November 7, 2025

Dear MBUSD Parents and Community,

I hope this newsletter finds you well. Today’s issue highlights MBMS, Mira Costa's Shannon Vaughan's Creative Writing class collaborating with the City's Older Adults Program, and two of our outstanding music educators being invited to present at prestigious conferences. 

Manhattan Beach Middle School officially launched the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) on Tuesday, November 4, with an extensive, two-hour staff training led by the MBMS Olweus Leadership Team. The training marked an important milestone in the school’s ongoing commitment to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment for all students.

The Olweus Program is a nationally recognized, research-based framework designed to reduce bullying, strengthen relationships, and improve overall school climate. Staff explored prevention and intervention strategies, emphasizing the shared responsibility of all adults to model and reinforce positive behavior.

At the foundation of the program are four guiding rules that shape the MBMS approach:

Beginning in January, students will engage in Advisory, Intervention, Review, and Enrichment (AIRE) time sessions focused on these rules and related social-emotional lessons. The goal is to empower students to act with empathy, courage, and accountability while strengthening the sense of belonging across campus.

As part of the District’s broader commitment to creating safe and caring schools, MBMS will continue to provide parent communications and resources to help families reinforce these messages at home. Implementation will continue throughout the spring semester, with staff and students collaborating to celebrate positive examples of kindness and inclusion.

Dr. Horvath noted, “This program gives us a common language and clear expectations. It’s about building a culture where every student feels safe, valued, and supported, and where bullying has no place.”

Special thanks to the Olweus Lead Team members, Vice Principals Brittany Brashear and Kari Pliaconis, Teachers Edi Goodlad, Julia Reyes, and Tanya Sanchez, Campus Security Assistant Steve Poirier, Library Resource Specialist Laurie Reiter, and Student Services Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Jeff Lee.

We are excited to welcome Alejandra Gutierrez as one of the newest staff members of the District Office team! Alejandra joined MBUSD last month as our new Payroll Technician. 

Before joining Manhattan Beach, she served as an Accounting Technician for the City of La Palma, overseeing payroll, financial reporting, and general ledger operations. Before that, she spent nearly four years with Madera Unified School District in the Central Valley, starting as a Payroll Technician I focused on accounts receivable and payroll support. Within just a year, she earned a promotion to Payroll Technician V, where she managed the complete end-to-end payroll process. She brings strong attention to detail, a solid understanding of state and federal tax regulations, and a commitment to accurate financial reporting.

Alejandra shared that she was drawn to working in education because of the positive impact schools had on her growing up. “I began my career with an appreciation for the educational environment, finding school to be a safe space during my youth. Although my position is administrative rather than instructional, I have clear goals for my future professional development. I plan to continue my own education, which may lead to pursuing a teaching career or earning my business degree to increase my contributions within the MBUSD business office.”

Alejandra supports payroll functions for Grand View, Meadows, Pacific, MBMS, Food & Nutrition Services, and substitutes with last names N through Z. She has enjoyed her time at MBUSD so far and says it has been very positive and welcoming.

“Everyone has been incredibly supportive and community-oriented, and I appreciate the strong collaborative spirit demonstrated by all.”

Her favorite part of her job is completing payroll successfully. Alejandra says she finds great fulfillment in the responsibility of managing payroll with precision and care, ensuring every employee is compensated accurately and on time.

In her free time, she enjoys exercising! She is also currently attending school part-time. She describes herself as a strong believer in continuous personal development and strives to better herself both professionally and personally.

All MBUSD schools and District offices will be closed on Tuesday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. This day serves as an opportunity to honor and thank the brave individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces. We are grateful for their dedication, courage, and sacrifice. Thank you for your service to our country. 

The City of Manhattan Beach will host its 28th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Tuesday, November 11, at 11:00 a.m. in Veterans Parkway, located on Valley Drive and Ardmore.

