KSD News
Dear KSD Community,
Our District's Strategic Plan defines the KSD as a place that strives to inspire students to pursue their passions through teaching practices that are student-centered, inquiry based, and provide a culture of innovation. This definition aligns to the unique and inspiring enrichment programs we offer at both school sites. Through the generous support of our local foundation KIK (Kentfield Invests in Kids) and our collaborative KSPTA partners our engaging teachers are able to offer a vast array of options for our children that include, but are not limited to, music and chorus, visual and studio art, maker and start-up, coding and film making and much more. These opportunities allow our children to explore topics of interest that may excite them, while also motivating them to learn.
My sincere appreciation and gratitude to KIK, KSPTA and the KSD staff for opening doors of curiosity and wonder for our children as they learn and grow in a dynamic educational setting!
Take good care,
Raquel Rose
Superintendent
rrose@kentfieldschools.org
District Announcements
Announcing - Kentfield Schools Readathon
Bacich – Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Kent – Week of March 21, 2022
Love to read and want to get involved? Please email readathon@kspta.org.
For more information, please visit The Kentfield Schools Readathon website, visit the KSPTA newsletter section, or contact the Readathon team at readathon@kspta.org.
KSD Universal Transitional Kindergarten (UTK) Information
Registration is now open!
Learn how the KSD is designing and planning the UTK program beginning Fall 2022.
2021-2022 District Calendar & 2022-2023 District Calendar
KSD, KSPTA & Community Parent Education Opportunities Calendar
Week of March 14-18: Kent Walk for Waffles hosted by the Eco Action Club, Walk - Bike - or Skate to School!
Thursday, March 17, 2022
- KSPTA Parent Ed Event: Parents for Racial Equity, Part 2, 6-8 p.m.
Friday, March 18, 2022
- Bacich Principal Chat, 9:45-10:45 a.m., Bacich Library
March 21-25: Kent Readathon hosted by KSPTA
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
- Bacich Readathon hosted by KSPTA
- Kent full school day with a 3:28 p.m. release
Thursday, March 24, 2022
- Kent Open House Events, 6-7:30 p.m.
Friday, March 25, 2022
- Kent early release day, with a 1:13 p.m. release
Monday, March 28, 2022
- LCAP/Strategic Plan Committee meeting, 4-5 p.m.
Thursday, March 31, 2022
- Bacich Open House, 6-7 p.m.
April 4-8, 2022: Spring Break, school is closed.
School Board Information: video recordings of meetings, community letters, minutes, trustee contacts
- Next monthly School Board meeting: Tuesday, April 12, 2022, 5-8 p.m., in-person in Kent Middle School and Zoom audio, agenda
- All are welcome and encouraged to attend in-person or via Zoom.
- Addressing the Board
District Committees
- Equity and Inclusion Committee meeting: March 22, 2022, 4-5 p.m.
- LCAP/Strategic Plan Committee meeting: March 28, 2022, 4-5 p.m.
Community Health Update
As of Monday, March 14, students and staff will have a choice to mask or not mask based on their individual preference or need. As a school community, we are committed to respecting individual choice with care, kindness and compassion.
Our Public Health partners released the updated 32-point plan Guiding Site Based Instruction on Friday afternoon and the KSD vaccination rates have recently been updated for community reference. Students and staff should continue to remain home when sick, and are encouraged to take a COVID-19 test if exhibiting symptoms and/or if they have a known exposure to COVID-19. The KSD will reinstate exposure notifications to families if/when there is a COVID positive in your child’s class, and Public Health is strongly recommending exposed students be masked 5 days following exposure during a COVID infectious period. For more information from Public Health please refer to the March 9th Public Health Update for the School Community (recording - slide deck).
- How to Help Kids Navigate the New Era of No-Mask School - Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2022
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please report it to our school nurse, Laurel Yrun at lyrun@kentfieldschools.org immediately.
Bacich Bears News
Dear Bacich Community,
Happy Pi Day! That’s 3.14! Don’t forget to have fun with math all this month using the March Mathness calendars shared at the start of the month.
