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Community Matters Quarterly
Summer 2022
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World Class. Community Funded. |
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The Community Newsletter of your Menlo Park City School District
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From Superintendent Burmeister |
Dear Community,
It's summer break here in MPCSD! Thanks to our amazing staff, our intrepid students, and our supportive parents, we have successfully finished another challenging year of pandemic education. We expect the upcoming 2022-23 school year to look much more "normal" than the past three years, but of course we remain flexible to implement required safety measures if necessary.
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For now, though, we wish our families and staff a wonderful summer break that provides the rejuvenation and time with loved ones we all need. I invite you to read my latest blog, "Summer Schooling" for my take on just how formative and invigorating summer break can be for our students.
I also invite you to attend School Board meetings or find us at the Menlo Park Farmers Market, which are listed in the "Dates to Note" section. You may also email [email protected] any time with your thoughts. Thank you for supporting your community school district.
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Dates to Note
Please see our website under "Announcements" 72 hours in advance of each Board meeting for the agenda and details for joining remotely or attending in person.
June 30 - Last Day to complete Community Survey (See below)
August 18 - First Day of School
August 25 - School Board Meeting, Open Session 6 p.m. over Zoom or in person
September 8 - School Board Meeting, Open Session 6 p.m. over Zoom or in person
September 23 - Sup & Sandwich town hall event with lunch provided. 12:00 p.m. in the Juniper Room, Arrillaga Family Recreation Center. The community is invited!
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MPCSD's annual community survey is open through June 30! Every year we seek your input on our programs and priorities, whether you have children currently in our schools or not. If you haven't already, please take our survey and feel free to share it with friends and neighbors who live in MPCSD. |
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In case you missed it, MPCSD's Annual Report to the Community for 2021-22. Please read it here for important financial and programmatic information.
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School Board News: Budget & Election |
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Good News for the MPCSD Budget
At its June 9 meeting, the Board passed the district's 2022-23 budget. Thanks to community support for Measure B, along with strong property taxes and parent and community giving, the district's finances look stable with a healthy reserve balance projected for the next five years. See the full budget report here.
School Board Seats up for Election
The MPCSD Governing Board will have three seats up for election on November 8, 2022. The filing period to become a candidate for the Board of Education is July 18 through August 12, 2022, and may be achieved by submitting candidate filing documents to the Registration and Elections Division, County of San Mateo, 40 Tower Road, San Mateo, CA 94402. Candidates may also attend a candidate seminar at the San Mateo County Registration & Elections Office. For more information on the candidate seminar, Election Calendar, or Candidate Guide, visit www.smcacre.org.
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MPAEF Gives Historic Grant |
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This year's grant from the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, which celebrates its 40th birthday this year, marked the first time the organization has given over $4 million to MPCSD schools. Thanks to strong parent and community donations, business partnerships, and a successful Spring Auction, the MPAEF generously donated $4,050,845 to support smaller classes, art, music, science, PE, maker spaces, mental health and wellness, and teacher professional education. The district extends its gratitude to the hard-working team of staff and volunteers at MPAEF and every donor who made this remarkable grant possible. We look forward to another forty years of partnership.
Pictured are MPAEF Co-Presidents Paige Arata and Krista Rosa and Auction Co-Chair Laura Low Ah Kee along with MPCSD students and School Board members.
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As Menlo Park, Atherton and every city in California prepare their state-required Housing Elements for 2023-31, MPCSD has spent the year educating itself, understanding the impacts, and advocating for the needs of our schools as the city plans to potentially add up to 3,000 new units of housing over the next several years. MPCSD is pro-housing and welcomes the diversity and vibrancy that new housing will bring. To be sure that our already large schools can accommodate new students, the district is focused on these priorities:
- Securing land on which to build an additional school, which will require the community to pass a bond measure to fund construction
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Working with the city and developers to secure land and operating costs, as property taxes and developer fees only fund a portion of the district's budget and MPCSD does not get additional funding when new students enroll
- Helping MPCSD educators live near where they work with agreements for educator housing as part of future developments
- Advocating that the city work with other districts to mitigate similar challenges
MPCSD has created a One-Pager on Housing and Schools to articulate the district's goals and help the community learn more about how we can work together for more housing and excellent schools.
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On May 20, 2022 many MPCSD students participated in Special Olympics of Northern California Track and Field events, held at Gunn High School. Students from schools all over the area took part in running, jumping, and throwing sports. MPCSD Executive Director of Student Services Stephanie Sheridan, along with educators from MPCSD's incredible Special Education team, accompanied the students to this half-day event. There were personal goals and accomplishments all around. Way to go students, you make us proud!
Pictured are the sign at Gunn High School and Hillview's Special Olympics team.
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MPCSD Recognized for Pivotal Practice |
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In 2022, the California Department of Education (CDE) created the California Pivotal Practice (CAPP) Award Program to celebrate excellence in education and honor exemplary schools, districts, teachers, students, and classified employees. This award is in place of the California Distinguished Schools (DS) Program to highlight an innovative practice that was implemented during the 2020–21 school year, when California required schools to offer distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state intends to return to the Distinguished Schools Program next year.
We are honored that MPCSD was chosen to receive a Pivotal Practice Award for Social Emotional Well-Being of Students, for the district's emphasis on health and wellness, building relationships, and social-emotional learning. This award recognizes the district as a whole, acknowledging that wellness is everyone's business. Thank you to our counseling and psychology team, teachers, aides and paraeducators, family engagement and food services, and everyone who stepped up to help meet the wellness needs of students, families, and staff over the past year.
