Monrovia Moments 02.06.26 Enjoy these inspiring scho...

Dear Monrovia Unified Community, With the recent board approval of school consolidation behind us, we can now focus fully on the work ahead—making sure our students and staff have the best possible experience during this period of change. This also allows us to place even greater attention on accelerating academic excellence. In recent months, we have reviewed our Dashboard scores and have seen slow yet steady progress. Our students are gaining ground. While districts across California continue to struggle to return to the achievement levels before the pandemic, our students and staff have rolled up their sleeves and done the hard work needed to move forward. As a result, we are now seeing achievement return to pre-COVID levels. This journey has been a long and demanding marathon, but one that has been well worth every ounce of our efforts. Please enjoy this brief look at the wonderful work taking place across our district. Warm regards, Paula Hart Rodas, Ed.D. Superintendent, Monrovia Unified School District Celebrating Academic Achievement Across Monrovia Schools In the most recent Dashboard scores, at the district level, progress is evident. In 2023, English learner progress and ELA were rated yellow, with math at orange. By 2024, ELA improved to meeting standards (green), and in 2025, English learner progress and ELA are both green, with math improving to yellow. These gains indicate that we have now caught up to our pre-COVID performance levels. We are proud of the growth shown in academics, attendance, and overall outcomes—and we remain committed to building on this momentum for all students. Schools across Monrovia Unified are demonstrating meaningful progress with several outstanding bright spots, view more results here: Link to Details Monrovia's Premier Preschool Canyon Early Learning Center (CELC) Videos: Meet the Herr Family Meet the Baurman Family Monrovia's Premier Preschool Principal, Angel Arias, is proud to report a recent parent survey showed exemplary high levels of family satisfaction: 98% of parents strongly agree or agree that CELC effectively communicates curriculum, learning activities, and daily updates about their child. 98% strongly agree or agree that CELC encourages family engagement through events, committees, and volunteer opportunities. 100% of parents strongly agree or agree that they feel welcomed and valued as partners in their child’s learning. 98% strongly agree or agree that CELC provides developmentally appropriate activities that support school readiness, including math and literacy. Angel Arias said, "Families shared that they love CELC’s caring and inclusive environment, strong communication, low student-to-teacher ratios, and the meaningful progress their children make. Many highlighted the supportive staff, smooth morning transitions, and how excited their children are to come to school each day. Parents were surveyed in late fall and early winter to provide confidential feedback about their experiences at Canyon Early Learning Center (CELC). Their responses help guide and strengthen our services." Monrovia Celebrates 100 Years of Black History Month! Art Festival Flyer Available in Spanish Mark your calendar and don't forget to invite family and friends to the Monrovia Elementary Art Festival at the Monrovia Community Center on February 12. The middle schools are also hosting special events. 2/18 Black History Month Event @ Clifton (Details) 2/25 Black History Month Event @ Santa Fe (Details) Check out Activities Underway Across the City Black History Month Community Events Learning New Skills @ Monroe Elementary Three classes of kindergarten students at Monroe Elementary learned some new skills. Teacher Marlen Ordaz was bursting with enthusiasm as she described their recent activity, “We’ve been reading literature about gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, gingerbread cowboys, gingerbread bears, and more. The students then did some baking, they learned about the ingredients, participated in the mixing and pouring, and before lunch they placed one giant gingerbread man in the oven.” After lunch, the students realized the gingerbread people had disappeared from the oven! After hunting for them across the school, at last they found them in a kindergarten classroom. The fun project ended with the children decorating the giant cookies and, of course, eating them. Celebrating 3.0 and 4.0 GPAs The Renaissance Leadership class planned and executed a student rally to celebrate all students who earned a 3.0 GPA or higher during the first semester. The rally featured fun games, recognition of Reflections winners, and energetic performances by the