Kentfield School District News
Dear KSD Community,
As we close out the month of March I want to highlight some of what has been accomplished around our schools over the last number of weeks.
Women’s history month was celebrated through highlighting the contributions of women in history and contemporary society. Vaccination opportunities availed themselves to our staff to add an extra layer of protection and security. We expanded in-person learning opportunities for our KSD school community and launched a distance learning only pathway for targeted families. And, over 100 parents volunteered to support supervision activities across both school sites.
These highlights are just some of the magic that makes the KSD so special. I look forward to the weeks ahead where more magic will be made as we move through the final months of this school year.
Take good care,
Raquel Rose
Superintendent
rrose@kentfieldschools.org
District Announcements
REMINDER – Quarantine After Spring Break (April 5-9)
Please reference the Public Health Decision Tree (Tier III - Orange) to determine medical quarantine following the Spring Break Recess. Thank you to those families who have already submitted this form which will assist the KSD in planning for your child’s program during quarantine. We request families submit their form by Tuesday, March 30th. Please contact KSD School Nurse, Laurel Yrun at lyrun@kentfieldschools.org with any questions related to quarantine and/or public health guidance.
Public Health Guidance for K-12 Schools in California, 2020-2021 School Year - Updated 3-20-2021
Highlights Include:
- Distancing students at least 3 feet in classrooms
- All schools eligible to open if case rates are below 25 per 100,000
- Importance of maintaining stable groups of students
When to Quarantine? See theMarin County Decision Tree
KSD requires quarantine for the following:
- Travel outside California
- High Risk Gathering - examples include large gatherings with more than 3 families, such as wedding, party, sporting event, concerts, etc.
Contact Laurel Yrun, KSD School Nurse at lyrun@kentfieldschools.org if you have any questions.
KSD SSSPP Update, Recording (English - Spanish - Portuguese) - Bacich SSSPP - Kent SSSPP
KSD & Marin County COVID-19 Resources, & Testing Opportunities
Discover local case rates, trends, demographics, and resources to stay up to date with the status of COVID-19 in Marin at the Marin Recovers and Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Surveillance Update websites.
Public Health Testing – Curative: Marin County Public Health offers five-day a week communitywide Curative COVID Testing opportunities. Appointments will be opened 4 days prior to testing day. For more information click here.
Whether your family is insured or not there are free and easy testing options in our county.
COVID-19 Decision Tree Guidance - English & Spanish Version
Know when to stay home and what to do when you or your family don't feel well or have engaged in what is categorized as a high-risk activity (e.g., any mixing of households, non-essential travel).
- Please keep this decision tree in a handy place or refrigerator for reference (updated 3-29-2021)
KSD COVID-19 Dashboard
In an effort to keep the KSD community informed a KSD COVID-19 Dashboard has been developed to display levels of exposure notification in alignment with Marin County Public Health Exposure protocols. The KSD COVID-19 Dashboard will be updated regularly. See our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for more details about this Dashboard.
Upcoming Events
*For security, Zoom links and passwords for events are not posted on the District website, and are sent through ParentSquare.
Daily: Virtual Crossing Guard with Ms. Stephens, 7:55-8:30 a.m., Zoom
Monday, March 29, 2021
- KSPTA School Lunch program began at Kent.
- Bacich lunch will continue as the weekly pickup at Kent.
March 30, 2021
April 5-9, 2021: Spring Break
Monday, April 12, 2021
- Resume KSD Full In-Person Instruction Districtwide
- KSPTA meeting, 7-8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
- Kent Site Council meeting, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- School Board meeting, 5-8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 14, 2021
- KIK board meeting, 7:30-9 p.m.
Friday, April 16, 2021
- Kent Principal Chat, 9:15 a.m.
Tuesday, April 20, 2021
- Family Partners meeting, 4-5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
- Bacich Principal Chat, 8:45-9:45 a.m.
- LCAP/Strategic Planning meeting, 4-5:30 p.m.
Monday, April 26, 2021
- Bacich Site Council meeting, 3-4 p.m.
School Board & District Committees
- Board Meeting Highlights
- Board Meeting Video Archive
- Board Statements and Community Letters – Read the March 22, 2021 letter
- Next Monthly School Board meeting: Tuesday, April 13, 2020, 5 p.m., Zoom
- All are welcome and encouraged to attend via Zoom.
- Addressing the Board
Safe Routes to School
Wolfe Grade Crosswalk Activation Postponed
The new crosswalk being installed at the intersection of Wolfe Grade and Sir Francis Drake was scheduled to be ready for use on March 12. However, because of some unexpected issues needing to be resolved, there will be a delay in its activation. We will share details about the new opening date for the crosswalk as soon as we have more information.
If you have questions regarding this recommended route to school, feel to contact Tanya Vernitsky, Safe Routes to Schools representative, at tanya.vernitsky@gmail.com. Also, this is a link to neighborhood route maps from Safe Routes to Schools. Thank you!