Personnel Updates
Please join me in welcoming back Ms. Helene Clarke as our part time Art teacher, working in collaboration with Ms. Barbara Libby beginning March 21. We thank Ms. Megan Ayres for her work in the art room and we are grateful that she is still available to us as a substitute. We are also so pleased to welcome beloved Bacich teacher, Ms. Nancy Kaneshiro, as our substitute math intervention teacher in the place of Ms. Winnie Caulkins. Ms. Kaneshiro begins her important intervention work this week and will be at Bacich Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Open House
We are excited to welcome you, in person, to Bacich’s Open House on Thursday, March 31 from 6 to 7 p.m. It is such an honor to host our entire school community on this special night to meet teachers and learn more about our unique educational programs. Our students will share their classrooms and learning activities to provide parents/guardians a greater understanding of their children's learning space. Bacich School is a special place where the learning magic is alive everyday. We are thrilled to be able to share it with each of you. Please see this Parent Square post for more details.
Honu’s Cranes for Ukraine
Thank you Marty Ross and her class for setting up an opportunity for students to relieve some anxiety they may be feeling about Ukraine and also to do something positive for themselves and others. Today at recess there was a table and a few chairs outside their classroom near Honu's bed with a sign that says "Honu's Cranes For Ukraine." Students chose to sit with Honu or write a message for Ukraine on origami paper, fold a crane, and put it in the basket. Ms. Ross’ class will then hang the cranes from the Gingko Peace Tree in the center of the Quad. In this way, children can see themselves as helpers, and they can also "talk with Honu" about anything that they might be worried about. The table will be set up several times this week.
Schoolwide Assembly
Last Friday, the whole school got together on the blacktop for our monthly assembly. Ms. A introduced our Peacemaker Team, and reminded students how to use the Peace Paths and the Buddy Bench. Then, it was time for the read-a-thon kickoff! Ms. Duran shared the details of the event and was accompanied by a surprise visit from Bacich Bear! The Bacich Bear led the students in the Bacich cheer and then the wave!
Have a great week,
Mary Ann Spitzer
Bacich Principal
mspitzer@kentfieldschools.org
Bacich Announcements
Kent Tutors Marin: Free virtual tutoring to K–6th graders in all subjects during school, after school, and on weekends. Spanish-speaking tutors are available. Sessions are 30-45 minutes via Zoom.
Bacich Yearbooks Now on Sale!
The yearbook will be back this year with class photos and pictures of all students, not to mention spreads of special events on campus throughout the year! The sales of the book support KSPTA programming in the KSD. Yearbooks will be delivered to students in their classrooms at the end of the school year.
- On Sale Through April 29 for $35
- Link to order: jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A09854647
If purchasing a yearbook is a financial burden for your family, please reach out to either Amber Hatfield (ahatfield@kentfieldschools.org) or Ivette Villarreal (ivillarreal@kentfieldschools.org), and the KSPTA will make sure your child has a book.
Bacich Library
Watch the presentation Bacich students made at the February School Board meeting! Check it out and learn more about the Bacich Library program.
Read the March issue of the Bacich Library Book Buzz: bacichlibrarybookbuzz.blogspot.com
- Learn about how the library is celebrating Read Across America and St. Patrick's Day. Discover suggested activities throughout the month, and much more!
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.
- March 18: Bacich Principal Chat, 9:45-10:45 a.m., Bacich Library
- March 21: Bacich Site Council meeting, 3:15-4:15 p.m.
- March 23: KSPTA Readathon
- March 31: Open House
- April 13, 20, 27 and "May the 4th" be with you!: Walk and Roll Jedi Challenge
Kent Falcons News
Greetings Kent Community,
Please mark your calendars for the Kent Middle School Open House event next Thursday, March 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in our Kent classrooms. We are excited to welcome students and parents on campus to get a glimpse into the purposeful learning experiences that our students engage in daily.
Open House at Kent is a tour of our school for our families, provided by your Kent student. All classrooms will be open for students and families to visit together. The objective of Open House is for families to experience "a day in the life" of a Kent student, and student work and assignments on display in classrooms will reflect the typical learning experiences presented across our school daily. Your child will be your tour guide, charged with taking you on a self-paced tour of their school day, and sharing essential learnings and typical activities from each of their classes.
We ask that you set the expectation that your children stay with you for the duration of the Open House event, as we do not have adequate supervision for unstructured play outside, which can also present noise distractions in classrooms. We anticipate over 1,000 participants on March 24, which characterizes our Open House as a "Mega Event," per Marin County Public Health guidance. As we do not have the capacity to monitor vaccination status nor negative Covid-19 testing prior to the event, it will be required that all attendees wear masks while indoors. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have about our Kent Open House on March 24!
