Hello MBUSD family,
We are so fortunate in this community to have the support of an organization like the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation (MBEF). You may not realize that many of the programs that make this district so special are funded through generous donations to MBEF – and without them, our students would not have critical programs like library, science lab, makerspace, elementary PE, and additional counselors and teachers to keep the child to teacher/counselor ratio lower. I have said for many years that MBEF is the best public school educational foundation in the nation. But this year, for many pandemic-related reasons, MBEF’s campaign has not reached its fundraising goal, and due to that decreased participation in the annual appeal, many important programs in our students' education will be diminished in the fall.
But it’s not too late to help. This weekend, MBEF is hosting their annual fundraiser, the Manhattan Wine Auction, with the primary goal of restoring these invaluable programs. There are auction items to bid on, a raffle where one could win a trip to Los Cabos, and most importantly, the Paddle Raise for Programs to bring these important opportunities back to our schools. Please join the effort – we want our students to benefit from every possibility available to them. The live program begins at 7 PM and I hope you will click the link above to find out how to join the livestream and participate in the event.
As our school year comes to an end next week, this is my next to last weekly message to our community. And as we all prepare for the end of this crazy school year, I’d like to give some reflections as a parent. I have shared that I have a 31-year-old son, Ryan, who is an attorney in Sacramento, and I have an 18-year-old son, Dawson, who is a senior at Malibu High School. Dawson graduates this Thursday. I have relished the time that I got to spend with both of my boys during those years. I won’t say I enjoyed every moment, because neither they nor I are close to perfect, but I have truly loved it. Ryan has been out of the house for 13 years, and I still miss him being home every day. And I know I will feel the same about Dawson as soon as I come home from dropping him off at college in August.
School has been such a huge part of my sons' lives. Their preschool, elementary, middle school, and high school teachers, staff, and coaches made an incredibly positive impact on both Ryan and Dawson. These critical people had to adapt not only to the same pandemic that we all experienced, but in Malibu, they also dealt with school closures due to fires and floods. The stability of the people in the schools helped Dawson and so many students to find normalcy and meaning in their lives.
I know I’m rambling a little bit, but I want to share that at this point in my career and my life, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all those who work in education, seeking to make a difference each and every day. As a parent, I know what they have given to my sons, and I know my sons are far better for it. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a parent for 31 years, and I embrace the joy and pain that has come with it. And I also feel so fortunate to have been able to be an educator for 37 years, working alongside incredible difference makers. To paraphrase the Holy Grail Knight's statement to Indiana Jones, "I have chosen wisely."
Thank you for letting me share this journey with you for the last eleven incredible years, and I look forward to all of our promotion and graduation celebrations next week.
Have a great week,
