Kentfield School District

September 7th, 2018

Don't Miss These Announcements

Click here for a Language Translation of Newsletter

  • The translation is provided by Google Translate and opens in Spanish, but can be used for other languages. We understand that Google Translate is not a perfect translation. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Kentfield Parent-Teacher Conference Scheduler

Pizza! Games! Family! What's not to love? Bacich Pizza and Games night tickets, now on sale.

KSPTA Lunch & Jamba Juice Orders

  • KSPTA Jamba Juice orders due September 10th and Lunch orders are due September 16th. Visit kspta.org for more information.

kik Heart of the Community Events for TK/Kinder and 5th Grade this Friday and Sunday! Click here for more info.

First "Walk & Roll" Day is Wednesday, September 12, 2018.

  • We encourage Kentfield families to use our Safe Routes to School resources to try a non-car method of school transportation on this day.

Aeries Parent Portal

Aeries is our new Student Information System this year, replacing PowerSchool. The Parent Portal will allow you to check your student's grades and attendance, view and update your student and family's information, select your district communication preferences, and sign up for weekly email updates on your student's progress at school.

  • Accessing the Aeries Parent Portal for the First Time

You should have received an email from the District with the email address and temporary password you'll use to access Aeries for the first time. Write down this information, then visit the Aeries Parent Portal. When you sign in using using your temporary portal you will be prompted to create a new, permanent password.

If you have any difficulty signing in or using Aeries, please send an email to data@kentfieldschools.org.

Upcoming Events

Friday, September 7, 2018

  • Kent Early Release @ 1:13 p.m.
  • Kent Picture Day
  • 5th Grade Heart of the Community hosted by kik, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

  • TK/Kinder Heart of the Community hosted by kik, 10-11 a.m.

Monday, September 10, 2018

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Friday, September 14, 2018

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Save The Date

Monday, September 17 and Tuesday, September 18, 2018

  • Bacich Picture Day
    • Ordering information will be available soon.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

District News

Superintendent Schott, pictured outside.

One of the ways the District keeps you informed of its work is by sharing these highlights of our most recent Board Meeting with you. The Board of Trustees generally meets once a month, on the second Tuesday, at 5:00 p.m. in our District Office. Meetings are open to the public and we welcome your participation. These are the highlights of the most recent meeting on August 27th.

Construction at Kent is largely complete although some projects remain, including: renovation of all restrooms, redesign of the Back 50 play area, paint throughout, and flexible furnishings. We expect these to be wrapped up by the start of school, 2019.

At Bacich, work in classrooms is complete for now, and demolition of the Round Building is done. Bacich will eventually enjoy renovated restrooms, paint and flexible furnishings as well. There is a live cam mounted on the roof of the Community Center which is tracking the progress on the new administrative/classroom complex. The link to the feed can be found on the Bacich construction page on our website.

We are so grateful to our custodial and maintenance staff for managing an extremely challenging situation this summer: getting our school sites ready for school Tuesday despite the construction chaos. School office staff have also been working diligently to prepare for the arrival of students.

Thank you, all!

Liz Schott
Superintendent

Ribbon Cutting To Celebrate Measure D Project Completion at Kent Middle School

School Board

School Board Information

Next Meeting: September 11, 2018 at 5 p.m. in the District Office.

  • Agenda will be posted by 5 p.m. the Friday before the meeting.

2018-2019 LCAP

The District's Local Control and Accountability Plan describes the District’s key goals for students paired with the actions the district will take to achieve the goals and measure progress. The LCAP is the District's strategic plan. Below is an overview of the LCAP that will be voted on at the next Board meeting on September 11, 2018 at 5 p.m. in the District Office.

New Website

We recommend typing the website address into your internet browser rather than using a search engine to find our website. It takes time for the search engines to update with the new website and versions of our previous website exist on the internet.

Each page has sections focused on the needs of our community members - students, staff, families, and community. Much of the information overlaps, as we have tried to locate the same information in different locations because we understand each person searches differently. Please let us know what you think of the website (webmaster@kentfieldschools.org) and if you encounter any areas where you would like more information. We will be refining organization and layout as we receive community feedback.

