Kentfield School District

October 18th, 2021

KSD News

Dear KSD Community,

Active community engagement is one of our District’s core beliefs outlined in our Strategic Plan. In the next few weeks, there are several important information forums in which our community can participate. On October 20th at 6:00pm there will be a second virtual Public Health forum focused on questions and concerns regarding pediatric vaccination (see details below). On October 21st and November 4th at 6 p.m. the County of Marin will host two Community Forums regarding the Project Homekey initiative proposed to be located at 1251 S. Eliseo Blvd (see details below). We urge members of our community to participate in these information sessions to ask questions and be as informed as possible about how these activities may impact our school community.

We thank you in advance for your engagement and dedication to our learning environment!

Superintendent Signature



Raquel Rose
Superintendent
rrose@kentfieldschools.org

District Announcements

Photographer Volunteer Needed

The Kentfield School District is looking for a parent willing to donate their time to a photography project. If your profession or hobby is taking pictures and you are interested, please reach out to Cyd Amaral at camaral@kentfieldschools.org.

Bikes & Crosswalk Safety

Please remember that while crossing any street on bike, scooter, or skateboard students must walk their bikes across the crosswalk.

We thank our parents for reminding their children and reinforcing this important safety measure.

Please reference these tips from Safe Routes to School about bike safety.

Project Homekey Meetings

On September 21, the County of Marin and the City of Larkspur, in partnership with Episcopal Community Services (ECS), announced that they had identified a potential Project Homekey 2.0 opportunity at the former skilled nursing facility located at 1251 S. Eliseo Drive in Larkspur. On Tuesday, the County of Marin’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in support of authorizing staff to submit an application to the State for Homekey funding. The discussion, which you can view here (items #7 & #8 on the agenda), included details about the countywide homelessness strategy, the Homekey funding opportunity, and a detailed description of the development and service plan.

To continue to provide a transparent and open process, the County of Marin, the City of Larkspur, and ECS will co-host two upcoming community forums. Both of these forums will follow the same format: a 30-minute presentation from partner organizations followed by an up to 90-minute Q&A with the community.

2021-2022 District Calendar

October 18-22, 2021:

Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Friday, October 22, 2021

Monday, October 25, 2021

  • Kent Flag Football at Mark Day, 3:45-4:45 p.m.
  • KSPTA Equity & Inclusion Committee Kick-Off Meeting, 6-8 p.m., District Office (750 College Ave, Kentfield CA 94904) and Zoom option

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

  • 7th Volleyball v. Del Mar, 4-5 p.m.
  • Family Partners Meeting, 4-5 p.m.

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

  • 8th Volleyball v. Mark Day, 4-5 p.m.

Thursday, October 28, 2021

  • Kent Flag Football v. Davidson, 4-5 p.m.

Friday, October 29, 2021

  • Cross Country Championship at IVC

Monday, November 1, 2021

  • No School – Professional Development Day

KSD Vaccination Rates 10-01-2021

COVID Communication Exposure & KSD COVID Dashboard:

The Kentfield School District is following protocols from the Marin County Office of Education and the Marin County Department of Health and Human Services for scenarios and actions related to COVID-19 exposures and cases.

The Marin Schools Public Health COVID-19 Exposure Protocols for various scenarios can be found HERE. We recognize the situation with COVID-19 continues to adjust, thus KSD will update processes and procedures accordingly. Please reference the Updated Marin County Decision Tree (9/30/2021) for additional guidance. To reference exposure cases for the KSD visit our KSD Dashboard webpage.


All on-campus volunteers must be vaccinated. If you are volunteering on campus working with children in any capacity, please complete the KSD’s vaccination verification process before you come to campus.


Reporting Self Testing

Marin Public Health Communicable Disease team created a link for parents and adult family members to report the results of their home tests, so that our teams can follow up with resources and information.

coronavirus.marinhhs.org/SelfTestReporting




School Board Information: video recordings of meetings, community letters, minutes, trustee contacts

District Committees

Marin Public Health & MCOE Updates

COVID Information

Public Health Forums

Wednesday, October 20, 2021, 6 p.m. (view flyer)
Public Health and Pediatrician Speaker Panel for Parents and Guardians


Marin County Quarantine Guidance, Updated Oct. 4, 2021
Marin County Decision Tree, Updated Sept. 30, 2021
Marin County Guidelines for School Operations, Updated Sept. 7, 2021
COVD 19 Vaccine Information, MHHS
Marin County Exposure Protocols

Tentative Vaccination Clinics for 5-11 year olds — Save the Dates!

