Monte Vista TK-8 Community News

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN OF THE WEEK

1) We had some great fieldtrips this week, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium for 5th grade (Inquiry Arc Question--What values do animals bring to their ecosystems?), and 6th grade went to the Sunset Center's Super Scientific Circus!

2) Set pieces, costumes, and the stage really came together for our Seussical Jr. musical performers as they are just a little over a week or so from opening their show--simultaneous with the recent Cat in the Hat movie release (what a coincidence)!

3) Teachers worked expeditiously on their Trimester 1 report cards while also preparing for the Parent-Student-Staff conferences, coming the week of November 16th!

4) Our PTO Board met for their monthly meeting, planning for upcoming events like Movie Night and Winter Shop, and reflecting on the successful Read-A-Thon.

5) We had an informational evening for our English Language Advisory Committee, helping multilingual families feel further supported.

6) We had success in the new morning meeting arrangement where Grades 3-5 get their own day while Grades K-2 get to meet separately.

7) Grade levels continued forging ahead with curriculum pacing, inquiry arc #2, and their Plan-Do-Study-Action work.

Looking forward to an amazing 26'-27' school week, which will be Days 63-66 (no school on Veterans Day holiday).

Jay jay, chirp chirp!

PTO Movie Night – This Friday!

**No school on Wednesday, November 11th, in observance of Veterans Day.

1) November Parent-Student conferences are during the week of November 16-20. School all that week will be early dismissal at 12:50PM with no after school clubs, except Seussical Jr. Musical rehearsals (see special Seussical Jr. Parent Square email for rehearsal schedule that week). Aside from every day after school from 1PM-3:15PM, we will have an evening session for conferences on Monday, November 16th (5-7PM). Teachers sent conference sign-ups in Parent Square last week. We want everyone to come out--even if it means phone or virtual!

2) Dining Out Night for November is at The Habit in Seaside on November 18th.

3) Some important dates coming up in November:

Veterans Day holiday--no school on November 11th.

Outdoor Movie Night at Monte Vista on November 13th at 5PM-7PM.

Parent-Student-Teacher conferences the week of November 16th (see above).

Habit Burger Dining Out Night on November 18th.

And Seussical Jr. Grades 1-8 Musical on November 18, 19th, and 20th from 6PM-7PM.

MPUSD NEWS HOT OFF THE PRESS FROM MARCI MCFADDEN (see fliers further below):

MPUSD Earns Prestigious Golden Bell Award - We're proud to share that MPUSD has been named a 2026 California School Boards Association (CSBA) Golden Bell Award winner for its College, Career, Choice for All initiative! This statewide recognition celebrates our commitment to expanding access to rigorous coursework, college credit, career pathways and meaningful opportunities for every student. The honor marks MPUSD's second consecutive Golden Bell Award. Read the full news release.

High School Student Transfer Window Opens November 9 - Planning ahead for the 2027 - 2028 school year? MPUSD's High School Student Transfer Window will be open November 9 - December 11, 2026. This is the only opportunity for families of current 8th - 11th grade students to request a transfer from one MPUSD high school to another for the upcoming 2027 - 2028 school year. High school families (including incoming 9th graders) must submit their requests online during this window. Transfers are subject to space availability at each school. Need assistance? Visit your school's front office or contact the MPUSD Transfer Office at 831-392-3983, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. (closed 11 a.m. - noon). NOTE: The elementary, TK - 8, and middle school transfer window will open in January 2027.

Change Those Clocks - Don't forget to set your clocks back one hour when you go to bed Saturday evening as Daylight Savings Time ends at 2:00 a.m. on Sunday, November 1.

8th Grade Families | Early College High School - Current 8th grade students and families are invited to learn how students can earn up to two years of college credit before graduating high school - tuition-free! Explore MPUSD's three Early College pathways at Marina High, Monterey High, and Seaside High, and join us for an upcoming Parent Information Night, offered in English and Spanish. Applications open December 1, 2026. Learn more about the programs, information nights and how to apply!

Elementary, TK-8 and Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences - MPUSD elementary, middle and TK - 8 schools will hold Parent/Teacher Conferences November 16 - 20, 2026. This is a great opportunity for families to connect with teachers, celebrate student progress and discuss goals for the remainder of the school year. Reminder: Early release schedules will be in effect all week (November 16 - 20). Families are encouraged to plan ahead for early dismissal and watch for additional conference information from their child's school.

• Elementary and TK - 8 Schools: 12:50 p.m.
• Middle Schools: 1:30 p.m.

Family Engagement Month - At MPUSD, we believe great things happen when families and schools come together.
Whether it's a conversation with a teacher (e.g., conferences as noted above), helping with homework or simply cheering your child on, every little moment of connection makes a difference. This month, we're celebrating our wonderful MPUSD families and the important role you play in helping our students shine. Together, we make a difference. We're Better Together.

National Native American Heritage Month - November is National Native American Heritage Month, a time to honor the rich histories, diverse cultures, traditions and lasting contributions of Native American and Indigenous peoples. At MPUSD, we celebrate their heritage and recognize the importance of preserving their stories and traditions for generations to come.

Coffee and Cars at Central Coast High School - Community, collaboration and a love of cars came together at Coffee and Cars event at Central Coast High School in Seaside! Students stepped up as judges across several car categories, while teachers and staff helped make the event a success. It was a great reminder of the connections we build when our schools and communities come together.

