The Newport Mesa Unified School District recently ushered in new Board officers. Outgoing president Krista Weigand handed the gavel to new President Dr. Leah Ersoylu; Michelle Murphy is the incoming Vice President; and rounding off the leadership team is Lisa Pearson as Clerk.

In the CDM Zone, our elementary schools are focusing on mid-year assessments in preparation for March parent conferences; also on philanthropy, book fairs and school plays. Newport Coast and Andersen Elementary just concluded their wildly entertaining school play productions of “Frozen” and “High School Musical Jr.” The students delighted the audiences with their talented performances. Lincoln Elementary is preparing for the launch of Kindness Week and Harbor View is getting ready and fit for its annual Jog-A-Thon fundraiser. Eastbluff students and their families participated in their traditional Day of Service at the OC Food Bank, assembling 400+ boxes of food that were delivered to needy families. February will usher in the Book Fair for the Otters.

Corona del Mar High School students are tackling the second semester with focus and dedication. In addition to scholastic endeavors, extracurricular activities are keeping our students busy and engaged. The winter sports are approaching league finals. The LA Times has ranked CDM's Boys Basketball in the Top 12 in Southern California and Top 5 in Orange County. CDMHS Orchesis Dance Company is practicing around the clock for their popular annual dance performance in March. Tickets can be bought on cdmorchesis.booktix.com

Save the date for Corona del Mar PTA's Home Tour on Friday, March 13th, 2026. The Home Tour is one of Newport Beach's signature events of the year. More than 1,500 tickets are sold yearly. The Home Tour committee, led by chair Gina Jaha, is working tirelessly on the PTA's single fundraiser of the year. This event raises much-needed funds that allocate monies for teacher grants, senior scholarships and a plethora of campus enhancements and student-support activities such as visits by therapy dogs during finals week. Be sure to buy your tickets as soon as possible. This event sells out! Tickets can be bought at cdmhometour.org

Upcoming event dates:

Presidents Week Recess (Ski Week) February 16-20th

Elementary Conference Week March 9-13th

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Parentology Education Series Feb. 26th @NHHS 6 p.m.

Visit www.nmusd.us for further district information.

Visit NMUSD website for more information at www.nmusd.us

Brigid Cianfrani and Carol Crane are longtime volunteers in the Newport Mesa Unified School District, former PTA presidents at the elementary and high school levels and former Zone Pack chairs. Carol Crane currently serves as a member on the Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) board, Trustee Area 3: Brigid Cianfrani works as a substitute teacher in the district and is the current chair of the CdM Zone Pack Committee.

For more info: NMUSD.us | IG @ newportmesausd

Email: Carol Crane: ccrane@nmusd.us | Brigid Cianfrani: brigidcianfrani@gmail.com