Pictured here, MPCSD Executive Director of Student Services Stephanie Sheridan (second from left) and Mental Health & Wellness Lead Chris Arrington (second from right) receive the award on behalf of MPCSD from San Mateo County Office of Education Superintendent Nancy Magee (right) and Board of Education President Beverly Girard (left).
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In preparation for Superintendent Erik Burmeister's departure by the end of December, and for the new school year that begins in August, MPCSD has made announcements about exciting changes to its leadership team.
MPCSD's School Board was pleased to appoint Kristen Gracia as the next superintendent, taking the helm by January 1, 2023. A 22-year veteran of MPCSD as a teacher, teacher leader, assistant principal, principal, and currently assistant superintendent of talent and technology, Kristen is deeply committed to MPCSD and its community and culture. Board President Scott Saywell remarked on Kristen's passion for being student focused and her ability to break down barriers to help students succeed.
In her remarks at the May 12 Board meeting, Kristen said, "The work we do is life changing for kids and I want to do it together, with our exceptional staff, committed community, the MPAEF and PTOs. The work is a complete partnership that I look forward to. I look forward to providing continuity and continuous improvement so that all students engage, achieve and thrive. And all means ALL." We welcome Kristen to this new role for which she is so incredibly prepared, and will provide opportunities in the coming months for more community connection with Kristen.
The Leadership Team also includes new faces, including for the first time in ten years, a principal joining us from outside the district. Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, please welcome:
- Willy Haug, Director of Technology & Innovation (formerly Hillview Principal)
- Danielle O'Brien, Interim Principal of Hillview (formerly Associate Principal of Hillview)
- Alicia Heneghan, Principal of Laurel Upper Campus (formerly Field Supervisor, Leadership Programs at UC Berkeley)
- Chana Stewart, Director of the Early Learning Center (formerly Oak Knoll Assistant Principal)
- Karen Clancy, Assistant Principal of Oak Knoll School (formerly Oak Knoll Instructional Coach)
- Johnna Becker, Assistant Principal of Hillview School (formerly Hillview Instructional Coach)
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Oak Knoll School celebrated its 70th birthday this year with a special twist: the announcement that Oak Knoll has been named in the Top 10 shortlist for World’s Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives by T4 Education. The school community celebrated with a birthday cake and dance party!
The five World’s Best School Prizes, founded by T4 Education in partnership with Accenture, American Express, Yayasan Hasanah, Templeton World Charity Foundation, and the Lemann Foundation, celebrate schools everywhere for the pivotal role they play in developing the next generation of learners and for their enormous contribution to society’s progress especially in the wake of COVID.
The winners will be announced in October 2022 at World Education Week. All 50 shortlisted schools across the five Prizes will share their best practices through toolkits that showcase their “secret sauce” to innovative approaches and step-by-step instructions on how others can replicate their methods to help improve education everywhere.
We are pleased that Oak Knoll joins the inspirational list of finalists. Principal Alicia Payton-Miyazaki feels the school has already benefitted from discussions with other school leaders around the world, and whether or not Oak Knoll ultimately wins MPCSD is grateful for the chance to learn from and inform other schools as we all share the goal of enhancing students' lives.
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SamTrans Art Takes a Bus Ride
Congratulations to Hillview 7th grader Caitlin Regan for her winning entry into this annual contest! Caitlin's artwork, pictured here, will be featured on SamTrans buses for an entire year. Thanks, Caitlin, for your inspiring art that we are sure will delight SamTrans commuters.
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Pride Mural for Downtown Redwood City
A group of Hillview art students, including Ash, Sasha, Natalie, Lucas, Alexa D, Alexa H, and Lily, was chosen to create a mural for Redwood City! The students wanted everyone to feel free to be who they wanted to be, to represent queer students, and see a part of themselves in the mural. They chose birds and butterflies, painted in various pride flags, as symbols of freedom, and the San Francisco skyline to represent California. In their own words, this mural "shows that people in the queer community are becoming free as time goes on, and that the LGTBQ community is becoming more respected." Look for this beautiful art in downtown Redwood City starting in early July.
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Run Club Makes Impact with Menlo Park Kids |
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Local resident, MPCSD dad, and former NCAA Division I cross-country & track runner Scott Paterson founded Run Club Menlo Park in the spring of 2018 with 14 girls in the program. Having just wrapped its 9th season in Spring 2022, Run Club now enrolls 46 girls and even has former members serving as junior coaches. Serving girls in grades 3-8, Run Club has members at every MPCSD school: Encinal, Laurel, Oak Knoll, and Hillview from first-time beginners to advanced level runners.
Run Club is an official United States Track & Field youth running club, giving the girls the opportunity to participate in cross-country racing at the highest possible level in the United States for this age group. This year, Run Club members took 8 top-10 finishes in two USATF cross country races and the top 5 places for ALL female racers in the Brisbane Turkey Trot for Charity 5K. The spring 2022 season culminated with a strong performance at our own Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation Schoolhouse Rocks 5k, which not only offers another competitive running opportunity, but a chance to support our excellent district schools. Thank you, and congratulations, Run Club!
Pictured are Run Club members at the MPAEF Schoolhouse Rocks 5k at Hillview Middle School on May 22, 2022.
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Community Connection - Engage with Us |
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Hillview Hawks, Laurel Squirrels, Encinal Eagles, Oak Knoll Otters. These mascots represent MPCSD's four award-winning schools that are the hearts of their neighborhoods and the pride of our community. As partners in educating our future, we welcome your interest, questions, and feedback at any time. Use the links below to access each school's website, or email [email protected].
School websites:
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Erik Burmeister, Superintendent
Board of Education
Scott Saywell, President
David Ackerman, Vice President
Sherwin Chen
Stacey Jones
Francesca Segrè
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