Kentfield School District

November 15th, 2018

Don't Miss These Announcements

Emergency Notice - School Closed on Friday, November 16, 2018

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.

More Love in a Backpack

  • Once again we are collecting items for students affected by fires. Please visit KSPTA.org to find out how you can help.
  • Click here to view the item list and please remember that must be new and/or in original packaging.
  • Items can be dropped outside of the office at Bacich, or in front of Room 34 at Kent.
  • Stay tuned for information regarding when and where we will be sorting and stuffing the backpacks.

Upcoming Events

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

  • All events cancelled and will be rescheduled.

Monday, November 19, 2018:

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.

District News

Superintendent Schott, pictured outside.

Dear family members of KSD students,

I am writing to ask for 15 minutes of your time to complete an online survey that will help us improve Bacich and Kent. We have again asked YouthTruth – a nonprofit organization that supports hundreds of schools and districts across the county – to conduct an anonymous survey on our behalf.

Please access the survey before it closes at midnight on Friday, December 14, by clicking this link: http://www.ytsurvey.org/ksdfamily18

Please note:

  • The survey needs to be completed in one sitting.
  • We ask that one member of each household fill out the survey.
  • If you have more than one child who attends the same school, you may respond to the survey multiple times – one time per child.
  • If you write any comments, please do not include your name or anything else that might identify you. Your responses are anonymous, and they will be combined with the responses of other parents and guardians before being shared back with school and district leadership.

We sincerely thank you for taking the time to help make our schools better places for our students. Your input is incredibly valuable to us.

  • Students in grades 3-8 and staff will also be participating in versions of this survey between now and December 14. Please notify your school’s Principal if you do not want your student to take the survey.

If you have any questions about the survey, or our plans for how we will use your feedback, please contact me at lschott@kentfieldschools.org.

Liz Schott
Superintendent


Board Meeting Highlights - November 13, 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.

Air Quality Information

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 Meeting

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

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 News

Dear Parents,

Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to slow down and take stock of what is really important in our lives.

This season is also the perfect time to remind our children about the importance of gratitude and appreciation. The Thanksgiving holiday creates a perfect context for our young people to understand and hear what it means to be grateful and appreciative.

I encourage you to take time during the long weekend to talk with your child about gratitude. Point out sunlight on the leaves, as you walk down the street. Make a point of thanking the person, who hand-brews your morning cup of coffee. Tell your child the multitude of reasons that you appreciate them and others in your family.

Those of us who work with your children, appreciate the wonder and beauty that they bring to our lives. With innocence, they often remind us what is truly important and for what we should be grateful.

Over the last week, I’ve asked our kindergarten classrooms to share with me what they are thankful for and what is important in their lives. I share them with you.

I am thankful for animals and my whole class.

I am thankful for the playground in my back yard.

I am thankful for my family, my friends, and my teacher.

I am thankful for my goblin and my snake … but mostly my snake.

I am thankful for my wiggly tooth and my mom.

I am thankful for my whole family (my grandmas too).

I am thankful for all of my friends.

I am thankful for Choice Time.

I am thankful for selling my house and moving.

I am thankful for everything in the whole wide world.

Wishing you and your family a happy Thanksgiving.

Thank you,

Sally Peck
Bacich Principal


Bacich Announcements

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

Bacich Site Council

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

Bacich Resources

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

Follow Bacich on Instagram

Bacich Elementary School @bacichelementary

Bacich STEAM Projects @bacichsteam

Bacich Construction

Kent News

Kent Principal Grant Althouse

Greetings Kent Community,

Next month at Kent our entire school community will engage in an All School Read of the novel Refugee, by Alan Gratz. Through this shared study of a compelling story we hope to engage our student body in discussion of valuable themes, ignite a dialogue about the story school-wide, and to share in reading a great book.

The novel follows the story of three children from different countries and time periods as they struggle to find safety and security in foreign lands. In 1938, Josef and his family escape Germany during the start of the Holocaust. In 1994, Isabel and her family leave Cuba to escape poverty and the smothering effects of Castro’s regime. In 2015, Mohmoud and his family flee war in Syria. Though separated by decades and thousands of miles, common themes arise in each family’s journey and their struggles to find refuge.

Across our campus, excitement is building for this whole-school read. During the weeks of December 10th and December 17th, we will have a special schedule which provides for 30 minutes a day for reading Refugee at school. During this daily special reading period, all students and staff will be reading the book with their fifth period class group. We have planned for a variety of ways to make the book accessible for the many levels of readers at our school, including access to audiobooks as well as a daily read aloud by Ms. Jelen in the library. For students who have previously read the book, Mrs. Jelen has a long list of read-alike books about similar themes.

Following the All School Read, teachers and students will discuss and study the novel through experiences in Advisory and lessons integrated in core content classes. Our novel study will conclude with an author’s visit from Alan Gratz in May. A huge thank you to Rebecca Jelen for coordinating this important effort at Kent, and to our PTA for supporting Mr. Gratz’ visit through a generous KSPTA grant.

