Dear Manzanita Community,

As many of you know, Manzanita School is currently undertaking an exciting brand and messaging process to better communicate what makes the school distinctive, the experience it provides, and the impact it has on students.

We are partnering with Mission Minded, a strategy and branding firm that works with mission-driven organizations to help them clarify who they are, what makes them distinctive, and how to communicate that clearly and authentically.

As part of this work, we are inviting members of the Manzanita community—families, staff, alumni, and high school students—to share their input through a survey. Your responses will help us understand what matters most, what feels most true to the Manzanita experience, and where greater clarity may be needed.

Your perspective is important to us. Click here to take the survey. It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.  There are no right or wrong answers; we are interested in your candid feedback.

We would appreciate it if you could complete the survey by October 2nd. Thank you for taking the time to participate and share your input.

Best,

Gabrielle Cartelli

Strategy Director

The next section of the undergrounding on Old Topanga Cyn Rd will start on October 5th. This work order is from just north of Zuniga on Old Topanga Cyn and will go down to Valley. All work is on Old Topanga Cyn except for a little work on Jando. Please plan extra time when driving to and from school whenever possible.

Human Growth and Development (HG&D) is coming up October 12th-16th for our 3rd-12th grade students. Our new schedule provides one week between Specialists rounds to accommodate HG&D programming. 

This thoughtful program is based on the Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum and runs for about 5-hours during each of the three HG&D weeks. A designated curricular focus for these thematic topics; Relationships, Body Changes, and How to Be Yourself.  Additionally there is a question box for the students' specific needs and curiosities. 

We hold parent informational meetings prior to each HG&D week, which covers the overarching philosophy and much of the curriculum. This first week the theme is 'Relationships' and the focus is matched to the developmental needs of the grades, 3rd-High School.  

We invite you to join Ms. Cecilie, Ms. Bridget and Ms. Jade on October 5th at 6:00pm in Cecilie's Zoom room. Please RSVP here.

When we imagine most schools these days, we expect classrooms where reading, writing, and 'rithmetic take place. There will be science study and some history lesson. We also think of PE, art enrichment, maybe a maker lab, and an occasional field trip, lunch and recess. These schools are filled with mostly compliant children buzzing through classes, waiting for summer breaks. “We'll put the kiddos through a solid 12 or 13 years of this and then off to college.”

“Our world has not been made better because of this model, but in spite of it...” (read more)

Annual Giving at Manzanita School has officially begun! Annual Giving has been a Manzanita tradition since we opened our gates in the Fall of 2014. Annual Giving helps us maintain our 4:1 student-adult ratio, care for our 21-acre campus, support Land Stewardship, Hawk Days, the Living Classroom, Specialist classes, and Expeditions, which are all made possible with your generosity. It also helps us invest in the extraordinary people who know and care for students every day. Annual Giving supports competitive salaries and benefits for our staff and helps keep our financial aid program strong.

You received a letter with further information and your family's representative chaparral bird in your email inbox on Friday afternoon. If you have any questions or did not receive your letter, please reach out to Ms. Jade. 

As a reminder, we will be hosting a Gratitude Tea Time for parents to celebrate the launch on Friday, September 25th from 1-1:45 pm. Please RSVP here to join us!

Ready to make your gift? Click here to donate!

Human Growth and Development (HG&D) is coming up October 12th-16th for our 3rd-12th grade students. Our new schedule provides one week between Specialists rounds to accommodate HGD programming. 

This thoughtful program is based on the Our Whole Lives (OWL) curriculum and runs for about 5-hours during each of the three HGD weeks. There is a designated curricular focus for these thematic topics: Relationships, Body Changes, and Being Your Authentic Self. Additionally there is a question box for the students' specific needs and curiosities. 

Each year we hold parent informational meetings prior to each HGD week, which cover the overarching philosophy and much of the curriculum. This first week's theme is 'Relationships' and the focus is matched to the developmental needs of the students, 3rd-High School.  

We invite you to join Ms. Cecilie, Ms. Bridget and Ms. Jade on October 5th at 6:00pm in Cecilie's Zoom room, the password is lowercase mnz.

