December 5, 2025

Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. In this issue, we honor the memory of Ryan James from the MCHS Class of 2025 and work to raise awareness about Epilepsy and SUDEP.

Additionally, in today’s issue we will highlight:

The MBUSD community is heartbroken over the loss of alum Ryan James, a member of the Mira Costa High School Class of 2025. Ryan passed away on October 14 following an epileptic seizure in his college dorm room at UCLA. A memorial gathering was held at MCHS on November 29, where students, staff, friends, and loved ones came together to honor his life. Those who knew Ryan remember him as a determined, kind, and deeply thoughtful young man. A collection of memories and tributes shared by his community can be found and added to here. 

Although Ryan participated in numerous extracurricular activities and athletic pursuits, his true passion lay in his academic journey, which ultimately led to his acceptance and enrollment at UCLA. Ryan was a four-year Model United Nations student and served as a teaching assistant in his senior year. Of all his subjects, math held a special place in his heart. His parents fondly recall his experiences with his Calculus teachers, Mr. Timothy Kelley and Mr. Jason Robertson. Catherine Mahramzadeh, his Geometry teacher, shared on Ryan’s MyKeeper page: “I will never forget that he aced every single Geometry test or quiz I ever gave him… so much so, that if he ever got an answer wrong I would double check my own answer key because it was more likely that I got the question wrong than Ryan did. I will never forget Ryan and consider myself so lucky to have been his teacher.”

Ryan’s family is committed to raising awareness about epilepsy, the condition that took his life. Ryan’s parents, Chris and Nancy, hope that by sharing his story, more families will understand the realities of the disease, which affects 3.4 million people in the United States, according to the Epilepsy Foundation. Nancy recently shared Ryan’s experience in an MB News article, which you can read here.

The James’ family has also asked that those wishing to honor Ryan consider supporting organizations dedicated to epilepsy research, support, and education, including CURE Epilepsy, the Epilepsy Foundation Los Angeles, the Cameron Boyce Foundation, and the Danny Did Foundation. The family will also be participating in the Epilepsy Walk Los Angeles on March 14 at the Rose Bowl and warmly welcomes anyone who would like to join them in carrying Ryan’s memory forward.

May Ryan’s memory continue to inspire compassion, awareness, and hope within our community.

The Heggerty Bridge to Reading program is an engaging curriculum designed to build reading foundational skills in children from early pre-kindergarten through the elementary grades. At Pacific Elementary, students in TK-3rd grade are busy working on all of their foundational literacy skills in many different ways! 

In TK, students work on developing their phonological awareness through explicit and systematic lessons. During these daily lessons, students work on rhyme repetition, initial phoneme isolation,  blending words, onset fluency, segmenting words, and isolating final sounds. They also work on alphabet knowledge using the letter cards pictured below. 

In Mrs. Syverson’s TK classroom, students can be seen blending: “Put these parts together":

“Let’s roller coaster the words," students move hands from beginning sound, to middle sound, to ending sound.  

In kindergarten, students are working on identifying letters and sounds. They work on reading and writing words that contain the sounds from the lesson of the day. Teachers review the letter and sounds with students and work on blending short consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words together. See sample workbook pages below.

1st grade students in Ms. Rech’s class are working on sounding out blends with the sl, sk, and st beginnings. Students verbally sound words out on their fingers, then write the words on their individual white boards. Ms. Rech checks in with the students to ensure that each sound is written correctly and that letter formation is properly oriented to the lines on their whiteboards. The words are then written on the ViewSonic board for students to check their work as the class sounds the word out together in unison. 

In Mrs. Skinner’s 1st grade class, students went on a “blend scavenger hunt." They were given Post-it notes and had to find words and items around the room that started with the given consonant blends. Once they found the word, they wrote it on their Post-it, and placed it on the chart. Students chant as they place their word blends on the poster board:

In second grade, our Panthers are working on chopping words, substituting sounds, and scrambling words during phonics lessons. Teachers say they have noticed that their second graders have a more solid phonics foundation, and spelling has greatly improved with the implementation of Heggerty's Bridge to Reading! 

In third grade, teachers focus on building foundational literacy skills by focusing on complex word study, reading fluency, writing responses, and reading comprehension, all to support third graders in becoming proficient readers. 

Keep up the great work, Panthers!

This week, we’re excited to feature MCHS Plant Manager, Phil Rodriguez, who keeps the campus running smoothly each and every day.

Phil maintains and oversees all of the school’s facilities, and no two days ever look the same. From ensuring classrooms, grounds, and equipment are in top shape to supporting staff and students with whatever they may need, Phil is a huge part of what makes MCHS such a special place. 

“It’s been great. This place has been a big part of my life for a long time, and it means a lot to me to be able to support a community I’ve spent so many years with,” Phil shared.

Phil has grown alongside the District for the past 30 years. He began his MBUSD career at age 19 as the night custodian at Meadows. From there, he moved into food service delivery, then lead custodian, and ultimately into his current role as Plant Manager. Phil shared that the best part of his job over the years has always been the people, he’s had the chance to build many meaningful and long-lasting friendships with those around him.

