It would be suspect to publish a newsletter in November and not recognize Thanksgiving. It's ingrained into our "American" conscience: the Pilgrims and Native Americans joyfully sitting down to share a common meal. School children around the county perform skits, do art projects and book reports celebrating the mythical benevolence of that archetypical First Thanksgiving. But I challenge you to re-think the stories that have been told, especially in this day and age of "fake news" and examining bias. I feel so strongly about dissecting our history and discovering multiple viewpoints that I wrote my November blog about it. I invite you to read more at the link below. Acknowledging the truth of the past doesn't threaten us; it inspires us to make better choices for the future.

I do sincerely wish the MPCSD community a restful time of sharing and feeling thankful for family, especially those we see just at the holiday time, and all the blessings we enjoy in our lives. For those that feel moved to give to others at this and all times of the year, I feel appreciation. For those for whom the holiday celebrations recall pain and struggle, I feel compassion. And for all of us on this journey to raise and educate our youth to be the empathetic and smart leaders we desire for our future, I feel hope and the deepest gratitude to be partnering with you along the way.

The district's Speaker Series presented Dr. Jacob Towery speaking on "Anxiety and Depression in Teenagers" to a full house on November 8. Dr. Towery's three main takeaway points were:

For more details about Dr. Towery's advice to parents, and resources he recommends to help with mindfulness, sleep hygiene, and more, please read the full article.

Next Speaker Series Event: Sheryl Sandberg presents "Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy"  on January 17 at 10:00a.m. is sold out, but a wait list is open. You should have received a ticket reservation email on Friday, November 10. Use the link in that email and click on the Details button to be directed to the Wait List. I f you are a ticket holder and become aware before the event that you can no longer attend, please use your original Eventbrite link to release your tickets(s) so that they can be offered to someone on the waitlist. If you no longer have your invitation and wish to release tickets, please email  Kate Kennedy . 

The Speaker Series continues with what is sure the be another success with Author, Consultant, and Philosopher Michael Gurian speaking on "The Minds of Boys and Girls" on February 28, 6:30p.m. at Hillview's PAC. Please join us then. More details will follow in our January newsletters and are also available on the  Speaker Series website.

Thanks to the annual Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants from the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation, our students participate in truly unique experiences designed by teachers, and this year for the first time, co-designed by students! Many of our district's long-standing and most memorable events also started as Jeanie Ritchie grants, like science, engineering, art fairs, student author events, and the SmartBoard technology that is now an integral part of our classroom learning. Every student in MPCSD has been enriched by the powerful, hands-on learning that these grants provide. To the families who contribute to the MPAEF and make these grants possible - THANK YOU!

This year saw the first ever grant approved with two students, Anoushka and Kate, co-applying with Hillview Librarian Aimee Mathenia for a project called Book Club Reimagined. Also notable are the projects Energizing Engineering and Monarch Migration with Steffany Cressey, and Real Life Math with Amanda Bower, which all received unanimous approval from the grant committee. Congratulations to all the recipients, and to the children who will experience these grants this year.

For a complete list of this year's Jeanie Ritchie Grants click here.

The sheer volume of information readily available to anyone with internet access is truly overwhelming. How much of that news and information is reliable? What are your own biases and how does the information you consume reinforce or challenge your thinking? These are important questions for all consumers of news, and teaching our children what to look for as they navigate the dizzying array of media sites is something parents and educators alike are taking seriously.

During the community conversation around our district's finances, which led to the campaign and passage of Measure X, finding honest and transparent answers to questions about how the district receives and uses its resources was paramount. In online chat forums throughout the city, misinformation was innocently and sometimes willfully spread. The district created a detailed FAQ to offer the truth about how our district operates. Please use the link below to access the newly relaunched Media Literacy and FAQ section of our district website.

The October fires that decimated homes, businesses, and schools for so many of our North Bay neighbors hit close to home here in MPCSD, too. Countless district families have friends and relatives in affected areas, and our thoughts were with them during those scary weeks when it seemed like the fires just would not stop burning. In true MPCSD spirit, our schools put thoughts into action and every campus created a tangible effort for our families to help those who had lost so much. Thank you to all the teachers, staff, parents, and most importantly our students for everything they did to show empathy and compassion and make a time of suffering for our neighbors a little bit easier.

  Read more about MPCSD Schools' response to the fires here.

Buzzwords abound in education. One of the latest buzzwords, personalization , defines efforts that are alive and well in MPCSD. As a component of MPCSD's Teaching and Learning Strategic Direction, MPCSD educators are piloting several personalization efforts throughout the district, while other efforts have succeeded before personalization was even a "thing." As we push these efforts forward, MPCSD teachers have been both agents of change and harbingers of caution amidst the energy and noise of rapidly changing learning environments.