Marin Vaccination Clinics Ages 5-11

Students and family members from across Marin will be welcome to attend any of these vaccination clinics and will include pre-registration and walk-in appointment options. These dates are based on a current projected timeline for approval.

Bacich Bears News

Kristine Duran, New at Bacich



Happy Monday Bacich Bears!

I want to begin by welcoming Mary Anne Spitzer back to campus today. Students, staff, and parents were beyond excited to see her and she was thrilled to visit classrooms and be out on recess and lunch. I know she really appreciated the warm welcome back.

Bacich Second Graders at School Boart Meeting Bacich Thanks Marin Firefighters

I would also like to share an appreciation for our second grade teachers and students for their presentation at the Board Meeting last Tuesday. It was great to hear about all of the learning they have been doing about different types of communities, the community they live in, and the support a community can provide, such as our local firefighters providing support around the state during wildfire season.

Halloween

Now that we are halfway through October, students and staff alike are beginning to talk about fall celebrations.  With that in mind, we want to remind families about the school’s guidelines regarding costumes for the Halloween parade and classroom parties:

We have planned our Halloween school parade for Friday, October 29th at 8:45 a.m. The annual parade will include all grade levels and all classrooms. The students will gather on the blacktop at 8:45 a.m. and exit campus to parade through the McAllister Avenue neighborhood. Families are invited to gather and watch from the neighborhood streets and cheer for the children. Following the parade, students will return to their classrooms for fall themed activities.

On the day of the parade we request that our students not bring or wear scary masks of any kind to school, and we ask that they not bring any costume-like weapons to school to accompany their costumes on this day.

Students should plan to arrive at school in costume. They should wear street clothes under their costumes or bring a change of clothes to school in a clearly marked bag should they wish to change after the morning festivities.

Wishing you all a great week!

Kristine Duran
Bacich Vice Principal
kduran@kentfieldschools.org

Bacich Announcements

Friendly Parking Reminder

All parking spots on campus are reserved for staff. Please refrain from parking on campus during pick-up/drop-off, volunteer opportunities (such as carline), or events during school hours. Handicap spaces are only available for vehicles with placards, per California law.

Tuesday, October 19: Bacich Picture Retake Day

Bacich Library

Bacich Librarian Susan Warnick

The Bacich Library is open every morning, snack recess, lunch recess, and after school.

To Check Out Books: Visit: sites.google.com/kentfieldschools.org/bacich-library

  • Watch this how to video to learn how to check out Bacich Library books.

Bacich Library Book Buzz: bacichlibrarybookbuzz.blogspot.com

Check out Ms. Warnick's blog for valuable information about the library, volunteering, and what classes have been working on in the library.

Kent Falcons News

Kent Principal Grant Althouse

Greetings Kent Community,

Once a month in Advisory class, Kent teachers lead students through a class discussion process called Open Session. During an Open Session, students offer each other ideas about how to navigate through current challenges their peers are experiencing, through a structured and purposeful protocol.

Each Open Session follows the same basic structure:

  • First, students 'Check-In" on a numerical scale shared by the teacher to self assess and share their current mood and frame of mind coming into the Open Session.
  • Second, students have the opportunity to capture current happenings in their lives anonymously on a notecard; these happenings can include pending decisions they need to make, concerns on their mind, problems to solve, and/or joys to celebrate.
  • Next, the teacher shares one anonymous submission from a notecard, and the rest of the class takes turn offering wisdom, clarification, and/or support based on experiences they may have with the concept shared.
  • Last, the student who wrote the note has the option to share out, and the class continues processing through the remaining notecards submitted by students that day.

In our Open Session last week, my seventh grade Advisory class discussed a number of current issues raised by our members including how to respond to inappropriate language from a peer, how to cope when feeling excluded from a friend group, responding (or not) to inappropriate texts, managing stress regarding sports tryouts, and celebrating a recent accomplishment. Open Session can be a safe place where students know they will receive support and encouragement from trusted peers, and is another example of Social and Emotional Learning embedded within the Kent school day.