Learn how to get to school safely with these tips for Hybrid Instruction. (English | Spanish)
Bacich News
Kent News
KIK News
SPRING AUCTION WISH LIST — we still need your help!
The KIK online auction is just over a month away, May 1-8, and we still need donations. If you are personally willing to donate a gift card or item from the wish list, we would really appreciate it.
Items needed:
- Amazon Wish List
- Restaurant gift cards
- Getaways to vacation homes
- Outdoor experiences - golf, fishing, etc.
- See full Auction Wish List for more ideas
Thank you for your support—the dollars we raise helps ALL KSD students!
Donations & Questions: events@kikschools.org.
TUES 3/30: KIK FAMILY MEALS WITH LEFT BANK, 20% TO KIK
Every Tuesday Left Bank creates a KIK family dinner for $50 and donates 20% back to KIK.
- Mar 30: Coq Au Vin, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad verte
- April 6: if you’re in town for Spring Break, take a vacation from cooking: Roast chicken, mac & cheese, green beans, salad verte
- If your family needs extra portions of the meat or different sides, call Ryan at Left Bank and he can customize a Family Meal that works for you: 415-927-3331
- Check out another Left Bank promotion that also gives back to KIK!
ORDER NOW for pickup on Tuesday. Select “KIK Family Meal.”
Opt in today to get a weekly email reminder to order.
SUN 4/18: DUMPLING TIME - DINE & DONATE
KIK is partnering with SF2BAY’s newest pop up partner to donate 10% of sales on Sunday, April 18th
- Use code: KIKDUMPLING
- San Francisco’s best dumplings reinvented by the restaurant team behind the Michelin-starred Omakase and Niku Steakhouse. The menu focuses on freshly-made dumplings in the Asian tradition, plus pan-seared gyoza, noodles and more
Check out their delicious menu, orders will be open NOW until Thu 4/15 (unless they sell out first)
MOVE FOR KIK
Thank you for participating in the Move for KIK event!
Not only did we raise money for our schools but we got in lots of great workouts! Please thank the studios and instructors that donated their time for this event if you have the opportunity. Thanks for moving with KIK!
ANNUAL COMMITMENT — March Update
There are still nearly 3 months left to the school year and $275,000 to raise to support our students and the programs they love. We welcome your support.
- $1M Annual Commitment Status : $738,288 (net) to date
- Thank you to all donors who gave to the March Madness Challenge—your generous participation helped move the Annual Commitment donations to the next level!
Thank you to the 332 KIK Donors and counting that have been committed to our students this year!
See Current Donor Wall
KSPTA News
Next General KSPTA Meeting: Monday, April 12, 2020, 7-8:30 p.m.
- Kentfield families and members will receive the Zoom link and password. If you do not receive the link, please contact info@kspta.org.
New School Lunch Program with School Foodies
Kent Families:
KSPTA is offering daily lunch service through the School Foodies program at Kent only.
Visit our website and read the flyers below for more information.
Kent Lunch Questions Answered:
- There is a designated place for pickup. 5th and 6th grade will pick up in the South Quad. 7th and 8th grade will pick up by the North Quad/Multipurpose Room.
- Students will be supervised in line to ensure social distancing is maintained. Hand sanitizer will be provided before lunch is picked up.
- Lunches will be in sealed packaging. Utensils are not wrapped individually but will be stored in a covered container and handed out to each student as needed by gloved volunteers.
- Students will walk back to their designated lunch zone to open and eat their lunch.
- Students are required to sit and eat for a minimum of 10 minutes, but have the full 30 minutes of recess to eat if they wish.
- A note on registration codes: If you've already registered with School Foodies, you are good to go. If you are registering for the first time, please use code KENT56 for 5th and 6th grade, SF-KENT78 for 7th and 8th grade.
Bacich Families:
Bacich students will continue to have the variety meal box pick up at Kent 12:15-1 p.m. on Mondays.
Order online, pick up at Kent for the week. Choose which weeks you order, and order for the whole family!
- Sign up at schoolfoodies.com, registration code “bacich” or “kent”
- Find out more
- School Foodies pick up time: Mondays, 12:15-1:30 p.m. at Kent, except for when Monday is a holiday.
Shop Farm Fresh Produce & Support KSPTA
KSPTA is offering a healthy new way to raise funds for our schools!
We have partnered with “Farm Fresh to You” and 10% of all orders will benefit our kids and teachers in the classroom. Enjoy well-priced and delicious produce and a huge selection of other grocery items delivered right to your door!
Please review this flyer for more information.
Use promo code: kspta
Order Bacich Yearbooks
Our parent volunteers are hard at work to create a lovely keepsake to capture the highlights of this most unusual and history-making year. Don’t miss out — order today!
This year we are trying Josten's sales site, but the KSPTA will distribute the yearbooks at the end of the year as always!
- Find out more and order at kspta.org/its-time-to-order-your-2020-2021-yearbook
- Cost: $25.
KSPTA Board and Coordinator Positions Open
Make an impact in your school community by joining the KSPTA leadership. Opportunities to participate in the board or as a coordinator are now open.
