October 31st: Halloween--Students may wear costumes--- PTA will provide treats
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November 1st: Make-Up Picture Day
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November 9th: End of First Trimester
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November 10th: NO SCHOOL/Veteran's Day
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November 20th-24th: NO SCHOOL/Thanksgiving Break
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December 25th-January 8th: NO SCHOOL/Winter Break
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January 9th, 2024 (Tuesday): Back to School!
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Families,
I hope this letter finds you well. As we continue to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students at our school, I would like to draw your attention again to an emerging concern that has continued to be pervasive - the use of eBikes by our middle school students. While eBikes have gained popularity due to their convenience and fun factor, they also present several dangers for young riders.
We have received numerous reports from parents, students and community members about our middle school students riding unsafely after school. Just recently, one of our students was on a regular bike, but was holding on to a friend's eBike to go faster and lost control. That student fell off a rocky ravine and was lucky that the results were not tragic. Also, last week an elementary school student in Kentfield was hit by an eBike on the school blacktop and got injured. In short, we are seeing injuries occur by unsafe riding of ebike.
It is crucial for parents to be aware that eBikes, with their higher speeds and power-assisted mechanisms, can pose serious risks to the safety of our children. Middle school students, in particular, may not possess the necessary experience and judgment to navigate these motorized vehicles safely, potentially leading to accidents and injuries. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to have open conversations with your children about the potential hazards of eBikes and consider setting clear guidelines for their use. HERE is a flier from Safe Routes to School which outlines “what parents should know” about eBikes and safety.
Additional information you should know:
- Youth must wear helmets when riding an E-bike.
- In Marin County, e-bikes cannot exceed 15 mph on any County-maintained pathway.
- E-Bicycles will boost up to 20 MPH, but riders cannot exceed 15 mph. HERE are more details about the legal guidelines.
- Sidewalks and crosswalks are meant for pedestrians not e-bikes.
- Dismount and walk your bike in these areas.
- E-bikes traveling on roadways must follow all traffic signs.
It is our collective responsibility to ensure that our students are well-informed and equipped to make safe choices when it comes to their modes of transportation. A teen program hosted by Marin County Bicycle Coalition focuses specifically on e-bike safety and education. If you would like to sign your student up for a class, please click here to register.
We would appreciate your cooperation in helping set expectations for your child if they ride a eBike or scooter, as well as educating yourself on which ones are legal and safe for your child to ride.
Sincerely,
Chad Stuart (he/him)
Principal
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We are excited for halloween. Middle school aged students have so much fun and enthusiasm that day - it is so great to see. Our leadership program organizes a costume competition that day and we have an extended lunch where all students are welcome to cheer on their classmates (no parents unfortunately). Students have been notified in the Student Bulletin about our Halloween costume contest and have been advised that:
- Costumes may be worn all day, whether or not they are in the contest.
- All costumes need to follow the dress code.
- No lookalike weapons or full face masks are allowed.
- "My culture is not your costume.” Please do not portray a stereotyped image of a culture or group of people.
Even if students don’t participate in the contest, they can still show their spirit on Halloween, by dressing in costume! In addition to the costume contest, PTA will give treats to each student at the end of the day.
Leading up to Halloween, we have many ways for students to connect to the holiday in math, art, DM TV, the library and more. Feel free to watch THIS video, which was shown to the students, for more information on what is happening at Del Mar.
Safe Halloween - Tips for Parents
Halloween is a great time to connect with your children and spend quality time together. As they mature and grow older, they will want to flex their newfound independence and socialize with friends. HERE are some helpful tips and guidelines (from the MCOE) for a safe and fun Halloween that everyone can feel good about. We recommend parents click the link and read in full.
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Make Up Picture Day- November 1st
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If your student missed Picture Day on September 29th, or really didn't like their first picture, they should head down to the PE classroom around lunchtime to get their photo taken. We will have a reminder announcement that day.
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Permission to Walk Off-Campus - Action Item
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You should receive a separate email today from Del Mar Middle School Notifications regarding granting permission for off-campus walks. Please take a minute to sign this document, which will allow teachers to walk in the neighborhood or into the local parks with their classes. Teachers will provide at least 3 days notice when they will be off-campus.
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Social Justice Advisory Lessons and YouthTruth Student Survey
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Social Justice Advisory Lessons
As has been mentioned previously, our students participate in various social-emotional learning and social justice lessons in Advisory throughout the school year. This week’s lessons are about “cultural appropriation” and the concept for Halloween that “culture is not a costume.” For more information about the social justice lessons, please visit THIS link, which can also be found on our school website.
