November 2022

Empower! Inspire! Unite!
We are pleased to be able to provide our students, parents, staff and community with the latest information about our Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District community through this newsletter. Please join us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to connect with us daily!
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Superintendent's Message

Dear Mt. Pleasant Community, 


Every day, our students, families and educators work together to create impactful learning experiences. Thanksgiving Break is soon, and I would like to reflect on the achievements in our schools so far. 


I am grateful for our talented and dedicated team of professionals at MPESD who are committed to improving the education experience of our students, and always seeking resources to develop their skills as educators.  


I thank our families for your trust and support in our school district. Your collaboration makes a difference in the success of our school community, and the confidence and accomplishments of our students. Every effort counts! Let’s keep working to achieve the goal of excellence in education. 


Sincerely, 



Dr. Elida MacArthur 

Superintendent 


Please watch a special message from Dr. MacArthur

MPESD Teacher of the Year Christine Okada-Seike Recognized by Santa Clara County   

The Teacher Recognition Celebration is a Santa Clara County tradition, the oldest and largest celebration of educators in California, and the most prestigious local award given to classroom teachers. Every fall, for over 50 years, the Teacher Recognition Celebration honors the county's finest teachers, each selected by their respective school districts. 


We are proud to share that Mrs. Christine Okada-Seike was one of the educators recognized, and is our MPESD Teacher of the Year. She is a TK-Kindergarten teacher at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School. Congratulations and thank you so much for your dedication! 


Teacher Recognition is celebrated with these objectives in mind: 

  • To increase public awareness ​of the efforts and contributions of teachers and their role in helping our youth to succeed in the world 
  • To show appreciation for their many fine educational achievements 
  • To acknowledge the many years of training that teachers undertake 
  • To prepare for and stay current in their profession; and 
  • To strengthen ties between students and teachers and bring about a greater understanding between generations​​ 



Watch the video below highlighting this special recognition to Mrs. Okada-Seike 

Partnering with Healthier Kids Foundation 

We are excited to partner with Healthier Kids Foundation to screen our mandatory Education Code required grades (TK, K, 2nd, 5th and 8th). They screen students for vision, hearing loss, and oral health. Healthier Kids Foundation is funded by the County, FIRST 5, and Foundations to do this work.

This year, Healthier Kids Foundation has screened 731 MPESD children for vision, 731 for dental, and 715 for hearing.


For vision, 140 children (19%) received a referral recommending they see an optometrist, 293 children (40%) received a dental referral for serious cavities, abscesses, infection, or pain. The dentists that did the checking said 61 children needed emergency care for their dental issues. 

33 children (5%) received a referral for hearing loss and may need to see their pediatrician. 


We are grateful for this partnership and are committed to supporting our community with critical resources. If you get a phone call or other communication from the Healthier Kids Foundation, please respond; they are trying to assist families in addressing their child's health needs.

The California Bilingual Early Learning Literacy Initiative: A Free Virtual Library!  

This virtual library provides more than 500 interactive educational activities in English and Spanish, to support the statewide literacy campaign and all California students, so they come to school ready to learn and read proficiently by third grade.  

Access to the Free Virtual Library with the California Bilingual Early Literacy Initiative

Supporting an Inclusive School Culture 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) are core values at MPESD. We are committed to creating an anti-racist, compassionate and inclusive school culture where every individual is treated with dignity in our diverse community.


Our DEIB lessons being shared in November are about Native American Heritage, Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month, Día de Los Muertos, LGBTQ+ Solidarity Week, Election Day, Veteran's Day, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Day. The character trait being recognized is Integrity. 

 

For the month of December, the lessons will focus on Winter Holidays, Hanukkah, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Kwanzaa and New Year's Eve. The character trait being recognized is Contribution. 

 

If there are questions or you are interested in learning more about DEIB, please reach out to your school to further the conversation. Thank you for supporting an inclusive school community! 

We are hiring and have awesome work opportunities!  

Supporting our students’ education and the school community in a welcoming and positive environment is so rewarding! Are you or someone you know interested in becoming part of Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District? MPESD is hiring for a variety of roles! 

 

We are hiring professionals for Special Education, teachers, and instructional assistants, among other roles, including substitutes. In addition, we have job opportunities in the food services department. We invite you to learn more on EdJoin or connect with our Personnel Office at (408)233-3720. 

Employment Opportunities at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District

Mark your Calendar with the Thanksgiving and Winter Break Dates! 

In honor of Thanksgiving, our district will not have classes Monday, November 21 through Friday, November 25, 2022. School will resume on Monday, November 28, 2022. 

 

Winter Break starts Monday, December 26, and school will resume Tuesday, January 10, 2023.  

Our Next Board of Trustees Meetings 

Our Board of Trustees will meet on November  9 and December 7, 2022. The job of the Board of Trustees includes the following: 


  • Setting the vision and goals for the district 
  • Adopting policies that give the district direction to set priorities and achieve its goals 
  • Hiring and evaluating the superintendent 
  • Adopting and overseeing the annual budget 
  • Managing the collective bargaining process for employees of the district 


To learn more about these sessions, please visit our website


Watch our October 12, 2022 Board meeting here.


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