KSD News
Dear KSD Community,
Today’s spring showers were a welcome surprise for our community, as I hope this drizzle of rain will offer plenty of blooming flowers this spring.
Special thanks to the KSPTA for a highly successful Readathon – what a great way to raise money while promoting literacy with our children. The KIK Auction is around the corner and will be a great time for our community to come together to support our children’s education. As the final weeks of the 2021-2022 school year are upon us – I look forward to honoring our students' culmination of the school year with celebratory traditions that bring us together as a community.
Wishing the KSD a joyous Spring Recess and positive weeks ahead.
Take good Care,
Raquel Rose
Superintendent
rrose@kentfieldschools.org
District Announcements
UPDATE: March 23 Public Health COVID-19 Testing Success
The COVID-19 Testing clinic at Bacich School on March 23 was a success. Special thanks to Laurel Yrun, Becky Gayman, and our Public Health partners for supporting this endeavor. The clinic tested 125 Bacich students/staff and we had zero COVID-positive results. As we continue to address COVID-19 in our community, I appreciate our collective vigilance and care to minimize transmission across our schools and the Kentfield/Greenbrae community.
New Public Health COVID-19 Guidance for Schools
Today, March 28, the Marin County Public Health and the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE) released our new SMARTER Schools Plan. This plan offers updated guidance to all our TK-12 schools related to COVID-19 mitigation strategies.
Marin County SMARTER Schools Plan, which is now in effect and replaces the 32-Point Plan as our Public Health guidance document, and is now posted on the Rethinking Schools Website. Existing School Site Specific Protection Plans (based on the 32-point plan) can continue to be utilized.
Please join Marin Public Health and MCOE for the following webinars:
2021-2022 District Calendar & 2022-2023 District Calendar
KSD, KSPTA & Community Parent Education Opportunities Calendar
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.
Monday, April 11, 2022
- KSPTA meeting, 7-8 p.m.
Tuesday, April 12, 2022
- Kent Site Council meeting, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- School Board meeting, 5-8 p.m.
Wednesday, April 13, 2022
- Bacich ELAC meeting, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
- Board Technology Committee, 4-5 p.m.
- KIK Board meeting, 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 14, 2022
- Bacich Maker Fair – during school hours
- KSPTA Parent Education Event: Parents for Racial Equity, Part 3, 6-8 p.m.
Friday, April 15, 2022
- Kent Principal Coffee, 8:45-10 a.m.
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
- Board Equity and Inclusion Committee meeting: rescheduled for April 28, 2022, 4-5 p.m.
Community Health Update
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, please report it to our school nurse, Laurel Yrun at lyrun@kentfieldschools.org immediately.
Marin Public Health, Smarter Schools Plan, released March 28, 2022
March 9, 2022 Public Health Update for the School Community (recording - slide deck).
Submit Student vaccination verification
How to Help Kids Navigate the New Era of No-Mask School - Wall Street Journal, March 4, 2022
Bacich Bears News
Dear Bacich Community,
What a fun time we had last week! The Readathon was a huge success. Students were entertained by special guest readers as well as author presentations. They read to their buddies and their stuffies, and traipsed around in their pajamas during their enrichment activities having a wonderful time! What a great gift from the KSPTA by prioritizing reading while raising funds for the Kentfield School District.
A Bacich favorite, the gymnastics unit, is in full swing. Students safely flip, bounce, skip and jump on the equipment and mats in the Community Center during physical education classes.
Open House is finally here! Please join us with your child this Thursday evening from 6 to 7 p.m. on the Bacich campus. This is an opportunity for your child to show off their classroom activities, the spaces where they do their learning and their enrichment programs. We are expecting a large turnout, so masks will be required when entering indoor spaces. We look forward to seeing you!
After Spring Break, we are so happy to be welcoming parents on campus again for arrival and dismissal. Parents of all grade levels are welcome to drop off and pick up their children at their classroom doors. Please review the important safety protocols to be followed below:
- Parents may enter campus beginning at 8 a.m. to drop off their child/ren.
- Parents must please exit campus by 8:15 a.m., when the school day begins.
- After school, Kinder parents may enter campus at 2 p.m. Kinder students and parents are welcome to stay on the kindergarten playground, only, after school until the rest of the grades are released.
- Parents of 1st – 4th graders may enter campus at 2:53 p.m. to meet their child/ren.
- After 2:53 p.m., Bacich is an open campus.
- Parents should stay outside of classrooms unless they have an appointment with the teacher.
Thank you!
Don’t forget Spring Break is just around the corner! There are no classes April 4-8.
