October 12th: PTA Meeting ~ 8:30 AM/ Del Mar Library
|
October 16th: NO SCHOOL/Staff Development Day
|
November 1st: Make-Up Picture Day
|
November 9th: End of First Trimester
|
November 10th: NO SCHOOL/Veteran's Day
|
November 20th-24th: NO SCHOOL/Thanksgiving Break
|
December 25th-January 8th: NO SCHOOL/Winter Break
|
Del Mar Community,
It is unfortunate that the topic of this week’s NewsFlash is in regards to the attacks by Hamas against Israel. The global nature of our community means that while this conflict may seem far away to some, it touches many students, community members and staff personally. We are particularly mindful of Israeli, Palestinian, and other Middle Eastern members of our community as well as many Jewish, Muslim, and Christian community members who this may impact or may have friends and family in the region and might feel afraid, angry, or confused. Del Mar offers everyone who is a part of our community and is touched by these events our deep support and empathy.
In times like these, it is essential for us to come together as a community to provide support and guidance to our students. We aim to practice compassion and understanding here at Del Mar. We would like to remind you of the importance of fostering understanding and empathy in our students. Our diverse community can serve as an excellent platform to promote open and respectful dialogue, emphasizing the value of inclusivity and tolerance. We have provided a list of resources at the bottom of this message. Additionally, if your student is in need of support on campus, our school psychologist, Dr. Kover, is available.
We would also like to remind you that many of our students are likely learning about the unfolding of events from news sources, social media and their peers. We are hearing that social media platforms are being used to share violent and horrific videos and images of this conflict. Very often, these images are displayed without warning to the viewer. The safest way to avoid this, as a parent, is to delete your students' social media accounts. At very least, we recommend that you have a conversation with your student, discouraging them from viewing and sharing these images, and also where they can get support if they do view such violent imagery.
In our school, we will continue to do what we can to create a safe and inclusive environment of understanding, empathy, and tolerance and one that rejects hate, bigotry, and prejudice. Additionally, we will remain vigilant and in strong opposition to any antisemitic messages or situations that may arise after the tragedies that began over the weekend. If you or your student sees or hears anything concerning that may impact the safety of our school community, please alert school staff or complete our online Safety Reporting form.
In Partnership,
Chad Stuart
Principal
Resources:
*Resources provided from the Marin County Office of Education and the Tamalpais Union High School District
Talking to Children About Violence
Talking with Children About War
How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime and War
Helping Your Students Cope with a Violent World
Helping teens navigate harmful content on social media
How to talk to children about anti-semitism
|
Del Mar Parent Education: Upcoming Event
AND Grade Level Meetings
|
More Parent Education: Grade Level Meetings
As we have done each year, we plan to host parent education grade level meetings. These meetings will occur in the library during one morning this school year for each grade level. Our school psychologist and other staff members will talk to parents about how to navigate the middle school years and share best practices with parents on how to support students at home. The dates for these meetings have yet to be determined. For now, we are interested in hearing from you about what topics you may like us to talk about at these events. If you have any topics, please fill out This form.
|
Mid-Trimester Progress Alerts
|
As a reminder, mid-trimester alerts were made available for viewing as of last Friday. In lieu of Progress Alerts, our teaching staff has updated their gradebooks and provided specific feedback with regards to each student's habits of learning. If needed, please review this short video on how to access and review your student's progress in ALMA. Should you need help accessing ALMA, please visit this site: https://help.reedschools.org/
|
Mark Your Calendar: Youth Truth Family Survey
Coming October 30th - November 17th
|
Look for an email in the weeks ahead to the Youth Truth Family Survey. Every RUSD family is encouraged to participate in the survey and share your personal perspective across several aspects of school functioning. Your feedback is invaluable and we use it at both the school and broader district level to inform, strengthen, and expand our practices. Thank you in advance for your participation!
|
Del Mar Art Show - October 26th 5:30-7 PM, in the library
|
Please come to the Del Mar Trimester One Art Show and Reception. There will be refreshments served!
|
We had our 8th grade Challenge Days on Monday and Tuesday this week. Sharing common experiences and hearing the life stories of peers is an excellent way for our students to connect and have empathy for each other. One of the themes of Challenge Day was: “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” It was a powerful experience. I appreciate all who were involved in organizing this event, especially Dr. David Kover.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
|
Del Mar PTA Meeting Tomorrow!
Please join us for our October PTA meeting tomorrow, October 12th at 8:30am in the Del Mar Library. We’ll have updates from PTA Committee members, Principal Stuart and the Foundation for Reed Schools. Hope to see you there!
|
Thank you for your membership in the Reed Union School District PTA. Your support helps us build an inclusive school community for all families. This school year, your membership dues have and will continue to support student enrichment activities, school assemblies, parent education, teacher appreciation and performing arts. Please read the PTWay- a monthly wrap up which highlights all the events your dues support along with all the volunteer work we do. You can find the PTWay in District Headline News every four weeks.
We encourage you to stay informed by joining us for our monthly PTA meetings. Please refer to the RUSD District calendar for specific meeting dates and times. Meetings are typically held as follows:
Bel Aire: 1st Wednesday of the month
Reed: 2nd Wednesday of the month
Del Mar: 2nd Thursday of the month
No matter how you choose to be involved, your time and money are investments in your child and our school community. We welcome everyone to help in any way that is meaningful to them. This is your PTA.
Mickey Bruce Hubbell and Toni Lee
RUSD PTA President and PTA Membership Chair
PTA Membership Link
|
Bel Aire Book Fair begins October 17th
One week until the Bel Aire book fair begins! Uncover your next favorite read at our upcoming fair, which runs from October 17th-20th. This year you can also purchase book fair gift cards! Make in-person checkout easier for your student, or send them as teacher gifts. Buy digital gift cards at efairs.literati.com.
|
Student Bulletin and Handbook
|
Check out our weekly Student Bulletin, where students (and parents) can keep up with student news, sports updates, Advisory Challenges, Club News, etc. The Bulletin is read live on Del Mar TV on Monday afternoons, and emailed to parents and students. Here is a LINK to the Bulletin.
Our student handbook is linked HERE.
|
Bell Schedule
Our 2023-24 regular bell schedule can be found HERE.
|
Please keep sick children home and please call the office on the day of your child's absence by 8:00 a.m. (415-435-1468, ext. 1) or email delmar@reedschools.org. This will eliminate the need for a call from the office. We expect students to attend school unless there is an excused absence-for illness, injury, a medical/dental appointment or a religious holiday. All other absences are marked "unexcused." Unexcused absences do not excuse a student from classroom assignments.
Arriving Late? Leaving Early? Follow these instructions:
Students arriving late to school must sign in with the office and get a tardy slip before going to class. If you need to pick your child up in the middle of the day, please try to do so between classes, and be sure to remind your child to come to the office to meet you there, without needing a call from the office. If they must leave in the middle of a class, please send them with a note to give to that teacher so they can excuse themselves. We do not ever want to call into a classroom unless there is an emergency, so please plan accordingly!
|
To locate teacher emails, click HERE, to call the front office dial 415-435-1468 ext. 2. For the office managers contact Laurie Kristy at lkristy@reedschools.org or Lisa Grinnell lgrinnell@reedschools.org, If you or your child needs tech help, go to: https://help.reedschools.org/
Follow us on Instagram! You can find us in three places:
@rusdpta
@delmar.middleschool.dragons
@reedschools
RUSD Mission & Vision: Each student will be challenged and inspired to reach their fullest intellectual, social-emotional and creative potential to positively impact the world.
|
Chad Stuart, Principal
Del Mar Middle School
|
|
