President's Message
Dear MSJHS Families,
Fall 2025 was, in equal measure, challenging and rewarding. This community took on a lot — and showed up for each other throughout.
The semester surfaced real concerns — compressed finals, removal of Advisory, and questions about teaching quality. I am personally grateful to have led MPPFA's response:
- Surveyed 577 families and shaped a clear set of MPPFA Asks with the PAC team
- Rallied parents to speak at the Nov FUSD Board meeting — keeping persistent, constructive dialogue with the Superintendent and trustees
- Maintained an open channel with Principal Perez and the VPs — pushing for change through relationship, not confrontation
Beyond advocacy, the semester also brought some genuine firsts:
- Holiday Breakfast — initiated by Anusha as a new MPPFA tradition — parents and teachers together, no agenda except warmth
- MSJ Car Meet — first ever, with ASB, led by Jasmine Basrai
- Traffic Volunteer Portal — launched by Ratnakar Verma, brought real structure to volunteer management
MPPFA is not a board — it is a community. Thank you for being here. 💚
Anusha Vaidyanathan
MPPFA President, 2025–2026
Fall / Winter 2025–26 Summary
- Aug 2025 Event Maze Day — MPPFA recruitment booth, committee & WhatsApp sign-ups
- Aug 21, 2025 GBM BTSN: "We Heard You" survey results, committees, commitments
- Sep 5, 2025 Event Coffee with the Principal (Starbucks co-sponsored)
- Sep 13, 2025 Event KAH Meal Packing volunteer event
- Sep 24, 2025 GBM Principal Q&A, Traffic portal launch, "Tell Your Story" with Nick Dawes
- Oct 10, 2025 Wellness World Mental Health Day observed
- Oct 13, 2025 Wellness Bike Mobile with Alameda County
- Oct 22, 2025 Wellness International Walk & Roll to School Day
- Oct 22, 2025 GBM Car Meet preview, Wellness updates, College Presentation series
- Nov 8, 2025 Event MSJ Car Meet, 12–3:30 PM (joint with ASB)
- Nov 14, 2025 Event Diwali Party
- Nov 18, 2025 Wellness YEPC SHIFT Mental Health Screening (120 students)
- Nov 19, 2025 FUSD Board Meeting MPPFA & MSJ parents and students speak about their concerns
- Dec 4, 2025 In-Person Meet Meeting with Superintendent, FUSD trustees & members, Principal
- Dec 12, 2025 Event Holiday Breakfast for teachers & staff
🌟 Ramya Chandrasekaran — VP Membership & Outreach
- Organized Maze Day on behalf of MPPFA — welcoming new and returning families, signing up for committees & WhatsApp groups
- Drove the College Admissions Webinar series end-to-end — outreach to admissions officers, scheduling, and personally conducting each interview
- Gave MSJ families candid, direct access to college admissions conversations they wouldn't get elsewhere
🚦 Ratnakar Verma — VP Traffic & Safety
- Introduced the Traffic Volunteer Portal at traffic.mppfa.org — volunteers self-manage schedules with no coordinator overhead
- Manages day-to-day traffic operations: 35+ volunteers, onboarding, and training
- Ensures 1,800+ students cross the street safely every morning
- A large, complex function — made smooth through technology and steady leadership
MPPFA student representatives went beyond attending meetings — they actively championed MPPFA initiatives among students, ran campaigns, and brought the student perspective directly to the board each month throughout Fall 2025.
What student reps do for MPPFA:
- Survey promotion — Reps posted & shared MPPFA surveys on Discord, Instagram & StudentSquare to amplify parent advocacy
- Student updates — Kept MPPFA informed on campus life: ASB elections, blood drive, vending machine issues, senior activities, course registration, and AP season
This student-led push helped MPPFA collect 577 survey responses — surpassing our goal of 500 and giving us powerful data to bring to FUSD leadership.
⭐ Anusha Vaidyanathan assumed the role of Media & Technology Chair this season following a leadership transition, overseeing the committee's website, social media, and community communications. She reorganized the mppfa.org site architecture, refreshed content to reflect current MPPFA priorities, and worked with the Webmaster to execute the migration.
⭐ Jessica Ramirez — Webmaster
Led the migration of mppfa.org from WordPress to Google Sites, resolving all redirect issues and ensuring a smooth browsing experience. Also volunteers with the Wellness Committee.
⭐ Andy Kar — Social Media & MSJtalk Chair
A 6-year MPPFA veteran who was instrumental in founding the MPPFA WhatsApp groups that now connect over 1,800+ MSJ students and families. Continues to lead Social Media and MSJtalk, keeping our community informed and connected.