Have a great week!
Mary Ann Spitzer
Bacich Principal
mspitzer@kentfieldschools.org
In-Person KSPTA Marker Event at Bacich on April 14!
The KSPTA is very excited to bring back an in person "Maker" event to Bacich Elementary!
Unlike previous years, this event will take place during the school day, allowing all kids to participate! The Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) in Berkeley will be hosting their: Build, Engineer, Invent! program on Thursday, April 14 (that's in little under a month!!).
Parents can still attend by volunteering at any of the following sessions. For more details and to sign up, please use the SUG at the bottom. We will need 12 to 14 volunteers per grade.
Session 1: 9-9:50 a.m. Grades K and 1st (Peters, Baetkey, Fanning)
Session 2: 10:50-11:40 a.m. Grades 3rd
Session 3: 1:05-1:55 p.m. Grades 1st and 2nd ( Stern, Bessonette/Swan)
Session 4: 2:05-2:53 p.m Grades 4th
Learn more and sign up to volunteer here
Bacich Announcements
Carline Schedule
It was suggested that we help parents plan ahead for carline duty, so here is the schedule for the next few weeks:
Announcing Art with Hopping Holly at Lunch Recess Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday, April 11-June 3
Beginning April 11, Holly Salamun from Ross Recreation will be guiding brief art exploration sessions for students during lunch recess on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays April 11 through June 3, 2022.
Holly needs parent/guardian support during the various sessions.
Interested in participating, please sign up below:
The KSD continues to require all school-based volunteers working with children to be fully vaccinated. Vaccine verification will be confirmed prior to volunteering on site.
Thank you in advance for your support – we know that you will LOVE working with the children.
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.
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 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 31: Open House
- April 13, 20, 27 and "May the 4th" be with you!: Walk and Roll Jedi Challenge
- April 14 : Bacich Maker Fair – during school hours
Kent Falcons News
Greetings Kent Community,
Open House Appreciations – Last Thursday evening our campus came alive with teachers, parents, and community members celebrating our students and their many accomplishments achieved so far this school year. Learning was on display, and our students have so much to be proud of as they work daily to realize their academic, social, and creative potential. Above all else, the unmistakable spirit of our Kent Middle School community defined the evening. I extend my sincere appreciation to all in attendance for your contributions to the success of the event.
Orbeez ‘Blaster’ Guns – You may be aware of yet another TicTok trend making news across the country, and possibly influencing behavior among some of our students. Through posts and videos on the social media platform, the "Orbeez Challenge" encourages students to use gel-ball guns or "blasters" to shoot small gel Orbeez beads at people nearby. While soft to the touch, when shot through an Orbeez "blaster" gun, these projectiles are proven to cause injuries such as welts, bruises, and even lacerations.
If you or your child owns an Orbeez "blaster" gun, or any type of toy gun that shoots projectiles at high speed, please take extreme precaution regarding where and how the toy blaster gun is used. It is unsafe to permit children to freely pursue and shoot each other unsupervised in public, and we need our parents and guardians' assistance to stop our children from engaging in this behavior, or to speak up if you or your child observe something unsafe. If you or your child is struck by a projectile or otherwise feel threatened by behavior that you witness in our community, please contact law enforcement and/or our school as soon as possible. It should also be noted that toy guns, replica guns, or guns of any kind are not permitted on our school campus.
I am hopeful that in partnership we can address this issue before it escalates any further. Thank you for engaging your child in conversation about what is acceptable behavior in our community, and how to respond if children ever feel unsafe.
With appreciation,
All my best,
Grant Althouse
Kent Principal
galthouse@kentfieldschools.org
Kent 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.
Kent Athletics
Questions? Please contact Kent Athletic Director Ryan Palmer at rpalmer@kentfieldschools.org.
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!
- April 12: Kent Site Council meeting, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
- April 15: Kent Principal Coffee meeting, 8:45-10 a.m.
KIK News
ANNOUNCING SPRING EVENT & LIVE AUCTION — TICKETS ON SALE NOW
Kentfield Schools Foundation, Kentfield Invests in Kids (KIK), proudly presents:
- The Roaring Twenty 20’s
- Dinner, Dancing, Live Auction*
- Saturday, April 30
- 6 - 11 pm
- Bimbo’s 365 Club, San Francisco
- Complimentary round trip transportation included
- Benefiting our Kentfield Schools and Kids
We’ve missed you! C’mon and KIK up your heels and join us for our first in-person Spring Event and Live Auction in two years and let’s have a ROARING good time!