YouthTruth Survey
We are asking your child to participate in the YouthTruth Student Survey on November 2. The YouthTruth Student Survey is a nationally recognized survey used in hundreds of schools and districts across the country, surveying hundreds of thousands of students. The survey asks students about their experiences in the school and with their teachers, including how engaged they are at school, the rigor of their coursework, and their preparedness for the future. Our school, other schools, and researchers may use such information for developing plans to help schools and teachers improve. For information about this survey, please visit http://youthtruthsurvey.org, or speak to a school administrator.
Although we want to hear from all students, participation in this survey is voluntary. If you would like to opt your student out of this survey, please email Assistant Principal, Michael Song at msong@reedschools.org
Your child’s ratings will not be identified in any reports because results are shared at the group level. Personally identifiable information will not be released to any third party.
Please be aware that under federal law, you have the right to review a copy of the questions asked of your child. If you would like to do so, you can view a copy of the survey in our school office. The survey does ask students about how they feel on campus based on particular sub-groups, including race, gender, social-economic status and more.
Some examples of questions asked are:
- I feel like I will be ready for high school classes when I finish middle school.
- Adults in my school treat the students with respect.
- Students at my school respect students from different… religions, sexual orientations, abilities, genders, incomes, races, countries
- I can usually be myself around other students.
- When I am feeling upset, stressed, or having problems, there is an adult from school who I can talk to about it.
If you have any questions about the YouthTruth survey, please contact Assistant Principal Michael Song.
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Del Mar Art Show - October 26th 5:30-7 PM, in the library
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Please come to the Del Mar Trimester One Art Show and Reception. There will be refreshments served!
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Safe Routes to School - Buddy Contest
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BUDDY UP is a contest to get students to walk (park and walk), bike, carpool or ride the bus together. Now through November 15th, sign up your group of two or more students to travel to or from school. There will be $50 awards for 5 winning groups (county-wide). Contest sponsored by Safe Routes to Schools.
Tell us your success story here!
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Lunch for the rest of October and November:
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Starting this month, the PTA will launch a new initiative called the PTYay. It will be a platform where we introduce, recognize, and thank our wonderful PTA members. Today we’d like to highlight four parents that have done an exceptional job building community.
Bel Aire and Del Mar
Thank you to our PTA New Family volunteers, Christine Neumeier and Christine Patel. Over the summer, these PTA rockstars reached out to new incoming families to Bel Aire and Del Mar. They helped to arrange buddies to ease the transition for new students. They also held a new family meet and greet before the school year began as an opportunity for the students and parents to meet each other. It doesn't end there, Christine and Christine continue to mentor new families to ensure the students and parents transition smoothly! Both Christines rocked this role. Why? Because once they were "the newbies." Christine Neumeir is originally from Germany and moved to Tiburon in 2015. She is mom to 8th grader Maximillian and 5th graders Korbinian and Ferdinand. She is an avid athlete who enjoys running, biking and tennis. Christine Patel moved to Tiburon from San Francisco in 2020. Christine's children, 6th grader Layla and 8th grader Jayden, are both at Del Mar. Christine also enjoys tennis, outdoor adventures and karaoke. RUSD PTA is thankful to you both for your volunteer time in helping to make our new families feel at home!
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Reed
A big PTYay to our Reed PTA Towntastic Co-Chairs, Michelle Thomsen and Sophia Ghaffary. As the first Reed-wide community building event of the school year, Towntastic plays an important role in welcoming new families to the RUSD community and reuniting returning families after the summer break. Towntastic Co-Chairs, Michelle and Sophia did an amazing job bringing the entire Reed School community together for an evening of fun, friendships, and “futuristic” creations. They went the extra mile putting together this beloved Reed annual tradition by incorporating a new “futuristic Tiburon” theme, recruiting a great team of volunteers, and streamlining the concessions check out process to ensure that families spent more time visiting with each other than waiting in line for food. Thanks to generous parents like Michelle, Sophia and all of our PTA volunteers, the RUSD PTA can continue its mission to enrich the lives of our children and the school community.
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Student Bulletin and Handbook
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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.
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Bell Schedule
Our 2023-24 regular bell schedule can be found HERE.
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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!
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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.
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Chad Stuart, Principal
Del Mar Middle School
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