December 12, 2025

Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. In today’s issue, we will highlight:

This month, the third graders at Pennekamp are diving into their first extended informational writing project of the year! Students are learning how informational essays are organized - how writers group related ideas into clear sections and support them with facts, definitions, and researched details. 

To put these skills to work, students are completing a short research study on reindeer. Using a variety of texts, articles, and reference materials, they’re gathering notes on topics such as habitat, physical features, diet, behavior, and adaptations. 

With their research collected, students are now crafting their own informational essays. Their writing will follow a traditional structure: an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs focused on specific subtopics, and a concluding paragraph that brings their ideas together. 

While learning about reindeer is fun, the heart of this project is building strong academic habits. Students are practicing how to organize information logically, use precise and informative language, and write clear, focused paragraphs. We hope that these skills will transfer and support their success in every subject area. 

Thank you to Principal Witzansky for sharing and to Pennekamp Elementary third grade teachers Leanore Heagy, Liana Kuklinski, and Mike Warner. We appreciate your ongoing commitment to our students!

This week, we are excited to spotlight Robinson’s Lead Custodian, Garfield Powell. Garfield has been a valued member of the MBUSD team since 2014, when he began at Robinson as a substitute custodian. He joined the staff full-time in 2017 and stepped into the role of Lead Custodian in 2023.

Before coming to Robinson, Garfield worked in construction, where he became a true jack of all trades. From carpentry and landscaping to plumbing and beyond, his wide-ranging skills and experience are evident in everything he does. His personal mission is to use his knowledge and abilities to continually make the school a safer, cleaner, and better place for everyone.

When asked about his favorite part of the job, Garfield shared that it’s the people. He loves the Robinson community and is grateful for each day he gets to spend on campus. “Nothing makes me feel more accomplished than knowing I’m having a good impact on the kids,” he shared, adding that he looks forward to the cheerful “Hi, Mr. Garfield!” greetings each morning.

Principal Cavallaro echoed this sentiment, noting that Garfield has truly made a difference at Robinson. His dedication, time, and effort do not go unnoticed, and he consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that students, staff, and families have a positive experience whenever they are on campus. As Garfield says himself, “There’s nothing I back down from.”

Outside of work, Garfield enjoys spending time with his family. He loves cooking, keeping his home in order, and providing for his children - and he’s especially known for his delicious jerk chicken and jerk pork. A devoted soccer fan, Garfield typically cheers for Chelsea or Manchester United, but he’s looking forward to shifting his allegiance and supporting Team USA and Jamaica during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, pending qualification.

Thank you, Garfield, for all that you do and continue to do for the MBUSD community!

I’m excited to share that the MBUSD School Board has updated our Mission and Vision Statements, shown below. The District’s complete Vision, Mission, and Goals are also available on the MBUSD website.

Our Vision: The vision of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) is to prepare our students to become good citizens, engaged community members, and dynamic leaders in the complex, rapidly changing world they will inherit. They will develop strong self-discipline, interpersonal skills, personal values, social and civic responsibilities, and respect for themselves, others, and the environment. They will be able to move beyond MBUSD, prepared to earn a living, follow their aspirations, and make a difference.

Our Mission: The mission of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) is to prepare all of our students to meet the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing, highly complex, digitally-connected society. We will continually strive for excellence in every aspect of the educational experience. Our students will be taught to understand and appreciate human and cultural diversity, and to lead with empathy, curiosity, and respect. We will harness the full resources of the entire community, including students, families, educators, staff, higher education, business leaders, and District partners, to support this mission. We are committed to supporting students’ well-being, as it is essential to academic and personal success. We will empower students to be lifelong learners who achieve at high levels, develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, and build character needed to lead fulfilling and meaningful lives.

These revisions were formally adopted by the Board on Tuesday, December 9. We are proud of these guiding statements and remain committed to reflecting them throughout all MBUSD efforts.

I am happy to share a remarkable achievement by two Mira Costa High School students, Hao Lin (Junior) and Dennis Freyman (Senior), who recently distinguished themselves at not one but two highly competitive hackathons: the Reddit Games Hackathon and the USC ISI Hackathon.

In the Reddit Games Hackathon, participants were challenged to design and program a game under intense time constraints. The competition drew approximately 160 participants, ranging from college students to industry professionals. Despite the stiff competition, the Mira Costa team earned an impressive 1st-place finish.

Their success didn’t stop there. Hao and Dennis also competed in the USC ISI Hackathon, a considerably larger event with roughly 760 participants, primarily undergraduate and graduate students. Mira Costa was the only high school represented. Projects were evaluated on venture feasibility, novelty, technical execution, and social impact. Their innovative project, reTeach, earned 2nd place overall as a two-person team competing against groups of three or more, and secured them a special tour at Microsoft.

Please join me in congratulating Hao Lin and Dennis Freyman on these achievements. They exemplify the creativity, determination, and excellence we are so proud to see in MBUSD students.

MBUSD invites incoming TK and Kindergarten parents and guardians to attend this year’s TK/Kindergarten Information Day.

Join us to explore what makes MBUSD exceptional and learn more about our outstanding TK and Kindergarten programs. You’ll also hear how our dedicated team supports a smooth and successful transition for students and families.

Event Details:

Event Highlights:

Enrollment Eligibility for the 2026-27 School Year

Free childcare for children ages 4–12 will be provided during the event, thanks to the sponsorship of Beach Cities Health District. Space is limited, so early sign-up is encouraged. 