💬 MSJtalk Moderators — Anusha Vaidyanathan, Andy Kar
📱 WhatsApp Group Admins — Keeping 1,800+ students and families connected across grade-level and interest groups:
2025–2026 MPPFA Board
MPPFA launched a self-service Traffic Volunteer Portal at traffic.mppfa.org. Volunteers now manage their own schedule, preferences, and availability directly — no coordinator needed. The portal has transformed how MPPFA manages sign-ups, onboarding, training, and volunteer coordination each season.
- New traffic spot near Mission Blvd loop added for student safety
- Additional equipment: signs, flags, vests & raincoats purchased
- Goal: 35 volunteers for 100% coverage — just 1 hour/week per person
⏱️ 1 hour per week protects 1,800+ students. Sign up: traffic.mppfa.org
Honorary members
⭐ Sangeeta Khandelwal — Led the Traffic Committee in previous years and continues to volunteer.
⭐ Henry Liang — Ex-MSJ parent who continues to show up as a traffic volunteer each season.
MPPFA kicked off the school year with a booth at Maze Day, MSJHS's beloved back-to-school tradition. Families signed up for committees, WhatsApp groups, and volunteering, while the MPPFA team welcomed new and returning families to another exciting year.
While the MSJ College & Career Center brings admissions officers in to speak with students, MPPFA's series is the one dedicated forum where parents can hear directly from admissions officers — asking candid questions about what schools are really looking for. Open to all MSJHS parents, not just seniors, because understanding the admissions landscape early makes a real difference.
MPPFA VP of Membership Ramya Chandrasekaran drives this series end-to-end — reaching out to admissions officers, scheduling sessions, organizing the webinars, and conducting each interview herself.
- Northwestern University — Sep 16, 2025
- University of Maryland, College Park — Oct 1, 2025
- Purdue University — Oct 8, 2025
- Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) — Oct 16, 2025 (Anusha Vaidyanathan filled in for Ramya)
- University of California, Davis — Completed Fall 2025
Based on the survey presented at BTSN, which revealed that college applications and preparation ranked among the top concerns for MSJ parents, Anusha Vaidyanathan invited Nick Dawes — an independent college admissions consultant — to speak at the Sep 24 GBM and give parents a practical framework for navigating the process.
"Academics make you admissible. Your story and experiences make you memorable."
🏆 Top universities rate Extracurriculars & Character as Very Important — on par with GPA.
- Authentic, deepening commitment beats resume padding
- Admissions readers read 3,000–10,000+ apps — they spot inauthenticity quickly
- Genuine contribution in what you love is equally compelling
The 2025–26 school year opened with a new bell schedule — decided by teacher union vote — that eliminated the Advisory Period and compressed finals to just two days, leaving some students facing up to three exams in a single day. SF Chronicle articles further surfaced grading concerns at MSJ — including a chemistry course where grading practices and instructional quality raised serious questions — bringing community stress to broader public attention.
MPPFA responded by surveying 577 families, collating the results into a formal "MPPFA Asks 2025-26", and advocating directly with district leadership. PAC Chair Anusha Vaidyanathan led the effort end-to-end, with invaluable support from Shilpa Viswanathan, Sushil Goel, and Pritika Gupta.
📋 Gathering Feedback
PAC Chair Anusha Vaidyanathan launched the MSJHS PAC survey on bell schedule, finals, advisory, grading, and teaching quality. 577 families responded — far exceeding the goal of 500.
86.8% want finals over 3 days, max 2 exams/day
91.5% want Advisory Period restored
73% use outside tutoring; 76% cite inadequate teaching
MPPFA collated and submitted formal asks to Principal Perez, Superintendent Larsen, and FUSD trustees:
- 3-day finals, max 2 exams/day — emergency board resolution for Dec 2025
- Restore Advisory Period by Aug 2026
- Student input required before any bell schedule vote
- Timely grading, standardized rubrics, cross-department test calendars
- Mandatory Google Classroom posting within 24 hrs of instruction
- Extracurricular competitors recognized as official school representatives
- Joint MPPFA–PAC–student–teacher task force for systemic issues
🎙️ Nov 19, 2025 — FUSD Board Meeting: Dozens of MSJ parents & students spoke publicly. Watch at 1:08:00 →
🏛️ Addressing Community Concerns
MPPFA secured a Dec 4 in-person meeting with Superintendent Larsen, FUSD Board members, trustees, and Principal Perez, where the MPPFA Asks were formally presented.