Manhattan Beach Unified School District is proud to celebrate two of its outstanding music educators who have been invited to present sessions at major national and regional music education conferences this spring. Congratulations, MCHS Orchestra Director, Peter Park, and MBUSD Choir Director, Kate Crellin! 

Kate Crellin, choir director at Manhattan Beach Middle School and Mira Costa High School, will present a session titled Composing for Your Choir: Writing with Singers in Mind at the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) Western Region Conference in March 2026. Co-presenting with Arizona-based arranger and performer MaryAnne Muglia, Ms. Crellin will guide attendees through effective strategies for composing and arranging music that highlights the unique strengths of each ensemble. The session will feature practical tools, interactive demonstrations, and insights into the creative process of writing for singers.

Ms. Crellin has been deeply involved with ACDA over the years, serving as USC’s ACDA Chapter President, being the only undergraduate poster presenter at the 2019 ACDA National Conference, and having her compositions and arrangements read at conferences during the past three years. This invitation marks an exciting continuation of her long-standing relationship with the organization.

Peter Park, orchestra director at Mira Costa High School, will present Scales with Purpose: Elevating Warm-ups to Invigorate Accuracy and Artistry at the American String Teachers Association (ASTA) National Conference in February 2026. His session will explore creative and purposeful warm-up strategies designed to transform scale practice into an effective tool for ensemble precision, tone, and musical expression.

Mr. Park has presented sessions for music educators throughout California and in several other states, including Georgia, Nevada, Ohio, and Texas. The ASTA National Conference attracts thousands of string educators each year from across the country and internationally. He considers this invitation a professional honor as well as a reflection of the exceptional work being achieved in MBUSD’s music programs. 

Thank you to  Ms. Crellin and Mr. Park for representing the district on a national stage and for continuing to inspire excellence in music education. We are very proud of their continued impact!

The MBEF Expo is underway through November 21. MBUSD parents are invited to see how MBEF brings learning to life in our schools. Each elementary student brought home an Expo Card, complete with their scheduled date and time, to guide their visit. The expos take place during the school day, and families can step into classrooms to experience the MBEF-funded programs that enrich our elementary campuses, including Library, MakerSpace, Music, PE, and Science Lab. We hope you will attend!

Please remember to bring a photo ID and check in at the front office upon arrival. We're grateful to MBEF and the community for supporting these inspiring learning experiences through the Annual Appeal.

Get ready for a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience as Mira Costa High School Drama/Tech presents A Beautiful Day in November on the Banks of the Greatest of the Great Lakes by Kate Benson. This sharply inventive play transforms a classic American family dinner into a high-stakes sporting event, with all the flair of live commentary and the tension of a championship match.

Hilarious, unsettling, and strikingly original, the production dives into the humor and chaos beneath family traditions and the rituals that bring us together. Audiences will be treated to what might just be the greatest Thanksgiving in sports history!

Showtimes:

Tickets are on sale now, click here to purchase yours! The show is appropriate for students in middle and high schools. 

It’s been a long-standing Mira Costa tradition for students to collaborate and learn alongside older adults from the City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Rec Older Adults Program. 

One of the ways this partnership thrives is through visits from the program’s Poetry Circle to English teacher Shannon Vaughan’s classes. This week, Poetry Circle members visited her Creative Writing class and spent the period composing a collaborative “Nonsense Sonnet.” 

Working in small groups, students and older adults took turns adding lines to create a 14-line poem. They had to think creatively and use lambic Tetrameter for all their fragments, along with using a portmanteau nonsense word and a onomopoetic word, making it a fun and imaginative challenge. This was the first time they wrote this type of poem together during a class visit. 

For more than sixteen years, Shannon Vaughan has continued this intergenerational partnership, which has also included joint public readings, the creation of poetry books featuring student and older adult work, and participation in programs like “Coffee and Tech.” Recently, at the Hometown Fair, the Intergenerational Poetry Reading at the Joslyn Center had more than fifty students in attendance! 