Please click here to RSVP!

Coming up in early October we will have two Pupil Free Days to allow time for Parent Teacher Conferences. There will not be school on Thursday, October 8th, and Friday, October 9th. Oak Tree Club’s availability will be announced soon, so keep an eye here for that! Teachers will also be sending out their schedule for Conferences in the coming weeks directly to parents. All conferences will be held on campus. 

Have you ever noticed how youth often resist the most sound advice from their parents? In this 3-minute video blog, Dr. Paul talks about two of our most important Guiding Principles at Manzanita, “Intrinsic Gift” and “Mentoring Relationships.” There is a reason for this.

“Despite every parent’s best intentions, we cannot mentor our own children…” (read more)

Mark your calendars ... the Acorn Festival is officially confirmed for Sunday, October 25th!

We are so excited to bring this beloved event to life again, and we'd love for you to be part of it from the very beginning. Room reps will be reaching out soon with all the ways to jump in and help.

To start things off, please join us for our Parent Alliance Acorn Festival Kickoff Meeting, a morning full of good food, good people, and good energy!

Friday, September 18th, 8:30 AM
Behind the Art Room

School Lunch will be serving up a full, delicious breakfast while we come together to meet this year's event leaders, hear about beautiful new offerings, and learn how this magical day comes together through the love and support of our families.

We'll eat, connect, organize, and set the wheels in motion, all in the spirit of joy and community.

Please RSVP so we can get an accurate headcount for breakfast.

We can't wait to see you there!

~MNZ Parent Alliance

We invite all parents to join us before Story of the Day on Friday, September 25th, for Tea Time to celebrate the launch of this year's Annual Giving campaign! Tea Time will take place in Shady Oaks from 1-1:45 pm.

Tea Time is a simple gathering to mark the beginning of Annual Giving, share tea, and reflect on what we value and want to carry forward at Manzanita. The intention of Tea Time is to ground us in the feeling and experience of why people give. It is not meant to be an informational fundraising event. Rather, it is an opportunity to share in the Tea Time practice we have with parents and create a warm, grateful experience for our MNZ community. Please bring any and all questions you may have!

Annual Giving is our Fall fundraiser, which directly supports Manzanita's operations and programming. We have some exciting new developments for this year's campaign that we can't wait to share with all of you. 

Please click here to RSVP for this event.

As part of our growing Parent Council here at MNZ we are asking the parents to send in "Mystery Questions" (read more in this form), those questions that are hard to answer but that are on your heart and mind. 

From these questions we will pull out the topics that will become our council prompts. Things that the parents care about and want to hear the stories of others helping to build compassion, community and understanding.

Thank you for filling this in! It is a gift to our school that you find time to participate.

Warmly,

The Council Team

Also, Please join us and Joe Provisor for another All About Council event on October 3rd from 9:00am-3:00pm in the Dance room on the Manzanita campus. Please RSVP here!

We are pleased to announce finalized dates for Parent Stewardship Days and Parents at Lunch Days for this year!

Parent Stewardship Days are open to 3rd-12th grade parents. Work alongside your student out on the land during our Friday Stewardship Program where you will learn about land stewardship and native plants. Get your hands dirty and join in collective responsibility for our Manzanita Campus! Wear solid shoes and work clothes, a hat and sunscreen. The two Parent Stewardship Days this year will be Friday, November 6th, and Friday, April 2nd. Hope to see you there! 

Parents at Lunch (PAL) Days are open to all MNZ parents! Come join us for a delicious SOL lunch. The cost is $15 per person and will be at Manzanita from 12:00-1:00pm. Seeds (K-2) parents should arrive at 11:45am! The PAL Days this year will be on:

• Tuesday, October 13th

• Friday, November 6th

• Thursday, February 4th

• Friday, April 2nd

RSVP forms will be sent prior to all events. Please click here to view an updated version of the 2026-27 Manzanita Calendar.

MNZ Stewardship Mentors and High School students hosted a table at the Malibu Chili Cook-off over Labor Day Weekend. High Schoolers Carly, Flora, and Freya shared about High School expeditions and met several of our local non-profit partners! 

