The MPUSD Insider is the weekly internal newsletter for MPUSD all staff.
Of Interest to Staff
Rental Opportunity in Marina-A small studio rental in Marina is now available. The space was previously rented by a Marina High School staff member for the past four years and recently became available. If you or someone you know is looking for housing in the area, please see the attached flyer for additional details and contact information. Please note: This is a community listing shared as a courtesy and is not affiliated with MPUSD.
Attention Classified Staff and Classified Management - Open Enrollment for the 2027 benefit year runs November 2–17, 2026. This is your opportunity to review your health coverage and make changes to your benefit elections. Medical plan changes must be completed by November 17. Visit the 2027 Benefits Open Enrollment website for plan details, rates and enrollment information. Want more information? Refer to the email from Berenice Garcia sent October 27 at 1:01 p.m. Questions? Email Berenice at begarcia@mpusd.k12.ca.us. Note: Certificated staff have already completed their open enrollment through CalPERS.
ICYMI: Teacher and Staff Rosters on School Websites - In case you missed it, we've added teacher and staff rosters to each MPUSD school website! (Los Arboles Middle School is the exception as we work to obtain an updated roster.) The rosters are connected to ParentSquare and automatically pull information from our district systems, including Escape, Synergy and LDAP. Want to update how your information appears?You can make updates directly through your ParentSquare account, including:
Add or update your photo
Customize your job title to make it more specific. For example, instead of "TEACHER," "Teacher Elementary" or "Teacher RSP," you can change it to "4th Grade Teacher" or another title that better reflects your role.
How to make changes:Follow these ParentSquare instructions to update your profile. You can also refer to the email sent by Marci McFadden on Friday at 8:40 a.m. for step-by-step screenshots showing how to make these changes. PLEASE NOTE: Changes will not appear immediately. Allow overnight for the information to sync and appear on your school website.
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. New this year: Superintendent Diffenbaugh has been visiting staff highlighted in the MPUSD Way and giving them a certificate and personally thanking them for all they do. Take the opportunity to recognize your peers.
Learn Something New Every Day and Improve With Purpose - Shout-out to the Seaside High School Book Club members for dedicating time to learning, reflecting and collaborating. Through their study of two books focused on instructional equity and supporting multilingual learners, these educators explored ways to strengthen rigor, equity and student agency in their classrooms. Thank you to Olivia Castro, Juliana Schuster, Graciela Witt, Michelle Chen, Kimber Peake, Crystal Yang, Raquel Figueroa, Desiree Perez and Selene Ogden for modeling the MPUSD Way by learning something new every day, improving with purpose and inspiring collaboration!
Every Person Matters and We're Better Together - At Central Coast High School, staff continue to demonstrate what it means to go above and beyond for students and one another. Shoutout to Nicole Esteybar (Chef), whose creativity, dedication and heart are behind the school's student-run coffee shop. From helping students design and build the space to preparing homemade cinnamon rolls, cookies and special treats for guests, Chef brings people together in ways that extend far beyond the classroom. We're also celebrating Kimberly Moir, who keeps everything running smoothly behind the scenes, managing logistics, organizing details and making sure nothing falls through the cracks. And a thank-you to Chantelle Cafferata for her leadership in organizing the school's Cars and Coffee event, bringing people together to celebrate the CCHS community.
Improve With Purpose - Thank youDavid Swartz, ERWC (Expository, Reading, and Writing Curriculum) teacher at Monterey High School, for his leadership and dedication to high-quality instruction. David recently led the districtwide ERWC benchmark scoring process, coordinating assessments, identifying anchor papers and refining the scoring rubric. His thoughtful preparation created opportunities for teachers to collaborate, examine student work and strengthen instructional practices.
Every Person Matters - Thomas Schultzfrom our Informational Technologyteam consistently goes above and beyond to support MPUSD staff. Whether responding to Helpdesk requests, troubleshooting technical issues or helping with equipment, Thomas brings professionalism, patience and a positive attitude to every interaction. His responsiveness, follow-through and commitment to finding solutions, even when challenges take extra time, make a difference every day.
Districtwide News
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. The team will be honored in December at CSBA's Annual Education Conference.
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.
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 they 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.
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
THIS SATURDAY: Earn Saturday Academy Credit @ Monterey Peninsula College Family STEM Day - Join the Monterey Peninsula College annual Family STEM Day on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 10 am - 2 pm. Be sure to check in at the MPUSD table to earn Saturday Academy credit for your child(ren).
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.
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. Early release schedules will be in effect all week (November 16 - 20).
Board of Education
Board of Education - The Board of Education met last week. If you missed the meeting and want to know what actions the Board took, you may read Board Highlights or watch Spotlight on Board Highlights below. The next meeting is on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at the District Services Center.
Hot Off the Reel
Coffee and Cars at Central Coast High School - Community, collaboration and a love of cars came together last week's 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.
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 | November Art Available - Much of the art for the month of November 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.
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.
