Superintendent Newsletter

🌷☀️ Happy May!

As we move into the final stretch of the school year, I want to thank our students, families, staff, and community for your continued partnership and support. This season is filled with important milestones, celebrations, and opportunities for growth across Merced City School District.

CAASPP testing is now underway across our schools. Our students have worked hard all year long, and these assessments are an opportunity for them to showcase their learning and growth. We encourage families to support students by helping them get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and arrive at school on time feeling confident and prepared.

We are also excited to continue strengthening family partnerships through our upcoming Family Engagement Sessions on New Student Enrollment and Middle School Transition. These events are designed to help families stay informed, connected, and supported as we prepare for the next school year.

Across the District, we are celebrating student achievement in academics, arts, music, athletics, and leadership. We are also grateful for the incredible dedication of our staff members who continue to support students each and every day.

Thank you for being an important part of the MCSD community. Together, we will continue creating opportunities for every child to learn, grow, and thrive.

Warmly,

Mrs. Julianna Stocking
Superintendent
Merced City School District

From curiosity to discovery, literacy and science go hand in hand.

We’re proud of Uma Sharma, Pihul Kanungo, and Logann Albrecht for showcasing their learning and innovation at the California Science and Engineering Fair!

Following our March 12th webinar, the transition team hosted successful Family Engagement Workshops at Cruickshank (March 16) and Tenaya (March 18). These sessions allowed us to hear directly from families about the road ahead for our incoming 6th graders.

The "Career Wheel" & Beyond

Parents showed immense excitement for our new 6th-grade Career Awareness model. This "Career Wheel" serves as the launchpad for a purposeful three-year journey:

-Grade 6 (Exploration): Rotating through diverse sectors to spark curiosity.

-Grades 7-8 (Skill-Building): Moving from broad awareness to deeper, specialized learning.

-The Capstone: A natural, earned culmination of the middle school experience.

"The 'Career Wheel' gives students the agency to explore who they want to become before they even reach high school."

Your Questions, Answered

We are currently integrating new feedback from Cruickshank and Tenaya into our master Transition FAQ. This expanded resource—building on the 34 questions from our initial webinar—is now available on our website and will be featured at our final workshop at Rivera Middle School on May 6th.

Click HERE to view the Middle School Transition Resource Guide

We are thrilled to announce that the Merced Academy of Rising Scholars (M.A.R.S.) is now fully implemented across all 14 elementary sites, including our newest launch at Charles Wright Elementary.

• 2026-2027 Enrollment: Currently open! We recommend registering early, as we have already enrolled over 340 students.

• Middle School Expansion: We are hiring four new M.A.R.S. Leads to support our 6th-grade transition back to middle school campuses.

• ASSETS Enrollment officially opened on March 20th

We are proud to report a downward trend in chronic absenteeism and total suspensions District-wide. Additionally, our Anti-Bullying Handbook is in its final editing stage and will be shared with families soon.

Construction on new wrought iron fencing at Fremont Elementary is underway as part of our continued commitment to student safety and campus improvements across MCSD. The new fencing will help create a more secure and welcoming environment for students, staff, and families while enhancing the overall appearance of the campus. We appreciate our Fremont community’s patience and support during construction and look forward to the positive impact these improvements will have for years to come.

Did you know??....

MCSD is on social media. Come hang out with us daily as we share exciting photos, videos, and information about current and upcoming events. If you are a parent, you might just see your little one get featured!

Instagram & Facebook: @MercedCitySchoolDistrict