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Returning to school can bring feelings of excitement and anxiety, but on Belle Haven Elementary’s brand-new playground, smiles and laughter were all around. Students ran to hug each other as they reunited with their friends before playing on the zipline, swings and play structures before class began.
On Aug. 12, dozens of parents and students of Belle Haven Elementary School lined up at the school gate to get their classroom assignments for the new school year. Belle Haven’s new principal Candace Gonzales and Vice Principal Stuart Shiraishi greeted each child who entered the campus for the first day of classes.
First-grade parent Rosa Molina said her daughter enrolled at Belle Haven for transitional kindergarten when classes were held in portable buildings and campus remodeling had just begun. Molina added that she was shocked when she saw the new playground and is excited for her daughter to start school surrounded by great teachers and staff.
Other campuses across the Midpeninsula are also making improvements to their classrooms and playgrounds as they upgrade their facilities. After a summer of construction, many students are returning to school with some noticeable changes in their surroundings.
Ravenswood City School District
Ravenswood is hoping to continue a year of momentum as it celebrates newly renovated classrooms, academic growth and improvements to attendance rates. This year, the district is focused on “Leading with Courage,” said Superintendent Gina Sudaria.
Last year, the district’s chronic absenteeism rate declined from 34% to 29%, meeting the district’s goal of bringing the rate below 30%.
Ravenswood also met its goals to improve early literacy, as more than 56% of transitional kindergarten through second grade students demonstrated proficiency — a 49% increase from the 2024-25 school year. The percentage of seventh grade students proficient in math also increased over the last year.
“Ravenswood is beginning this school year with a strong sense of possibility,” said Sudaria. “We will continue to lead with courage by celebrating how far we have come, being honest about where we must improve, and holding ourselves accountable for ensuring every student succeeds.”
Belle Haven Elementary School hosted its second grand opening event for its renovated campus, this time highlighting its new playground and gymnasium. Costaño School of the Arts is currently under construction, and students will be taught at the former Brentwood Elementary School site, Sudaria said.
This year, the district also welcomed hundreds of students from The Primary School, a private school backed by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which shut down in June.
As the student population grows, Ravenswood has worked to create a smooth transition for new families and students. This year, 59 staff members received Ravenswood Education Foundation grants for professional development, and 15 received financial support toward earning their credentials. The district also welcomed four new teachers and nine student teachers through district partnerships.
Portola Valley School District
This school year, the Portola Valley School District will be promoting responsible use of educational technology while highlighting artificial intelligence and digital citizenship. In June, the district adopted an AI guideline that is centered around educational benefits, safety, ethics and responsibility, and continuous improvement.
PVSD is also piloting new math materials as it continues to strengthen its curriculum, said Superintendent Roberta Zarea. Student data will be used to guide instruction, support student needs and improve outcomes, she added.
Woodside Elementary School District
Woodside Elementary School is also seeing growing enrollment this year and is welcoming a total of 420 students, compared to 369 at the end of the 2024-25 school year. The school district will now offer three classrooms for every grade, from kindergarten through eighth grade.
Campus improvements were made during the summer to modernize classroom buildings, with upgrades to roofing, HVAC systems and rain gutters. The district also completed the construction of five new transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms. A grand opening event for the new building was held on Aug. 18.
According to Superintendent Steven Frank, a new preschool playground is underway with a final completion date expected for next summer.
The school district is piloting two new new math curricula over the next two years. This will help the district determine which curriculum to adopt for the 2027-28 school year.
Las Lomitas Elementary School District
Las Lomitas Elementary School District is focusing on student safety by implementing a new e-bike policy, prohibiting students from bringing Class 2 or 3 e-bikes, e-motos, e-scooters and e-boards onto campus. Class 1 e-bikes are allowed but must be walked onto campus and cannot be ridden on school property.
Over the summer, the district finished removing portable buildings at Las Lomitas Elementary School, opening up more playground space. The expanded play area includes basketball courts, tetherball, wall ball and four-square.
At La Entrada, some classrooms were converted into brand-new art and science labs, dedicated to learning in creative and hands-on environments. The district also made upgrades to technology systems and installed new flooring across both campuses.
Two new facility dogs, Leo and Ruby, will join the Las Lomitas and La Entrada staff at the start of the school year.
Menlo Park City School District
The Menlo Park City School District is encouraging its teachers to implement new habits aimed at elevating each student’s learning experience this year. The district is focused on its “Three E’s: Educate, Empower and Embrace.”
Students can expect to see more pencil-to-paper and hands-on work this year, decreasing the daily use of technology in classrooms.
“This isn’t about stepping away from tools that help kids learn; it’s about aligning our practice with the research in support of student learning,” according to MPCSD administrators.
Teachers are also encouraged to utilize every instructional minute by minimizing transitions, planning lessons from bell-to-bell and minimizing interruptions.
Every day, students will also be greeted by name, allowing teachers to get to know each one, build stronger relationships and develop a foundation of belonging, according to the district. Social-emotional learning will also be woven into the curriculum, and teachers will be establishing and teaching behavior expectations for students.
Sequoia Union High School District
Starting this school year, all students of the Sequoia Union High School District will be expected to power off and securely store their mobile devices during instruction. The school board voted to implement this policy in June, and parents were sent a letter with additional details in July.
This fall, the district will be seeking feedback from students, families and staff on the policy as it evaluates its effectiveness, said Naomi Hunter, SUHSD’s public information officer.