We will have copies of Refugee for any student who needs one. If your family is able, we do ask that you purchase the book for your child or check the book out at the library. Here is a link to an order form if you choose to order the book through Books Inc. Students need to bring their books to their 5th period class by December 3rd, so that we can ensure that every student has a book by the start of our All School Read on December 10th.

I read Refugee last summer and I strongly recommend the novel, even for adult readers. Read with us, and join the discussion!

Grant Althouse
Kent Principal


Kent Announcements

View Kent Daily Announcement on Kent website.

Kent Events – Mark Your Calendars

  • Thursday, November 29, 2018: Kent Author's Chair/Expressions 8 event, 6-7:30 p.m.

Good Eggs Fundraiser

Funds raised will be used to purchase the book Refugee for our "One Book School" read in December and to bring the author, Alan Gratz, to campus in the spring.

  • Sign up here using the code: FALCONS2018. View Good Eggs information flyer..
  • New customers get $15 off with this code and if 20 new customers join the fundraiser, our school also gets a $500 fundraising bonus.

8th Grade Students Applying to Private High Schools in 2019-2020,

Please read this letter outlining the request process for transcripts and teacher recommendation letters to apply to a private high school.

  • The final date to submit all requests for teacher recommendations and transcripts, to Kent, is Friday, December 7, 2018.
  • No requests will be accepted during Winter Break, as the office will be closed.

Students Applying to Transfer to Another Middle School

  • 5th, 6th, and 7th graders applying to a private middle school or moving should contact Lisa Sandberg at lsandberg@kentfieldschools.org, so that she can facilitate the process.

Kent Library

Follow the Kent Library on Instagram

Kent Site Council

Next Meeting: December 4, 2018, 3:30-4:30 p.m., Main Office Conference Room

  • All Kent parents are welcome to attend Site Council meetings. Please visit our Site Council page for meeting dates, agendas, and minutes.

Kent Athletics

Attention all 6th grade basketball parents: coaches are needed for the 6th grade boys and 6th grade girls basketball teams! Contact Ryan Palmer at rpalmer@kentfieldschools.org if you or anyone you know would like to coach!

Kent Athletic Director: Ryan Palmer, kent-athletics@kentfieldschools.org, website

Kent Resources & Forms

Visit our Back to School page for the Parent-Student Handbook and important reminders and forms.

The District Resources and Forms page contains all forms and notices for the entire district.

Safe Routes News

Safe Routes to School

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.

kik News

kik Speaker Series



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

Help us reach 100% participation for our schools.




Save the Date! kik Auction | Dinner | Dancing

May 11, 2019

KSPTA News

KSPTA Grants Awarded

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.

Shop for the Holidays at the Kentfield Craft Fair

  • Kentfield Craft Fair is on Wednesday, November 28, 2018, 1:30-6:30 p.m, Bacich Community Center
  • Visit KSPTA.org for more information.

Save the Date for our Annual Book Fair!

Find more information here.

Monday, December 3, 2018: 8:30-10 a.m. & 12-5 p.m

Tuesday, December 4, 2018: 8-10 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 5, 2018: 8–10 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, December 6, 2018: 8–10 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.– 7 p.m.

Friday, December 7, 2018: 8–10 a.m. & 11:30 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.

Support our schools with Minted

Order your holiday cards with Minted, by November 30, 2018 and receive 15% off your order and get 15% of your purchase donated to our schools.

  • Bacich Code: FUNDRAISEBACICH
  • Kent Code: FUNDRAISEKENTPTA

A special offer from Good Eggs

  • Use this code, BACICH18, when signing up for Good Eggs to support our schools. Click here for details

Next KSPTA Meeting

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

Connect with KSPTA!

Community News

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

Kentfield Girls Softball

Kentfield Girls Softball is for 5 to 15 year old girls living in Kentfield, Greenbrae, Ross and North Larkspur.

Registration is during the month of November and practices start in late February 2019.

Teen Wellness Film Series

I Am Maris

  • November 27, 2018, 6:30 p.m.

After a childhood of mounting anxiety, depression, and eating disorders, Maris is hospitalized to confront her illnesses. Struggling to cope once released, she finds solace in the healing powers of therapy, art, and yoga, becoming an instructor at just 16 and using her blog to promote self-acceptance.

Film Screening

Race to Nowhere

San Rafael High School's PTO, would like to extend a warm invitation to all to join us for a free film screening and discussion of Race to Nowhere. Subtitulado en espanol con traduccion simultanea.

San Francisco Boys Chorus Auditions and Open Admissions

The San Francisco Boys Chorus teaches boys with unchanged voices how to sing, read music, and perform. They offer classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45-6:15 p.m. in Marin. The boys perform with the San Francisco Symphony, the San Jose Opera, and San Francisco Opera.

The mission of the San Francisco Boys Chorus is to provide music education, vocal training, and performance experience at the highest artistic level to boys from all cultural, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.

If you would like to learn more about our program, please visit our website at sfbc.org/auditions.Boys in Preschool to age 12.

  • Marin Auditions: January 12, 2019 in San Rafael.

View flyer for more information.