drill team and color guard quads. It was a great way to honor student achievement and school spirit! Thank you to Sara Gutkind for the photo from Clifton Middle school. See more photos on MUSD social media. We Appreciate School Counselors, Security Officers, and Crossing Guards! Monrovia Unified school counselors provide critical academic, social-emotional, and career support to students every day. School Counselor Appreciation Week is underway right now. They serve as trusted advisors, problem solvers, and advocates who help students navigate challenges and plan for their futures. Please take time this week to acknowledge their dedication and impact. Many of MUSD school counselors are pictured above. And... Campus Security Officer Appreciation Day A great day to celebrate security officers is coming up February 15, 2026. Our campus security officers work tirelessly to maintain safe and secure campuses for students, staff, and visitors. Their presence, professionalism, and commitment to creating positive school environments are deeply valued. Please share your gratitude with them for their service and dedication to our school community. Their work makes a difference every single day. Canyon Oaks High School Office Manager Luisa Sanchez asked the District to shine a spotlight on Security Officer Andre Jones-Washington. She said, "Dre is a wonderful and consistently positive presence. He does an exceptional job supporting and engaging with our students, parents, and staff, and his contributions are truly appreciated. " Meet Dre, here is this Spotlight Story. Last But Not Least... We also appreciate the School Grossing Guards! Today is School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day. Our crossing guards ensure the safety of students as they travel to and from school each day. Rain or shine, they are present at busy intersections and crosswalks, providing a reassuring presence and helping our students arrive safely. We are grateful for their vigilance and care. Photo: Crossing Guards from the region, group photo courtesy Monrovia City. Deadline Today For Poetry & Art Event Join us for this inspiring event! Note: The Humanities Academy had an error in an earlier copy of this flyer. There were a few copies of their flyer flying around! :-) We want you to know the correct date for the event is Tuesday, February 24. And yes, today is the last day to sign up to participate. Here is the link to the form. Coming Up Tomorrow Coming Up in March This is something you do not want to miss! Mark your calendar and bring your family to Monrovia High School to see this documentary. Watch the trailer A Trip to the Library In January, Mayflower teachers Mrs. Garcia and Mrs. Glass took their TK students, along with parent volunteers, on a walking field trip to the Monrovia Public Library. They enjoyed several books read outloud by Mr. Josh, the children’s librarian for the day. He also taught us a fun new song called “Bread and Butter,” which playfully explored different ways to say hello. It was such a joy to have this wonderful field trip opportunity right here in our community. Thank you Alicia Glass, Transitional Kindergarten Teacher at Mayflower Elementary, for sharing this adorable photo with all of MUSD. Students Review Ecosystem Interactions Teacher and Science Department Director Trinity Wedgworth shared, "Last week, students set up their aquatic chambers. Students have collected soil data for a couple of weeks. They are measuring Ph., fertility, and temperature of their soil. Their plants are growing beautifully. They also added their detritivores (earthworms, pillbugs, and mealworms) to help cycle nutrients to keep their fertility stable. They are collecting qualitative and quantitative data to determine how abiotic factors change over time and how those factors affect the biotic factors within each chamber." - Photos Courtesy Trinity Wedgworth 100 Days Smarter We’ve officially passed the 100th day of the school year! Our classrooms were filled with creativity and celebration as teachers and staff organized special activities to mark this exciting milestone. Here’s to 100 days of learning, growing, and making memories — and to all the wonderful days still ahead! These fun snapshots are courtesy of Marina Dowling and Caroline Badalian from Mayflower Elementary School. Middle School Consolidation Note: For those of you seeking information regarding the recent Board of Education approval to consolidate the middle schools or to learn more about our efforts to move forward with this change, visit the Community Information page on our website for the latest information and updates.

Friday, Feb 06 2026

Monrovia Moments 12.05.2025 NEW Teacher Feature & St...