For more information, visit our Enrollment & Registration page. Any additional questions may be directed to mbkinderevent@gmail.com.

We look forward to welcoming you and your future student(s)!

I’m delighted to share that four MBMS Choir students - Rose Reach, Amelia Lee, Brooklyn Norkus, and Delilah Weber, have been accepted into the highly selective Western American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Honor Choir.

The Western ACDA Honor Choir is a distinguished audition-based ensemble for students in grades 4–12 across the Western Region, which includes California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and Hawaii. Students selected for this honor participate in rehearsals and performances led by nationally recognized conductors. Their work culminates in a featured performance at the biennial Western Region Conference, which will take place in March 2026 in San Jose, CA. Acceptance is highly competitive and requires a detailed online audition submitted through each student’s ACDA sponsor teacher.

We are incredibly proud that all four MBMS students who auditioned were selected. They will travel to San Jose this spring to represent MBMS among some of the most talented young singers in the region.

Please join me in congratulating these students on this outstanding accomplishment. Congratulations as well to MBMS Choir Director Kate Crellin for her exceptional leadership and guidance. We look forward to sharing more updates as this exciting opportunity approaches. Please visit the MBMS Choir website to learn more about the great things this program is bringing to the table!

The Meadows Elementary Student Store opened yesterday, December 11, bringing excitement to campus and reinforcing positive behavior in a fun, meaningful way. The Student Store is a PTA-sponsored program that allows students to purchase items like themed pencils, pens, erasers, stickers, and small toys using SKORR cards.

The program is a favorite among students and serves as a key component of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) at Meadows. Across MBUSD campuses, PBIS is implemented in a variety of ways, and at Meadows, SKORR cards are used to recognize and reward students for being Safe, Kind, On Task, Responsible, and Respectful. Each SKORR card has a value of $0.10 when used at the Student Store.

The Student Store runs four times a year during the school day and takes place outside the Meadows cafeteria for 1st–5th grade students during lunch. Items are priced between 1 SKORR card/$0.10 and 20 SKORR cards/$2, giving students the opportunity to practice money management, apply math skills, and make choices in a real-world setting - all while celebrating positive behavior.

The Meadows Student Store is not only a fun experience but a powerful tool that reinforces positive behavior, and helps students build valuable life skills.

A special thank you to Principal Michelle Krzmarzick and staff for bringing PBIS efforts to life on campus!

At the Annual Organizational meeting that was held at the District Office on Wednesday, December 10, we had the honor of featuring the MBMS 23-piece spring ensemble directed and presented by Mrs. Denise Haslop, Director of Orchestra at MBMS.

The students showed up with their strings in hand and festive attire on their heads while they showcased a 4-minute performance. Upon completion, they received an ovation from all attendees. To watch the full performance, please view the Organizational Meeting video recording beginning at 00:01:35.

Denise Haslop is in her 3rd decade as the Director of Instrumental Music at Manhattan Beach Middle School. In the years that she has been at the Middle School, the enrollment in the instrumental music classes has increased significantly. Her bands and orchestras have consistently earned unanimous Superior ratings at SCSBOA festivals.  

Thank you again to Mrs. Haslop and the MBMS string ensemble for joining us at this year’s Organizational Meeting. 

Do you have a messy drawer at home that you have been meaning to clean out for a while but just keep not getting it done? That’s fine, you can wait as long as you want to for that, but something that feels similar to many families (but you shouldn’t wait to do) is setting up restrictions for kids' media at home. It’s messy, and we know we need to clean it, but who has the time to figure it out? 

Streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and numerous others offer families incredible access to entertainment. However, without proper safeguards, children can be exposed to content that is not age-appropriate. Setting up parental controls, maturity limits, and PIN protections helps ensure a safer and more intentional viewing experience for young people, and it is important to set yours up if you haven’t done this already.

Below are some straightforward guides that can walk you through this admittedly tedious (but very important!) process.

Amazon Prime Video: Amazon Prime allows parents to set age-based viewing restrictions and require a PIN for both viewing and purchases. A parent-focused guide is available here: How to Set Parental Controls on Amazon Prime Video.

Apple TV / Apple TV+: Parents can use Apple’s built-in Screen Time settings to restrict TV and movie ratings, block explicit content, and manage access across devices. Apple’s support page offers a step-by-step outline: Apple–Set Content and Privacy Restrictions.

Hulu: Hulu offers a “Kids” profile option that restricts viewing to child-appropriate content. Their support page explains how parents can set these limits: Hulu–How to Restrict Content.

Netflix: Common Sense Media provides a clear overview of how to set up kids’ profiles, adjust maturity ratings, and add a PIN to prevent profile switching: How to Set Parental Controls on Netflix.

Beyond these protocols for each specific streaming platform, these general strategies are good to follow for all media access. Here are some additional tips for parents:

Maybe there will be some time this winter break to set-up these safeguards and clean that pesky drawer you’ve been thinking about. 

A special thank you to our Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Dr. Jonathan Erickson, for sharing this story and helping guide our community toward healthy digital habits.

Follow our accounts for the latest MBUSD information, updates, news, and events.

The next Superintendent’s Newsletter will be published on December 19. Have a wonderful weekend!

Dr. John Bowes, Superintendent

325 S. Peck Ave.
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
(310) 318-7345