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Recent News

Reopening of Schools Districtwide Town Hall

MPUSD welcomes students and staff back to school in person, five days a week on Wednesday, August 4. The district hosts a virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, July 28 in English (5 p.m.) and Spanish (6 p.m.) to learn more.

Reconfiguration and Consolidation of MPUSD Schools

On Tuesday, June 22, 2021, the Board of Education discussed and approved the timeline for the reconfiguration of MPUSD schools.

Best of Monterey Bay Family Guide: School is in Session

HOT OFF THE PRESS: The Best of Monterey Bay Family Guide 2021-2022 published by the Monterey County Weekly is in the field. Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh engages in a Q & A with reporter Celia Jiménez. (Publication is not available online. Provided is a PDF copy.)

MPUSD Makes Move to Keep 6th Grade at Elementary Level Beginning in 2021-22

On Tuesday, February 9, 2021, our Board of Education discussed and approved the decision making timeline for the reconfiguration and consolidation of MPUSD schools. You may recall last school year the district convened a Vision 2025+ Task Force and engaged stakeholders in multiple community engagement meetings and surveys about the future of our schools. One of the key focus areas was whether or not to maintain 6th grade at the elementary school level.

Community Meetings: Reconfiguration & Consolidation of Schools

MPUSD continues its path toward implementing a transitional kindergarten - grade 6 model in the 2021-22 school year, as well as TK - Grade 8 models, attendance boundaries, and school consolidations in 2022-23. The district held virtual staff meetings with various schools at the end of January and early February, and hosted stakeholder engagement in community meetings in February. The PowerPoint and video archive may be found by clicking the headline.

UPDATE: Free Food for Families Locations

Due to traffic congestion at Seaside High, our partners at All in Monterey and The Food Bank of Monterey County, the Free Food for Families program has changed slightly. Mondays will be at Seaside High and Wednesdays will be at Monterey Peninsula College. See updated flyer.

January 27 Town Hall Archives and PowerPoint Presentation

The district offered a Town Hall to the community on the state of the community health, update on future in-person instruction, and reconfiguration/consolidation of elementary schools. PowerPoint and video archive are now available.

Free Food Boxes for Families

LIMITED TIME: Thanks to a grant from the USDA, for the next five weeks (beginning week of January 25 through February 22) MPUSD will offer free food boxes to its families. You will recall this option was available for a brief period late last year. Thank you USDA for your support!

Important Notification: California Healthy Youth Act

We want to make you aware that California state law, the California Healthy Youth Act, (CHYA), requires that comprehensive sexual health education and HIV prevention education be provided to students at least once in middle school or junior high school and once in high school, starting in grade 7. Due to COVID-19, we have incorporated CHYA instruction for the 2020-21 school year for 7th, 8th and 10th grade students. Students in 9th grade will also receive instruction (Health Smart curriculum from ETR publication) as part of their Freshman Seminar Health and Wellness course.

Walter Colton YouTube Channel

Come check out our new YouTube Channel for all the latest information at Walter Colton Middle.

UPDATED: Grab & Go Meals

The federal government has updated its regulations, and families are now able to access Grab & Go Meals without having to present student's name or student ID. Students do not have to be present for families to receive meals. Students must be 18 years and under.

2020-21 Bell Schedule

Walter Colton's 2020-21 Bell Schedule is now available.

Superintendent's Message for the 2020-21 School Year

The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District is pleased to welcome new and returning students, and families to 2020-21 school year. We know this year is certainly unique. We have appreciated your input and patience throughout the summer months as we planned for this school year. As a system we're committed to ensure that we provide the support necessary to overcome any barrier that might get in the way of your child's success.

2020-21 School Year Message from the Superintendent

Take two minutes to hear from Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh about the start up of the 2020-21 school year.

Message from Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh on the 2020-21 School Year

Last night, the Board of Education voted, on my recommendation, that the new school year start in full Distance Learning only. This decision was difficult to make as we know that the best place for students is at school. (Click headline to read more.)

2020-21 School Year Information

As you know, all MPUSD schools will open the 2020-2021 school year in a Distance Learning model. We are committed to ensuring that students continue to experience the care and commitment of our staff and the routine of daily learning, even in full Distance Learning. (Click headline to read more.)

ARCHIVES: July 15 & 16 Town Halls

Take a minute to hear from Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh about the planning for the start of the 2020-21 school year, as well as sign up for a Town Hall to hear information and next steps.

ARCHIVES: Reopening of Our Schools Community Meetings

The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District initiated an internal Task Force to begin exploring the reopening of our schools in the 2020-21 school year based on the new guidelines released from the California Department of Education and the California Department of Public Health. The guidelines require schools to consider hybrid schedules in order to limit the total number of students on campus at one time and ensure that students are kept at least 6 feet apart where practical. MPUSD held four community Town Hall meetings to provide information, answer questions and to hear input from families.

Monterey County Herald: Guest Editorial PK Diffenbaugh: State Budget Must Reflect Our Values: Invest in Schools

Educators will be forced to overcome this budget challenge — offering services despite the lack of adequate resources. We shouldn’t have to. It is a reflection of our societal values that we continue to underfund our schools while relying on them to be the primary institution responsible for meeting the needs of our most vulnerable populations. Read more in this weekend's Monterey County Herald (click headline link).

Mental Health Resources

We know this is a difficult time for our entire community. I will serve you all to the best of my abilities. Please know that I will get back to you within 24 hours Monday-Friday. If you need to reach out to support during that time frame, please utilize the crisis lines available: Call 1-800-273-8255 or Text: Connect to 74174.

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Message from our Principal

Summer 2019

Dear Walter Colton Middle School Families,

Welcome to the 2019-20 school year! It is an exciting time at Walter Colton Middle School and I am pleased to partner with you, your child, and our staff to provide a wonderful experience at WCMS this year.

Upon completion of my first year at Walter Colton Middle School I can say genuinely I love this age and stage. Middle school students face the challenges of developing independence and individuality, wrestling with a growing need to be a part of a social family outside of the home and physical and emotional maturation. In spite of all they are going through they are resilient, eager, funny and quirky beings. Each day brings a brand new opportunity to help them navigate this period of great changes.

As an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program candidate school, we are working to prepare students for full participation in an increasingly globalized world. It includes courses in all traditional subject matter taught in a way to guide students to deeper, more student-driven, interdisciplinary exploration into issues, questions and problems of global importance. The Middle Years Program shapes curriculum, teaching, and assessment into an inquiry based learning experience, and consists of eight subject groups integrated through five interactive areas providing global contexts for learning. The goal of the Middle Years Program is to create citizens equipped to develop original ideas while being cognizant of the ethical and cultural impact of their actions.

It is a great honor to lead Walter Colton and serve our students, families and staff. I am a collaborator, a listener, and will hold high expectations for students and staff to ensure academic success for your child.

My door is always open to you. Feel free to contact our office at (831) 649-1951 or email me at jkevorkian@mpusd.net

Sincerely,

Joan Kevorkian

Principal, Walter Colton Middle School

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