November 21, 2025

Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. Thanksgiving is almost upon us, and this season always reminds me how important it is to pause and reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served in public education for 36 years, and especially for the privilege of spending the last decade as a Superintendent, including the last five years here in MBUSD.

With that in mind, I want to share that this will be the last time I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving in this role, as I plan to conclude my career at the end of this school year on June 30. I am thankful for the students, families, staff, and community members who have made this work so meaningful and rewarding.

I made this announcement at this week's Board meeting so that the Board will have ample time to thoughtfully identify the next Superintendent of the Manhattan Beach Unified School District. Trustees will be engaging in a thorough and inclusive process, and I encourage you to watch for updates on that important work in the months ahead.

I wish you an enjoyable, restful, and very Happy Thanksgiving.

Today’s issue highlights Meadows Elementary, the Manhattan Beach Coordinating Council honoring MBUSD students, and an update on Measure RLS projects.

At Meadows Elementary School, shared learning across grade levels helps create a warm and connected school community. When students learn together, whether with peers in their own class, older role models from upper grades, or younger students who look up to them, they deepen not only their skills but also their confidence, empathy, and sense of belonging. Cross-grade learning fosters leadership as older students practice kindness and patience, while younger students gain motivation and exposure to rich language. These experiences create ongoing opportunities to see themselves as learners who both support and grow from one another. They also align with and reinforce the District's Climate of Care Board Goal. 

We know that learning together helps nurture collaboration and curiosity. For example, Lauren Walsh’s first-grade students often enjoy shared activities together, including paired reading and working on counting collections. Also, kindergarten students from Danielle Radl’s class and their fifth-grade big buddies from Michelle Legaspi’s class enjoyed getting to know each other and made plans for more reading activities together in the future.

School-wide events also strengthen connections. Meadows recently hosted its second annual International Friendsgiving Day, where families shared foods from their heritage and students explored cultures from around the world. This special day highlights and celebrates the diversity that makes our community unique.

This week, we feature Elementary Band Director Tim Nail, who brings music to life across all five of our elementary schools. Tim teaches recorder to third graders and band to fourth and fifth-graders, and also serves as the Grade Level Lead for Elementary Music. In addition, he teaches Middle School Jazz Band through our partner, MBX. 

“The community here is really special and I've enjoyed getting to know so many amazing colleagues and families over the years,” Tim shared. 

Now in his 12th year at MBUSD and his 25th year overall in education, Tim brings a wealth of experience! Prior to MBUSD, he taught band, jazz band, choir, musical theater, and world music drumming to middle school students in Torrance. His background also includes work in marketing at Alfred Music Publishing and for the LA Philharmonic. After transitioning from corporate work into full-time teaching, he realized he had found his true calling. 

Tim says one of the most rewarding parts of his job is watching and hearing his students improve each day.

In his free time, Tim enjoys photography, architecture, and grilling, and he’s a devoted USC football fan. During the summer, he and his wife, Bethany, travel the country in their camper van, exploring national parks and small towns. They are parents of two, Matt and Gabi!

Grand View’s commitment to sustainability was on full display this week as three of the school’s young environmental leaders, 5th graders Frankie T., Drake L., and Paisley K., shared the latest efforts underway on campus. As proud members of the Green Team, the students play an active role in caring for their school environment and inspiring their peers to do the same.

Grand View is one of the first schools in the nation to earn the prestigious Green Ribbon Award, and these students are helping uphold that legacy every day. Their responsibilities range from supporting waste-reduction initiatives to educating classmates about smart sorting habits.

The students collect recycling from every classroom on campus and prepare it for street collection. The team also partners with Red Well, a program that ensures plastics are sent to up-cycling facilities rather than landfills, an important step in reducing environmental impact. In addition, the Green Team manages the school garden compost bin and oversees waste sorting in the MakerSpace classroom. Among their favorite activities are the team’s Walking Assemblies, where student leaders visit classrooms to teach fellow Gators about recycling, composting, and ways to reduce waste on campus. They also help promote Green Team events and initiatives throughout the year.

Thanks to the community’s support, we are well on our way to making $200 million in improvements to our school campuses. At this week’s Board meeting, Trustees provided direction that will shape the scope of the work that will take place over the next several years. This direction was guided by a great deal of community input, and we are grateful to school staff, students, and families who have participated in this process so far. 

We are already in the process of improving safety and security across all of our campuses, with fencing projects completed at MBMS and Pennekamp, in progress and nearing completion at Meadows and Robinson, and planned for the coming summer at Grand View, Pacific, and Mira Costa High School. 

In addition, we are planning additional improvements across all schools for this summer. These will include roofing repairs, HVAC repairs and replacement, portable classroom repairs and replacement, and safety and security upgrades. Those safety and security upgrades will include a transition to a VOIP telephone system, buzzer systems to help ensure secure entry at each school campus, monitoring systems at egress gates to let staff know when gates are opened during the school day and by whom, and improvements to our PA system, including adding features that will facilitate two-way communication between classrooms and the school office.

We are also planning additional projects to repair and replace aging facilities across several campuses. These facilities were not improved under measures BB, C, or EE. They include: 

Every school year, the Manhattan Beach Coordinating Council (MBCC) recognizes outstanding MBUSD and American Martyrs students across five luncheons. This week, we celebrated six MBUSD students at the first luncheon of the year. Each honoree was introduced by their teacher, who shared why the student was so deserving of this recognition. Congratulations to the following students: 

Teacher Ian Jones celebrated Arik’s willingness to help others and his positive approach to every classroom activity, even the ones he doesn’t prefer. Mr. Jones described him as one of his top math students, noting his humility, patience, and ability to make everyone feel included. He consistently encourages and supports his peers.

