A Message from the Nomination Committee

3/1/2026 8:59 pm

This is your PTA Nominating Committee!

We are truly fortunate to have so many engaged, caring parents at our school, and of course, an amazing faculty, administration and student body!

This was a special year, the first year in recent memory that we have had multiple PTA board positions that drew multiple interested candidates. Thank you to all who stepped up to volunteer!

That said, there are several elected positions still wide open, including VP Programs and Financial Secretary, as well as many other appointed positions such as Fundraising Assistant, Community Chair and Technology Chair. We need your support! We are still actively looking for people to be part of the team and we welcome deeper discussions with any candidate who wishes to contribute to our community.

It has been a busy month for us! As the elected nominating committee, in consultation with the Highlands Council of PTA’s and in the interest of our community, we voted to put forward a single candidate for each role. With utmost care and consideration for both the school community and for each of the candidates, the nominating committee discussed and deliberated at great length before voting for the candidate it viewed as the best fit for each role at this time.

The slate of nominees presented by the committee to the PTA membership is a recommendation, and the final vote rests with membership. There is an opportunity for nominations to be brought to the floor at the general association meeting on March 17th. The only requirement is that candidates must be PTA members for at least 30 days and be present during election proceedings.

We want your support and involvement and are excited to build an even stronger community for all at MWE!

Kind Regards,
PTA Nominating Committee
Angela Vawter (Chair) - parliamentarian@mwpta.org
Andrew Bulbrook - andrewbulbrook@gmail.com
Raúl Fernández - raulbfernandez@gmail.com
Ramona Orley - ramonaorley@gmail.com
Anu Pradhan - programs1@mwpta.org

To learn more about the nomination process, click here.
To learn more about the vacant elected positions or any of the appointed positions, click here, or reach out to any of the members of the nominating committee.

Spring Book Fair: March 6–13

2/13/2026 8:52 am

LITERATI BOOK FAIR • Mar, 6–13

Ahoy mateys...The Literati Book Fair is coming March 6–13 and we are getting ready to set sail.

Right now, we're on the look out for volunteers (link to sign up genius) to help during lunch & after school. Fun fact: you don't need LAUSD clearance to be on campus, so this is open to anyone.*

Did you hear the scuttlebutt? As a small token of our gratitude, volunteers get a 20% discount at the book fair

If you want to hang out with your kid(s) when their classroom is visiting the fair, here's the class schedule. (And yep, you need Volunteer Tier II clearance, so this is a good time to submit your paperwork to LAUSD if you haven't already)

Join the PTA Board Next Year!

1/20/2026 1:42 pm

Tue, Jan 27 @ 6:30 PM • PTA Meeting Link

PTA Meeting #3 is an important one: it's where we begin the search for our new Executive Board. Read more below, and check out the available positions for the 2026–27 school year. Click here to learn more about the nomination process and timeline.

Questions? Please reach out to Angela Vawter - parliamentarian@mwpta.org

1/11/2026 2:25 pm

THANK YOU

Hey everyone, it’s Alex Riguero, Direct Appeal Chair, with an important announcement. WE DID IT! We raised 200K!

It was a huge team effort and there are just so many people to thank. I want to thank our donors (seriously you’re the best) but there were so many additional people who went above and beyond to make this possible:

Ms. Ontiveros, for being so transparent with our school’s budget challenges
The parents who hit the class WhatsApps after Ms. O’s budget presentation and raised 10K in a weekend
Rachael Morrison and Rachael Garza who’s impassioned plea on behalf of our wonderful little school mobilized tons of parent support
Sarah Burns and the room reps who kept reminding folks to give with humor and warmth
The people who gave *multiple times* to reach our goal
The grandparents who gave so generously
The PTA Board for their unstinting support and help
...and last, but definitely not least, my co-chair John Meehan. Thanks again for supporting our school!

Mindful Tech @ MWE

9/25/2025 12:00 am

After last week's PTA GA meeting ended, MWE parent Alicia Van Couvering spoke about the rise of classroom technology and its effects on the learning, safety, and privacy of students in education broadly, and at LAUSD across all grades.

In response, MWE teachers Mr. Talty (4th grade) prepared an overview of EdTech as it is currently used at MWE, which includes the platforms used by each grade level. Many thanks to Mrs. Fowler, Ms. Zelina Munoz, and Ms Graham for contributing.

To ensure that the dialogue around tech at MWE is thoughtful, informed and focused on the reality of screens at our school, Mr. Talty will also host a school-wide meeting in late October. More details to come!

We thank Alicia for starting the conversation, and are so grateful to Mr Talty, his fellow teachers, and MWE admin for their responsiveness, transparency, and willingness to inform our parents.

Technology at MWES - prepared by MWE educators Mr Talty and Mrs Fowler
EdTech - prepared by MWE parent Alicia Van Couvering. Sign up here to join the MWE Mindful Tech email list and what's app group.

CHOICES applications now open!

8/13/2025 7:00 am

Hi Middle School, It's Me, a MWE parent.

Now that you're kinda back in the groove of this school year, let's talk middle school...

LAUSD’s “Choices” application for specialized academic programs—including magnet schools, dual-language programs, and some charter schools—opens on October 1, 2025.

Learn about the LAUSD magnet programs and the points system with this presentation from Dr. Keith Abrahams III 🧲

Important Deadlines:

November 14, 2025 — Deadline to submit the application online or by mail.
February 2, 2026 — The late application window opens for any remaining spots.
March 2026 — Families will receive results for on-time applications.
Early April 2026 — Deadline to accept or decline offers from on-time applicants.
April 2026 — The late selection process begins.

Check out LAist's handy dandy article for more information!