This week we conclude our All School Read of Someone Like Me with a virtual author visit with Julissa Arce on Thursday. Students will be concluding the book at the beginning of this week, and preparing for the author visit through discussion and reflection in Advisory class on Wednesday. We look forward to welcoming Ms. Arce to Kent on Thursday, and to learning from her experiences. Many thanks to Librarian Rebecca Jelen, as well as teachers, students, and families for your support of this year’s All School Read!

Grant Althouse
Kent Principal
galthouse@kentfieldschools.org

Kent Halloween Costume Drive

Calling all ghosts, superheroes, witches and Harry Potters... Kent Middle School will be hosting a Halloween costume drive this week. The costumes will be donated to homeless families with children who are currently being helped by, or are involved with the non-profit organization Compass of SF.

We are looking for new or lightly used costumes – nothing broken or stained. All sizes are welcome! Costume accessories like capes, hats, magic wands, etc are welcomed too.

Please bag your donations to ensure parts stay together in transit. There will be barrels at the front office gate and by carline to allow for easy drop off of costumes.

Compass of SF really appreciates all the costumes donated, and we need your help! Clean out your closets and make a child’s Halloween wish come true by making a donation next week!

The drive will run from October 18-October 22.

Kent Library

All School Read – Author Visit on Thursday, 10/21!

Kent students have been reading the book, Someone Like Me by Julissa Arce with their first period classes — either listening to the author read on the audio edition or listening to their teacher reading. We are so excited for her upcoming virtual visit on October 21!

Thanks to the KIK for the generous grant to make this happen!

Can you help Davidson's Library?

We need your help! Clean out those bookshelves and bring your gently used books to the Kent Library to benefit Davidson's school library! Our neighboring middle school has a library that has been shuttered since the beginning of the pandemic. They just hired a librarian for the first time in several years and are finally open for students and classes, but they are sorely in need of new books to fill their shelves. You can help even further by posting this request on Nextdoor or your neighborhood email group. If you have questions, please email our school librarian Rebecca Jelen for more information. Drop off your books anytime in the Kent library or Kent office. Thank you!

Kent Announcements

Thursday, October 21: Kent All School Read Author Virtual Visit

Tuesday, November, 2: Kent Site Council meeting, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

Kent Lunchtime Clubs

Discover a lunchtime club opportunity!

Lunchtime clubs provide falcons with an opportunity to develop friendships and participate in activities and projects with their peers.

Learn more here

Kent School Photos

You have the ability to order pictures online by visiting dorianstudio.com and searching for your school’s name. Your online order can be placed before and up to four (4) days after picture day.

Los padres pueden ordenar fotos en línea en dorianstudio.com buscando el nombre de su escuela. Su pedido en línea se puede realizar antes y hasta cuatro (4) días después del día de la foto.

After the 4-day grace period expires, a personalized access key will be sent home with picture delivery. A $7 shipping and handling fee will be added to all orders made with a personalized

access key and orders will ship directly to your home.

DESPUÉS DE QUE EXPIRE EL PERÍODO DE GRACIA DE 4 DÍAS: Un código de acceso personalizado le será enviado a su hogar con sus pedidos. Estas órdenes incluyen una tarifa de $7 de envío.

Questions?

Contact our Customer Advocate Team at support@dorianstudio.com or call (800) 826-3535.

Kent Cross-Country Meets

at College of Marin Indian Valley Campus……….….Fri. 10/29 (4:15 p.m.)

Kent Flag Football Games

at Mark Day…………………………………….. Mon., 10/25 (3:45 p.m.)

vs. Davidson…………………………………….Thurs., 10/28 (4 p.m.)

vs. Lagunitas…………………………………... Thurs., 11/4 (3:45 p.m.)

Kent Volleyball Games

7th grade team vs. White Hill……….…Wed. 10/20 (4 p.m.)

7th grade team vs. Del Mar………………Tues. 10/26 (4 p.m.)

8th grade team vs. Mark Day……………Wed. 10/27 (4 p.m.)

7th grade team at Miller Creek………………………….Tues. 11/2 (4 p.m.)