This week our Kent falcons will be taking the second and final round of MAP Growth assessments for this school year. MAP Growth is a computer adaptive assessment in Reading and Mathematics, designed to provide teachers with information about what each student is ready to learn. We look forward to analyzing the growth your child has made so far this year, and to utilizing the results for instructional planning for the third trimester.
All my best,
Grant Althouse
Kent Principal
galthouse@kentfieldschools.org
Kent Announcements
Upcoming Schedule Notes
- Wednesday, March 23 is a full school day, with a 3:28 p.m. release
- Friday, March 25 is an early release day, with a 1:13 p.m. release
WALK FOR WAFFLES! - Walk - Bike - or Skate This Week! Through March 18!
The Kent Eco-Action Club, the P.E. staff, and Safe Routes to Schools, will be holding a Walk and Bike to school week-long Challenge.
Please encourage your student to join the CHALLENGE and WALK, BIKE, or SKATE to school – during the week of March 14th. Each P.E. teacher will select a class with the most walking/biking trips – their class will be treated to a Waffle Party!
Walking and biking to school is good exercise, it reduces pollution and traffic, and it is fun!
If you live too far, PARK (at least 10 minutes away) and let your student WALK.
Kent Tutors Marin: Free virtual tutoring to K–6th graders in all subjects during school, after school, and on weekends. Spanish-speaking tutors are available. Sessions are 30-45 minutes via Zoom.
Kent Athletics
Questions? Please contact Kent Athletic Director Ryan Palmer at rpalmer@kentfieldschools.org.
Get Ready for the Kent Golf Season!
Kent Basketball Playoff Schedule
Tuesday, March 15, 2022
- 7th Girls vs. Davidson, 4 p.m.
- 7th Boys vs. Hall, 5 p.m.
Thursday, March 10, 2022
- 6th Boys vs. Mill Valley at Miller Creek, 5 pm
- 7th Boys vs. Mill Valley at Hall, 4 pm (early dismissal at 3:15)
- 8th Boys vs. Miller Creek at Del Mar, 4 pm (early dismissal at 3:10)
Final Games
- Girls finals are on Wednesday, March 16 at 4 p.m. (6th), 5 p.m. (7th) at Del Mar.
- Boys finals are on Thursday , March 17 at 4 p.m. (6th), 5 p.m. (7th) and 6 p.m. (8th) at Kent.
Kent Library
Newspaper Club: meets on Tuesday during study session.
Need Book Recommendations?
Email me at rjelen@kentfieldschools.org and follow us on Instagram @kentmiddleschoollibrary.
Kent Homework Club: Every Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 3:30-4:45 p.m., Kent Library
- Designed for students who need a quiet and supported environment in which to complete assignments. Any student who is ready to focus and work is welcome to attend with us!
Kent Lunchtime Clubs: All are welcome! Simply show up at the meeting location on the correct day to join in the fun!
- Week of March 14-18: Kent Walk for Waffles hosted by the Eco Action Club, Walk - Bike - or Skate to School!
- March 21: KSPTA Readathon
- March 23: Kent Late Release Day – 3:28 p.m.
- March 24: Open House
- March 25: Kent Early Release Day – 1:13 p.m.
KIK News
WE NEED UNIQUE, BID-WORTHY AUCTION ITEMS
- Own a Vacation Rental or Timeshare?
- Member of a Golf Club?
- Have a Gift Card or two?
- Want to Host a Sign-up Party?
- Clicking is your thing? Shop Amazon Wish list
Please donate an item today! Contact Holly Myers at events@kikschools.org or call/text at 415.845.4637 as soon as possible — THANK YOU!
All items are tax deductible.
SPECIAL THANKS TO PREMIER AUCTION SPONSORS
Woodlands Market - is an invaluable KIK business partner and, as our upscale neighborhood market, they offer delicious deli sandwiches, gourmet food, organic produce and ready-made eats and spirits.
Carey Hagglund Condy Team | Luxury Marin Homes - A Top 5 Marin County agent, Carey is known to be honest and discreet. She offers unparalleled knowledge of Marin’s unique neighborhoods and schools—of Marin Living Beyond the Four Walls.
