September 12, 2025

Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. Today’s issue highlights MBMS, staff training on threat assessment, and the publication of the new MCHS Profile.

At MBMS, Special Education students are setting sail on an exciting adventure called Reading Success! This program isn’t just about reading more words; it’s about unlocking the magic behind how words work. Using a structured literacy approach, students explore the building blocks of language, including sounds, patterns, and meaning—much like word detectives on a grand quest. 

Students don’t just grow as readers; they grow in confidence. With each lesson, they’re gaining tools to tackle tricky text, decode with power, and understand stories in deeper, richer ways. It’s not just practice, it’s progress, and every page turned is a step closer to success. This year, the program is led by teacher Heather Tuttle. 

Michelle Legaspi teaches 5th grade at Meadows Elementary and has been a proud member of the Meadows community for her entire 25-year teaching career, including her student teaching! Over the years, she has taught nearly every elementary grade level. 

Michelle began her career as a first-year teacher at Meadows right after earning her Psychology degree and teaching credential from Loyola Marymount University. She later went on to earn her Master’s in Technology in Education from CSU Dominguez Hills. She says her favorite part of being a teacher is “the amazing people I get to interact with every day. From the inquisitive and energetic kids to the helpful and awe-inspiring colleagues who help me continue to be a better teacher every day.” 

In addition to her classroom role, Michelle has served on numerous committees, including math and technology, and has been a math coach for the Meadows Math Club. She says her time at MBUSD has been wonderful, noting that she has been here longer than she has been married or a mom! Outside of school, Michelle is grateful for a profession that has allowed her to stay engaged in her community while also pursuing a family business with her siblings.

Earlier this morning, Mira Costa, Pennekamp, and the District Office were placed on a shelter-in-place for about 35 minutes. A suspicious individual was reported to be walking through the MBUSD District Office parking lot to Peck Avenue by community members from the Montessori School Manhattan Beach. In response, Montessori went into lockdown, while Pennekamp Elementary, Mira Costa, and the District Office enacted shelter-in-place procedures out of an abundance of caution. Two text messages and email updates were sent to school site staff and families during the shelter-in-place, with a third message notifying everyone that the shelter-in-place had been lifted.  

If you are a staff member or parent at Pennekamp or Mira Costa and did not receive these notifications, please fill out this form.

We are grateful to MBPD for their support through this process. After conducting a thorough search of the area, MBPD determined it was all clear. Once MBPD provided the all clear, all schools, including Montessori, returned to operations as usual.

This week, a selected staff team from each school site participated in training for the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines, also known as CSTAG. These teams will serve as each school’s site-based threat assessment team. This model of threat assessment, specifically created for educational settings, helps us gather and analyze information to allow us to proactively intervene, address concerns, and work to defuse potentially dangerous situations. 

Ensuring that all teams are prepared to implement our systems and programs with fidelity, and to gather and analyze data will assist us in keeping our school communities safe.

This week, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation named eight MCHS students as semifinalists in its 71st annual National Merit Scholarship Program. They are among more than 16,000 students selected as semifinalists nationwide. Congratulations to the following students who received this honor:

To be named a semifinalist, students are evaluated based on their 2024 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®) scores, with only the highest scores in each state advancing, along with consideration of their academic record and a recommendation from a high school staff member. 

To become a finalist, the semifinalist and a high school official must submit a detailed scholarship application that includes information about the semifinalist's academic record, school and community activities, leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards.

Our students will now continue to participate in the competition for National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $26 million.

Each year, the MCHS Profile offers colleges, universities, and families an at-a-glance overview of the school’s academic offerings, student achievements, and campus highlights.

This profile is produced by the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation in partnership with Mira Costa’s administration, counselors, and College and Career Center team. It is also thoughtfully designed and printed by the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation. It serves as a key reference in the college admissions process and a showcase of the wide range of programs and opportunities available to students.

Click the image below to view this year's full profile.

MBUSD Public Information Officer Hibah Samad is beginning a new chapter in her journey outside the District. 

Hibah joined us in January 2022 as the District’s very first Public Information Officer. From day one, she built the Public Information Office from the ground up, creating systems, processes, and resources to strengthen communications, support staff, and share MBUSD’s story more broadly. Over the past four years, her leadership has helped elevate the District’s visibility, strengthen partnerships, and enhance the way we connect with our community. Hibah has been a true partner to our schools, shining a light on the incredible people and programs that make MBUSD special.

Her creativity and dedication have been recognized nationally, earning multiple Awards of Excellence from the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) in 2023 for her work here in Manhattan Beach.