8th grade team at Davidson……………………………….Wed. 11/3 (4 p.m.)

7th grade team at Davidson……………………………….Tues. 11/9 (4 p.m.)

8th grade team vs. San Domenico……Wed. 11/10 (4 p.m.)

KIK News

KIK BOO-GRAMS ON SALE TODAY!

Surprise your friends with Halloween candy and treats! Order your KIK-BOO Grams for $5 each, let us know the lucky recipient and we’ll deliver a bag of treats to their doorstep the week of October 25th!

KIK BOO-Grams will be delivered to a Greenbrae or Kentfield address that you provide. Pay by PayPal, cash or check — the last day to order is October 22 unless we sell out first.

Thank you for purchasing and helping to support Bacich and Kent schools!

ORDER BOO-GRAMS TODAY

Thank you to KIK Boo-Gram Sponsors:

Homa Rassouli - Mutual of Omaha Reverse Mortgage | DEB STEVENS - Marin Living Homes | Eric Bleth — Guaranteed Rate Affinity | Argavan Nilforoush, RDN, Baby Steps Nutrition | Kathryn Najafi-Tagol MD & Eye Institute of Marin | DJ Hanna

DINE & DONATE: TUES 10/19

LEFT BANK GIVES 20% WITH EVERY KIK FAMILY MEAL

Every Tuesday Left Bank creates a KIK family dinner for $50 and donates 20% back to our schools. 

Opt in to get a weekly email reminder to order and follow us on Facebook & Instagram for menu updates.

UPCOMING MENU:

  • 10/19: 4 chicken & 4 steak tacos with salad & homemade tortilla chips with fresh pico de gallo
  • 10/26: ribs, mac & cheese, green beans, & Caesar salad

ORDER NOW for pickup on Tuesday. Select “KIK Family Meal.”

BUSINESS PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

Ben Shemano Jewelry

Ben Shemano Jewelry is a family-run business that specializes in estate and custom jewelry, and is dedicated to being your personal jeweler for life! With two decades of experience, Ben provides the quality of high-end retailers at competitive prices with a superior online shopping experience. Ben and Kira Shemano are KSD parents looking forward to serving our community.

Marin Ortho

Dr. Jasmine Gorton, Dr. Sona Bekmezian & Dr. Bill Schmohl are board-certified orthodontic specialists whose passion for orthodontics shines through in their progressive Invisalign & Braces techniques and caring approach for patients of all ages. They’ll work with you to create a stunning, healthy smile!

Town Center Corte Madera

From groceries to Italian fare, seafood to vegetarian, stationary to furnishings, Town Center Corte Madera offers a variety of shops in a charming, outdoor setting with activities for all—weekly farmers market, Kids’ Scavenger Hunt, and Fall Music Series. In October, look for a spooktacular selfie station and free treat bags on Halloween from 12-3 p.m., while supplies last!

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Interested in becoming a KIK Business Partner in Education? All of our partners support our Bacich and Kent schools through various levels of sponsorship. Contact Laurie today at (415) 458-5140.

UPCOMING KIK COMMUNITY EVENTS - Save the dates!

OCT. 19 - Dine & Donate with Left Bank KIK Family Meals

OCT. 22 - Boo-Gram order deadline (unless already sold out)!

OCT. 25 - Family Giving Launch

OCT. 25 - Boo-Gram delivery begins!

OCT. 26 - Dine & Donate with Left Bank KIK Family Meals

NOV. 18 - KIK GIVING DAY

CONNECT WITH KIK

KIK $1M ANNUAL GOAL — October Update

We’re officially past 25% of our fundraising goal for our Bacich and Kent schools! Thank you to our Family Giving Donors and Business Partners for their support of our students and the programs they love. 

KIK is committed to raising $1 million for our Bacich and Kent students for the 2021-22 school year.
For Installments or Matching Gifts, Print Donor Form in English and Spanish.
KIK Mission

KSPTA News


Next KSPTA Meeting: Monday, November 8, 7-8 p.m., information

Thank you to our new members who joined last week!

KSPTA membership by 73% since last Wednesday, and we are well on our way to achieving our goal of 250 memberships this year.

Please join today and help us reach our goal of 250 memberships by October 31. Click here to join!