*separate Online Spring Auction 4/21-28, no ticket needed
SPRING ONLINE AUCTION SNEAK PEEK
Here’s a preview of some of the 300 Online Auction items, live on April 21. No event ticket needed to bid on the Online Auction.
- Secure tickets to the 8th Annual Crab Feed Party
- Book a summer getaway in South Lake Tahoe
- Elevate your game with an Oculus Quest 2
- Get your teens on the trail with a Trailworks mountain bike skills clinic
- Decorate your home with artwork from Denis Ouchs, Terri Froelich, Libby Mitchell, Norma DiMaulo and more local artists
- Plan a date night with gift cards from Bungalow Kitchen, State Bird Provisions, Frances, Guesthouse, Farmshop and more
300 items available to bid on, April 21-28!
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 29 - $50 Dine & Donate - Left Bank KIK Family Meals
Gives 20% to KIK, Opt in for weekly order reminder.
- Coq au Vin, Linguine, Salad Verte, & Broccoli
SPRING AUCTION & EVENT
MAR 31 - 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 31.
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
*Tickets go on sale soon!
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 341 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.
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.
Reminder: Fentanyl Alert: Call to Action and Student Panel, March 29, 2022, Zoom
An reminder about an important Community Virtual Meeting regarding the Fentanyl Crisis in Marin County scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, March 29 from 6-7:30 p.m. Participants will have an opportunity to hear directly from students about specific actions they are urging we collectively take as a community to prevent future tragedies. Please see this flyer in English and Spanish, and share far and wide to parents, teachers, school staff, students and community.
Tuesday, March 29 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Zoom Link
Webinar ID: 838 5500 5938
Passcode: 550934
Dial In: (408) 638-0968
Live Spanish Translation will be Available. Presentation will be Recorded.
Learn More:
- Rx Safe Marin Fentanyl Information
- Redwood Bark student paper published an article, One pill can kill: Addiction, loss and fentanyl. The epidemic unknowingly threatening Marin’s most vulnerable teens.
- Award-winning piece,Every parent’s worst nightmare: Fentanyl epidemic overtakes teens, featured in Archie William’s Pitch.
- 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.
- View flyer to learn more and access the Call to Action on March 29, 2022
Summer Football Camp
My name is Anthony Jackson and I am the head football coach at Archie Williams high school. This summer we will be hosting two sessions of a youth 9 on 9 football camp. It will be a great opportunity for kids to learn about the sport, get active and have fun all while we implement and teach sound football safety fundamentals. We are partnered with Coach Moayed at Marin College and will be running the 3rd-8th grade portion of the camp at Archie Williams this summer.
The two sessions are June 13-16 and July 18-21.
View flyer. More information and registration info can be found at realninefootball.com.
Come See Mr. Martinez Perform!
Come see Mr. Martinez perform with his wind band that he assistant directs outside of directing music at Kent! A wonderful reception in the courtyard to follow. Please email Mike Martinez at mmartinez@kentfieldschools.org for more information.
- April 9, 2 p.m. at St. Mark's Lutheran Church, 1111 O'Farrell Street, San Francisco
- Free admission
Youth Sports Summer Camps
Legarza – Developing Youth Sports Since 1989
Basketball, All-Sports and STEAM Summer Camps Now Enrolling
Learn more: view flyer or visit www.legarzasports.org
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.
Earth 2050: Create a Better World
Celebrate Earth Day and help create a better world at Earth 2050, a free community event on Sunday, April 24 in Mill Valley!
You will see some amazing art, hear inspiring talks, play fun games and enjoy good music at this special community event. And you will learn about actions we can take to save ourselves and our planet, such as: use clean energy, eat sustainably, live lightly and build healthy communities.
Earth 2050 invites people of all ages to join playful activities to imagine a more just and sustainable world -- and to take action to make it happen.
Come celebrate Earth Day with us! Bring your family, friends and neighbors for this fun outdoors celebration of what we can do together to protect our environment and our future.
SIGN UP NOW FOR THIS FREE EVENT.
This event is produced by Green Change with Mill Valley Recreation and dozens of wonderful partners featured on our event page.
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
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.
Pajama Day
We want the kids to be comfy and cozy for their reading fun. Bacich students may wear pajamas and bring a stuffy to school on Wednesday, March 23. For Kent, we ask that students wear their house shirts with pajamas on Friday, March 25.
Donations
We are thrilled to share that more than 320 students have received donations. The last day to donate is Friday,March 25!
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
Stay up to date with KSPTA!
Follow kentfieldschoolspta on both Facebook and Instagram