The Manzanita Stewardship Program has begun several partnerships with local non-profits including The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, The Local Fire Brigade, and The American Red Cross. This will allow our students, families and mentors to engage with those serving the wider Santa Monica Mountains communities as they rebuild after the Palisades Fire. We will learn how to better tend our natural landscape in the Santa Monica Mountains and to become more fire-safe. Join our Parent Stew Work Day on November 6th to practice some of our new found knowledge.

Claudia Joshi joined our team this year as the 3rd-5th grade Culinary Arts Specialist teacher. Claudia is a food entrepreneur, Ayurvedic Practitioner and teacher. She has a background in hospitality across three continents. Since 2021, she's owned and run the Topanga Curry House, where she brings Ayurvedic principles into cooking that serves the Topanga and Malibu farmer’s market communities. Claudia raised 3 children of her own, has lived in Topanga for over 21 years, and loves nature and animals. These have shaped her approach to Culinary Arts and food as a deep connection between all people. We are thrilled to welcome Claudia to the MNZ family!

We’re thrilled to welcome Lori Getz, M.A.—Educational Technologist, author, mother, and renowned Internet Safety Expert to the Manzanita community. Join us for a thoughtful and practical conversation about raising children with curiosity, confidence, connection, and care in an increasingly digital world.

Please join us on Thursday, October 1st from 1:45 - 3:15 pm. Click here to RSVP!

This past Wednesday morning (September 9th, 2026), I was grateful to join our Kitchen Manager, Pam Nears as she shopped at the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market located near Ocean and Arizona avenues, just a block from the beach. I tagged along, carried some boxes, helped load the truck, and admired her tremendous rapport and connection with so many local farmers. On our visit to the market, we also ran into Chuck Barth, one of the co-founders of our food program. He was shopping specifically for proteins (meat and chicken) for the school, his area of expertise. Our tremendous “School of Lunch” (SOL) program was founded by Hilary Boynton and Chuck, and provides the most nutritious meals imaginable. There may not be a healthier school lunch program anywhere in the country. Every day, our Manzanita students are served these super flavorful, nutrient dense, locally sourced, and largely organic meals, made with great care and creativity. The food in MNZ’s meal program is extremely fresh, and is included under the tuition umbrella for all families. Both snack and lunch, as well as sandwich bars for Hawk Day students, are carefully crafted by loving hands. And our kitchen staff is comprised of a beautiful group of hard-working and super compassionate people. The students love the SOL team, and we do too! If you’d like to express your gratitude for the food, send an email to Dr. Paul, and I’ll pass it along to the SOL Team! 

We’re thrilled to welcome Lori Getz, M.A.—Educational Technologist, author, mother, and renowned Internet Safety Expert to the Manzanita community.

Our children are growing up in a world of constant connectivity. Technology is woven into their friendships, learning, entertainment, and everyday lives—and as parents, it can be hard to know when to monitor, when to step back, and how to help our children navigate a world we didn’t grow up in.

Lori invites us to consider a different approach: What if trust, curiosity, and conversation are more powerful than control?

In this conversation, Lori explores:

• Why there is no such thing as complete parental control in the digital world and what we can do instead.
• How our children often know more about technology than we do, and why inviting them to teach us can build connection and trust.
• The balance between protecting our children and respecting their growing independence and privacy.
• The difference between over-parenting in the physical world and under-parenting in the virtual world.
• How asking better questions can open the door to honest conversations about technology, relationships, popularity, and online life.
• Creating healthy technology boundaries while preserving face-to-face connection and family relationships.
• Practical ways to use the tools already built into our devices to support digital safety.

Lori will also share stories and insights from her more than 20 years of working with schools, families, corporations, and communities, along with highlights from her books, including Like Ability: The Truth About Popularity and The Tech Savvy User’s Guide to the Digital World.

At the heart of Lori’s work is a simple but powerful idea: if we want our children to trust us, we have to practice trusting them, too.

Join us for a thoughtful and practical conversation about raising children with curiosity, confidence, connection, and care in an increasingly digital world.

