Del Mar NewsFlash ~ 9.10.25

Google Classroom Parent Notifications

Starting this month, parents will no longer receive the weekly Google Classroom notification emails regarding missed assignments. These notifications have sometimes caused confusion, as they do not always accurately reflect students’ current progress. Instead, we encourage all parents to use ALMA, our official platform, to monitor missed work and stay up to date on student performance. ALMA provides the most accurate and timely information, and focusing on one system will help streamline communication and reduce misunderstandings. If you need help accessing ALMA, please visit T HIS LINK.

Parent / Community Expertise Form

We are looking for more ways to leverage the expertise of our parents, guardians and community members in terms of what our students are learning. With that, we are trying to get a bank of contacts from our community that lists their field of work and/or area of expertise. If we ever need a guest speaker, a panel of experts or a resource, we would reach out to these people to see if they are interested in joining us. If you are willing and interested, please add your name to this list using THIS link. If you know of anyone or any organization in the community who would be of value to add to our list, please share the link with them to add to our bank of names and resources.

Staff Spotlight

Staff Spotlight: Ms. Kristy

Written by Leadership Students Tala S., Aiden F., and Cecilia S.,

This week's staff spotlight is Del Mar’s very own office manager, Ms. Kristy! Ms. Kristy grew up in Pennsylvania with four siblings and many pets—ranging from iguanas to dogs. She was raised in two very different yet equally inspiring worlds: her father was a dentist, and her mother was a judge. Ms. Kristy attended a highly competitive private school, where she also played many sports.

Although she originally dreamed of becoming a doctor, Ms. Kristy ultimately followed in her mother’s footsteps and pursued a career in law. She attended college and law school on the east coast, and practiced corporate law in New York City, later moving to California where she transitioned into family law to help families in need.

Ms. Kristy has three children—all of whom attended Del Mar. This connection introduced her to her current role. While working as a lawyer, she realized that the profession was no longer the right fit for her. Coincidentally, an office position opened at Del Mar, and she was encouraged to apply. Although she was initially unsure, she decided to go for the interview—and the rest is history.

Now, thirteen years later, Ms. Kristy is known for her warm, welcoming smile as you walk into the office. Her calm demeanor and leadership style form the backbone of Del Mar’s success. We truly can’t thank her enough for her dedication and support.

Ms. Kristy currently runs an eighth-grade Skillzzz Club, where she leads activities that teach students about the importance of money management, careers, food, travel and more. Outside of school, she leads the eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C., and New York City, which draws from her passion for travel. Ms. Kristy has visited many parts of Europe and Asia, and later this year, she plans to embark on a journey to Egypt! She also took a group of former Del Mar students to Japan last year.

To help Ms. Kristy out in the office, she asks that students remember to sign in when tardy, and come to the office on their own when they need to sign out—this small action makes her job much easier. To further improve Del Mar, she suggests bringing in additional guest speakers and holding more assemblies to help bring the school community together more often.

What Ms. Kristy loves most about Del Mar is working with her office-mate, Mrs. Grinnell, and all of the amazing teachers, students and families. She likes our close-knit community, which allows her to get to know each student individually. When asked what makes a good leader, she says: being a good listener, staying calm, and being warm and approachable.

Here are a few fun facts you may not know about Ms. Kristy: she has three children, six step children and two granddaughters, she and her husband play pickleball and love to hike in the Tiburon hills, and she even earned a real estate brokers license, which she uses for a side hustle! She also ran her own summer camp at a very young age which sparked her interest in leading younger children.

All in all, Ms. Kristy holds one of the most important leadership roles at Del Mar and brightens every room she walks into. The next time you pass by the office, don’t hesitate to show your appreciation—Ms. Kristy is a huge part of what makes Del Mar so special!

Substance Abuse - Quick Survey from Raising the Bar

Raising the Bar is a county-wide initiative committed to keeping youth events substance-free through policy that prohibits adult drinking or drug use at youth-centered events. As a program of Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships, Raising the Bar works in collaboration with Marin Prevention Network, Marin County Office of Education, Marin Health and Human Services, Marin schools, youth sports teams and organizations and other local community based organizations. Together, we aim to shift norms around substance use and encourage healthy choices by promoting positive adult role modeling.

We are working with Raising the Bar this Fall to support a parent survey to better understand perceptions and understanding of drinking and substance use among our community members. Below there is a link to an anonymous survey. Please take a few minutes to click on the survey below and contribute to this very important work.