** Become a member in the month of October and have a shot at dinner at Guesthouse **

All individuals, families, and teachers who become a member of KSPTA in the month of October will be entered in the raffle for a $100 gift card to Guest House.

KSPTA Equity & Inclusion Committee Kick-Off Meeting

Monday, October 25, 2021, 6-8 p.m., District Office (750 College Ave, Kentfield 94904)

Please join the KSPTA Equity & Inclusion Committee Kick-Off Meeting on Monday, October 25 at the District Office. Learn about committee programs, share what you would like to see and find out how to get involved in this work. All are welcome! Zoom option is offered if you would like to listen to the meeting.

Únase a la reunión inicial del Comité de Equidad e Inclusión de KSPTA el lunes 25 de octubre en la oficina del distrito. Conozca los programas actuales de los comités, comparta lo que le gustaría ver y descubra cómo participar en este trabajo. ¡Todos son bienvenidos! Se ofrece la opción de zoom si desea escuchar la reunión.

Parent Education Survey

Please complete this quick survey to share the topics that you would like to learn more about and the days of the week that are the best for you to attend parent education opportunities.


Thank you to our new members who joined last week!

KSPTA membership by 73% since last Wednesday, and we are well on our way to achieving our goal of 250 memberships this year.

Please join today and help us reach our goal of 250 memberships by October 31. Click here to join!

** Become a member in the month of October and have a shot at dinner at Guesthouse **

All individuals, families, and teachers who become a member of KSPTA in the month of October will be entered in the raffle for a $100 gift card to Guest House.To view and manage your membership, click here and log into your account.

Don't take our word for it, teachers know best!
Mrs. Ross and Honu want to tell you what they love about the PTA. Great job Honu, we couldn't have said it better ourselves!

Become a member today!


Parent Education Opportunities

The KSPTA is working on bringing some great parenting education events to Kentfield this school year. There are also lots of great resources, often free, in our community. Regularly, we'll be sharing information about community events with you.

Raising Thrivers: Parenting Tips & Tools to Help Kids Thrive in An Uncertain World

Dr. Michele Borba, educational psychologist and author

Thursday, October 21, 7-8:30 p.m.

Our kids are the smartest on record, but also the loneliest, most stressed, risk averse, and depressed. It’s why we must rethink our parenting so they can thrive in an anxious, uncertain world. The good news is that thrivers are made, not born. In this thought provoking session, you’ll learn seven traits that science says matter most in happiness and success (even more than IQ and grades) and help kids thrive both now and later. You’ll learn how to help your child cope with everyday frustrations as well as bigger challenges, solve problems and develop resourcefulness, bounce-back from failure, develop an optimistic spirit, and recognize their unique passion to increase authentic confidence. This session offers hands-on tools to raise successful, self-reliant, and less pressured kids who thrive in school and life.

Join Zoom Meeting: mcds.zoom.us/j/7824797371

Meeting ID: 782 479 7371

One tap mobile

+17207072699,,7824797371# US (Denver)

+12532158782,,7824797371# US (Tacoma)

This event is open to the public. Co-sponsored by MCDS and MP&MS

Community Drug Education and Discussion

The Kids are Not Alright. The Drug Dealer is in your Child's pocket.

Join the discussion about substance use in our community, and how easy access is impacting teens. This event is co-sponsored by Heart of the Village, RxSafe Marin and Mill Valley Police Department. Learn about how fentanyl and other substainces are taking the lives of young people. Learn the signs and symptoms of use and measures to counteract abuse and overdose. There will be opportunities to ask questions and have discussions with those who have personal experience with substance use.

Doors open 6 p.m. for information booths.

Presentation 6:30-7:30 p.m. followed by Q&A 7:30-8:30 p.m.

Teenagers, Parents and Caregivers are welcome.

Vaccination is required and please wear a mask.

Register here

Stay up to date with KSPTA!

Follow kentfieldschoolspta on both Facebook and Instagram

Community News

Information, events, and news provided in our newsletter's "Community News" is offered as service to our community, and are not sponsored by the Kentfield School District. Placement does not represent an endorsement.