Please join us on Thursday, October 1st from 1:45 - 3:15 pm. Click here to RSVP!

Order your MNZ 2026-2027 Yearbook now and get 10% off the price! Click here to purchase. This discount is available through the end of October only so don't delay!

As part of our growing Parent Council here at MNZ we are asking the parents to send in "Mystery Questions" (read more in this form), those questions that are hard to answer but that are on your heart and mind. 

From these questions we will pull out the topics that will become our council prompts. Things that the parents care about and want to hear the stories of others helping to build compassion, community and understanding.

Thank you for filling this in! It is a gift to our school that you find time to participate.

Warmly,

The Council Team

P.S. Join us for our next Parent Council on Tuesday, September 15th, from 8:30-9:30am. Click here to RSVP!

FOR FOCUSFISH FAMILIES :

We have created a 10 class pack for the transition time from 3:30-4pm for students who need to go to OTC for a snack and be brought to a FocusFish class (Aerial arts or play practice)

You can purchase the 10 class pass here and renew it as needed (simply go to the bottom of the page and click on the FocusFish transition pack).

BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS:

OAK TREE Club will be providing fun & enriching activities and games to all students for the upcoming Back to School Nights on September 9th and 10th. Click here to register now!

Schedule:

• Tuesday, October 6th: Kindergarten, 1st , 2nd, 6th, 7th, & 8th grades

• Wednesday, October 7th: 3rd, 4th, & 5th grades, & High School

Deadline for making yearbook selection: November 15th

Important!  Your QR card with the information as to how to see your child’s photos will be sent home with your child. It will be a couple of weeks after the photos are taken before they are ready to go up online.  Go ahead and “register” with your QR access code, and you’ll be sent an email notifying you when the photos are available.  You do not need to fill out any forms ahead of time.  Information about how to order, and your child’s private, individual access code will be sent home with your child.  You will be able to select the pose you want for the yearbook (see deadline above!), as well as purchase photo packages and digital downloads. There is no obligation to order anything. You will be able to pick which pose you would like for your child’s yearbook photo regardless of whether you want to order photos.

All print packages, and individual prints ordered before November 15th will be delivered back to school at no cost before Thanksgiving break. You will also have the option to have your order mailed directly to you.  All print orders after November 15th will be mailed to you and incur a small shipping charge. All photo print packages will include a 5x7 class photo. There will also be an option to purchase a class photo only.  Digital images will be ready to download immediately upon payment.  If you are purchasing digital images or individual photos only, and you want a print of the class photo, you will need to purchase it separately.

We’re excited to be photographing your students again this year!

Please make sure that your child arrives at school promptly on their respective picture day!

If you have any additional questions, please contact Hope at lauderphotography@gmail.com.

In 2 weeks we will be holding two separate Back to School Nights: K-5th grade will be on Wednesday September 9th, and 6th-12th grade on Thursday, September 10th, both from 5:00-6:30pm. This is a parent-only event.

OAK TREE Club will be open an extra 60 minutes both nights to accommodate any parents who do not have alternative childcare for the evening. Please contact OTC at info@oaktreeclub.org with questions and click here to register for the evening and for pricing information.

Snacks will be served from 4:45-5:00pm and we will begin promptly at 5:00pm in Shady Oaks. We look forward to seeing you there!

Please sign-up for a Parent Council led by Ms. Jenny and the Parent Council Team of MNZ parents! All Manzanita parents are encouraged to go to at least one Parent Council each year.

It is a wonderful way for you to get to know one another and develop a greater understanding of what your child does at school!

Please click here to review the Parent Council dates and to sign up!

We request a 24 hour notice if you need to miss a council for any reason. The Parent Council Team takes time and care to create an experience and adjustments are made depending on the attendance. Please reach out to Ms. Jenny at jenny@manzanitaschool.org with questions.

We're excited to share that Coach Melissa will be offering a swimming intensive for grades 6th-10th!

If your child is interested in getting stronger and more confident in the water, this could be a great fit. Please read this form to learn more and sign up for this offering. 

If you have any questions, Coach Melissa is always happy to chat, just reach out at melissa@manzanitaschool.org.