Working with people he trusts and enjoys being around, he says, is one of the things he appreciates most about his job.

In his free time, Phil enjoys spending time with his family, watching the Lakers, and bowling.

Thank you, Phil, for all you have done and continue to do for the MBUSD community!

Mona Cho, an MCHS student and committed activist for online safety and gender equality, is the founder and president of DOSE (Digital Online Safety & Empowerment), a nonprofit empowering young people to navigate the digital world with confidence and resilience. Her advocacy has earned widespread digital and social media recognition.

Most recently, Mona was invited by Kalliopi Mingeirou, Chief of the Ending Violence Against Women Section at UN Women to deliver the opening remarks at the United Nations’ Official Commemoration of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women at UN Headquarters in New York, which can be viewed here (speech begins at 00:06:25). In her speech, she noted that “even though online harm occurs on our portable devices, the impacts bleed into every parts of our lives” and that “the urgency to eliminate digital violence across the world is undeniable and long overdue,” urging youth leaders to speak up and advocate for their voices to be heard. Mona embodies MBUSD’s vision of preparing students to be responsible, engaged citizens ready to meet the challenges of a technology-rich global society.

For those wanting to learn more, following the event, UN Women issued a story highlighting the key message: digital violence is real violence - there is #NoExcuse for online abuse.

Additionally, the commemoration also launched the 2025 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence under the theme “United to End Digital Violence Against All Women and Girls,” learn more about the campaign here.

Thank you, Mona, for your continued leadership and advocacy.

Get ready as MBMS Drama presents its first play of the year: Stephen Gregg's Trap.

Menachap, California. An incomprehensible event: every person in the audience of a middle school play falls unconscious - every person but one. Using interviews with witnesses, loved ones, first responders, and the investigators pursuing the case, a theatre ensemble brings the story of the strange event to life, documentary-style. But as the strands weave together into an increasingly dangerous web, it becomes clear that this phenomenon might not be entirely in the past.

Unnerving, exhilarating, and wildly inventive, you've never walked into anything quite like Trap.

Showtimes are as follows:

Please reach out to David Levy, MBMS Drama Teacher, with any questions.

Robinson students brought incredible energy to Fowler Field as each grade completed their 10-minute run, culminating in a special ceremonial lap alongside TK, mascot Splash, and other beloved campus characters. The enthusiasm, school spirit, and community support made for a truly memorable morning!

We’re grateful to everyone who contributed to making the event a success, from cheering on the runners to helping the day run smoothly. A special thank you goes to the Robinson PTSA and event chairs Meredith Horton and Tracy Lundie for their outstanding organization, to DJ Adam Quarello for keeping the energy high with great music, and to Garfield Powell for expertly managing all setup needs.

The Riptide Run remains a tradition that celebrates fitness, teamwork, and school spirit!

One of the toughest parts of parenting today is convincing our kids to put down a device… and sometimes convincing ourselves to do the same!

For many children, especially preteens and teens, phones are a natural extension of their social world. Staying connected to friends, group chats, and school communities is important to them, and often completely normal. Still, when phone use starts to interrupt family time, homework, sleep, or basic responsibilities, it may be time to help your child build healthier habits.

One of the most effective strategies is simply talking with your child. Open, nonjudgmental conversations help kids reflect on their phone use and notice when it might be getting in the way of things they value. Tools like a Family Tech Planner can also help set shared expectations and give kids ownership over their goals. Utilizing timers and sticking to them can also be helpful. Helping your child understand that earning tech time the following day is also connected to the ease of the transition to a new activity. Creating tech-free spaces during the day is another simple shift that makes a big impact. Try establishing phone-free times, such as during meals, car rides, or other key moments when families naturally talk and connect face-to-face.

Just as important is what we do. Kids learn far more from watching our behavior than from hearing our rules. Modeling small but meaningful habits, like putting our own phones away during conversations, choosing to be fully present at the dinner table, and pausing notifications during family time, shows our kiddos what healthy tech boundaries actually look like in real life. When adults demonstrate how to step away from devices, children are more willing and able to do the same. 

Nighttime boundaries matter, too. Charging devices in a common area can give kids a much-needed break from notifications and help protect their sleep. If children are sneaking the devices, natural consequences often go hand in hand. If phone use becomes disruptive or kids struggle to put their device away when asked, setting clear and temporary limits on when or where phones can be used may help reset expectations.

Finally, remember to look beneath the surface. Kids often reach for their phones for emotional reasons: a friend may need support, a game may be designed to demand their attention, or they may be using their phone to escape stress at home or school. Understanding what’s driving the behavior opens the door to healthier patterns. We encourage you to register and attend the webinar on December 9th, in partnership with Clear Behavioral Health, Blurred Realities: How Social Media and A.I. Are Shaping Teen Mental Health.

A special thank you to our Student Services Director, Dr. Kerry Riccio Aguero, 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 12. Have a wonderful weekend!

Dr. John Bowes, Superintendent

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