Kentfield School District

Kentfield School District - Bacich and Kent Schools - will be closed Friday, November 16, due to the smoke. This closure includes Kent's Teens in Transition, Bacich Parent-Teacher Conferences, any field trips and professional development. We will be in communication over the weekend if it is necessary to close on Monday.

Para español haga clic aquí / Click here for a Language Translation of Newsletter

• El boletín se convierten utilizando Google Translate. Entendemos que esto no es una traducción perfecta, sin embargo, esperamos que sea útil para las familias de que hablan español. Si tiene alguna pregunta sobre la información, póngase en contacto con nosotros.
• This 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.

Bacich Canned Food Drive - through November 21, 2018

• Bacich Student Council is holding their Annual Canned Food Drive. The collection barrels are in the front of the school and in the quad.
• Let's make sure no one is hungry this holiday season and fill those barrels! All donations will go to the Marin Food Bank.

6th Grade Girls Basketball Coach Still Needed

• Coaches are needed for the 6th grade girls basketball team. Please contact Ryan Palmer at rpalmer@kentfieldschools.org if you or anyone you know would like to coach.

• Download 2018-2019 District Calendar
• View Online Calendar for Bacich, Kent, and District

Friday, November 16, 2018: No School Due to Smoke from Fires

• All events cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Monday, November 19, 2018:

• Communication Committee Meeting, District Office, 1- 2 p.m.

Thanksgiving Break November 21-23, 2018

Save the Date:

• Wednesday, November 28, 2018: Kentfield Craft Fair by KSPTA, 1:30–6:30 p.m. Event information.
• Thursday, November 29, 2018: Kent Author's Chair/Expressions 8 event, 6-7:30 p.m.
• Monday, December 3-6, 2018: Book Fair! Event details and hours.
• Tuesday, December 4, 2018: Parent Partners Meeting, 4-6 p.m., District Office
• Thursday, December 13, 2018: Fourth Grade Winter Voices Concert, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Bacich Community Center

Calendar Correction:

• There will not be a Bacich Principal Coffee Chat on Monday, November 26, 2018.

At its meeting this week, the School Board was delighted to learn about the Apache Fire Creation story enacted by four 5th graders – Julian Roth, Elsa Tschantz-Hahn, Sophia Kim and Rohan Asare – during the Educational Showcase. Rounding out the presentation on Social Studies at Kent were three eighth graders – Nathan Morales, Wyatt Turkington and Will Stephenson – sharing their “Shark Tank” pitch – including a rap – about the colony of Massachusetts.

The District’s equity initiative was presented to the Board, along with an overview of last year’s CAASPP scores and a sampling of Youth Truth survey responses from our English Learners at Kent. Next steps were discussed, and this data will frame LCAP goal review and development in the Spring.

The Trustees discussed a request received from a parent to make dismissal later on Wednesdays. Staff pointed out that all Marin districts dismiss early on Wednesdays and that the time is used by teachers to collaborate, learn, plan, and reflect, all in service to students. Information was provided showing that Kentfield’s dismissal times are earlier than neighboring districts. The Board also learned that our instructional minutes, while in excess of the state requirements, trail our comparison group in the early grades but exceed them in the upper grades. A suggestion was made to bring this discussion to the next strategic planning session where a decision about whether or not our program needs additional time to accomplish its instructional and social-emotional goals is best agendized.

A proposal to install a system of closed circuit security cameras at Bacich and Kent was approved by the Board. Safety and security were two of the areas of focus for our Measure D Bond projects, which this proposal partially addresses. Additional fencing and gates are another measure we are pursuing to ensure we have made our campuses as secure as possible.

• View Board Presentation: District Equity Initiative

School will be closed on Friday, November 16, 2018 due to the smoke. We will monitor air quality forecasts for Monday, November 19, 2018. We will be in communication if school needs to be closed on Monday.

Precautionary Recommendations from Marin’s Department of Health and Human Services to protect your health:

• Minimize outdoor activities
• Stay indoors with windows and doors closed as much as possible
• Do not run fans that bring smoky outdoor air inside
• Run your air conditioner only if it does not bring smoke in from the outdoors
• Consider leaving the area until smoke conditions improve if you experience symptoms related to smoke exposure.

In our schools:

• When air quality is unhealthy, activities such as athletic events or practices should be cancelled or rescheduled. Unhealthy is defined as an Air Quality Index (AQI) above 150. See below for local AQI information.
• Outdoor activities will be limited
• Windows and doors will be kept shut as much as possible
• Students with asthma should follow their asthma action plans and keep their quick-relief medicine close at hand.

For up to date information about air quality in the Bay Area go to: www.baaqmd.gov and airnow.gov. For up to date information about fires in California go to: www.calfire.ca.gov.

Parent Partners is a group for parents of students with learning differences.

The group meets three times per year with the primary goals of providing parent perspective and feedback to the school districts, supporting children with exceptional needs by increasing knowledge and acceptance of learning differences in the community, and supporting other parents of students with exceptional needs.

• December 4, 2018, 4-6 p.m., District Office

School Board Information

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

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

Bacich Events

• Bacich Parent – Teacher Conferences Scheduled on Friday, November 16th will be rescheduled.
• There is no Principal Coffee Chat in November.
• Thursday, December 13, 2018: Fourth Grade Winter Voices Concert, 6:30–7:30 p.m., Bacich Community Center

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

• Please visit our Site Council page for meeting dates, agendas, and minutes.

Please visit our Bacich Families page for information such as the Bell Schedule, Parent Handbook, and other important resources and forms.

Bacich Grade Level and Program Websites

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.

• Locate "Safe Routes," "Park and Walk" spots, visitor parking, bike/scooter racks for Bacich and Kent. Note in particular that the designated parking lot for your neighborhood at Bacich. Determine your neighborhood and contacts with our zone map, then visit the neighborhood map for Berens Route Plan, Greenbrae Route Plan, Kent Woodlands Route Plan, Laurel Grove Route Plan, Murray Park Route Plan, and SFD Firehouse Route Plan.
• Public bus option for middle school students: The Marin Transit Bus 29 has a route designed perfectly for our Kent Middle School students. The bus picks up on SFD and Eliseo at 8:12 a.m. and drops off at College of Marin at 8:17 a.m. It's a short walk to the crosswalk and then to Kent. It costs $1 per child.
• Safe Routes to School Safety tips in English and Spanish.

• Purchase Tickets Here

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

Help us reach 100% participation for our schools.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a KSPTA grant proposal. We are pleased to announce the 19 grants approved for a total $21,455 for interesting projects and supplies ranging from STEAM equipment to safety equipment and instruction materials to gardening supplies. We look forward to seeing these new projects and materials benefit our students.

This Year's Grant Award List.

Next KSPTA Meeting

• January 28, 2019, 8:30-10 a.m., Kent Library

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