Please join Dr. Paul in his new Manzanita Message addition called “Founder’s Corner.” In this column, you will find short videos and other resources that support our shared and collective vision as a school and community, uniquely positioned in a rapidly-changing world. Dr. Paul welcomes your questions and comments.

Click here for Dr. Paul’s video this week: What does it mean to live in a time ‘between stories’? What are some tools that help to bridge our way into the future?

Please note these important safety rules in the parking area at arrival and dismissal:

Arrival:

• When dropping off your child in the morning, be sure to drive all the way forward and wait until you are at the very front of the lane with no cars in front of you to let your child exit the vehicle. 

• MNZ staff are present to help your child cross safely to the edge of the lot. Students should walk around the edge of the lot behind the cones to enter into campus.

Dismissal:

• All cars arriving for pick-up should have their dismissal placard (see attached image) hanging from their rearview mirror. These placards will be distributed tomorrow at arrival & dismissal. The side with your child's initials should be facing forward.

• Cars should fill into lanes starting with Lane 1 (rightmost lane, closest to the creek), then Lane 2, and so on. MNZ staff will note which children's cars are in each lane so we ask that you go into the lane you are directed to.

• Children will be walked to cars by MNZ staff, starting with Lane 1. Once Lane 1 children are in cars, we will walk children to cars in Lane 2, and so on.

• An MNZ staff person at the front of the lanes will allow cars to leave one lane at a time, starting with Lane 1, once all cars in that lane are ready to go. To indicate your child is in the car and you are ready to go, please flip your carpool placard so the green side faces forward.

• Parents are asked to stay in their cars and not walk over to collect your children. MNZ staff will walk children to cars once their Lane is called.

• Dismissal times:

  • Kindergarten: 2:30-2:45pm everyday

  • 1st-12th grades: 3:30-3:45pm Mondays-Thursdays; 2:30-2:45pm Fridays*

  • *K-2 parents can begin pickup at 2:15pm on Fridays

We are very excited to be holding an "all about council" event!

Saturday August 29th from 9:30-3:00pm. Click here to RSVP! We will be meeting in the Manzanita Dance Room on campus.

Come and find out:

• What council is all about.

• What the tenants are.

• Why it is so important to a community

• How you can use it at home.

We will be holding a second opportunity on Saturday October 3rd.  Look for more details here!

Each Friday, we close the week with an outdoor gathering of our whole school, celebrating our experiences during the week with stories and songs from our time on the land. This school-wide assembly is called Story of the Day. Each week, parents will be welcome to join us  for this Story of the Day. Parking will be on the Basketball Court and you will take your children (any child you're responsible for taking home that day) with you home directly from Story of the Day. Story of the Day begins at 1:45pm and ends at 2:15pm on Fridays. 

The first Story of the Day this year will be held on Friday, September 4th! Please note that there will not be a Story of the day next Friday, 8/28.

To improve communication, accountability, campus security, and student safety, we are introducing a new sign-in procedure for special events when parents are on campus at the end of the day, such as Story of the Day and Specialist Performances. We also would like to remind you of our policy which states that students must be signed out when leaving school early at any time, including after parent events such as PAL Days and Performances of Understanding.

Moving forward, when you arrive on campus for Specialist Performances or Story of the Day, please sign in with a designated Manzanita staff member. At the same time, we are now asking that you also sign out every student you plan to take off campus at the end of the event—this includes both your own children as well as children other than your own.

Signing students out in advance helps our teachers and staff know exactly which children are leaving, when they are leaving, and with whom. Please do not take any student from campus unless that student has been signed out through this procedure in the office.

Any time you come to campus we ask that you sign in as a guest at the office. If you are taking your child with you early, please also stop at the office to sign them out.

Thank you for helping us clarify this previously grey area and keep every child safely accounted for. We hope to see you at our first Story of the Day, Friday, September 4th!

We are asking for parent volunteers to help out on campus during the week! You can volunteer to help us in the parking lot during the morning drop-off window, Mondays through Fridays, from 8:00-8:30am, or help with serving lunch on Mondays and Fridays from 11:45am-12:45pm. These are great opportunities to connect with our community of mentors and students and spend more time at our beautiful Big Rock Ranch. Please click here to sign up for as many spots as you feel inspired!