Bacich News

We are thrilled to welcome our Bacich families back to school! It is a year of great excitement and promise both in our classrooms and on our campus. As we embark on another school year, I invite you to stay in touch with what is happening at school and in our school district. There are multiple ways to learn what’s going on at Bacich!

Our Kentfield School District website and the Bacich School website are friendly sources of district and school information. The District’s Weekly Newsletter shares messages from our superintendent and other important District news. You can also find the Bacich Parent Bulletin, embedded in the District newsletter and can also be found on the News section of the Bacich and Kentfield website. You will notice my weekly message, grade level websites, updates on school construction, the school calendar and more on the Bacich website.

Your child’s teacher will communicate regularly through a classroom newsletter, class blog, a Twitter feed or a program called Seesaw. They will share with you their preferred method of communication.

Monthly School Board Meetings, PTA Meetings and School Site Council Meetings are also rich sources of information to find out about what is happening in our school and in our school district. Additionally, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with our Bacich Student Handbook (please, click link to download). This resource, which is located on the Bacich website, is full of important information about our school.

The fall Intake Parent Conferences, which take place September 12 – 14, are another way to stay involved. These brief conferences provide an opportunity for our parents to share with the teachers their thoughts, hopes and dreams for their sons and/or daughters. We recognize that mothers and fathers know their children best!

Intake Conference Sign-ups open at 5 p.m. Thursday, September 6th and close Tuesday, September 11 at 5 p.m.

* Please note that Kindergarten is using Sign-Up Genius for their Intake Conference Sign-ups.

Lastly, a wonderful source of information about our school can be found in the voices of your own children. Depending on your child, you may not get as much information as you might like. If you ask, “So how was school today?” and the answer is “fine” or “good”, these responses are not at all unusual. However, they do not provide much on-the ground information for moms and dads.

My message this week includes some engaging questions for you to use while asking about your child’s school day. These questions are perfect for starters and may even lead to an interesting conversation. They will definitely provide a better insight into how your child thinks and feels about their time at school.

Give these a try:

  1. What was the best thing that happened at school today?
  2. Tell me something that made you laugh today.
  3. Where is the coolest place at the school?
  4. If your teacher were having dinner with us tonight what would she/he tell me about you?
  5. How did you make someone smile today?
  6. How did you help someone today?
  7. Tell me one thing you learned today.
  8. What part of your school day made you the happiest?
  9. Who in your class do you admire and why?
  10. Tell me about a new friend in your classroom this year.

Good luck, and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Best,

Sally Peck
Bacich Principal

Bacich Intake Conferences - September 12-14, 2018

* Please note that Kindergarten is using Sign-Up Genius for their Intake Conference Sign-ups.

Parking and Pick Up/Drop Off at Bacich

Due to construction, there are no parent/community member parking spots on campus at any time during school hours, except for three ADA permit parking spots for community members who need them. Bacich has 14 parking spots for 65 staff members.

  • We are now offering Early Drop-Off to provide a wider window for direct drop off at Bacich and relieve traffic congestion at drop off time. The Bacich playground will open at 7:30 a.m. each day for Grade 1–4 students. Staff will supervise the playground.
  • Carline will begin at 7:45 a.m. Please follow the Carline Procedures.
  • Please reference this Bacich map that Safe Routes to School created that identifies parking locations. Safe Routes to School is a great resources for finding a walking/biking group to Bacich from your neighborhood.
  • Don’t forget to get a FOB at the District Office to enter campus gates during school hours.
  • Families driving to Bacich must use the Carline or park off campus. This Bacich map will help you find the right area to park or enter the carline.

We ask that all members of our school community be particularly respectful and mindful of our neighbors this year with the increase in traffic and congestion due to school construction. Thank you for your understanding, cooperation, and patience as our school undergoes significant renovation.

Bacich Back to School Resources

Bacich Site Council

Next Meeting: September 10, 2018, 3-4 p.m., Bacich Library. All parents are welcome to attend.

