Reed Newsletter • November 29, 2023 

Adopt A Family

Now - December 14

Walking & Rolling in the Rain

December 6

Winter Wear Spirit Day

December 6

Winter Break

December 25 - January 5

Staff Development Day (NO SCHOOL)

Monday, January 8

Students Return to School

Tuesday, January 9

Reed PTA Meeting in Room 17

Wednesday, January 10 at 9:00am

2023-2024 Reed School Calendar

Dear Reed Families & Caregivers,

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with family and friends. The weather here certainly made for a terrific week! May I start this letter by extending a sincere thank you to our entire Reed community for demonstrating the spirit of giving through our successful holiday food drive. It was wonderful seeing the smiling faces of many of our students as they filled the Food Bank bins each morning. Families can extend this spirit of giving into December by supporting the Adopt a Family program (see information below). A HUGE thank you goes out to our Reed School PTA for sponsoring these important and thoughtful opportunities for our students to internalize the power of giving & gratitude. In the spirit of gratitude, may I also extend a warm thank you to our community of volunteers for the myriad ways you support Reed School. Be it serving lunch, leading games at recess, chaperoning kindergarten students to the library (see below), or assisting Mr. Kaiser with bowling, please know that we couldn’t do it without you!

Warmly,
Mary Niesyn & Staff

Specialist Corner: Library Note from Ms. Smith:
This month, Reed students heard stories highlighting many of November's holidays and celebrations, including Dia de los Muertos, Veterans Day, Diwali, Thanksgiving and Native American Heritage Month. Students got creative with oil pastels making rangolis inspired by the Diwali stories. We are looking forward to more great reads and celebrations in December, as well as the mock Caldecott election project in January. Lots of incredible contenders out there this year! 

*As always, we are grateful to the Foundation for Reed Schools (FRS) for supporting our specialists!

Kindergarten Libary Field Trip: 

Our kindergarten students are learning about being active members of our local library and each class visited before the break. Alicia Bell, the children's librarian, read-aloud to the students, and taught them about browsing the library and checking out books. Thank you to the parents who chaperoned and the weather for cooperating for our walkers!

A Note from Dr Van Putten:
Thank you for joining our Reed parent talks this fall. During the course of these four talks, some questions came up from parents that led our team to recommend various books that might help answer their questions. Below is a list of the books that were recommended:

GENERAL PARENTING:
Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents- Cristine Carter
How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap and Prepare Your Kid for Success- Julie Lythcott Haims
The Gift of Failure: How the Best Parents Learn to Let Go So Their Children Can Succeed- Jessica Lahey
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success- Carol Dweck
How to Raise Kids Who Aren’t Assholes: Science-Based Strategies for Better Parenting - from Tots to Teens-Melinda Winner

MONEY:
The Opposite of Spoiled-Ron Lieber

TALKING ABOUT SEX:
It’s Not the Stork!: A Book About Girls, Boys, Babies, Bodies, Families and Friends- Robbie H.Harris.
It’s So Amazing!: A Book about Eggs, Sperm, Birth, Babies, and Families- Robbie H. Harris.

Annual Food Drive

This year, our Reed Racoon community donated almost 1000 POUNDS of food to the SF-Marin Food Bank! Thank you so much for your generosity. Together, we can make a difference!

Adopt a Family

This year, as in years past, Reed PTA is partnering with Adopt A Family of Marin to support nine families (shared across Reed's 18 classes) in our Marin community during the holidays. Please see your child’s classroom and corresponding family wish list below:

Casey, Easterday: Friendship Family
Shahan, Geiger: Candy Family
Morphy, Ritola: Happiness Family
Swagerty, Vattuone: Compassion Family
Ford, Hoover: Fireplace Family
Jawor, P. Ryan: Jellybean Family
Welch, Devoto: Bugs Bunny Family
Kaniski, Leinbach: Charlie Brown Family
Lopez, C. Ryan: Hot Chocolate Family

Please wrap your gifts and label each one with the first name of the parent or child, along with the “family” name. Leave the ‘From’ portion of the label blank. Please bring the wrapped gifts to the front office from December 11th - 14th.
 
We highly recommend involving your child(ren) in the process as much as possible as it is a wonderful way for them to learn about giving back to the community, kindness, and much more. Every year the Reed community fills these wish lists and helps make the holiday season brighter for families in Marin. Thank you in advance for your generosity!

If you would like to volunteer to drive the gifts to the Adopt a Family office on December 15, SIGN UP HERE. 

Reed Staff Holiday Potluck Lunch

A special REED PTA tradition celebrating our Reed staff returns again this year on Tuesday, December 19th.  

Ways you can help:

• Contribute a favorite dish (homemade or store bought): Potluck Sign Up
• Sign up to help set up / decorate and clean up on Tuesday, December 19th
• Thank you to the parent volunteers who have already signed up to volunteer for Pre-K Lunch Service on Tuesday, December 19th so the staff can attend the Staff Holiday Lunch

Walk and Roll 

EVERY WEDNESDAY is Walk and Roll to School Day. Join thousands in Marin who walk, park and walk, bike, carpool or bus to school. On December 6th, find our tables at the front circle to enter the raffle and grab a prize!

Reporting a Reed School Absence 

All students are expected to attend school on a consistent and on-time basis. If your child is going to be tardy, absent, or leave school early for any reason, please be sure to email OR call and notify the office:

reedattendance@reedschools.org

(415) 435-7840  extension #1

Please Provide the Following Information:

• First and last name of your child
• Your relationship to the child
• Teacher's name
• The reason for the absence or tardy

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.