The MPUSD Insider is the weekly internal newsletter for MPUSD all staff.
Of Interest to Staff
Celebrating National Principals Month - October is National Principals Month and we proudly celebrate our incredible principals who lead, inspire and support our school communities every day. From supporting teachers and connecting with families to cheering on students and creating welcoming school environments, our principals wear many hats (and always have their walkie-talkies close by). Take an opportunity to recognize your school's principal this month! Read more about National Principals Month.
YouthTruth Survey - Each fall, MPUSD participates in the YouthTruth Survey, giving students, families, teachers and staff an opportunity to share feedback about what is working well and where we can improve. The 2026 YouthTruth Survey will take place September 28 through October 30. Students, teachers and staff will participate in surveys designed for their experiences, while families have their own unique survey. MPUSD staff who are also parents/guardians: While you will participate in the staff survey for the school site where you work, we also hope you will complete the family survey for the school site(s) your child(ren) attend. Your perspective in both roles is valuable!
MPUSD Way
Know Someone Living the MPUSD Way? Don't keep it a secret!See a student, colleague, team, or volunteer making a difference? Let us know! Share a few sentences or bullet points and we’ll do the rest. Submit an MPUSD Way recognition.
Every Person Matters - We recognize Acela Reyes, a counselor at Seaside High School, for consistently going above and beyond to support her students. Acela builds meaningful relationships and ensures students feel seen, supported and encouraged throughout their high school journey. She is especially dedicated to helping newcomer students navigate a new school environment, connect with resources, and develop a strong sense of belonging. Her compassion, advocacy, and commitment to student success make a lasting difference in the lives of those she serves.
Improve with Purpose - Kudos to Micha James, M.S., RDN, MPUSD's Director of Nutrition Services, for her leadership and commitment to improving the quality of meals served to our students. Under Micha's leadership, Nutrition Services has focused on offering fresher, more nutritious, higher-quality foods while reducing artificial ingredients and highly processed options whenever possible. Just as important, she is committed to making healthy meals appealing, accessible and enjoyable for students. Her vision and dedication are helping reshape how we nourish our students, demonstrating that school meals can be both nutritious and delicious.
We're Better Together- Shout out to Andrea Diaz, Alex Dorantes, Ana Lozano, Mayra Castillo, Moises Rico and Alicia Ashby from our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) team for stepping up to support schools across the district. These team members go above and beyond, lending their time and expertise to help colleagues provide students with important suicide prevention education and resources. Their flexibility, collaboration and commitment to student well-being helped ensure this vital information reached students across multiple school sites. Thank you for supporting one another, putting students first and demonstrating that We’re Better Together!
Districtwide News
Know Someone Who Would Be a Great Addition to the MPUSD Team | Classified Job Fair This Saturday - We’re growing our MPUSD team and we hope you can help us spread the word! If you know a parent, guardian, family member, friend or community member looking for a job, encourage them to join us for MPUSD’s Classified Job Fair on Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the MPUSD District Services Center in Del Rey Oaks. We’re hiring for a variety of high-demand positions, including behavior technicians, after-school program leaders, nutrition service assistants, early learning assistants, school site clerical/administrative positions, custodial substitutes and clerical substitutes. Share the opportunity with someone you know. Walk-ins are welcome or pre-register at the.mpusd.net/2026jobfair.
Celebrating our MPUSD School Administrators- This week, the Week of the School Administrator, October 12 - 18, let's celebrate 49 administrators whose leadership and dedication support students, staff and families every day. From teaching and learning to student services, nutrition, transportation, technology, facilities and more, these leaders help keep our schools running and create opportunities for students to succeed. Read more about the many roles our administrators play across MPUSD.
Celebrating National School Lunch Week - This week, October 12 - 16, is National School Lunch Week. MPUSD celebrates the important role nutritious school meals play in helping students learn, grow and thrive. A special thank you to our dedicated Nutrition Services team for preparing and serving meals that fuel learning and student success every day. Read more about National School Lunch Week.
MPUSD Community Updates - Each week on Saturdays at 10 am, the district sends out a weekly MPUSD Community Updates. If information is pertinent to all staff we pull it into The MPUSD Insider, but in case you would like to see the actual community/family publication we shared over the weekend, you may check it out here. Did you know, we also publicize it exclusively in Spanish and send to our designated Spanish language families (noted in ParentVue/Synergy) in case families are not able to access the Spanish translated version from the English version.
Information to Share with Families
Preschool Tours | October 17 - Interested in learning more about MPUSD Preschool? Families are invited to tour our preschool programs on October 17 and see our learning environments, meet staff, and learn more about what MPUSD Preschool has to offer. Tours will be available at three of our locations at the Seaside Child Development Center, Dual Language Academy of the Monterey Peninsula Preschool, and Monterey Child Development Center at scheduled times throughout the afternoon. Please RSVP in advance so our preschool team can plan for your visit and provide the best experience for participating families. Visit preschool.mpusd.net to learn more or call 831-392-3456.
Board of Education
Special Location | October 13 Meeting - The next Board of Education meets this evening - Tuesday, Octber 13 - in the community at Monterey High School. Open sessions begins at 6:30 p.m. The agenda may be found here. We will not have the AMP-TV alternative; however, we will have Zoom available. We hope to see you in person at Monterey High or via Zoom. If you miss the meeting, you can check out Board Highlights later this evening or Spotlight on Board Highlights later this week.
Hot Off the Reel
Why do our Seaside Middle School scholars show up every day? - From seeing friends and connecting with teachers to learning something new and working toward their goals, our scholars have plenty of reasons to show up. Hear directly from our Seaside Middle School students about what motivates them to come to school each day.
Reminders: Info in Previous Editions Worthy of Repeat
Once a Student. Always MPUSD. - Some of the individuals shaping the future of MPUSD once sat in our classrooms themselves. Through our MPUSD Legacy Employee Program, we’re celebrating employees who attended MPUSD schools as students and later returned to serve our students and community as educators, leaders and support staff. Legacy employees will receive a special gold MPUSD Legacy Pin recognizing their full-circle journey and lifelong connection to our district. If you attended an MPUSD school and now work for the district, complete our Legacy Employee form so we can recognize and celebrate you. More on our website.
MPUSD Branded Art for Use | October Art Available - Much of the art for the month of October is now available in the Communications share drive. As a reminder, the main folder of all art is HERE. Please feel free to use for your communications.
MPUSD District and School Logos - We often get asked for images of the district or school logos. They are in this folder in case you need them. If you don't see what you need, reach out to the Communications department. P.S. - reorder of school logo stickers are coming to your school site soon.
Help Us Spotlight Your School or Classroom - If you don’t tell us, we don’t know! Help us showcase the great things happening across MPUSD from classroom activities and student celebrations to staff highlights, special events and community partnerships. Have something coming up? Submit each event individually using our School Event Form so our Communications team can track opportunities and, when possible, stop by to capture the moment. Can’t have us there? No problem, we always welcome your photos and videos so we can help share your story.
