Posts by Hibah Samad
MBUSD eliminates the sale of single-use plastic water bottles
by Hibah Samad The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has officially eliminated the sale of single-use plastic water bottles, an initiative started in 2019 when MBUSD first removed small plastic water bottles from elementary schools. MBUSD Food and Nutrition Services Department Director Léna Agee said this further step towards environmental sustainability has long been a…
Read MorePadnos leads first Young At Art project by a student
by Hibah Samad Mira Costa junior Anthony Padnos took center stage on Tuesday morning at American Martyrs O’Donnell Hall. Padno was the first student artist to be selected by Young at Art to lead a class. He was here to give a Doodle Magic docent training. The packed room was made up of parents from…
Read MoreMira Costa’s Charlie Fuerbringer brings home the gold
Charlie Fuerbringer returned home to Manhattan Beach from Croatia last week with something more than a souvenir. She brought back a gold medal. Fuerbringer is a star setter on the Mira Costa Mustangs girls’ volleyball team. But her most recent accomplishment was on the world stage. She was one of 12 girls named to the…
Read MoreMBUSD appoints new Pacific principal, MCHS vice principals
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District has named Amanda Vavao as the new principal of Pacific Elementary School. Vavao started her career at MBUSD in 2006 and since then has served in many roles, including a teacher at Pennekamp Elementary, substitute, summer school Expanded Learning Opportunities principal intern for grades K-12, and most recently, a…
Read MoreCelebrating the Mira Costa Class of 2023
Mira Costa’s graduation ceremony recognized 573 graduates on Thursday, June 15. The commencement took place at Mira Costa’s Waller Stadium. The graduating class earned Magna (3.8 – 3.99) and Summa Cum (4.0+) Laude honors. There were 90 Magna Cum Laude and 209 Summa Cum Laude recipients. The graduation speakers included Principal Dr. Karina Gerger, MBUSD…
Read MoreRotary Club honors Teachers of the Year
The Manhattan Beach Rotary meeting on Monday was dedicated to Manhattan Beach Unified and American Martyrs educators. For the past 73 years, Manhattan Beach Rotary has honored Teachers of the Year with a special awards ceremony. Rotary Club president Gerry Morton expressed the club’s long-standing commitment to acknowledging and celebrating the exceptional educators in the…
Read MoreEx neo-Nazi will share his story in Manhattan Beach
by Hibah Samad “Violence and abuse were a common part of my life. I was a kid that lived in fear,” said Frank Meeink. As a 14-year-old skinhead gang member living in South Philadelphia, Meeink said he yearned for a sense of belonging, and being around his older cousins who were part of the neo-Nazi…
Read MoreMCHS Student with big dreams receives $50,000 scholarship
A normal day in the classroom for Mira Costa Senior Dylan Iskandar turned into one that will be remembered for a lifetime. MBUSD Superintendent John Bowes, Mira Costa staff, Dylan’s family, and representatives from Edison International — Southern California Edison’s parent company — made a surprise visit during his 5th-period class last week with some…
Read MoreMBMS Expo Puts the “T” in STEM
The community came out in droves to the Manhattan Beach Middle School campus for its first-of-its-kind STEM Expo, presented by Chevron with more than 500 people in attendance on March 2. The expo concentrated on interactive exhibits in the STEM field with the big highlight — the unveiling of Chevron’s robotic dog Spot 2.0. Manhattan…
Read MoreManhattan Beach Unified Launches District App
Parent and community engagement is now enhanced with the Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s new mobile app for Apple and Android phones. The app has been live for two weeks and allows students, staff, families, and the community to stay connected and access the latest information through custom, branded home screens for each of the…
Read MoreRobinson Elementary Students Spread Kindness Across the City of MB
Robinson Elementary staff and 130 students joined schools around the globe for the 12th annual Great Kindness Challenge. Students took their school project idea beyond the classroom walls to spread kindness across the City of Manhattan Beach by installing their “Our Stake in Growing Kindness” project at Metlox. On Thursday morning they unveiled their artwork…
Read MoreManhattan Beach Unified School District to Host Kindergarten Information Day
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District is hosting its Annual Kindergarten Information Day designed to help incoming and new families for the 2023-2024 school year with the transition to kindergarten. The program will take place on Saturday, January 21, at Pacific Elementary School from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. and is open to all families…
Read MoreManhattan Beach Unified School Board Members Take Oath of Office
by Hibah Samad Public Information Officer MBUSD The Manhattan Beach Board of Trustees said their farewells to two Board members at the Annual Organization Meeting on Wednesday, December 14. Long-time Board member Jennifer Cochran completed her term after nine years along with Board President Sally Peel who served the Board for four years. It was…
Read MoreNew Life Growing at Meadows Elementary Garden Thanks to Parents
A growing banana tree and sprouting garlic are a few of the exciting milestones students at Meadows Elementary have been able to experience in the community garden nestled next to the school playground. The thriving space is all thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of first-grade parent, Lilian Dunker Cruz. Broccoli, cauliflower, beets, kale, potatoes,…
Read MoreLocal Elementary Students Recognized for Fire Home Escape Plans
Second-graders from all five Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD) elementary schools and American Martyrs were recognized at the recent Manhattan Beach City Council meeting on December 7 as winners of the 2022 Manhattan Beach Fire Department Annual “Home Escape Plan” contest. The City of Manhattan Beach Fire Department has partnered with local schools on…
Read More850 Model UN Delegates From Across Southern California Visit Mira Costa
The nationally-ranked Mira Costa High School Model United Nations (MUN) team hosted the 28th annual Los Angeles Invitational Model United Nations (LAIMUN) conference on December 3 and December 4 with more than 850 delegates in attendance. Students represented nineteen middle and high schools from across the Southern California region. Mira Costa students started to plan…
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