Looking back on her time at MBUSD, Hibah shared:

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have met so many wonderful families, students, staff, and community partners during my time at MBUSD. As an MBUSD alumna, it was a privilege to come full circle and give back to the schools and community that helped shape me. While I will miss being part of the MBUSD community, I am excited to embrace the next chapter of my life and the possibilities that lie ahead.”

We are truly grateful for all she has done and the positive impact she has made. Hibah will continue in her role through the end of October, supporting a smooth transition.

The Parent/Guardian Annual Notification of Rights and Responsibilities has been updated to reflect recent policy changes related to technology use, including the Acceptable Use Agreement. It also reflects the latest Title IX regulations. Click here to view the updated version.

As technology plays a larger role in learning, every student and family needs to understand the guidelines for using District devices and personal devices on our network.

We’ve updated the Student Technology Acceptable Use Agreement to ensure that technology is used safely, responsibly, and in support of learning.

Watch the short video below to learn what’s new and review the key points together as a family.

The Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) is currently seeking applicants to serve on the Measure MB Citizens’ Oversight Committee (COC). While current members remain active, the District anticipates an upcoming vacancy and invites community members to apply. The COC plays an important role in reviewing and reporting on the proper expenditure of Measure MB funds.

In June 2018, Manhattan Beach voters approved Measure MB, authorizing a special parcel tax of $225 annually for six years to support high-quality education in MBUSD schools. On March 5, 2024, voters renewed this measure, extending funding through June 2030.

To ensure transparency and accountability, the District established the Citizens’ Oversight Committee in 2018 through Resolution No. 2018-27, with updated bylaws guiding the committee’s work. Earlier this year, Resolution 2024-18 re-established the COC to continue oversight for the renewed measure.

Serving on the committee is a meaningful way to make a difference in your community, ensuring local tax dollars directly support Manhattan Beach students and schools. Before applying, prospective members are encouraged to review the full Resolution No. 2018-27, linked in the application materials. Please note: District employees, officials, vendors, contractors, and consultants are not eligible to serve on the committee.

Click the button below to learn more and apply.

MCHS welcomed families to campus this week for Back-to-School Night, giving parents a firsthand look at their student’s daily experience. The evening began in the auditorium, where families heard from Principal Dr. Jennifer Huynh and Executive Director of MBEF Hilary Mahan. 

Following the presentation, families followed their student’s class schedule, met teachers, and learned about course expectations, curriculum, and opportunities for engagement throughout the year. The event also provided parents with the chance to connect with Costa staff and fellow families!

Left to right: Asst. Supt. of Educational Services Dr. Irene Gonzales-Castillo, MCHS English Teacher Taylor DiBernardo, Asst. Supt. of HR Kelli Keller, and Superintendent Dr. John Bowes

Transitional Kindergarten students in Patti Ackerman’s class at Pennekamp are continuing to build their number sense, and this week’s focus was on the number two! They practiced recognizing the number name and learning its place in the counting sequence. One day began with students sharing things they can “in twos,” followed by creating pairs with unifix cubes. These activities support the California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF) and lay the groundwork for the Kindergarten Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, which emphasize counting to tell numbers and understanding basic addition and subtraction. Students also traced the number 2 and colored groups of shapes in sets of two, along with other hands-on number activities.

On Wednesday morning, Manhattan Beach Middle School paused to honor and remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001. Students and staff gathered in the quad for a solemn assembly. 

The program began with Student Body Vice President Ella Shirvani leading the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a speech from Student Body President Amaya Grings. Dr. Horvath then shared remarks and invited everyone to join in a moment of silence. At its conclusion, an MBMS percussionist struck the tubular chimes 11 times, followed by the MBMS Symphonic Band trumpet students’ performance of TAPs, led by music teacher Mr. Chavez.

Afterwards, students returned to their classrooms, where teachers had the option to show a short video created by Mr. Bainer’s film students and lead discussions.

This meaningful annual tradition gave the MBMS community an opportunity to come together, reflect, and honor the lives lost on 9/11.

Congratulations to Grand View for being awarded the Whole Kids Foundation and Newman’s Own Foundation grants! 

The combined $4,500 grant will sustain the Palos Verdes Gardens program, which allows for weekly lessons from a skilled farmer/teacher to enhance student and hands-on learning. It will also fund essential irrigation repairs and support plans for a potential new shade structure over the amphitheater. 

Grand View Garden's lead, Lisa Jutras, applied for the grant and won it! She says the Grand View Green Team expresses gratitude for the growing parent involvement and to the Grand View PTA for their ongoing support over the past three years. The Grand View Garden has seven raised garden beds and offers a space for students to immerse themselves in a unique learning environment for exploration.

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

Dr. John Bowes, Superintendent

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