The Mustang Minute | April 7, 2025

Huge congratulations to our 4th and 5th graders, Tyler Areyan, Nicholas Bellinaso, Kishori Bhatia, Kai Kathuria, Nitin Richardson, Drew Vaccaro, Camila Kerze Villalobos, and Ipek Yagli, for checking out and conquering the 2025 California Young Reader Medal Book Challenge! They devoured every page of all three intermediate novel nominees and earned a pizza and voting party in the library. They enthusiastically paged through their favorites and cast their votes for the novel they enjoyed most. Now, their votes are bound for the CYRM organization, helping to choose the big winner! Way to go, Mustangs!

Join us for the April Ice Cream Social!

Come enjoy a cool treat and make some new friends at our March Ice Cream Social! Stop by the cafeteria after school this Friday, April 11 for all the fun. Mustangs can buy ice cream and other tasty treats using SKORR cards and/or their own money brought from home.

Volunteers help set up and sell ice cream after school HERE. It’s a great opportunity for both students and volunteers to socialize and enjoy sweet treats, all while raising money for the school.

Scholastic Book Fair is Back April 28 through May 2!

Come on in and get your summer books!!

We are doing something different this year!! Scholastic will be in the library AND during YOUR class library time! We will be open during your class library time, lunch recess (NO MORNING RECESS) and after school!! We will also be making a special appearance at Science Night from 5:30pm to 7:30pm! To make things easier, remember click HERE to get your students' eWallet set up!

Come Volunteer at the Book Fair!

Volunteer during your kid's library time, lunch recess and or after school and get the opportunity to join in the book fair fun!! Sign up HERE!

Science Night at Meadows on Friday 5/2

Meadows will be hosting its annual Science Night on Friday, 5/2 from 5-7pm. Come ready to learn and engage in STEM based activities! Highlights include a live science show and hands on science experiments, a magic show with Code Ninjas, glass blowing, and a robotics demonstration. This event is sponsored by the Meadows PTA and complimentary for all Meadows families.

MBX MAP Spring 2025 Session

Meadows Spring 2025 After School Enrichment Session starts Monday, April 28 and ends on Thursday, May 22, 2025. It is a short 4 week session. We have lots of fun, creative, and active classes on the schedule - tried and true favorites as well as a couple of new offerings.

Enrollment opens on Tuesday, April 1 at 9:00am. Please visit the MBX Website for school schedules, class descriptions & a link to 6Crickets registration website.

Questions? Please contact Sandi Nerad

Volunteer Spotlight

We're thrilled to put the spotlight on Gretchen Chamberlain, our talented and dedicated Young at Art Director! Gretchen has been the driving force behind our school's vibrant art program, bringing color and creativity to our students for over 11 years. Young at Art has helped our Mustangs unleash their inner artists, exploring a wide range of curriculum, mediums and techniques. Gretchen has managed, guided, and coordinated over 45 docents at Meadows. Without her leadership skills our docents would not be able to deliver art to each classroom. She plans, sets up, and purchases all the supplies for each learning lesson - all while managing a full time job and raising three boys. Her attention to detail saves the school money on art supplies and helps run each lesson seamlessly throughout the years. Gretchen is irreplaceable! Her ability to see each project, plan it, purchase a variety of supplies like clay, paint, plexiglass, or watercolors, and keep the budget below 90 cents per student, takes serious skill! In addition to her teaching and curriculum work, Gretchen also organized the Young at Art Display and Silent Auction at our Open House this year, showcasing the wonderful work of our young artists. The event was a tremendous success, and it’s all thanks to her meticulous planning and attention to detail. We are so grateful for Gretchen’s unwavering commitment to enriching our children’s educational experience and bringing the joy of art into their lives. Also huge thanks to all of our YAA classroom docents, Deni Kennedy, Hayley Blanchard, Diana Zivich, Shirley Cramer, Joyce Chung, Katie Donohue, Heather Bobo, Yelena Tibone, Robin Murray, Vivien Chang, Giulianna Nguyen, Erica Bakalyar, Gretchen Barnes, Marcelina Restrepo, Emily Kaplan, Eunie Cho, Ariel Ferguson, Leila Kurosawa-Long, Sally Flack, Emilee Girvan, Julie Ustick, Mona Afrashteh, Caroline Johnson, Sarah Miles, Amina Pasha, Nicole Ameln, Lynn Chen, Jamie Eng, Amy Mccluskey, Lauri Resnikoff, Sai Patil, Cindy Marian, Kimberly Capinpin, Hedi Lee, Erica Miranda, and Natalie Reardon. Your efforts truly make a difference, and we can’t wait to see the future artists you continue to inspire!