Bacich Construction

Kent News

Greetings Kent Families,

As the first days of school continue to unfold this week at Kent, teachers and students work together to build their classroom communities and to spark curiosity and intrigue for the learning ahead. Mrs. Walsh and I visited classrooms on the first days of school to greet our returning Falcons and to welcome our newest students, and we consistently observed teachers and students alike sharing a sense of excitement and optimism for the year ahead. It’s a great time to be a Falcon!

Part of the magic of the first days of school comes from the fresh start for each and every child. Each year students surprise their teachers and staff with the growth, both physically and intellectually, achieved over the summer. Surrounded by a new group of peers, a new setting, and led by new teachers, this year is a fresh opportunity for all of our students to redefine themselves as learners, thinkers, and community members.

Goal setting is an important exercise for our students to experience, and our children will have various opportunities this year to articulate their personal, academic, and social goals. It’s also important that as parents, we discuss our children’s goals, aspirations, and desires with them outside of the school setting, whether those goals relate to academics or to another area of life. What new skill do you hope to develop this year? What do you want to know more about? What kind of friend do you want to be? How do you want to respond when something is really difficult? These questions serve as effective discussion starters with your child about learning, goal setting, and personal growth. While typical middle school students may resist this type of conversation with parents, it’s a powerful dialogue to engage in while you both name aspirations for the year.

Do you take the time to set personal and professional goals for yourself? Have you shared any of your personal or professional goals with your child? Personally, I have some big goals for the year ahead, and I’m energized to grow and try some new things. While I won’t share all of them with my own children, I will try to be vulnerable, let them watch me struggle, and hopefully grow in the process! Join me! Consider taking some time to name goals you may have for yourself, and to share those goals with your children and your family.

I look forward to hearing about your own goals and aspirations, as well as those for your children, at some point soon. I trust that Back to School night this Thursday evening proved helpful to learn about your child’s teachers’ goals for the year. Let’s work together to make it the best yet at Kent!

Grant Althouse
Kent Principal


Let’s Go Green!

Hello Families,

I hope your first week of school has gone well for your children. By now, we a’re all pretty used to the unpredictability that comes with building new structures and renovating our Kentfield campuses. If you’ve lived in Marin for a few years, you are also used to the County transportation projects that always seem to coincide with the start of the school year. Last month at our first Safe Routes to School community meeting, we learned from the Larkspur Director of Public Works that the construction of the Bon Air bridge is expected to last four years. Four year. At the same time, the Bacich parking lot is truncated, making for some potentially hectic mornings and traffic issues.

Last year, I decided to ride my bike to school for the majority of the school year, since I was already losing my on campus parking spot to construction vehicles. I hope you will consider greening your transportation to school this year. Walking if you live close to Kent. Creating carpools. Riding a bike. Even if you live up in the hills, I encourage you to drop your child off and pick him or her up a bit further from campus. The College of Marin parking lot #13 (the unpaved lot furthest from the athletic building) is free and allows you to avoid the congestion of our school lot.

Growing pains are sure worth it when I look around this campus at our beautiful new classrooms. Thank you for your continued support of the Kentfield School District!

Best,

Jenny Walsh
Kent Assistant Principal


Kent Announcements

Student Activities Applications

  • Student Council applications available in room 34.
  • Yearbook Staff Applications Due Friday, September 14, 2018. Applications available in room 34.

School Portraits

  • Picture Day is Friday, September 7, 2018.
  • Visit ios.mydorian.com for online ordering - online access key is N4PMV7B6

Kent Back to School Resources & Forms

Visit our Back to School page for the Parent-Student Handbook and important reminders and forms.

The District Resources and Forms page contains all forms and notices for the entire district.

Kent Site Council

Next Meeting: September 11, 2018, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Main Office Conference Room, Agenda

  • All Kent parents are welcome to attend Site Council meetings. Please visit our Site Council page for meeting dates, agendas, and minutes.

Kent Athletics

Hey Falcon Athletes, welcome back!

Fall Sports: Flag Football, Cross Country, and Volleyball

  • Flag Football (6th, 7th and 8th graders) sign up forms are available this week in the PE locker rooms.
  • Cross Country (all grades) - stay tuned for a meeting with Ms. Janney!
  • Volleyball (girls, grades 6-8, one team per grade level). Sign-up forms are girls' locker rooms.

