Dear Mt. Pleasant Community, 

Collaboration among students, educators and families is fundamental in the efforts to advance the education of our students. 

As we approach the end of the school year, I look forward to celebrating our students as they take the next step in their academic experience. It is never too early to start thinking about college, and I encourage families to learn about San Jose State University’s Spartan East Side Promise and the higher education opportunities it provides for students in our community. 

The support parents and guardians provide to students at home is so crucial during this special time of state testing known as the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP). These exams are one of the tools we have to assess the retention of knowledge of our students. 



Please remember the importance of attending school every day. Parents and guardians can help create a strong routine of daily attendance by being active in their students’ education. Students who are at school every day perform better academically in middle school and are more likely to graduate from high school. 

We appreciate your partnership with MPESD! 

Sincerely, 

Dr. Elida MacArthur 

Superintendent 

Please watch a special message from Dr. MacArthur

There are negative, long-term impacts to students when they stop attending school regularly. It is important for parents and guardians to understand the importance of attending class every day. Parents and guardians can help keep students in school by modeling a sense of responsibility and pride regarding being in school, behaving well, and taking charge of academic achievement. Parents and guardians are the most influential role models children have. Please share the significance of attending school with your child. Here are tips you can follow to start good school habits. 

Build routines:  

Establish a routine of daily attendance by preparing clothes the night before or by setting a regular bedtime to help make getting to school easier. Establishing these routines at an early age can help reduce stress, build self-confidence and lay a foundation for good attendance in later grades! 

Increase engagement: 

Attending school every day helps students grow in their social and emotional learning as they develop relationships with peers and school staff. 

Utilize school resources: 

By going to class daily, students can access valuable resources, from meals and mental health support to fun enrichment activities, both in school and after school, to promote growth and learning. 

Support learning: 

Regular attendance is often an indicator of higher academic performance. Students who are at school every day perform better academically in middle school and are more likely to graduate from high school. Hands-on activities & meaningful interactions with teachers & other peers can improve learning. 

Summer is almost here! We are using academic data and teacher input to identify the students who will be invited to our summer program. Priority will go to students who are English language learners, eligible for free or reduced lunch, and foster youth. Invitations were sent home with students between March 27th to April 7th. 

All students that are invited to our Summer School Program have the option to arrive as early as 7:00 am and stay until 4:00 pm in our Extended Care program at no cost. After July 12th, those who attended summer school have the option to participate in Summer Camp until July 27th at no cost. 

Summer School Program dates:  

•  Academic Instruction & Extended Care: June 14th-July 12th (closed 6/19 & 7/4) 
•  Students may remain for full-day Robotics from July 13th-27th. 

Summer School Program times: 

• Our doors will be open at 7:00am -8:00am for Extended Care. 
• Academic Instruction 8:00am-12:00pm 
• Extended Care 12:00-4:00pm 

Summer Camp 8:30 am - 3:00 pm 

• July 13th - 27th for students who attended Summer School Program 
• June 14th- 27th for students who register who are not invited to Summer School Program and out of district families. 
• Extended care for MPESD students 7:00 am - 8:00 am & 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm 

Program and Grade Levels 

• Math Elevate: Incoming 3rd - 8th 
• CSI201 and CSI202: New and returning students to CSI program
• Reading/Writing: Currently enrolled incoming K – 6^th 
• Newcomers Classes: All Grades 
• SPED Extended Year: Determined by IEP Team through the Special Education Department 

If your child was not invited to attend our summer program, you may apply for Summer Camp for June 14th - July 27th. There is no cost for currently enrolled MPESD students. 

For *Summer Camp Registration, please click here

*Contingent on space availability. You will be contacted if your child has been enrolled.  

Please note: If your child was invited to the Academic Instruction part of the day, they are required to attend Academic Instruction in order to participate in Summer Camp.  

Providing support to students at home is a key part of the efforts to help them do their best with testing. Evaluating students' progress is a process that requires their concentration and commitment. Please see below some tips that can be helpful to support your student! 

The Spartan East Side Promise Program (SESP) is San Jose State University's dedicated support service for East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD) students from the time of college exploration through college graduation.  

We encourage our MPESD families who will be ESUHSD students to check out this program and the opportunities it provides to access higher education! Nayeli Abundis Mora, a proud MPESD alumni and a student at San Jose State University, shared her story and the inspiration she received from our educators. Please read below! 



