November 1st: Staff Development Day (NO SCHOOL) | November 6th: Picture Re-Take Day | November 11th: Veterans' Day (NO SCHOOL) | November 15th: End of First Trimester | November 25th-November 29th: Thanksgiving Week (NO SCHOOL) | Families,
We are having a terrific year to date at Del Mar. I cannot express to you how much one can sense the positive attitude of our students on campus. Students are coming to school with smiles on their faces and making a positive impact on our school.
At the beginning of November, we will be sending families our annual Youth Truth Survey. We truly value the input of families. We analyze the results each year and, based on what we see, try to enhance what we are already doing well or find areas where we can make adjustments to improve. The data is much more impactful if we know that a majority of our families are filling out the survey. With that, when you receive the link to the Youth Truth Survey, I kindly ask that you take a few minutes to fill it out. Thank you in advance for your help!
One more item of note: Our office staff is noticing an uptick in parents requesting that their child be called to leave in the middle of classes, and would like everyone to refresh themselves on Del Mar procedures regarding early pickup. Please read the paragraph below carefully and remember that we try to avoid telephoning into classrooms at all times unless there is an emergency. Thank you for your understanding that calls into classrooms disturb teaching and we try to avoid them as much as possible.
Sincerely,
Chad Stuart (he/him)
Principal | Attendance Instructions- Arriving Late? Leaving Early? | Please call the office on the day of your child's absence by 8:00 a.m. (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 the classroom assignment. All assignments are available on the teacher websites. It is the student's responsibility to check the websites and make up for missed work once they are healthy. 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 for any reason, 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 your child must leave in the middle of any class, please send your child with a note to give to the teacher so they can excuse themselves in the middle of class. We do not ever want to call into a classroom unless there is an emergency, so please plan accordingly! Any student leaving before the end of the day must be signed out by their parent or an authorized adult. If you would like your child to excuse themselves and head out on their own, we must get that request in writing to delmar@reedschools.org. | Student Interview Staff Spotlight: Ms. Mary Marshall
| Staff Spotlight: Ms. Marshall
By: Jack Miller, Anna Landis, Tala Sarhangi, and Rory Barnowski
This week’s staff spotlight is Del Mar’s very own Ms. Marshall. Ms. Marshall is a key factor in the Del Mar community and works as a math and strategies teacher. She is originally from western New York and found a job here at Del Mar 21 years ago. Sadly, Ms. Marshall plans to retire this year. Although this may be a shocker to all the students she has worked with, she wants to come back and work as a substitute teacher and continue to work with kids after retirement. Ms. Marshall plans to travel with her special needs sister to give her a chance to see the world and experience new things. One thing she enjoys in her free time is shopping at Town Center and online as she considers herself as a “shopaholic.” At home, she has two loving dachshunds named Tucker and Budgie who she loves and cares for everyday.
One of the reasons Ms. Marshall loves Del Mar is because she gets to interact with new kids each year. Since Ms. Marshall doesn’t have any kids of her own, she treats her students as if they were her own. Ms.Marshall is known as one of Del Mar's nicest and most inclusive teachers who will be remembered by generations of students. Ms. Marshall aspires to be loyal, kind, and creative everyday to enhance her teaching abilities to ultimately benefit her students and their learning. Ms. Marshall always enjoys having students that have siblings she has also taught in her classes. She is most proud of the fact that students she taught in the past always come back to thank her for all she has done for them such as impacting their lives as students. One thing Ms. Marshall would like to see improvement here at Del Mar is the air conditioning within the classrooms. Even if you do not have Ms. Marshall as a teacher, don’t be afraid to say hi as she treats all her students with love and kindness in and out of the classroom.
| We are excited for Halloween next week. Middle school aged students have so much fun and enthusiasm that day - it is so great to see. Students from our Leadership Class organize a costume competition, and we have an extended lunch special bell schedule 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 school dress code and be appropriate for school.
- 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 all day long! 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 it in full.
| Many students walk around campus every day with food allergies. It takes a community to help keep these students safe and it is all of our collective responsibility to do what we can to help. With that, we will be showing THIS video to our students coming up. It was made by our district nurse, Nurse Alison Mankin. We recommend you also view it. | On election day we will be doing our own mock election with all our students at Del Mar. Our goal is to educate our students about the voting progress and to help them better understand our democracy. HERE is a recent article that articulates the point. All students will learn briefly about the democratic voting process in their history classes prior to the schoolwide mock election on November 5th. Our Del Mar election will only be for the presidential candidates, for many of our students don’t have enough information to make an informed vote for other seats or issues on the ballot. We encourage you to speak with your student at home, on election day, about the value of a democratic vote. | Picture Day - Retake Day coming up November 6th
| To order school photos, please use the QR code or website information below. Picture Make-Up Day is November 6th for students who were absent or need a re-do. | From the Marin County Office of Education (MCOE): We are excited to invite you to an upcoming virtual event featuring renowned psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Madeline Levine. Join us for an engaging discussion on "Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain & Rapidly Changing World" as Dr. Levine addresses the unique challenges our children face today.
In this session, Dr. Levine will explore the demands stemming from today's competitive environment, the impact of social media engagement, and the implications of constant device dependency. She will shed light on how these factors heighten the pressure on our children regarding academic performance and achievement.
Drawing from her extensive research and experience, Dr. Levine will offer effective, evidence-based strategies to help parents, caregivers and educators nurture resilient, motivated children who can thrive in this complex landscape and achieve their goals.