Board of Education - The Board of Education mets this past week. If you missed the meeting, you may read Board Highlights. The next meeting is Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the District Services Center.

Expanding Your Horizons | STEM Conference and Career Fair - Our community partner, The Lyceum of Monterey County, is offering an exciting opportunity for girls in grades 5–10 to explore careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Expanding Your Horizons Conference & Career Fair takes place Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Hartnell College in Salinas. Participants will enjoy hands-on STEM workshops led by women in STEM, connect with local professionals and discover exciting career possibilities. Registration is FREE and opens October 27. Space is limited to the first 300 participants. Learn more and register.

Most events are linked to MPUSD's website to receive more information. You may also access the district's school year calendar here. (Event dates subject to change. Check with your school site and this section regularly.)

11.10.26 Board of Education Meeting
11.11.26 Veterans Day | No School
11.23.26 Thanksgiving Break | No School
11.24.26 Thanksgiving Break | No School
11.25.26 Thanksgiving Break | No School
11.26.26 Thanksgiving Break | No School
11.27.26 Thanksgiving Break | No School

Hey Blue Jay Families!
Winter sports are right around the corner, and we are excited to kick off our Boys and Girls Basketball seasons! We will officially begin next week with skills clinics, followed by team tryouts.

📅 Girls Basketball Schedule

• Monday, November 9: Skills Clinic
• Tuesday, November 10: Skills Clinic
• Thursday, November 12: Team Tryouts

📅 Boys Basketball Schedule

• Monday, November 9: Skills Clinic
• Tuesday, November 10: Skills Clinic
• Monday, November 16: Team Tryouts
• Tuesday, November 17: Team Tryouts

🏀 Meet Our Coaches!

• Girls Basketball: Ms. J (7th Grade Teacher) and Mrs. Hill (Parent)
• Boys Basketball: Ms. Hobson (PE Teacher/Athletic Director) and Mrs. Breland (Parent)

💪 What Are Coaches Looking For?

• Sportsmanship: Respectful behavior toward teammates, coaches, opponents, and officials.
• Hustle & Effort: Giving their best effort, staying engaged, and showing a willingness to work.
• Coachability: Being receptive to feedback, willing to learn, and ready to improve.
• Academics & Behavior: Students who are making positive choices and performing well in the classroom.

🏀 What Happens Next?

November 5th- English Language Advisory Committee@6PM-6:30PM- Google Meet link sent out to all multilingual families via Parent Square

November 11th- Veterans Day - no school in observance of the holiday

November 13th- Monte Vista TK-8 Outdoor Movie Night 5PM-7PM

November 16th- School Site Vision Council from 3:30-4:30PM (Zoom link sent via email)

November 16th-20th- Parent-Student-Teacher Conferences, 12:50 dismissal all this week (Trimester 1 report cards are given out during conferences as well).

November 18th- Habit Burger Monte Vista TK-8 Dining Out

November 18th-20th- Seussical Jr. Musical performances from 6PM-7PM

November 23rd-27th- Thanksgiving Break, No School this week (return on Monday, November 30th)

November 30th- Students return to school

December 8th- Grades TK-5 Winter Music Concert and Art Exhibition

December 10th- Grades 6-8 Winter Music Concert and Art Exhibition

December 14th- Family STEAM Night 5:30PM-7PM including dinner (Winter Shop will be open that evening as well)

December 14th-18th- Winter Shop open during the school week in the mini gym

November 4th- Heather McSwiggin (Art Teacher for Grades TK-1 and Makerspace Grades TK-5)

November 20th- Brooke Metcalfe (2nd grade teacher)

November 22nd- Ashley Seidel (ELO Program Leader)

The thirteenth week of school saw some slight improvement in both daily attendance rate and the attendance bands, including Chronic Absenteeism. With independent study so far this year, we have recovered over 389 days! Also, we continue to have students attend Saturday Academy, and now we have two after school tutoring absence recovery groups.

This last week, we were hovering just above 95% but we never quite reached 96% unfortunately, which is our revised goal for this school year.

Our Chronic Absenteeism rate went back down to 10.5%, which is well above our goal of 7%. With independent study and after school tutoring absence recovery now being offered, we hope this rate can go down.

For those families who have students out, please turn in the independent study packets the day they return to school after the absence (a new state requirement). Otherwise you have to recover through Saturday Academy or a future after school tutoring attendance recovery program which will begin in November (but by invitation only). Also keep in mind Saturday Academy only helps daily attendance rate for a child but not their chronic absenteeism rate while Independent Study and After School Tutoring recovery helps both.

Our percentage bands for attendance went WAY back UP this week. Satisfactory level was at 71.4% (up 10 percent--538 students--YAY). 137 students in the yellow at risk area (decrease of 63 students from last week--YAY), 67 students in the orange moderate chronic (decrease of 9 students from last week--YAY), 11 students in the light red (same as last week), severe chronic area, and 1student in extreme chronic.

Anyone who stays in moderate, light red, or dark red areas (moderate, severe, or extreme chronic) is considered to have chronic absenteeism. We will work with these families to make sure independent study packets are turned in the first day they return to school after the absence(s). Otherwise, they will have to do Saturday Academy or possible after school tutoring attendance recovery (latter program kicking off in November--by invitation only). We will also continue to reach out to families who are lingering in these more at-risk areas of attendance and support them to improve and access school consistently.

We will continue in the 26-27 school year to climb back up to 96% average attendance rate and then upping our goal to get no more than 7% chronic absenteeism.