Do you know a volunteer who deserves a shout out? Nominate them for our next Volunteer Spotlight.

Email Meadows Volunteers for more info!

Order Your Yearbook Today!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER NOW by May 10.

If you have any questions regarding the yearbook please email Megan Gong.

5th GRADE CORNER

**UPCOMING DATES**

May

5/2: Memory Slide Show Photos Deadline

June

6/3: Peer to Peer Breakfast

6/5: 5th Grade Talent Show

6/10: Begg Pool Party

6/12: 5th Grade Promotion & Promotion Party

Meadows' Got Talent

Sign up to be part of the Meadows' Got Talent 5th Grade Talent Show! *Do an act by yourself or with friends! *Be a part of the stage crew and help with lights, microphones, curtains and more! *Be an "MC" (AKA Master of Ceremonies) and help introduce the acts as they come on stage!

Sign ups will take place on April 10 after school right outside of the 5th grade classrooms. Questions? Email Kimberly Rosenfeld!

MEADOWS SPONSOR SPOTLIGHTS

MBEF CORNER

The 1st Annual MB Legacy Open was a huge success!

A heartfelt thank you to the 120 enthusiastic players who joined us for the inaugural MB Legacy Open Golf Tournament on March 31st! It was an incredible day on the course, filled with friendly competition, camaraderie, and a shared commitment to supporting Manhattan Beach public schools.

A special congratulations to Pacific Elementary, this year’s Winning School, and to all our contest winners who took home fantastic prizes!

We can’t wait to do it all again next year—stay tuned for more details.

The Manhattan Wine Auction is May 31, 2025!

Mark your calendars! The Manhattan Wine Auction returns on Saturday, May 31 for an unforgettable evening of food and wine tasting, silent and live auctions, music and dancing, and community celebration in support of our schools.

Exclusive Center Court experiences are on sale now, and general admission tickets go on sale May 1—don’t miss your chance to be part of this prestigious event! For more information visit manhattanwineauction.com/

NEWS FROM MBUSD

MBUSD's Celebrating Cultures: A Journey Around the World

International Day 2025

We are currently looking for MBUSD families to share their cultural heritage through food, dance, clothing, art, games, and music for our family-friendly event. If you are interested in signing up to host a booth or to perform on stage, please click here. The deadline to apply is April 4.

Event Details:

Date: Saturday, April 26

Time: 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Location: Manhattan Beach Middle School (MBMS)

MBX Happenings

Click here for a current listing of MBX Booster Events and Fundraisers!

IN THE COMMUNITY

Camp RAD 2025

Camp RAD is an all-encompassing academic prep camp with personalized instructional support of Math and English, balanced with art, crafts, and outdoor games. Hosted by Mr. Chao, it's the perfect way to review and get ahead for the school year!

Basically Better Basketball

Basically Better Basketball is offering classes early April through early June through the Manhattan Beach Parks & Rec Department. Your child will get the attention and skill repetition necessary to develop the knowledge and confidence to become a better player.

See flyer here, or click here to sign up your 8-10 year old or 11-13 year old. Registration opens March 3.

Mini Mustang Summer Theatre Camp

Mira Costa Drama Tech students are excited to welcome thespians excited to spend a week at theatre camp! Campers will have fun exploring acting, singing, dancing, improv and more with some games and crafts sprinkled in! Our talented staff is excited to welcome campers from Kindergarten to 5th grade and will create age appropriate groups according to the number of campers registered. The week will end with a short parent showcase around 1pm on Friday. We can't wait to explore theatre with your camper this summer! Open to current Kinder through 5th graders.

Click HERE to register!

Any questions can be sent to dramatechboosters@gmail.com.