Providing a world-class, community-funded education.
|
|
A Note from Superintendent Burmeister
|
|
What a year it has been! Our schools are able to accomplish so much because of the generous support from you, our parent community. When I see science fairs, drama productions, cultural festivals, see you shelving library books or leading a small group of students, or partner with you in school leadership, I am continually amazed and grateful for the dedication and passion you have for our students and schools. Whether you have volunteered once or a thousand times, shared your expertise, donated to your PTO and the Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation, sent your child to school with a positive attitude, or all of the above - thank you, thank you, thank you.
Before we go for the summer, I want to give you a heads up about some changes you will notice to our fundraising when the campaign starts in August. Recognizing that we are really one community, this year the PTO and MPAEF will be raising money at the same time, and the overall fundraising “season” will be shorter. From August 1 through October 5, both your school’s PTO and the Foundation will be reaching out for parent donations. You may still pledge to the Foundation and fulfill that pledge later in the year. As you consider your annual giving to the schools, please remember that both organizations serve vital roles in allowing us to provide your child with the Menlo Park education experience - a rich curriculum, reasonable class sizes, and excellent teachers - that we have come to expect. Thank you for investing in our schools as one community, together.
I don't have a new Sup'sOn blog topic this month, but in case you missed anything over the year, feel free to
check it out
. From the anticipation of letting go at the beginning of the year, to tips on smart phones, to handling anxiety and depression, to the joys of summer camp, there is a variety of topics covered, and feel free to keep suggesting more.
Thank you again for a wonderful year. From all of us here at MPCSD, enjoy your summer and we look forward to welcoming you back for another outstanding year in August.
|
|
 |
MPCSD School Board News & Views
Regular School Board meetings are complete for the 2017-18 year and will resume September 11 for the new year. All regular Board meetings are open to the public and
agendas are published here
three days in advance. Public comment is always invited.
|
At its June 5 and 12 meetings, the School Board discussed and approved the budget for 2018-19 and the Local Control Accountability Plan
. On June 12, the Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation presented its grant for the 2018-19 school year totaling $3.7 million. Thank you to all donors and volunteers who helped make this grant happen. This money, about 9% of our total budget, allows us to provide the experience you expect for your children, including dedicated teachers for art, music, library, and science, and full time wellness support at every school.
|
|
|
|
As we wrap up the school year and head into summer, our TOSA for Technology & Innovation, Theresa Fox, shares a few technology tips. If you have questions, feel free to
email Theresa
over the summer, however email will be sporadic after June 30.
|
|
Seesaw
Great news! Seesaw is a digital portfolio,
so you’ll still be able to access this year’s work next year
. However, if you want to save the year’s work in one spot, you can download it so that you may save it (note: you will need to have created a parent login with Seesaw to be able to access the work). Here are the steps (or go to
tinyurl.com/seesawsummer
to view directions):
Click on your Profile Icon on the top left
Click on the Gear Icon
Click on Account Settings
Click on Download Journal Archives; choose the archive you’d like to save.
|
|
DreamBox Math, grades K-8
DreamBox is a great way to keep your child engaged with math all summer long!
- Aim for 40-60 minutes/week (at least 5-8 lessons). Have students work near you so you can supervise, but...
- Let your child make mistakes...that’s how the program will know that the content needs to be adjusted! If you give too much help, the problems will get harder and your child will be not be able to work independently.
- It’s okay to help if your child doesn’t understand how to use one of the digital tools...just don’t do the math for him/her.
- Pro tip: create a parent account (look for a tiny link in the bottom right of the screen after your child has logged in). Then you’ll have access to your child’s progress data, too!
Students login with
Clever
(use the Clever app on an iPad or go to
https://clever.com/in/mpcsd
; your child will log in using his/her regular info or with a QR code sent home from the teacher). Must have the DreamBox Green and DreamBox Blue apps installed on iPads. Click
here
for a video tutorial on logging in on an iPad.
|
|
More Math!
Our TOSA for Math & Science, Alicia Payton, recommends some additional math resources for over the summer practice.
|
|
Raz-Kids (Reading), grades K-3 (varies by school)
- Raz-Kids provides books right at your child’s reading level
- For iPads, download the Kids A-Z app from the App Store
- On computers/Chromebooks, go to www.kidsa-z.com/main/Login
- Regardless of device, use the Teacher Username and login provided by your child’s teacher
|
|
Typing Club, grades 2-5
- Summer is a great time to work on keyboarding skills! Aim for 15 minutes at least 2-3x/week.
- Students log in with Clever (see above)
- Supervision is key! If your child doesn’t keep his/her hands on the homerow keys, it will be hard to increase speed and accuracy.
|
|
Code.org, grades K-5
Check out their free coding courses for different age groups!