Dear Monrovia Unified Community, Wishing you a smooth and successful final week and a half of the semester. Our holiday break will be upon us soon. As I reflect on this past calendar year, I am filled with hope for the future and deep admiration for all we have faced together as a district. From devastating wildfires to the loss of beloved colleagues, we have persevered and weathered each storm with resilience and unity. Amid declining enrollment and budgets stretched to their limits, we are preparing for the difficult responsibility of merging two exceptional middle schools into one. Both schools are extraordinary—vibrant, successful, and truly outstanding in every measure we value. The numbers tell us they are nearly identical in many of the indicators we consider when making such weighty decisions. This is a recommendation for the 2026 - 2027 school year, a consolidation which none of us wanted to face, nor welcomed to our doorstep. We all await the final decision by the Board of Education on December 17. Still, even under the weight of these challenges, our shared commitment to preparing students for college, careers, and life continues to guide and inspire us. The future of our students keeps me moving forward. That is a responsibility worthy of our collective strength. Our next newsletter will arrive in early 2026 after the holiday season. Until then, please enjoy this brief look at the wonderful work taking place across the District. Warm regards, Paula Hart Rodas, Ed.D. Superintendent, Monrovia Unified School District Small-Town Sparkle: Students Light Up the Holiday Parade In true Monrovia style, last night's parade brought neighbors together to cheer on students and others showcasing their talent and sharing spirit along the parade route. With festive lights, lively performances, and warm smiles all around, the evening felt like a celebration that lifted the whole community. As winter settles in, the holiday event brought a burst of energy and hope to our town. Student performers filled the chilly night with music and movement, lifting our hearts and reminding us of the magic this season brings. Don't Miss the Plymouth Dragons Instagram Parade Video More Parade Photos Courtesy Glenna Van Kempen Instagram Reel MHS Debate Team Brings Home Trophies Debate Coach and Social Studies teacher, Brandon Equils, exclaimed, "We started this year with only 3 members on the debate team and after some serious recruiting, we were able to take a whopping 17 students on 11/22 to Claremont Mckenna College (15 of them being novice). I am thrilled to share that even though many of them debated for their first time, they did an amazing job and took home a bunch of trophies and medals!" Here is a list of the students and awards. Allow us to introduce you to Caleb Watson in this video. He has been practicing debate for a few years now and he won second place overall at this multi-school event! Robotics Bring High School & Bradoaks Students Together The Dead Space Robotics Team from Monrovia High School visited Bradoaks Elementary Science Academy, bringing an exciting and hands-on demonstration of robotics in action. They showcased key robotics fundamentals and introduced students to their latest innovation—a device designed to launch balls toward a target bucket. Students from all grade levels had the opportunity to participate, practice their aim, and experience STEM learning in an engaging, interactive way. The visit sparked curiosity, encouraged problem-solving, and gave our future engineers a glimpse into the creativity and teamwork behind competitive robotics. Teacher Feature Ms. Karla Galindo teaches 6th grade in the Dual Immersion Spanish program at Monroe Elementary School. Monroe Principal, Rich Morrison, is shining a spotlight on the great work by Ms. Galindo. He applauds her for excellent work in Social Emotional Learning. Ms. Galinda explains, “SEL is woven into our classroom through daily practices including a Kindness Tracker, Morning Check-Ins, Student Shoutouts, and more.” She includes rewards for positive behavior and many other thoughtful practices that make her classroom an exceptional learning environment.  She has also been teaching the Four Worlds of History, an academic framework in collaboration with USC. It is an analytical tool that helps students explore ancient civilizations and modern societies through four interconnected lenses: Political, Economic, Social, and Cultural. The goal of this strategy is to give students structured, student-driven methods for analyzing complex historical and global issues. It allows them to compare civilizations, understand cause-and-effect relationships, and build strong academic inquiry skills.  Here is a quick glimpse of some of her work in this Teacher Feature video: Workshops and Auditions Coming Soon MUSD Middle Schoolers! Get ready to rock around the clock with Bye Bye Birdie: Youth Edition! Join students from Clifton, Santa Fe and Mountain Park Middle Schools for an unforgettable musical theatre experience filled with catchy songs, big laughs, and tons of school spirit. Whether you love to sing, dance, act, or work behind the scenes, this is YOUR chance to shine under the lights and make memories that’ll last long after the curtain falls! 📅 Rehearsals: Fridays after school 📍 Location: Clifton Middle School 🎶 Open to all 7th & 8th graders in Monrovia Unified! Ready to be part of the show everyone will be talking about? Visit CentreStageInc.com to register for this free experience or talk to your school office to get started! Plymouth Elementary Shares Gratitude Let Plymouth Elementary School add a little joy to your day! These quick student shout-outs of gratitude capture what our learners are thankful for, and their messages are simply beautiful. More MUSD News These short stories above are just a sample of many great learning experiences in progress at MUSD. Do you have an idea for a student success story or a teacher feature? Send it to Susan Thomas at sthomas@monroviaschools.net Follow our social media channels for daily posts and updates.