Colleen Fitzpatrick | Golden Gate | Sotheby's International Realty - Having represented many Marin and San Francisco luxury homes, Colleen brings a wealth of expertise, experience, and the highest level of integrity and diplomacy to her clients.
OWN Marin - Marin County’s #1 real estate team since 2015, Barr Haney, Whitney Potter, and their team have helped over 650 clients achieve their goals. Ranked #1 in Kentfield, OWN Marin makes buying or selling a home easy—Let’s go get your home.
THANK YOU TO ALL AUCTION SPONSORS & DONORS!
Carey Hagglund Condy Team | Luxury Marin Homes
Colleen Fitzpatrick | Golden Gate | Sotheby's International Realty
Left Bank | Fuel 24:7 / Shineology | Allison Fortini Crawford, Sotheby’s Int’l Realty | Boulevard Real Estate, Bitsa Freeman | Andrew Roth, Domain Marin | Mynsberge, Ruggles & Yang Oral Surgery | Marin Ortho | MacRostie Winery & Vineyards | Ben Shemano Jewelry | SF2BAY | Body By Buresh | Nichols Orthodontics | Together Home
Check out the growing list of all of KIK Spring Auction Business and Family Donors and Sign-up Party Hosts. Thank you for supporting our schools!
KIK EVENTS + DINE & DONATE
MAR 15 - $50 Dine & Donate - Left Bank KIK Family Meals
Gives 20% to KIK, Opt in for weekly order reminder.
- Fried Chicken, Mac & Cheese, Salad Verte, & Green Beans
SPRING AUCTION & EVENT
MAR 17 - Last Call for Auction Items - Deadline to Receive Donations
APRIL 21-28 - KIK SPRING ONLINE AUCTION - THE ROARING TWENTY 20’S
KIK Spring Online Auction Event, Please donate items by March 15
APRIL 30 - SPRING PARTY AT BIMBO’S 365 - THE ROARING TWENTY 20’S
KIK Spring Live Auction & Party at Bimbo’s 365 Club featuring Mustache Harbor
CONNECT WITH KIK
KIK $1M ANNUAL GOAL — Update
We’re over the 80% mark of our fundraising goal for our Bacich and Kent schools — but we still have nearly $200,000 to raise in 3 months!
- $1M Annual Fundraising Status : $830,447 (net) to date / $1M GOAL
- Thank you to the 340 Family Giving Donors to date who are committed to our students and the programs they love! Can we add your name to this list?
- Thank you to KIK Business Partners for supporting our students and schools.
- Learn how KIK Invests in Kids
For Installments or Matching Gifts, Print Donor Form in English and Spanish.
KSPTA News
Next KSPTA Meeting: Monday, April 11, 7-8 p.m., Agenda
Love Reading. Build Community. Support our Schools.
The Kentfield Schools PTA Readathon supports reading development and spreads the joy of reading among our community of students, teachers, and families. All funds raised supplement the KSPTA budget and go directly back to our community, funding things like teacher stipends, class materials and equipment, Kent after school sports, and more.
What to Expect
- Bacich: Wednesday, March 23
- Kent: Monday, March 21 - Friday, March 25
Guest readers, author visits, dedicated reading time during school, book related art projects book trivia, and so much more!
What to Do
- You will receive a custom link from 99Pledges to your student's personal donation page. Ask your child to write a paragraph or make a short video to explain the Readathon and ask for support. See suggestions and examples here.
- Angel Donors: For students who need help with donations, there are Angel Donors. Please email angeldonor@kspta.org to let us know about a student that could benefit from the Angel Donor Fund. Want to be an Angel Donor? Its easy, click here.
Share the link with family, friends, and neighbors to ask for support.
For more information, please visit The Kentfield Schools Readathon website or contact the Readathon team at readathon@kspta.org.
Bacich Yearbooks Ordering Information
Find out more about ordering a Bacich Yearbook at kspta.org/bacich-yearbooks-now-on-sale
- On sale through April 29: $35
Lunch Volunteer Sign Ups
Our school lunch program is run by the KSPTA and staffed completely with volunteers. These dedicated volunteer parents who've been feeding our kiddos all year are tired and need a break! Please help us out. Between Bacich and Kent we need to get over 1500 lunches into the hands and mouths of our hungry students. Consider a regular shift - either weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly. Connect with other parents and see your children in the wild. We particular need help this month so sign up now!