Bel Aire Mosaic Advisory Committee

Next week, Bel Aire School will host the first meeting of the Mosaic Advisory Committee. This committee is an opportunity for families to share their perspectives and provide input on Bel Aire’s partnership with The Mosaic Project. The Mosaic Project is a Bay Area group that uses experiential programs—like its weeklong outdoor camp project—to bring kids together across differences and teach conflict resolution and other community building skills.

Date: Wednesday, September 17
Time: 3:30–5:00 PM

If you are interested in participating, please contact Bel Aire Principal, John DiCosmo, at jdicosmo@reedschools.org.

We welcome your voice and partnership in this important conversation.

Lunch Menu...Plus

Water Bottle, Snack and DelMarket Reminder!

Please remind your student to dispose of their trash properly. Breakfasts are served out of the office before school (from 7:45 am-8:05 am) and at the first break only if anything is leftover. Lunch is served out of the gym’s kitchen windows at lunchtime.

If you have questions or concerns about the lunch program, please contact delmar@reedschools.org

Please be patient as we work with our new vendor, Dee's Organics. Despite a few minor glitches, the students seem to be enjoying the food!

Breakfasts:

Monday: granola, yogurt and fruit

Tuesday: Croissant with egg and fruit

Wednesday: French toast and sausage and fruit

Thursday: breakfast burrito and fruit

Friday: frittata, bread and fruit

Our Leadership Students run the DelMarket most morning breaks. The market is located next to room 20, near the library, and students can bring single dollars to pay for snacks and drinks at the first break.

September lunch menu is below:

Water: Please send your student to school with a filled, LABELED water bottle every day! It can get very hot at Del Mar, and the students seem to prefer water bottles to water fountains. We have a bottle filling station near our locker rooms and in the quad area near the office.

Snacks: Please send your child with snacks if they need a pick-me-up during break times. The DelMarket is open most morning breaks, and snacks range from $1-$3 (cash only).

**Calling all volunteers!!!*** Volunteers are needed to make the distribution of lunches run smoothly! Please go to THIS LINK if you are willing to help us distribute lunches. Many thanks to the volunteers who have been helping these first few weeks!

No GrubHub, UberEats or DoorDash : Please do not have GrubHub, UberEats, DoorDash or other food deliveries sent to our campus. This became problematic in the past, with unregistered people walking on campus, and it also created distractions to our students and staff.

Dropping off Lunches: Parents are welcome to drop off forgotten lunches for their students outside the office. Please note that we offer free lunch every day on campus, so if your child forgets to bring lunch, they are welcome to have a school lunch. If you are dropping lunch off for your child, please use the blue shelves outside the office and be sure the lunch is well labeled. Also remind your child to look there for lunch. We do not call into classrooms about dropped off lunches. Please tell your child to check on their own!

Del Mar PTA News

Del Mar PTA Meeting Tomorrow!

We’d love to see you at our first PTA meeting of the school year, tomorrow September 11th at 8:30am in the Del Mar Library. We’ll recap the many events the PTA has helped with so far this fall, as well as upcoming events and opportunities if you choose to get more involved. Principal Stuart will also be there to report on all the happenings at Del Mar and we’ll also have an update from the RUSD Foundation. Hope to see you tomorrow!

LOOKING FOR LUNCH & GRADUATION CO-CHAIRS----HELP WANTED!!!

Lunch Volunteers: Catch a glimpse of your middle schooler during one of the few regular on-campus volunteer opportunities at Del Mar. Going forward, each shift will now include 4 volunteers instead of 3. Volunteer to serve lunch during one of our regular shifts or add your name to the sub list. Please see the SIGN UP LINK.

Graduation Co-Chairs : Seeking two enthusiastic 8th grade parents to lead our graduation committee. The Co-Chairs will help lead and organize three key events during the year: Graduation Sweatshirt Distribution, 8th Grade Moms' Party in April, Graduation Party for students in June. You won't be doing it alone. We already have great volunteers ready and excited to help. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please reach out to Argavan Nilforoush at argavan@gmail.com .

Technical Issues with SCHOOLPAY: We sincerely apologize to our families who have tried to make a payment. SchoolPay was down across all of their accounts over the last few days. The issue has been resolved, payments for PTA membership and school supply donations can now be processed. Thanks for your patience and support.

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