Friday, Dec 05 2025

Monrovia Moments 11.07.2025 - Teacher Feature, News...

Dear Monrovia Unified Community, Thank you for the thoughtful and passionate feedback we have received from hundreds of community members regarding the proposed consolidation of our two middle schools. We are deeply grateful to everyone across our schools and throughout the Monrovia community who took the time to share their perspectives. In the days ahead, we will analyze the potential impacts, carefully scrutinize the data, and reflect deeply on the input we have received. On November 19, I will present my recommendation to the Board of Education, and the Board is scheduled to make its final decision on December 17. While this consolidation is not a decision we take lightly, it represents a prudent step toward ensuring the long-term fiscal stability of our district. Over the past year - despite significant challenges - we have reduced expenditures, increased revenues, and most importantly, continued to improve student achievement. Our purpose remains steadfast: to support the academic and personal success of every Monrovia student. As we move forward together, I encourage everyone to take a moment to recognize the many positive magical moments happening in our schools - you will see examples of inspiring stories and accomplishments featured in this newsletter. Please enjoy this snapshot of the outstanding work taking place across the Monrovia Unified School District. Warm regards, Paula Hart Rodas, Ed.D. Superintendent, Monrovia Unified School District California Teacher of the Year You'll remember we celebrated Dr. Heather Povinelli as a District Teacher of the Year, and then an LA County Teacher of the Year. Now, she is one of five teachers to achieve this honor across the entire Golden State! She has been featured in multiple news stories recently from LA to Monrovia and across Southern California. Enjoy the news story by ABC 7. Monrovia Unified School District Board President Rob Hammond said, “The State of California will now know what we in Monrovia have known for years, Dr. Heather Povinelli is not only a great teacher but a great advocate for student success. On behalf of the Board of Education, and our entire community, we extend our congratulations to Dr. Povinelli on being named California Teacher of the Year.” New: Flag Football & Cheer The Monrovia Unified School District has launched two new athletic programs uniquely for sixth graders. The students are building skills, learning sportsmanship, and having fun with coed flag football and cheer. Alejandra Carbajal and her daughter had a great time at a flag football game this week. Her sixth grader is part of the new cheer squad. She is a big fan of the new sports available at the elementary schools for the sixth graders. The Monrovia Unified School District collaborated with the Boys and Girls Club of the Foothills to add these popular new programs. Monrovia Schools Earn the Honor Roll The Education Results Partnership has selected Mayflower and Plymouth Elementary Schools to receive statewide recognition. These two schools received the Star Award as successful schools based on high academic achievement. The statewide partnership also recognizes districts and has named the Monrovia Unified School District a Star Award recipient. Superintendent Dr. Paula Hart Rodas said, “Congratulations to our dedicated teachers and staff at our schools as well as our hard working team at the district. Awards like the Honor Roll remind us that we are making steady progress! In every decision we make, we are focused on ensuring our students become educated, capable, and confident adults. I applaud our teachers, staff, and students who show up every single day and do their very best.”     What is the Honor Roll?   The annual Honor Roll, presented by Educational Results Partnership (ERP), is part of the national Campaign for Business and Education Excellence. The Campaign engages business leaders in recognizing successful schools and educational systems that are preparing students with the fundamental skills needed to be successful in the workforce and in life. For ten years ERP has presented the Honor Roll--the only school recognition program presented in partnership with state and local business leaders, using solely objective student achievement data as the criteria for recognition. The goal of the Honor Roll is to find and highlight successful schools and districts and encourage collaboration among educators on best practices for raising student achievement. The 2025 California Honor Roll was announced during October. Way to Go, Plymouth Elementary! Special Education Teacher Feature Shannon Waddell is a Special Education Teacher. She started working in the preschool and is now at Monrovia High School. Her advice about working with these children is to, "See them as a child first... and as a child with unique needs second." She tells us that MHS is a truly inclusive place. She loves