Community Forums: Project Homekey

On September 21, the County of Marin and the City of Larkspur, in partnership with Episcopal Community Services (ECS), announced that they had identified a potential Project Homekey 2.0 opportunity at the former skilled nursing facility located at 1251 S. Eliseo Drive in Larkspur. The property would be operated by ECS as a 43 to 50-unit Permanent Supportive Housing facility for single adults experiencing homelessness. On Tuesday, the County of Marin’s Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in support of authorizing staff to submit an application to the State for Homekey funding. The discussion, which you can view here (items #7 & #8 on the agenda), included details about the countywide homelessness strategy, the Homekey funding opportunity, and a detailed description of the development and service plan.

To continue to provide a transparent and open process, the County of Marin, the City of Larkspur, and ECS will co-host two upcoming community forums. Both of these forums will follow the same format: a 30-minute presentation from partner organizations followed by an up to 90-minute Q&A with the community.

Marin Pirates Swimming

The Marin Pirates Foundation is a Non-Profit (501-c3) organization with the mission statement of providing free learn-to-swim lessons to underserved children in the Marin County area.

Register now for fall and winter swim clinics and lessons. Financial assistance is available for students.

Find out more at marinpirates.org and view flyer.

Marin County Storm Season Preparations & Emergency Notifications

Residents are encouraged to take action on their own property prior to the rainy season to help mitigate flooding, including the clearing of dead leaves from driveway pipes, rooftop gutters, and storm drains. Dead foliage should be disposed of in compost bins, not left in street gutters to clog drainage systems. Those living in flood-prone areas should test their sump pumps and stock up on sandbags (available at most hardware stores) and learning how to properly use them prior to storms. Additionally, ReadyMarin.org provides many detailed resources, including emergency grab-and-go packing checklists, that can be helpful for residents to prepare for the unexpected.

Emergency Alerts

It is important for residents to sign up for the Alert Marin notification system to be aware of emergency situations that could carry life safety implications, such as floods. The service, provided by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, provides the public with time-sensitive alerts targeted toward specific addresses or neighborhoods. Residents who have registered should review their contact information to ensure it is up to date. Alert Marin is different from the Nixle service, which provides general public safety and/or post-disaster information.

Flood Insurance

Marin County participates in the National Flood Insurance Program, which makes federally backed insurance available for all structures, and provides a range of resources to help property owners make the best decisions. Residents who seek such coverage are encouraged to contact their insurance agency but should be aware that it takes approximately 30 days to process.

RACE COUNTS MARIN: A Report Update from the Advancement Project

Wednesday, November 10, 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.

In 2017, the "Race Counts" report found Marin to be number one for racial disparities among all California counties. Join us in November 10th to hear the new data from the Advancement Project.

The "Race Counts" report looks at:

  • Economic Opportunity
  • Housing
  • Education
  • Criminal Justice
  • Healthcare, Democracy and more.

Public Comments!

Following the presentations, there will be time for public comments. Plan to respond to the Race Counts report or share your experience. We want to hear from you!

Register Here!

For more information about SURJ Marin (Showing Up for Racial Justice), visit www.SURJMarin.org.

If you have any questions, give me a call or email Michelle@First5Marin.org.

This is a FREE online event hosted by the Marin Communications Forum and co-hosted by SURJ Marin and sponsored by First 5 Marin.

Corte Madera Library Reopening!

The Corte Madera Library's construction is now complete, and the library is fully open to the public.

Hours: Sunday 12-5 p.m.; Monday-Wednesday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Thursday 12-7 p.m.

Please come by and see us at 707 Meadowsweet Dr., we've missed you!

Marin Health Hubs

Health hubs, we provide free and bilingual services such as food distribution, nutrition education, health screenings, and information about community organizations.

Food pantry items are provided by the SF-Marin Food Bank and by the ExtraFood.org Program, and the health screenings are provided by our wonderful nurses!

Everyone is welcome to attend the health hubs food pantry and to help us run it!

www.marinclinic.org/health-hubs

View flyer

Parent & Youth.Helpline

This free helpline provides free trauma-informed, evidenced-based emotional support to parents, children and youth in any language via calls, text, live chat, and email.

  • Available 7 days a week from 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
  • Parents can join a Weekly Online Support Group through the website: caparentyouthhelpline.org.
  • Helpline #: 855-427-2736