Go Falcons!

Kent Athletic Director: Ryan Palmer, kent-athletics@kentfieldschools.org

New Kent Athletics website: https://sites.google.com/kentfieldschools.org/kent-athletics

Parking and Pick Up/Drop Off at Kent

  • Due to construction and limited parking, we encourage families to take advantage of our award-winning Safe Routes to School program. Visit the Safe Routes page to discover the best and safest route to walk, bike, skate, to Kent! On the site, you can find your neighborhood route and Safe Routes to School neighborhood captain to plan your eco-friendly school transportation for the new school year.
  • If you are driving to Kent, please review the Kent Drop Off/Pick Up Map.

Safe Routes News

Safe Routes to School

“Park and Walk” to School with Your Child Every Wednesday!

Please set your family alarm clock twenty minutes early on September 12 to "Park and Walk" approximately 5-15 minutes away from our school with your child. Our goal is to dramatically reduce traffic and air pollution around campus every Wednesday. Volunteer parents will host a welcome table on September 12, 2018 to greet kids who walk, scooter bike, carpool or bus to school. Colorful bookmarks will be distributed to students who travel using a green way to school in efforts to cool our planet. Even if you live in the hills or have a hectic schedule, you can still participate in Green Wednesdays by planning to carpool with fellow neighbors or by using one of the "park and walk" options listed below.

  • Our first Walk & Roll Day will be on September 12, 2018!

The Kentfield School District encourages all families to actively participate in our nationally-recognized KSD Safe Routes to School Program, a neighborhood-focused initiative to advocate green travel alternatives, and address traffic safety at our schools.

A team of Neighborhood Parent Captains provide suggested safe route maps and carpooling options all customized by neighborhood. We also advocate for traffic safety concerns on behalf of the families in our district's neighborhoods.

Prepare Your Back to School Travel Plan

Safe Routes to School Safety Tips

kik News

To welcome new students to school, we love to host kik Heart of the Community events!

Heart of the Community 5th Grade Event, Friday, September 7, 5:30 –6:30 p.m.

Heart of the Community TK/K Event, Sunday, September 9, 10–11 a.m.




Any contribution at any level makes an impact on our schools.

Help us reach 100% participation for our schools.




Save the Date! kik Auction | Dinner | Dancing

May 11, 2019

KSPTA News

Please join us for the following KSPTA sponosored events

  • 9/13/2018: Bacich Pizza and Games Night, 5:30 p.m., Bacich Community Center
  • 9/14/2018: KSPTA General Meeting, 8:30-10 a.m., Kent Library, Agenda
    • Want to make new friends, meet interesting people and learn what they're up to. Join us for the first KSPTA General Meeting of the year.

Hot Lunch and Smoothie Snacks – Order Now

School Lunch Service

  • Students receiving free and reduced price lunch are served lunch from the first day of school.
  • Lunch ordering is now open for grades 1-8. Please visit https://goodearthlunch.com/pages/how-it-works, to order today.
  • Please note that Good Earth has revamped their site, so those of you who have been through this before will need to create a new account and there is a new one/child, one/order process (just make sure you read the directions).
  • Deadline to order is Sunday, September 16th and service starts on Monday, September 17th.

Jamba Juice Lunch Snacks

  • Now taking orders for Jamba Juice Session 1: September 17, 2018 through March 8, 2019
  • Bacich Jamba Juice Fridays
  • Kent Jamba Juice Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays
  • Order at kspta.org
  • Order Deadline is September 10, 2018 and service begins September 17, 2018

Bacich Pizza & Games Night - September 13, 2018

Connect with KSPTA!

Community News

These programs are not sponsored by the Kentfield School District. Distributing flyers and information is a community service and does not imply endorsement.

Shop at Sports Basement and Support Kentfield Schools

23 Elephants Theatre Company

Upcoming Auditions and Rehearsals for Fall Theatre Performances.

Now enrolling for Fall Dance Classes.

  • Click image for more information.