Email Erica Applestein, KSPTA President, at president@kspta.org to learn more about the difference you'll make as a KSPTA leader.
Thank You New PTA Members!
Thank you to those of you who joined during our Membership Month! There’s still time to join and support our schools.
Distance Learning Resources at KSPTA
We are committed to supporting the Bacich and Kent communities with programs like the expanded Buddy System and more.
Visit the distance learning resources page to learn more. Suggestions and ideas are welcome at info@kspta.org.
KSPTA is proud to support Be the Influence.
Connect with KSPTA!
Website: kspta.org
Twitter: @KentfieldPTA
Instagram: kentfieldschoolspta
Facebook: Kentfield Schools PTA
Community News
Information, events, and news provided in our newsletter's "Community News" is offered as service to our community and do not represent an endorsement and are not sponsored by the Kentfield School District.
Rediscover Summer Fun
Camp Galileo for Pre-K – Rising 5th Graders
Galileo's award-winning camp is back at Kent Middle School this summer! Engage kids in the perfect mix of hands-on learning and unforgettable fun, thoughtfully redesigned for 2021. Small groups and safety protocols keep every Galilean safe. Engaging art, science and outdoor challenges deliver the innovation-igniting experiences kids love. Flexible enrollment policies make planning stress free. It all comes together for a joyful summer.
Financial assistance scholarships available. Program running June 21 - August 6th at Kent Middle School. Optional extended care. Learn more at www.galileo-camps.com.
Zero Waste Earth Art Challenge
Zero Waste Marin is excited to announce the eARTh Challenge! Students can let their inner artist shine by completing up to three art projects, each based on a different zero waste theme Challenges will be available on the Zero Waste Schools website, and Zero Waste Marin will accept submissions until April 16th – just in time for Earth Day.
All students in Marin are welcome to participate, and students who submit challenges will be entered into a gift card raffle!
Community Education: 2021 Raising Healthy Families Community Education Series
Join us for this free informative education series as we examine important issues facing today’s families. Presentations by noted Bay Area experts will offer tools and strategies to empower you to help raise children who are curious, compassionate, and resilient.
Co-hosted by Community Institute for Psychotherapy & The Marin County Office of Education.
Prevent Adolescent Substance and Behavior Problems Using Systemic Approaches to Promote Harmony and Safety for the Whole Family
Presented by Kenneth Perlmutter, PhD
Tuesday, March 30, 2021, 6-8 p.m.
This presentation will offer attendees insight into the influences and dynamics within families that put children at risk for addictive behaviors; provide a general understanding of what helps to prevent addiction in the first place; and offer systemic approaches to proactively prevent drug and alcohol use and abuse, and other addictive behaviors in adolescents.
What you will learn:
- The influence of dysfunction in family dynamics over time, including trauma response and impaired coping
- What is meant by “good family practices” and how they can be used to address addictive behaviors and, more importantly, to prevent their development
- Tips and strategies to implement good family practices
Parent Education: Teen Substance Use
Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships created Let's Talk: A Toolkit for Navigating Teen Substance Use in Marin County this past summer and sent it out to nearly 3000 local public high school freshman parents, pediatricians and therapists. In addition, we created a discussion series that focuses on each chapter in the book featuring experts in the field of parenting, development of the teen brain and information on nicotine, alcohol, cannabis, prescription pills, mushrooms, experimentation and finding support.
Our online community discussions follow the chapters of the Let's Talk booklet. If you missed the previous events, they are available to view at the links below. And you can register for the upcoming events now.
- What’s happening to your teen? (View Recording)
- What’s the big deal? (View Recording)
- Parenting to support our teens (View Recording)
- Uppers, downers and all-arounders (View Recording)
- Legal and school consequences (View Recording)
- Getting support and help - April 7, 2021 (Register)
Curbside Information and Book Bundles
While the Corte Madera Library building is currently closed, you may request and return items, and find details about Curbside Service at marinlibrary.org.
Curbside Hours:
- Tuesday & Wednesday 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Thursday 3-7 p.m.
Call our “Talk with a Librarian” number: 415-473-2272 Monday-Friday, 9-6 p.m. English and Spanish with any questions and information.
Book Bundles for Emerging Readers
We know many families are missing the ability to browse library shelves, so we’ve created a way to get some "surprise" books to you based on your child’s interests.
Each Book Bundle includes 10 books and you can choose the reading level that is right for your child. Get up to 3 bundles per family!
How to Request Book Bundles
- To request Book Bundles, please fill out this form , or call 415-473-2272, Monday-Friday, 9-6 p.m.
- Please allow 3-4 days for your request to be filled. You will be contacted by the branch when your order is ready for curbside pickup.
- Find out more: marinlibrary.org/book-bundles-for-kids
Audio Books
In case you have families or students asking about downloadable audio books, here is a short video tutorial that demonstrates how to use the Libby app to browse our online catalog and download titles. youtu.be/E0E_FPMl4m8
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