Ms. Vaughan currently teaches Thanatology, Creative Writing, and English 9 at Mira Costa.

MBMS families were invited to attend a Parent University workshop titled “Teenage Development: What to Expect and When to Seek Support” at the MBMS Wellness Center. The event, hosted by the MBMS Counseling Department, featured guest speaker Christina King, a licensed marriage and family therapist and former MBMS school-based counselor. The workshop offered valuable insights into navigating the teenage years, dispelling myths, understanding key stages of adolescent development, learning strategies to help students cope and build independence, and recognizing when additional support may be needed. 

Christina began by encouraging parents to reflect on their own teenage experiences before exploring common misconceptions and negative stereotypes about adolescents. She also highlighted Erikson’s developmental stage of identity vs. role confusion, a period when teens are discovering who they are and how they fit into the world, and shared practical ways parents can support their teens during this phase.

The session had a thoughtful Q&A with open dialogue between parents and the presenter. Thank you to the MBMS Counseling Department for organizing this informative and engaging workshop for our families.

The November edition of School News Roll Call for MBUSD is now available!

Check it out below!

Since 2015, MBUSD has partnered with South Bay Families Connected (SBFC) to bring trusted youth wellness resources to our community. Visit our own MBUSD Families Connected webpage for parenting resources and educational events addressing a wide array of youth wellness topics, from healthy screen and tech use to building healthy relationships.

We hope you will consider joining the monthly Families Connected Parent Chat support group and signing up for the free Families Connected Newsletter. All SBFC videos, blogs, resources, support groups, and events are available to our community, free of charge. 

The LA County Library wants to hear from MBUSD students and families as part of a new community needs assessment survey for the Manhattan Beach Library.

Whether you’re a regular visitor, an occasional guest, or simply someone who loves learning, your feedback will help guide the library’s future programs, services, and spaces.

Share your thoughts on:

The goal of the survey is also to seek potential interest for additional library and/or cultural services. The survey takes just 10 minutes to complete. The deadline is November 15, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. Please take a moment to take this brief survey here. 

For questions or comments, please email arroyo@arroyoassociates.com.

In today’s connected world, managing our digital privacy is just as important as locking our front doors. Teaching students how to protect their data helps them build healthy digital habits that support their safety, responsibility, and confidence, skills that will benefit them far beyond the classroom.

Here are some practical ways to tighten your account settings and strengthen your family’s online safety:

By taking these precautions together as a family, you can help your student understand the value of digital privacy and reinforce safety expectations, as our students learn to make thoughtful, informed choices every time they go online. Thank you to Student Services Director, Kerry Riccio Aguero, for sharing this story. 

The United Against Hate Week Food Drive continues through November 14! If you haven’t had a chance to contribute yet, you can drop off canned goods at any of our three collection sites: the District Office, Grand View Elementary, or MBMS. All donations will support the Richstone Family Center’s Single Mom Project Nutrition Pantry. Thanks to our community’s generosity, 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food have already been donated!

The TEDxManhattanBeach team is once again inviting everyone to attend its annual event! This year’s event will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at Mira Costa High School, and promises an inspiring day centered on the theme “UNSTOPPABLE.”

Attendees will hear from an exciting lineup of speakers. You can find that list here.

In addition to dynamic talks, the event features an interactive Expo where guests can explore hands-on exhibits, creative installations, and culinary offerings from local Manhattan Beach vendors. The Expo is designed to be inclusive and offers allergy-friendly options, including gluten-free and vegan selections.

Students are also encouraged to attend, with discounted student tickets available. This year’s program even includes Mira Costa’s own Zoe Nicols, who will take the stage to share her perspective on food justice. To learn more about this year’s speakers or to reserve tickets, visit www.tedxmanhattanbeach.org.

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

The next Superintendent’s Newsletter will be published on November 14. Have a wonderful weekend! 

Dr. John Bowes, Superintendent

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