Hello community,
It is the time of the year when summer journeys leave room for steady rhythms and school routines. 

We hope your return back was smooth this week and that your family is finding their groove. 

As some of you may know, OAK TREE Club is an enrichment program located on Manzanita Campus. 

We are here to support & serve our immediate community, as well as families from other neighborhoods & schools. We provide discounts & financial aid for the families who need it, as well as mentorship training to students in grades 7-12. Feel free to visit our website for additional information about our program, philosophy & curriculum.

We are excited to welcome new and returning families back on Monday, August 24th with our new extended hours going until 5:30pm at no additional cost to you. To register your child now for OTC click here. 

Please take some time to review our Parent Handbook located here. This document contains all the information you need regarding your child(ren)’s time at OTC. For new families, please pay special attention to the drop-off and pick-up instructions for our location. 

Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. 

FOCUSfish Registration is OPEN for How To Train Your Dragon! You must register to receive your audition spot by August 25th! Please go to focusfish.com and click on the SIGN UP FOR CLASSES button.  Your payment method will be charged $250 in September/ $200 in October / $200 in November.

Excited to watch your children SOAR in HTTYD this November!

Director & Choreographer:  Kristy Beauvais

Musical Director:  Bella Lee-Sands

Click here for the flyer to share with family and friends!

Aerial Arts is exciting this Fall, with new equipment on which to FLY… with new and “old” instructors!

For the younger set, we have Wednesday spots available for 4-7 yrs at 3:45pm and 8-12 yrs at 4:45pm.  These are beginner silks classes.

And for more beginner silks options, we have Mondays with Gaia at 4pm.

Lexi Pearl is excited to work with the experienced teens in the advanced silks class at 4pm on Tuesdays, followed by a multi-apparatus class that welcomes adults at 5pm! 

And for adults only, Gabbi is coming back to teach a Beginner Silks class at 6pm on Thursdays, starting in September!

If you are interested in static dance trapeze, spinning lyra, rope, hammock or cube, contact Kristy and she can get you into either Lexi or Elena’s new classes!

For more info, contact Kristy at info@focusfish.com

From Chef Hilary:
I’m writing a School of Lunch newsletter and a Chef Hilary Boynton Substack, and I would love to include you all. Each week you will get a link to our newsletter and Substack. I hope you will enjoy reading more about our mission, the people behind our brand and the heart that goes into feeding your children each week.

Xx Chef Hilary

The highway will be fully closed from 11:59 p.m. Aug. 28 to 8 a.m. Aug. 29

Caltrans announces a full closure of Topanga Canyon Boulevard/State Route 27 (SR-27) between State Route 1/Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to Grand View Drive from 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, to 8 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, to continue installation of a reinforced concrete pipe underneath the highway.

Additionally, between 9 p.m. and 11:59 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, SR-27 will be reduced to one lane for use by both directions of traffic, with flaggers directing alternating traffic, for about 0.5 miles near mile marker 2.5.

During this time, crews will reconfigure the traffic pattern in the recovery work zone, which allows them to continue installing the drainage culvert perpendicular to the roadway with minimal impacts to traffic. 

North of the closure, SR-27 between Grand View Drive to U.S. 101 will remain open.

Alternate routes

• Southbound SR-27: Take U.S. 101 to Southbound Interstate 405, then Westbound Interstate 10 to northbound PCH.

• Northbound SR-27: Take southbound SR-1 to eastbound I-10, then northbound I-405 to westbound U.S. 101.

The 84-inch reinforced concrete pipe is designed to carry storm water, increased mud and debris flow during rainstorms, reducing risk of debris overflow on highway and trigger embankment failure in future storms. The total cost for the pipe installation project is about $2.75 million.

This work is the last major piece of ongoing recovery efforts on SR-27 from the Palisades Fire and winter storms. Pipe installation work is expected to be completed by fall 2026, with most recovery work on SR-27 wrapping up by the end of 2026.