Riley’s teacher described her as a student who “silently succeeds.” She works hard, stays focused, and leads with kindness. This year, her confidence has grown, and her kindness, thoughtfulness, and strong sense of responsibility make her a role model who elevates the entire classroom environment.

Quinn’s teacher, Teryn Burrows shared that he excels academically and demonstrates leadership, kindness, and a genuine love of learning. He approaches each lesson with curiosity and focus, and his thoughtful questions enrich classroom discussions. His character stands out, he is always willing to lend a helping hand and models teamwork and respect daily.

Olive’s teacher spoke about her perseverance and the joy she brings to the classroom. She faces challenges with a smile, contributes positively every day, and never judges others. Her strong work ethic and caring spirit help her peers succeed. Her teacher noted that Olive understands that being a great student begins with being a great leader.

Morgan’s teacher highlighted her kindness, strength, and resilience. In her leadership class, Morgan naturally draws people in and communicates in a way that makes others want to listen. Mr. Mackey shared that her participation is always thoughtful and reasonable, and she is consistently ready to step up and help bring ideas to life.

Demetra’s teacher shared that she brings a genuine excitement for learning to everything she does. Her positivity is infectious, and her “I can do it” mindset makes her wonderful to work with. She advocates for herself, inspires those around her, and thrives in every area she participates in, philanthropy, leadership, clubs, rowing, and more.

Students were also awarded by the City of Manhattan Beach Council and Senator Ben Allen’s Office. 

Pacific Elementary was filled with joy and creativity as first graders proudly debuted their own version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade during the annual Balloons Over Pacific celebration.

Inspired by the book Balloons Over Broadway, students spent the week exploring design, engineering, and storytelling in their classrooms. They thoughtfully planned and built their balloon creations.

That creativity was on full display as students paraded through the hallways, greeted by cheers, applause, and high-fives from fellow Pacific Panthers and families. Their colorful “floats” and proud smiles made this beloved tradition another memorable success.

The MBMS Jazz band recently held its first performance of the year, showcasing an impressive lineup of pieces including Bags Groove, One for Daddy-O, and Doxy. Although the jazz band is considered to be a "Big Band," some of the members have formed a quintet, which is new for this year. The concert also marked the quintet’s debut performance, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience!

Students who are interested in auditioning for the jazz band should contact Mr. Nail at TNail@mbusd.org. Thank you to Mr. Nail for sharing this story!

Mira Costa’s award-winning Model United Nations (MUN) program is hosting an information session during its annual LAIMUN Model UN Conference. Attendees will enjoy a short presentation and a guided tour of the debate to see the program in action. Students and parents are invited to attend to gain valuable insight into how Model UN operates and what makes LAIMUN one of the premier conferences in the region.

We encourage interested families to join on December 6 or 7 from 9:00–10:30 a.m. Whether your student is curious about global issues, passionate about public speaking, or simply looking to explore a new academic challenge, this event is a great introduction to the world of Model UN.

If you or your student would like to attend, please sign up using the link below. Registration is open through December 6. You can RSVP here.

As we approach the holidays, we want to remind families about our Short-Term Independent Study (STIS) Program, which is a great way to support learning and maintain positive attendance.

If your student will miss 2–15 consecutive days of school, please contact your school’s front office at least two weeks in advance to arrange for STIS. (If you have an emergency situation and cannot provide two weeks advance notice, please contact the office to see if arrangements can still be made). STIS requires students to be on a contract where they commit to completing work assigned by their teacher while they are absent; doing so helps students stay on track, avoid chronic absenteeism, and earn positive attendance credit when they have an extended absence due to travel, illness, injury, or even high school or college visits.

We appreciate your partnership in understanding that attendance is essential for student success - and for District funding. MBUSD receives funding only for students who are in attendance (or on STIS), and each missed day costs the District about $67. If your child must miss school, please consider making an absence donation through our Square payment portal to help recover lost funds.

Finally, a reminder that School Attendance Review Team (SART) meetings at each site and District Attendance Review Team (DART) meetings at the District Office are opportunities to collaborate and problem-solve ways to best support student attendance. If you are invited to a SART or DART meeting, we hope you will engage proactively in the process so we can develop a plan to assist your student in establishing strong attendance patterns.

As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, we encourage our families to take intentional moments to pause, reconnect, and enjoy time together away from screens. At MBUSD, we are committed to supporting balanced, healthy technology use, and school breaks provide the perfect opportunity to model that balance at home. Consider maximizing tech-free experiences throughout the vacation, during meals, family activities, and even in the morning or at bedtime, so everyone has the chance to be fully present. Simple activities like cooking a favorite dish together, revisiting family traditions, or sharing stories from the past year can strengthen connections and create warm memories that will carry well beyond the holiday.

This time off also offers students a chance to experience more hands-on, curiosity-boosting activities that don’t require a device. Families might enjoy taking a walk around the neighborhood, visiting not-so-local parks, or organizing a friendly outdoor game. Indoors, board games, puzzles, crafting, or reading together can provide meaningful, low-stress alternatives to screen time. Encouraging students to write handwritten notes of gratitude or help with holiday preparations can also nurture reflection, creativity, and responsibility. 

Whatever activities you do, we hope they bring joy, balance, and connection to your family, and we look forward to welcoming students back refreshed and ready to return to school after the break! Thank you to the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Dr. Jonathan Erickson, for writing this story. 

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

The next Superintendent’s Newsletter will be published on December 5. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Dr. John Bowes, Superintendent

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