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Menlo Park school projects awarded Jeanie Ritchie Grants
The Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation announced that it has awarded $51,250 in Jeanie Ritchie Innovation Grants to 31 projects led by Menlo Park City School District teachers and staff.
The Jeanie Ritchie Grant program began in 1984 to honor Jeanie Ritchie, a founder of the Menlo Park-Atherton Education Foundation. The grants are annually provided by the foundation to the school district in part of the foundation’s motto, “Investing in Education. Together.”
Grants ranged from $222 to $3,190 to provide financial support for teachers to integrate “innovative curriculum, projects and experiences in the classroom.” The mission of the grant is to allow teachers to pursue innovative programs in their classrooms and schools.
“We are thrilled to support many of our dedicated teachers who have received theJeannie Ritchie Grant, which will empower our students to think, explore, and dream like scientists!” said MPCSD Associate Superintendent Jammie Behrendt in a prepared statement. “This year’s grants focus on teachers’ commitments to hands-on, inquiry-based learning, where every student can dive into the wonders of science and become a curious investigator of the world around them.”
MPAEF also continued its partnership with the California Water Service for a second year to provide $6,250 to fund grant projects focused on water conservation. MPCSD has also provided an additional $20,000 from last school year’s MPAEF Auction Fund-a-Need to support projects focused on the theme of “Students as Scientists.”
Find the list of awardees on mpaef.org/innovation-grants.
Phillips Brooks School’s new head of school
The Phillips Brooks School Board of Trustees in Menlo Park announced Jennifer Bohnen as the new head of school on Nov. 11. Bohnen was unanimously selected by the board and will start on July 1, 2025, according to a press release.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jennifer Bohnen to Phillips Brooks School,” said Puja Batra, chair of the PBS Board of Trustees. “Jennifer’s extensive experience in building collaborative school communities, combined with her warm and approachable leadership style, makes her the ideal leader to guide PBS into the future.”
Bohnen brings more than 25 years of experience as an educator, administrator and leader. She is currently the head of school at Green Hedges School in Washington, D.C.
“I am deeply honored and thrilled to become part of Phillips Brooks School, a community I have long admired. The school’s mission — ‘to inspire students to love learning, to develop a spiritual nature, to communicate effectively, to be kind to others, and to respect the uniqueness of each person’ — is closely aligned with my own values. I am excited to support and champion these principles in the years to come,” said Bohnen in a prepared statement.
— Jennifer Yoshikoshi
‘Portola Valley at 60’ film screening, Nov. 19
What makes Portola Valley special? A diverse group of residents was asked this
question. The answers highlighted the sense of community, natural beauty, and
positivity that are central to life in the town. A short documentary, “Portola Valley at 60,” seeks to answer that question.
Join a screening of Portola Valley volunteers Charlie Krenz and Ateret
Haselkorn’s film on Nov. 19 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Portola Valley Library, 765 Portola Road. The pair will answer any questions people have about the film. Donuts and tea will be served.
You can hang around after for a chance to show your affection for Portola Valley through a postcard, personalized by you.
The film is also posted on the town’s YouTube channel.
— Angela Swartz