Students can log in with
Clever
(see above).
|
|
Don't forget the importance of summer reading! Reading aloud - even with middle school age students - is a great way to build vocabulary, a lifelong love of reading, and quality family time. Take a look at the websites attached
here
to find a variety of summer reading options and
Reading Specialist Jacqui Cebrian's awesome recommendations
.
|
|
Our hot lunch provider LunchMaster has undergone some exciting changes and is now providing bar-be-que for all schools starting in the fall, pizza day on Fridays, and grab-and-go menu at Hillview. LunchMaster features Harris Ranch beef, Miller's organic Polish hot dogs, and fresh organic fruit and vegetables from local farms. LunchMaster owners Ted and Marie Giouzelis even served at the Encinal live BBQ today. If you haven't looked at hot lunch recently, check it out. You will receive information on ordering when school starts in the fall. Bon appetit!
|
|
Our district is special because of the amazing staff who share their talent and dedication with us. On June 5, the School Board recognized staff who are retiring, received special awards or tenure, and those making milestone anniversaries with the district. Say congratulations or farewell if you see one of these very special staff over the next few days:
2017-18 RETIREES:
Certificated:
Maribeth Andolina, Oak Knoll, 15 years of service
Michael Dunn, Hillview, 18 years of service
Bette McKnight, Laurel, 26 years of service
Robin Reding, Laurel, 11 years of service
Classified:
Catherine Bell, Hillview, 11 years of service
Marlene Weidner, District Office, 14 years of service
AWARDS:
Marisyn Camper, Encinal, Nationally Board Certified
Celeste Lopez, Oak Knoll, Nationally Board Certified
Julie Williams, Hillview, Nationally Board Certified
Jenny Ryan, Oak Knoll, Kent Award
Nicole Scott, Oak Knoll, Kent Award
John Ashfield, Encinal, Exemplary Program Awards for Visual & Performing Arts
Rachel Knight, Encinal, Exemplary Program Awards for Visual & Performing Arts
Stephanie Noon, Encinal, Exemplary Program Awards for Visual & Performing Arts
TENURED As of August 17, 2018:
Cheryl Arner
Elizabeth Bonetti
Stephanie Cox
Laura Griffith
Rebecca Hammer
Jeanette Oregel
Christine Platshon
Dana Russell
Samantha Thomas
YEARS OF SERVICE, CERTIFICATED:
Maribeth Andolina, 15 years
Jacqueline Cebrian, 15 years
Philip Eaton, 20 years
Lynn Eisner, 20 years
Anne Evans, 5 years
Kristin Fichou, 5 years
Laura Fujimoto, 5 years
Tami Girsky, 20 years
Jennifer Kaufman, 5 years
Amy Kinglsey, 5 years
Anna Kogan, 10 years
Celeste Lopez, 5 years
Vincent Lopez, 10 years
Thomas Lyons, 25 years
Maria Magana, 10 years
Ginny Maiwald, 5 years
Charlene Mattos, 20 years
Jeanne McCann, 20 years
Larra Olson, 15 years
Emma Paniagua, 10 years
Jana Parker, 5 years
Marjorie Rubin, 10 years
Mark Schack, 30 years
Jennifer Spreer, 5 years
Teagan Stapp, 5 years
Jerome Sullivan, 5 years
Mary Vandro, 5 years
Gina Watkins, 5 years
Aimee Weiss, 5 years
Allison Zeiser, 5 years
YEARS OF SERVICE, CLASSIFIED:
Michele Guitron, 10 years
Christina Holmes, 5 years
Caitlin Laycock, 10 years
Mary Morley, 10 years
Marcos Solache, 25 years
Shizuka Taniguchi, 5 years
Lanita Villasenor, 5 years
|
|
SafeSpace Middle School Advisory
|
|
Our friends at SafeSpace are pleased to announce their new Middle School Youth Advisory Board for the 2018-19 school year. They are looking to recruit passionate middle school students, committed to promoting mental health in their schools, to serve on their first Middle School Youth Advisory Board (SYAB). SafeSpace high school board members are eager to train and support these young people this summer! If your 2018-19 Hillview Middle School student is interested, here is the
link to the application for middle school
.
SafeSpace is a valued resource in our community, one that Superintendent Burmeister has mentioned in his
blog post about youth anxiety and depression
. What do they do? As SafeSpace Youth Advisory Board enters its second year, twenty-three teens from seven high schools have demonstrated leadership skills and persevered to spread their ideas and passion on youth mental health advocacy. Some of the SYAB activities include: writing and presenting youth mental health proposals to school administration, collaborating on school action plans, creating “dial down spaces” within school facilities, engaging middle school students in mental health activities, participating on panels informing parents of teen mental health issues, and developing emerging partnerships with numerous local youth organizations. In addition, SafeSpace offers classes and workshops for teens and parents. For more information, visit their website at
www.safespace.org.
|
|
Governing Board
Terry Thygesen
, President
David Ackerman
, Vice President
Stacey Jones
Joan Lambert
Caroline Lucas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