going to work every day, even after 20 years. She loves her job, her colleagues, school and most of all, her students. Monrovia Unified School District is honored to celebrate her excellent work. She creates magical moments in her classroom as well as leading these young men and women into the community. Her students' participation working with Kymberly Hirst on the Monrovia High School coffee cart (and other job opportunities) gives them real world experience that will benefit them throughout their lives. Monrovia High School Students worked in groups to create posters that explained how a specific theme was present in the memoir Night by Elie Wiesel. English Teacher Alyssia Munoz explained the posters included the theme, quotes, and an image that represented the theme. After working in teams on this project, the 10th grade students presented their work to the class. Hamlet Studies in AP Literature Ms. Swava Stengel's AP Literature classes engaged in thoughtful discussions about the play Hamlet through the Socratic Seminar method. They were given questions to prepare on ahead of time and allowed only their notes and books during the Socratic Seminar. Most importantly, students are encouraged to use specific evidence to support their claims and opinions about the play. They thoughtfully discussed Shakespeare's and their own ideas on madness, action versus thoughtfulness, tragic heroes, and the pursuit of revenge. They did an amazing job! Monrovia Community Adult School The medical programs continue to get some of the best results in the San Gabriel Valley! Our first Certified Nurses Assistant cohort has completed its course of study. We are proud to report that all students passed their exams, and nearly all of them have secured work or internships in the industry. Next, we are launching the first construction cohort, nearly 100% funded by the American Job Center of California. The program supports underserved populations. Thank you to Habitat for Humanity for their collaboration. NASA, Clifton, and AVID Clifton Middle School students researched and toured NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). They learned what JPL does, the history behind the lab, and the types of careers available at JPL. It's their third field trip this year. They've toured Azusa Pacific University and attended a UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl. Next semester, they will visit more college campuses. Their teacher, Amanda Alfieri, is with the Clifton Middle School Math Department and she is the AVID site coordinator. What's AVID? The Advancement Via Individual Determination is a college readiness elective program that teaches students academic and organizational skills to help them succeed in rigorous courses and prepare for college. Learn more. Santa Fe AVID Students at CSULB The AVID students from Santa Fe Computer Science Magnet School took a trip to visit California State University Long Beach. College tours are a critical part of the AVID program. They provide students with the opportunities to visit university campuses near by. It's also fun to share our alma maters with students (Ms. Bustos graduated from Long Beach in 2017). Red Ribbon Week & Drug Prevention At Monrovia High School, students had an option to attend a presentation about drug and substance use prevention. The organizers of the event were pleasantly surprised by the large audiences! Participation was optional, yet 450 students signed up to listen to the presentations. In this video you will see a brief two minutes of the multiple presentations that were given. We all know, most presentations are not riveting but this one was pretty amazing. more Santa Fe Art Students Immerse Themselves in Art at the Getty Villa Santa Fe art students recently visited the Getty Villa, where they admired exquisite artworks and sculptures while learning from the museum’s knowledgeable guides. The brief but meaningful trip allowed students to experience art firsthand and gain insight into its history and beauty. It was an inspiring experience that deepened their appreciation for art and creativity. More photos by Kaitlin Bustos Brighten Someone's Day During November, you are invited to send a quick thank you to any MUSD staff member. Last year more than one thousand people sent beautiful messages to our educators! Let’s break that record. What a simple yet meaningful way to brighten the day of a hard working teacher or any member of the dedicated teams at the schools or district. It is quick and easy to do. Send your note by following the QR code or this link. We thank you in advance for taking part in this “Season of Gratitude.”  More MUSD News These short stories above are just a sample of many great learning experiences in progress at MUSD. Do you have an idea for a student success story or a teacher feature? Send it to Susan Thomas at sthomas@monroviaschools.net Follow our social media channels for daily posts and updates.

Friday, Nov 07 2025