The Mustang Minute | May 12, 2025

Join us for the third annual Meadows Elementary Pickleball Fundraiser on May 18 from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Manhattan Country Club. Whether you are an experienced player or a beginner, the event promises an evening of friendly competition, community engagement, and support for our school programs. Attendees can look forward to prizes, refreshments, music, and more. Bring a partner and register to play—or simply join us to cheer on the teams and contribute to a meaningful cause.

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS!

For any questions, please contact Lauren Coffman.

Announcing - Joy with your Boy! A Parent-Son Event

Join us for a screening of Bo Bridges "Big Wave: No Room for Error" at Cosm, the new immersive entertainment venue at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. Arrive at 11am for a 12 noon showtime. Hors d'oeuvres included in ticket price. Additional food and beverage available for purchase.

CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR TICKET NOW!

In Big Wave: No Room for Error, experience the thrill of Earth’s most treacherous surf breaks as award-winning photographer and filmmaker Bo Bridges captures the fine line between triumph and destruction in this 60-minute documentary. When you’re in The Dome at Cosm, you’re completely immersed. It feel like you're traveling to a world beyond your own.

Young at Art Silent Auction Ends Tomorrow 5/13!

Young at Art brings art into our classrooms through a 100% volunteer driven program led by parents like you. We allow kids to express their creativity through hands on projects as they explore different art mediums and movements. At Young at Art, it's about the process not the end result.

If YOU love art and want to keep it in our schools, please consider participating in our silent auction now through May 13th. There are many exciting items to bid on, including Breakfast with Mrs. Krz for a student and a friend! Proceeds from the auction allow us to keep our costs low for schools and support the artist community.

To visit the Silent Auction, click here. To learn more about Young at Art, visit our site and follow us on Instagram.

LAST CHANCE TO PURCHASE YOUR MEADOWS YEARBOOK IS MAY 15th!

The year end signing party is a month away! Don't miss your chance to be part of the memories! Order your Meadows Yearbook by May 15th to make sure you have your copy in hand for all the signatures, laughs, and unforgettable moments. All students have the option to create a custom page for their own yearbook. Create a personal touch to your child's yearbook where they are the star. DEADLINE TO CREATE YOUR CUSTOM PAGE IS MAY 13TH. Log into your Treering account to purchase your Meadows 2024-2025 Yearbook.

PTA General Meeting

Join us for the last PTA General Meeting of the 2024-2025 school year on Thursday, May 15th at 8:20am in Room 25. We will be holding the election for the 2025-2026 PTA Executive Board. Come with questions or to share your ideas as we start to plan for next year!

Last Day of Run Club is Friday, May 16th!

Students have 4 more days to qualify for the Year End Party. TK/K must run 1 marathon and 1st-5th grade students must run 2 marathons to attend the party.

Congratulations to Ms. Hutchinson’s 4th/5th grade class, Mrs. Gregorio’s 5th grade class, and Mrs. Legaspi’s 5th grade class for achieving 100% class participation and earning 10 SKORR cards for every student! The remaining classes have 4 more days to achieve 100% class participation. Mrs. Granberg’s 1st grade class is very close to 100% class participation.

Come join the fun for the last week, Tuesday-Friday from 7:40-8:00 a.m.!

For any questions, please contact Co-Chairs Kelly Parker and Andrea Golovko.

*Special thanks to Village Runner, Manhattan Beach’s go-to partner for all running gear, for sponsoring Run Club this year.

SAVE THE DATE - PTA Volunteer Appreciation Brunch

We’re celebrating YOU and all the amazing work you’ve done! More details to come—mark your calendars!

Thank you for volunteering your time!

It definitely takes a team to create a successful fundraiser! Special thanks to Mrs. Rementer for letting us borrow the library for a week, Ms, Saliba for loaning us her room to store all the book fair inventory and to all the parents who took time out of their day to help with class previews, recesses and after school!

Volunteer Spotlight

Our amazing Math Olympiad Chairs, Amy McCluskey and Susmita Patnala, have gone above and beyond to inspire and support our Meadows student mathematicians.

With sharp minds and even sharper planning skills, they've calculated every detail to make the Math Olympiad experience a success. They coordinate schedules and organize practice sessions, prepare materials, cheer on our mathletes, and more! They’ve helped our students not only strengthen their math skills, but also build confidence, teamwork, and perseverance. Week after week, these chairs have multiplied opportunities for learning and growth. We can always count on Susmita and Amy to show up with a positive attitude and a passion for problem-solving.

Thanks to their acute organization and their unwavering commitment, the Math Olympiad has been a truly enriching experience for our students. We are infinitely grateful for all they do! Special thanks to Sonia Malhotra who also helped out with the Olympiads earlier in the year. We appreciate you!

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

Email Meadows Volunteers for more info!

Volunteer Spotlight

Many thanks to Julie Ustick and Kim Pasquali, the backbone of our school’s volunteer community. As our PTA Volunteer VPs, they’ve taken on one of the most challenging roles on campus: finding volunteers —and they’ve done it with energy, heart, and a deep commitment to building an amazing volunteer community. At the start of the year, while most of us were still figuring out back-to-school routines, Julie and Kim were already hard at work. They work closely with teachers to help find Room Parents and classroom volunteers, so every classroom was set up for success. They support the school’s teachers and Room Parents all year long, providing resources, problem solving, and encouragement every step of the way.

Beyond the classroom, Julie and Kim work tirelessly to recruit chairs and volunteers for every school event, from the first Ice Cream Social to the End of the Year party and everything in between. And when no one else was available, more often than not, they jump in themselves—leading a hand whenever they could. Not only do they work with our amazing Meadows volunteers, they think it’s important to celebrate them too. They created the Volunteer Spotlight program so our Meadows community can shine a light on the hard work of others. Thanks to them, more than 150 event chairs and volunteers have been celebrated this year. They know and appreciate how valuable every helping hand truly is at Meadows.

On top of it all, they still make time for hands-on volunteering in the classroom. Both Julie and Kim serve as Room Parents themselves, bringing their warmth and leadership directly into students’ day-to-day school lives. Both were also chairs on the Staff Appreciation Week committee and spent months planning every detail to make sure our teachers and staff felt seen, celebrated, and appreciated.

Julie is chair of Hospitality and coordinates lunches and snacks to the Meadows teachers and staff at the monthly staff meetings and staff events. Julie also serves as a YAA Docent, bringing art enrichment to our students, and a Girl Scout Troop Leader, helping young girls grow in confidence and community. Julie always finds time to help others at Meadows despite her busy life outside of Meadows. She has two amazing kids - a 2nd grader and a 5th grader.

Kim is chair of the Health and Safety committee prioritizing the health, wellness, and safety of our Mustangs. She always will jump in to help others make a flyer, poster, or post for an upcoming event. Kim often leaves little treats and gifts for Meadows staff at holidays or birthdays to make sure they feel special year round. Kim has a 1st grader and a little one in preschool who hopes to join Meadows next year.

Julie and Kim both care deeply about our volunteer community and our Meadows kids. Help make their jobs a little easier and become a volunteer yourself! Email Meadows Volunteers for more info!

Order Your School Supplies for the 2025-2026 School Year!

It's time to buy your 1st Day School Supplies! I know it seems early, but before you know it, summer will be here. It's important you order your supplies before it's too late or supplies run out. Start the school year with the exact supplies your teacher requested! Get them today before it's too late!

5th GRADE CORNER

**UPCOMING DATES**

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 SPONSOR SPOTLIGHTS

MBEF CORNER

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

The Mira Costa Red Cross Club invites you to make a life-changing impact this summer!

Join them for an American Red Cross Blood Drive on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, from 1–7 PM at the Knights of Columbus Hall (214 Ave I, Redondo Beach) and help save lives in your community. Every pint of blood donated can save up to three lives. Be a hero this summer—schedule your donation today and make a difference!

See flyer HERE. Sign up HERE.

MBX Happenings

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

IN THE COMMUNITY

Manhattan Beach Library Speaker Series

Celebrity Chef Roy Choi is coming to Manhattan Beach! Join us for an unforgettable morning of food, stories, and community as he shares his culinary journey and new cookbook, The Choi of Cooking. Click HERE to register (must register to attend).

Saturday, May 17, 11:00 am

MCHS Auditorium

In recognition of National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 6, 2025, Beach Cities Health District and MBUSD are partnering to host Gun Violence Awareness: A Community Conversation on Monday, May 19, 2025. See flyer for details.

Free Cimbalom Concert at Joslyn Center – Saturday, May 24, 2-4 pm

Children from Czech Republic, “Art School Kyjov” will be on California tour, performing in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, and San Diego. They will be performing Folklore music with Cimbalom in traditional Moravian folklore costumes. Concert is free, but reservations required. RSVP to lidasbeach@gmail.com.

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.