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.
Complete list of parent education opportunities and archive of available recordings for 2021-2022
KSPTA Parent Education Event: Parents for Racial Equity, Part 2
- Thursday, March 17, 2022, 6-8 p.m.
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.
Fentanyl Alert
Call to Action and Student Panel, March 29, 2022, Zoom
Marin County Office of Education wants to alert our parent community of a dangerous drug that is a growing risk to Marin students: the synthetic opioid fentanyl. Last December, the Redwood Bark student paper published an article, One pill can kill: Addiction, loss and fentanyl. The epidemic unknowingly threatening Marin’s most vulnerable teens. This came one month after the award-winning piece, Every parent’s worst nightmare: Fentanyl epidemic overtakes teens, featured in Archie William’s Pitch.
These articles call attention to an urgent topic we all need to address: the presence of fentanyl and even more powerful synthetic opioids in pills and powders within Marin County. State sources reveal that 72% of the 5,000 opioid drug overdoses in California in 2020 involved fentanyl.
Teens often gain access to pills that they believe are Xanax, Adderall, or Oxycodone via social media apps like Snapchat. Often, these are counterfeit pills. The DEA has reported that for every 10 illicit pills they test, four contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl. The combination of easy accessibility and fentanyl in the drug supply have exponentially increased the risks of youth drug experimentation.
What can we do about the rising threat of fentanyl and even more deadly synthetic opioids?
- Discuss the dangers of synthetic opioids like fentanyl with the young people in our lives. This 60 second PSA by the CDC is a great conversation starter, and the locally-produced “Let’s Talk Marin” booklets/webinars can spark more discussions.
- Carry naloxone. Naloxone (brand name Narcan) is an easy-to-use nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses. Please check with your pharmacy, and/or contact info@rxsafemarin.org, to obtain Narcan.
We continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students across Marin, with our first shipment of Narcan (5-10 kits per school) being distributed soon to public high school and middle schools in Marin. We thank our youth leaders and partners below for supporting our efforts to address this urgent issue.
Marin County Office of Education
View flyer to learn more and access the Call to Action on March 29, 2022
North Bay Basketball Academy Summer Camps
North Bay Basketball Academy is a non-profit organization providing basketball instruction with an emphasis on fundamentals and skill development.
Financial assistance to qualifying families.
Learn more at www.northbaybasketball.com and view flyer.
Recorded Webinar: Empathizing with Tragedy: How to Talk to Kids about Conflict & War.
Please see a link to the video and the resources shared during the webinar: here.
Topics:
- Age-appropriate conversations to address anxiety and fear.
- Trusted news sources and digital wellness.
- The power and danger of social media.
- Uplifting and empowering kids in times of tragedy.
- Taking positive action.
Thank you again to the presenters who provided such valuable insight and information:
- Jamie Nuñez, Bay Area Regional Manager for Common Sense Media
- Julie Kurtz, Founder of Center for Optimal Brain Integration®
- Emily Gerber, Ph.D., Mental Health Services Director, Kaiser Permanente
Learning Opportunities for Middle school Students
The Corte Madera Library is hosting multiple learning opportunities for middle school students:
On Saturdays, teen tutors from Redwood High school will be available from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. to assist with various subjects in the library's teen section. This is a drop-in service, so first come first served. Masks are requested to mimic school policies due to close proximity. Call the library for more information.
Another Redwood student will be hosting six classes for 5th-12th graders on how to program using Python. Please call the library to register, space will be limited. Chromebooks are available in-branch, or personal laptops can also be used. Classes are cumulative, and will be posted online following the in-person sessions. Dates: 3/12, 3/19, 3/26, 4/16, 4/23, 4/30.
Find us at marinlibrary.org, or reach us by phone at: 415-924-3515
Crisis Text Support Line
Marin County is offering our youth another means of mental health support through a crisis text line.
Text MARIN to 741741 for Support that Cares
If you are ever in need of support, Crisis Text Line is always available to offer help. Connect with a trained Crisis Counselor and share your feelings in a safe space. Text MARIN to 741741 for free, 24/7, confidential support that cares. Available in Spanish 2022.
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!
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