There are two offerings this school year: - Tuesday, October 29, 2024 from 6:30 – 7:30pm (Virtual) or
- Tuesday, March 18, 2025 from 6:30 – 7:30pm (Virtual)
REGISTER HERE. | Dear Parents/Caregivers, RUSD is proud to partner with Changing Perspectives this school year in our efforts in fostering inclusive school communities. In addition to staff professional development, we will host 3 webinars specific to parents and caregivers. See below for information on the all three webinars (including zoom link). Fostering Self-Advocacy
October 29, 2024 6- 7 PM
Changing Perspectives - Parent Ed Webinar (Geared toward families with students with disabilities).
Self-advocacy is an invaluable skill for youth with disabilities; however, many young people with disabilities lack the skills to advocate in the most productive ways. Effective self-advocacy requires a solid understanding of one’s strengths, challenges, and needs, along with the ability to communicate this essential information clearly. In this workshop for parents and caregivers of youth with disabilities, participants learn about strategies and resources that can help them to empower their students to feel confident in their uniqueness so they can collaborate and communicate with their peers in safe, respectful ways while getting their needs met.
Discussion topics include: - Talking effectively with your young person about their disability/disabilities
- Helping your young person recognize their strengths and challenges
- Supporting your young person in gaining a better understanding of their identity
You can join this meeting from your computer, tablet, or smartphone. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83754196074 SAVE THE DATES - UPCOMING PARENT ED OPPORTUNITIES:
Using Literature to Foster Disability Awareness at Home
January 15, 2025
Changing Perspectives - Parent Ed Webinar 6- 7 PM (all welcome)
Children’s literature is an enjoyable, effective, and safe vehicle for helping students learn about others, explore similarities and differences with peers, and broaden their understanding of what it means to be kind and empathetic. Empathy is a 21st century skill and awareness is the foundation of empathy. If we want students to have empathy for their peers with disabilities, reading offers abundant opportunities to build essential awareness.
Disability Awareness and Inclusion Work in RUSD March 4, 2025
Changing Perspectives - Parent Ed Webinar 6- 7 PM (all welcome)
General overview for all families about value of inclusion and the work taking place in RUSD | Bike Buddy Up Program-From Safe Routes to School | Dear Del Mar Middle School Community,
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. Habits are more likely to stick when students encourage each other. There’s safety in numbers and groups are more easily seen by drivers. Best of all, friendships and fun memories are formed! There will be $50 awards for 5 winning groups (county-wide). Contest sponsored by Safe Routes to Schools. Tell us your success story here! | Lunches for Month of October | Fall Musical - Tickets on Sale Now!
Rehearsals are in full swing for "Broadway Bound: A Musical Theatre Revue" presented by the Del Mar PTA, directed by Ms. Derby and starring nearly 30 of our very talented Del Mar students.
The performance is scheduled for Thursday, November 14, at 6:30p. You won't want to miss this show highlighting scenes from beloved musicals, including Grease, Les Miserables and Six! Purchase tickets here. We are also looking for a few parent/guardian volunteers to help before and on the day of the performance. Please sign up here. See you on Broadway! | Del Mar PTA Meeting- Thursday, November 14th
Please join us for our next Del Mar PTA meeting on Thursday, November 14th, at 8:30 AM in the Del Mar Library! Come hear updates on recent and upcoming events and find out how to more involved. We hope to see you there! Reed Costume Exchange (Now through October 25th)
Go green and participate in the Reed Costume Exchange. Children’s costumes of all sizes (not just Reed Elementary students) can be dropped off, picked up and exchanged on the rolling rack in front of Reed Elementary School, 1199 Tiburon Blvd. (between 8:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. through Friday, October 25th) Details:
- Costumes should be CLEAN and in good condition (no rips or tears)
- Please bring your costume on a hanger
- No weapons please Please email Reed PTA Site Chair Michelle Thomsen (mmsmith8@yahoo.com) if you’re interested in volunteering some time to coordinate or help with the costume exchange Pay your PTA Dues! It’s not too late - please pay your PTA Dues. Every little bit counts and helps us reach our goal of 100% participation! See your PTA dues at work in this video and pay your dues HERE. | Follow us on Instagram! You can find us in three places:
@rusdpta
@delmar.middleschool.dragons
@reedschools | Keep a lookout for the Student Bulletin, so you can keep up with student news, sports updates, Advisory Challenges, Club News, etc. The Bulletin is generally a TV broadcast on Monday afternoons, plus a written copy is emailed to parents and students. A link to the Student Bulletin is HERE. | Bell Schedule Our 2024-25 regular bell schedule can be found HERE. | Attendance Instructions- Arriving Late? Leaving Early? | Please call the office on the day of your child's absence by 8:00 a.m. (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 the classroom assignment. All assignments are available on the teacher websites. It is the student's responsibility to check the websites and make up for missed work once they are healthy. 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 for any reason, 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 your child must leave in the middle of any class, please send your child with a note to give to the teacher so they can excuse themselves in the middle of class. We do not ever want to call into a classroom unless there is an emergency, so please plan accordingly! Any student leaving before the end of the day must be signed out by their parent or an authorized adult. If you would like your child to excuse themselves and head out on their own, we must get that request in writing to delmar@reedschools.org. | 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 need tech help, go to: https://help.reedschools.org/ Our WEBSITE is HERE. 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 | |