Principal Perez:
- Asked teachers to accommodate students still facing 3 finals in one day
- "Restoring Advisory is my New Year's resolution"
- Student survey data to be presented to teachers before the May bell schedule vote
Superintendent Larsen:
- Acknowledged pressures on students have increased across all FUSD high schools
- Acknowledged that "mistakes were made" in how a student concern raised in the SF Chronicle was handled; emphasized open communication and lessons learned
- Referenced MSJ's history — in 2007 the school had 53 mental health holds, leading to a partnership with Stanford's Challenge Success program
- Discussed culturally responsive teaching and assessment strategies as a path forward
- Committed to structured site visits to all 43 schools — MSJ on Dec 10
✅ Result: District leadership heard MSJ students and families directly and committed to structural changes. Principal Perez stood with MPPFA throughout. The Holiday Breakfast on Dec 12 — a direct outcome of these meetings — marked the start of rebuilding trust between parents, staff, and district leadership.
MPPFA launched the 2025–26 school year with the first Coffee with the Principal — an open community gathering in the colorful Flex Room. Families heard directly from Principal Perez and connected with the MPPFA team.
MPPFA's Events & Hospitality Committee brought the Festival of Lights to MSJHS with dancing, beautiful Indian dress, a stunning Diwali backdrop, and a hand-crafted rangoli. The event was supported by many MPPFA volunteers and exec members and brought together teachers, staff, and families in celebration of our diverse school community.
The MSJ Car Meet on November 8 (noon–3:30 PM) was a student-run event organized with the ASB and supported by MPPFA. From exotic supercars to heavy construction equipment, the event drew hundreds of students and families and set a blueprint for future community events.
This was a brand new event — born directly out of the intense Dec 4 community meeting with Superintendent Larsen and FUSD leadership, where one clear message emerged: we needed more spaces to simply be together. MPPFA responded by transforming the December Coffee with the Principal into a Holiday Breakfast for teachers, staff, and parents — a gathering with no agenda around grades or curriculum, just warmth, gratitude, and community.
Hot coffee, fresh bagels, and cronut holes — and a room full of Santa hats and warm smiles. A heartfelt way to say thank you to the educators who give so much every day.
The Bike Mobile is a free on-campus service by Alameda County Schools where trained mechanics inspect, tune up, and repair student bikes — removing a key barrier to cycling to school. MPPFA's Wellness Committee also observed World Mental Health Day (Oct 10, 2025) and the end of Hispanic Heritage Month (Oct 15, 2025) on campus.
MPPFA's Wellness Committee partnered with YEPC to screen Tell My Story: SHIFT — Do What Moves You — a film that shifts the narrative of youth mental health from problem to possibility. Principal Perez supported the initiative and joined the audience for the November screening.
MPPFA sponsored the first meal packing event hosted by the MSJ Kids Against Hunger Club in collaboration with Key Club. Student volunteers earned community service hours while packing over 36,000 meals for families in need. Mayor Raj Salwan attended to show his community support.
🎓 Volunteer Hours available — MPPFA-sponsored events like this qualify for student community service credit.
43% of goal reached
Giving Tuesday (Dec 3, 2025) provided strong momentum — a focused community push that brought in a meaningful wave of parent and matching donations heading into the new year.
Where your donations went — MPPFA Funded Projects 2025–26
Administration
MPPFA T-shirts (25 members) · Zoom Webinar License · MPPFA Tax Preparation · Banners · Professional Services
Traffic & Safety
Safety Gear · Safety Traffic Warning Flags (500 students)
Teachers
Teacher Meals – August PD (100 teachers) · Display Cabinet (Ceramics, 95 students) · Holiday Breakfast for Staff
Students & School Events
Kids Against Hunger (200+ volunteers) · Electronic Speakers · ASB Gift Cards · Facility Rental · ASB Support · Car Show Food & Drink
Capital Project
Marquee NEW
MPPFA approved and funded a new 47×19 ft programmable LED electronic marquee for MSJHS — visible to commuters on Mission Blvd. Unlike a static sign, this marquee can be updated remotely with messages, event announcements, and school news, serving as a live communications hub for the entire school community.
- Full specs finalized with Silicon Valley Graphics (510-657-5853)
- LED screen on both sides of the monument sign
- Installation at 648 Mission San Jose High School, Fremont, CA 94539
- Cost split: MPPFA contributed $55,000; remaining funds from school budget through Principal Perez
⭐ Jasmine Basrai envisioned the marquee as a lasting community asset, championed it through the approval process, led all vendor coordination with Silicon Valley Graphics, and drove the project from concept to execution. This marquee will serve the MSJ community for decades to come.