Being a student at MPESD instilled in me the importance of furthering my education and striving towards success. At Ida Jew Academy, I learned a lot, not only related to the core classes, but also about time management, long term study habits, and not being afraid to ask for help. This was all due to the support and guidance I got from my teachers. To this day, I keep in touch with my teachers from elementary school and try to encourage their students to pursue higher education. Teacher support helped me be able to create positive study habits that I continue to follow now that I am a senior at San Jose State University. The education I got at Ida Jew Academy inspires me to encourage students to pursue a higher education because everyone is deserving of doing so. Instilling study habits and a love for learning starts at a young age, which is why I believe it is important to get students familiarized with the topic of higher education.  

Thank you, Nayeli! Congratulations! 

Early Learning starts at 3 years old! Serving families in the East Foothills in San Jose, we promote a love of learning by providing a high-quality education in a safe and joyful environment. Our ALAS Dual Language Immersion program in English and Spanish (an educational model designed to provide students with fluency and literacy in two languages) nurtures the academic and social experiences for bilingual students in TK-8th grade, where they thrive under the leadership of our amazing, accredited teachers. We work towards diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in a collaborative setting. 

Our programs include:  

Early Education: Preschool (ages 3+), TK and Kinder 

ALAS - Dual Language Immersion Program in Spanish 

Extended Learning: Before and after school care, and summer school 

Sunrise Club - Before School Care 

MPAS - After School Program 

Intervention/Tutoring support 

Sports (indoors and outdoors) 

Visual and Performing Arts/Theater 

Instrumental Music (Band) 

STEAM, Science and Technology 

AVID - Career & College Readiness 

Instruction by highly trained, experienced certificated teachers 

Our School Sites: 

August Boeger Middle School: 6th-8^th grade. 1944 Flint Avenue. (408) 223-3770  

Ida Jew Academy STEAM Program: TK-8th grade and 6th-8^th grade ALAS Dual Immersion Program. 1966 Flint Avenue. (408) 223-3750  

Valle Vista Elementary School: TK-5th grade. 1966 Flint Avenue. (408) 223-3750 

Mt. Pleasant STEAM Academy / IJA ALAS Dual Immersion Pre K-5th grade: 14275 Candler. (408) 258-6451  

Robert Sanders Elementary School: Pre K-5th grade. 3411 Rocky Mountain Drive. (408) 258-7288  

To Enroll: 

Preschool: Linda Marqueda, lmarqueda@mpesd.org, (408) 223-3785 

TK-8th Grade Enrollment: Contact school site. 

During July 2023: Carlene Valenti, cvalenti@mpesd.org, 

(408) 223-3730 

Visit us for more information at mpesd.org 

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) are core values at MPESD. We are committed to creating an anti-racist, compassionate and inclusive school culture where every individual is treated with dignity in our diverse community. Our DEIB lessons being shared in April are about National Deaf History Month, National Arab American Heritage Month, National Autism Acceptance Month, Passover and Easter. The character trait being recognized is Empathy. 

For the month of May, the lessons will focus on Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Jewish American Heritage Month, Mental Health Awareness, Cinco de Mayo, Mother's Day, Memorial Day. The character traits being recognized are Fairness and Equity. 

If there are questions or you are interested in learning more about DEIB, please reach out to your school to further the conversation. Thank you for supporting an inclusive school community! 

Supporting our students’ education and the school community in a welcoming and positive environment is so rewarding! Are you or someone you know interested in becoming part of Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District? MPESD is hiring for a variety of roles!  

Our small school district provides a warm and caring environment for students, staff, parents and guardians. Families know each other and are invested in the success of our schools. Our district is committed to making a positive impact in the lives of our students, and leadership is consistently focused on teaching the whole child. 

Growth opportunities are available for everyone. Education opportunities are available to employees who are interested in becoming teachers, and there are opportunities for teachers to study for an additional credential. As employees earn college units, their salaries are increased as they reach specific landmarks. And as employees show their dedication and skill set, they are rewarded by assuming higher positions within and above their classifications. 

MPESD is an opportunity to be part of a community dedicated to making a difference in the lives of students. The district offers employees a generous welfare and benefits package and an excellent state pension plan, and there are many job opportunities available in our school district that do not require a college degree. 

 

We invite you to learn more on EdJoin or connect with our Personnel Office at (408) 233-3720. 

Our Board of Trustees will meet May 10, 2023.  

The job of the Board of Trustees includes the following: 

• Setting the vision and goals for the district 
• Adopting policies that give the district direction to set priorities and achieve its goals 
• Hiring and evaluating the superintendent 
• Adopting and overseeing the annual budget 
• Managing the collective bargaining process for employees of the district 

To learn more about these sessions, please visit our website.  

Watch our April 19, 2023 Board meeting here.