Menlo Park City School District

08/28/2026

Students at Laurel's Upper Campus viewed a very special film in Squirrel Session today. Third grade teacher Dana Russell wrote a book called Mocha, A Loyal and Loving Cat about her remarkable pet and the power of their connection. Mutual Rescue made her story into a film, including footage from Ms. Russell's classroom in 2025. Check out Mocha's and Dana's story:

Two stray cats, Mocha and Freddie, were taken in by Dana Russell, a teacher struggling with the unexpected loss of her husband. Based on their mutual rescue, she wrote a children’s book to inspire her young students to consider adopting companion animals at appropriate times in their lives.

08/21/2026

We are back! It's day two and MPCSD is on its way to a great year! Backpacks hung, bikes parked, food ready, classrooms set, campuses clean, office teams welcoming. But most importantly, students are being greeted by name and the sounds of children engaging, exploring, and having fun are back on our campuses. Here's to a wonderful 2026-27 full of learning, connection, and growth.

08/04/2026

Hey, rising high school freshmen and families, our friends at SafeSpace have a great resource for you! Check out this "High School, Debunked" webinar and start the new year strong!

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/high-school-debunked

06/13/2026

And that's a wrap! With 281 new high schoolers graduated from Hillview today the MPCSD school year is officially over. Known for their kindness, inclusivity, and dedication to service, this Hillview class will go far! They celebrated with the best kept secret in town, a circus-themed party hosted by the PTO. Congratulations, students and families. Enjoy the summer, MPCSD!

06/12/2026

Celebrating our retirees at the final school board meeting of the year. This group of professionals brought their talents to the MPCSD community and we are all better for it. Thank you and congratulations on your incredible careers!

06/05/2026

Last night the MPCSD School Board was honored to receive the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation's annual grant for the 2026-27 school year! What an accomplishment and testament to our community's support and partnership. Thank you to each and every volunteer, donor, business partners, and the entire staff at MPAEF! From the One Community Campaign, to the w**e walk, to the Spring Auction, the Schoolhouse Rocks Run & Festival, and all the ongoing individual outreach, it takes a year-long heroic effort to be able to grant the district nearly $4M, which will be deployed to continue providing an excellent education at our beloved schools. THANK YOU!

05/20/2026

Thank you Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation for another great day of community in support of our schools! Shout out to all the participants and volunteers who rocked it, as always 🏃‍♀️‍➡️🏃‍➡️🏃‍♂️‍➡️🏅
https://machronicle.com/schoolhouse-rocks-5k-and-fun-run-lights-up-the-community/

05/08/2026

We had fun and learned so much with our Superintendents for the Day class. We visited Menlo Park's city center, met police officers and city staff, and learned how kids can get involved with civic life, too! Our young superintendents also learned the most important ingredient needed to make a school district run: TEAMWORK!

04/29/2026

It was a pleasure to celebrate two district administrators of the year with ACSA Region 5 (San Mateo and San Francisco counties) on Friday! Congratulations to Superintendent of the Year Kristen Gracia and Business Services Administrator of the Year Jackie Chen. As Superintendent Gracia said in her remarks, it take a special crew working together towards a shared vision to make a difference for students, staff, families and community. Proud and grateful to be part of the exceptional Menlo Park and Atherton community.

04/27/2026

Hey MPCSD, it's time to Dine Out for our schools! Bon Appetit!

Thank you to all the local restaurants who support this initiative!

Next week is MPAEF’s Spring Dine Out Week (Monday April 27th - Friday May 1st)! 🌮🍱🍕

Please remember to order directly from the restaurants (orders via DoorDash, UberEats, or GrubHub do not apply) and mention “MPAEF” to restaurant staff.

When you dine with our participating restaurants, they will donate 10-25% of the proceeds to support our MPCSD schools (Encinal, Laurel, Oak Knoll, and Hillview). It’s a win-win for everyone!

For more info, please visit MPAEF.org/dine-out.