year’s Art Takes A Bus Ride contest, a partnership among SamTrans, the San Mateo County Office of Education, and the San Mateo County Office of Arts and Culture. The contest gives students in grades 1-12 the chance to have their original artwork displayed on buses for an entire year!

The 2026 theme, Time Travelers Take the Bus: 50 Years in Motion, celebrates SamTrans’ 50th anniversary. Through art, students were encouraged to explore how schools and neighborhoods have changed over the decades or imagine what transportation might look like in the next 50 years. 

A record 241 Encinal first through fifth graders submitted art to the contest. Encinal Art Teacher Stephanie Noon attended the awards ceremony at SamTrans headquarters in San Carlos with her winning students (pictured) last week and were able to get a sneak peek at their creativity on the side of a SamTrans bus, ready to drive “in the wild.”

The East Palo Alto Library celebrated its Spring Art Showcase 2026 with a new mural installation. With leadership from Laurel Art Teacher Summerlynn Burlew (pictured), students from three schools in East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto took inspiration from the books The Artivist by Nikkolas Smith and The All-Together Quilt by Lizzy Rockwell to build belonging through art, as well as showcase the incredible community resource that the EPA library offers.

Laurel third through fifth grade murals depicted the themes “Just because it’s hard, doesn't mean it’s impossible” and “How can destruction become beautiful?” Costaño first graders who learned about artist Alma Woodsey Thomas recreated her signature mosaic-like painting style to depict rainbows, flowers, anime characters, and more. Costaño transitional kindergarteners were inspired by The All-Together Quilt to create quilts out of paper. 

The exhibition is on display at the San Mateo County Libraries EPA branch at 2415 University Avenue, East Palo Alto, through May 21, 2026.

Oak Knoll received a 2026 Kent Award for its Play and Learn Studio (PALS). Click the image above to watch a short video. Kent awards recognize outstanding programs that demonstrate innovation and success in California public education that are replicable at other schools or districts.

PALS uses a workshop model of a mini-lesson, open-ended play, and reflection to approach play with the same intentionality and curriculum design as core academic instruction. The program builds social skills, peer relationships, and cooperative play, providing real-time coaching on self-regulation and conflict resolution. 

“PALS has proven that the joy of play is actually the strongest foundation for academic readiness,” said Principal Alicia Payton-Miyazaki.

PALS empowers students with critical skills including self-awareness and vocabulary development, aligning with the district's goals to strengthen academic excellence, support English Learners, and improve school climate. Quantitative data from the program demonstrates significant student success in increasing English learner reclassification, reducing chronic absenteeism, and increasing positive behaviors.

The award was formally presented at the 2026 Annual J. Russell Kent Awards & Emily Garfield Award Celebration on May 8, 2026.

A new mural graces the Hillview quad, featuring symbols, words, and ideas about what the school means, in students' own words. Hillview welcomed artist Charlo on campus to create this exciting new mural in the heart of the school. In a single day, students had the unique opportunity to watch their mural come to life in real time as Charlo painted throughout the day. Watch the time-lapse video!

What makes this mural especially meaningful is the incredible student input behind it. Hillview's Associated Student Body contributed funding and helped guide the original mural concept. Over 200 submissions from students shared symbols, words, and ideas about what Hillview means to them. That input sparked this custom design, which embeds words like "inspired, connected, corazón, cookie, innovation" (pictured) within a piece of art that will live in a space where so many of the school's daily activities, celebrations, and memories live.

This mural is the second of three planned for the campus, made possible by PTO funding approved in the 2024-25 school year. This community support allows Hillview to continue personalizing its twelve year old campus, making it a true student-centered middle school filled with creativity, pride, and student voice.

ACSA Region 5 Administrators of the Year

MPCSD Superintendent Kristen Gracia and Chief Business Official Jackie Chen were both selected by Region 5 of the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) as leaders of the year in the categories of Superintendent and Business Services Administrator, respectively.

School Board member Sherwin Chen, who attended the awards ceremony, said "These awards underscore the exceptional vision, stewardship and commitment that Superintendent Gracia and Chief Business Officer Chen bring to our district every day. Our board is proud to work alongside such dedicated leaders who consistently prioritize student well-being and achievement above all else."

MPCSD is grateful for its accomplished leaders, yet it is the core value of teamwork that lends the district its success and reputation. The recognition of administrators like Kristen Gracia and Jackie Chen serves to highlight the dedicated 400-member strong team of teachers, site leaders, counselors, and classified employees who work hard every day to educate and empower the district’s 2725 students while embracing their childhood and adolescence.

ACSA Region 5 is comprised of San Francisco and San Mateo Counties, with over 300 schools serving more than 140,000 students. Ms. Gracia and Ms. Chen were officially recognized at ACSA's 2026 “Bay Lights, Bright Futures: Administrators of the Year Awards Gala” in South San Francisco on April 24, 2026.

Missed Online Registration? No Problem! Come to Packet Pick-Up and Register In-Person

What? Join more than 1,500 neighbors as we come together to run, walk, jog, or stroll in support of Menlo Park City School District schools – Laurel, Encinal, Oak Knoll and Hillview.  You can still register in-person (details below).  

When? Friday, May 15 between 12–4 p.m., and Saturday, May 16 between 10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Where? Fleet Feet: 859 Santa Cruz Avenue 

Cost? 5K (Timed) = $65 per person. 1-Mile Fun Run (Untimed) = $55 per person.

If you plan to register in-person, please bring your mobile device and a credit card for payment. Payment via cash, check, or ApplePay/Venmo/PayPal is not accepted. 

There is no day-of-event registration! Please plan ahead. Attendance at the post-run festival at Hillview Middle School is free and open to all, beginning at 9:45 a.m.

Road Closure Notice: Roads along the race course (see map below) will be closed to traffic from approximately 8:30-10a.m. on May 17. We encourage residents and visitors to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and use alternate routes during this window. During the event, the Menlo Park Police Department will be monitoring the race course, ensuring safety, and directing traffic.

For more event information, please visit: www.mpaef.org/run

SCHOOLHOUSE ROCKS 5K & FUN RUN RACE COURSE: