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| | Superintendent's Weekly Message | | |
Dear HBCSD Families and Community,
We are thrilled to announce HBCSD’s First Annual Multicultural Week and Multicultural Night, taking place February 2-6, 2026, with a very special community celebration on Thursday, February 5, 2026, from 6:00-8:00 PM, in the Hermosa Valley MPR!
Why We’re Celebrating
HBCSD is proud of the diverse cultures, countries, and traditions represented across our Hermosa Schools. The purpose of Multicultural Week and Night is to provide a welcoming venue for our families and community to showcase and celebrate their cultures, sharing the stories, traditions, and experiences that make up the rich fabric of HBCSD.
Host a Culture Table at Multicultural Night
During Multicultural Night, families and groups can sign up to “host” a table that represents their culture. Tables can include:
- Decorations & traditional items
- Flags
- Photos/pictures
- Artifacts
- Games
- Music
- Cultural clothing
- Food samples (optional)
Whether your family would like to highlight a country, a region, or a cultural tradition, we would love for you to participate!
Let’s Celebrate Together
Join us as we come together to learn from one another, build community, and honor the many cultures, countries, and traditions that make HBCSD such a special place. Please sign up to host a table by Tuesday, January 20, at 5:00 PM.
Here are a few examples of what cultural tables can look like—feel free to keep it simple or go all out!
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HBCSD S.E.E.D. Committee can't wait to celebrate with you!
Warm regards,
Dr. Susan Wildes
Superintendent of Schools, Hermosa Beach City School District
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Student Intent to Return for 2026-2027 School Year Form
As we prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, we kindly request that each family complete the Intent to Return Form in their PowerSchool Parent Portal beginning Sunday, January 4, 2026. A separate form must be completed for each child who is currently enrolled in the District. Parents/guardians will need to complete this form by Friday, January 30, 2026. If needed, you can review the PowerSchool Parent Portal Directions to create or reset your password. We appreciate our HVS families completing this form.
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Parenting in a Digital World Tip #13: Cyber Safety Checklist
This tip comes from the Cyber Safety Cop.
A big thank you to all of our families and community members who attended our Parenting in the Digital World Parent Talk last Thursday night. If you were unable to attend, we encourage you to review the Cyber Safety Cop Family Resources below:
These resources offer practical guidance to help your family stay safe in today's digital world.
Missed a tip? Check out our HBCSD Parenting in a Digital World Tips Page.
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Prospective Hermosa Valley Preview Day is on Saturday, January 24!
Join us at our Prospective Hermosa Valley Preview Day on Saturday, January 24, from 10:00-11:30 AM in the Hermosa Valley Gym. Incoming 5th-8th grade students and families are invited to a presentation and campus tours.
Learn about:
- Hermosa Valley's programs (electives, clubs, & after school athletics)
- Enrollment process
- Interdistrict attendance permits
- Volunteer opportunities with HVPTO & HBEF
- Why we’re the Best Little School District in the South Bay
Kindly RSVP to attend.
New student enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year opens Monday, January 12, at 9 AM, at HBCSD.ORG.
Help us spread the word! Tell your friends and neighbors!
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Hermosa View School Principal News | |
What a great first week back after the break! It has been wonderful to see our students reconnect, settle back into routines, and review our school-wide behavior expectations in their classrooms. Families can support this work by continuing to reinforce our SURF Expectations (Safe, Up for a Challenge, Respectful, and Friendly) at home.
We also enjoyed a very special visit from our top Skechers Friendship Walk Fundraiser, Charlie L., who served as Principal of the Day last Friday for leading Hermosa View in the most registrations. Charlie jumped right into the role and was an important part of the school day operations at View. From helping supervise our recesses to assisting with our SURF Slip drawing, Charlie showed he is a leader in the making. Thank you, Charlie, for your service on Friday, and thank you to his family for your generosity and support.
Looking ahead, we will be holding a Fire and Evacuation Drill on Thursday, January 15. Lastly, we wanted to alert our families that the Hermosa Beach Public Library will host a Magic Show for ages 5-12 on Thursday, January 15, after school from 3:00-4:00 PM at the Hermosa Beach Museum.
Warmly,
Dr. Jessica Ghobrial, Hermosa View Principal / HB Preschool Director
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Hermosa Vista School Principal News | |
Hermosa Vista had a great first week back after Winter Break. It was great to see students excited to reconnect with friends, share their break experiences, and get back into the flow of classroom learning. We ended the week with our Vista Flag Ceremony, recognizing students who demonstrated responsibility. Be sure to take a look at the photos below.
As a reminder, smartwatches and cell phones should remain turned off and stored in students’ backpacks during the school day to maintain a focused, distraction-free learning environment. Additionally, as we continue through cold and flu season, we ask families to remember that students must be fever-free for 24 hours before returning to school to help prevent the spread of illness.
We look forward to continued learning and growth at Hermosa Vista.
Warmly,
Grace Yang, Hermosa Vista Principal
| | Hermosa Valley School Principal News | | |
It was truly wonderful to welcome your children back to the Valley campus this week. The energy was contagious, with so many smiles, hugs, and fist bumps shared among friends, along with enthusiastic stories about the time they spent with you.
In 2026, we will continue to celebrate students who “ride the W.A.V.E.” by honoring them at our flag ceremonies and rewarding positive actions and choices with PBIS Points through their Navigate 360 app. While teachers and staff offer individual classroom stores where students can redeem their points, our Valley Middle School Student Council, guided by Ms. Brown, has proudly opened our very own HVS Student Store! Students have already been earning, saving, and spending their points, and many are motivated to work for even more. We are incredibly proud of this initiative and the students whose hard work and leadership brought it to life.
This year, our work will continue to be grounded in our HBCSD Goals in Excellence, as we increase academic rigor and achievement for all students; Inclusion, as we foster welcoming, inclusive environments where every student feels valued and safe; and Community, as we strengthen family, school, and community relationships to support student success and well-being.
Have a wonderful week ahead!
Warmly,
Jessica Bledsoe, Hermosa Valley Principal
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1/4-28: HBCSD: Student Intent to Return for 2026-2027 School Year Form
1/5-3/13: Valley Yearbook: 8th Grade Dedication Pages & Baby Pictures
1/12 (9 AM): HBCSD: New Student Enrollment Opens for the 2026-2027 School Year at HBCSD.ORG
1/14-16: Valley: 8th Grade AstroCamp (Outdoor Science Education)
1/14 (5-8 PM): HBCSD: Regular School Board Meeting
1/16 (1:30-2:30 PM): Vista Author Vista: Suzanne Lang
1/16: HBCSD: 6th-8th Grade Progress Reports Emailed Home
1/19: Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
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STAR Education Program (TK-5) | | |
HERMOSA VIEW
PRESIDENTS' WEEK CAMP
February 9-13, 2026
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HERMOSA VIEW
SPRING CAMP
April 6-10, 2026
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Stay Connected with Community Flyers!
Visit our Community Flyers webpage to explore more opportunities and events from our community and education partners, including the City of Hermosa Beach, Mira Costa High School, and Redondo Union High School. To submit a flyer for consideration, please complete this form.
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Inspirit AI Summer Program by Stanford & MIT Alumni at Hermosa Valley
Artificial intelligence is the defining technology of our times: in our voice-activated devices, smartphone face recognition systems, autonomous vehicles, and now in generative AI like ChatGPT. The potential for all students with diverse interests to apply this technology for good is limitless.
We’re excited to share that Hermosa Valley School is offering an in-person, project-based artificial intelligence program through Inspirit AI, an AI education program developed and taught by Stanford and MIT alumni, this summer on campus. The program will run on weekdays from July 20- 31, 2026, from 9:00 AM-12:00 PM.
Students from rising grades 5-8 will learn the fundamental concepts of AI and gain a deeper understanding of how AI is used to build ChatGPT and generative AI, fight pandemics, power self-driving cars, and more. Students will learn to program AI using Python, discuss ethics and bias within AI, and complete a group project applying AI to a discipline like sustainability, disaster relief, music/arts, among others. No prior computer science experience is required to participate.
If you may be interested in participating in this unique opportunity, please fill out this short interest form. The program is offered at a fee of $1,200 for 30 hours of hands-on learning with AI practitioners and graduate students from Stanford and MIT who will travel to Hermosa Beach to teach students and mentor projects. Check out the program brochure for more information about curriculum, schedule, projects, teaching team, and more!
| | | Hermosa Schools Office Staff | | | | |
