September 25th (Tomorrow): College Spirit Day! From hats to hoodies ~ show college spirit! |
October 6th: Staff Development Day (NO SCHOOL) |
October 7th: Picture Day! Come to school with a smile! :-) |
November 11th: Veteran's Day (NO SCHOOL) |
November 14th: End of First Trimester |
November 24th-28th: Thanksgiving Break (NO SCHOOL) |
December 22nd-January 5th. Return to School Tuesday, January 6th: Winter Break (NO SCHOOL) |
Parents & Guardians,
As we ease into the end of September, the signs of Fall may be subtle—but the energy on our campus is anything but! The new school year is off to a fantastic start, filled with positivity, excitement, and a strong sense of community. Our students have shown great enthusiasm, have been ready to learn and grow, and our staff has been equally energized, creating welcoming, engaging learning environments. It’s been a joy to see classrooms buzzing with activity and students supporting one another as they’ve settled into their routines. We’re looking forward to a season full of growth, connection, and continued success.
To our families observing the High Holidays, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, we extend our warmest wishes for a meaningful and peaceful celebration. We want to reassure you that our staff is aware of these important holidays and is fully prepared to support any students who may be absent for religious observance. Teachers plan accordingly to ensure that students are not adversely affected by these absences and are provided with any necessary accommodations to stay on track with their learning.
Sincerely,
Chad Stuart (he/him)
Principal |
Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
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September marks suicide prevention awareness month. Although suicide is a difficult topic, awareness and education can save lives. At Del Mar, all of our seventh graders participate in the Signs of Suicide Program in January, to help build their skills to recognize and speak up on behalf of themselves or a friend who might be demonstrating signs of depression or suicidality. Later this year, our teachers will also participate in a training to build their understanding of how to identify and support students who might be struggling emotionally. Please
review the following resources put together by the Marin County Office of Education. If you ever have a concern about a student’s mental health, please reach out to either Dr. Kover or our administrative team. |
New Family Guides for English Language Arts and Math
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The RUSD is excited to announce the release of our new Family Guides for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics. These guides were created in direct response to your valuable feedback from the YouthTruth survey, where many of you requested more communication about your child’s academic development and progress. We see these guides as a crucial first step toward strengthening our partnership with you. These guides are designed to help you support your student's learning at home. Each guide outlines the core concepts students will engage with throughout the school year. They also provide helpful questions you can ask your student and suggest ways to challenge their thinking. We encourage you to use these guides as a tool to engage with your student's learning and to foster rich conversations about what they are exploring in class.
You can find the Family Guides here:
We look forward to a great year of learning and partnership! | Staff Spotlight: Mr. Silva Written by Leadership Students Tala S., Aiden F., and Cecilia S.,
This week's staff spotlight is none other than our very own 7th grade P.E. teacher, Mr. Silva! He was born locally in Marin County, where he enjoyed many outdoor activities such as football, baseball, soccer, and basketball. He grew up in a large family and spent a lot of time with them. As a child, Mr. Silva took inspiration from famous athletes, which ultimately planted the seed for his future career.
For college, Mr. Silva attended both Sacramento State and Dominican University, where he assisted and practiced with the women’s basketball team. At Dominican, he earned his teaching credentials. Some fun facts you may not know about him are that he is a huge Wicked fan, enjoys watching musicals (including Harry Potter and other well-known productions), loves hiking, mountain biking, and spending time with friends.
Since Mr. Silva grew up in Marin County, he was already familiar with Del Mar. He first worked as a teacher’s assistant, supporting teachers with their daily tasks. Later, he became a 7th grade P.E. teacher, a role he has now held for 13 years. Through teaching, he has found the experience humbling. One important lesson he’s learned is the need to be flexible and adapt to each year’s class environment. He emphasizes that it’s not the students’ role to make his job easier, but his role to meet them halfway.
Through these years of experience, Mr. Silva has continued to learn and grow as a teacher. His goal is to give students the same positive experiences he had growing up. As a P.E. teacher, his favorite unit is track and field. His advice to students who struggle in P.E. is not to compare themselves to others. He highlights that everyone is at different stages of athletic ability, and no one should feel discouraged by that.
One change he would like to see at Del Mar is more pep rallies to celebrate athletes. He believes Del Mar students work hard to build the school’s athletic reputation and deserve to be recognized. Mr. Silva has also observed that Del Mar is unique compared to other schools, with its focus strongly centered on students. He notes that Del Mar students are intelligent, well-exposed to different life experiences, and involved in many programs and activities.
Outside of school, Mr. Silva enjoys traveling and exploring new places, including Paris, Amsterdam, Switzerland, Portugal, and Italy. He also hopes to visit South America sometime this year.
Overall, Mr. Silva demonstrates confidence, an important quality for his profession, and works hard to get to know each and every student. This dedication is clear through his positive reputation at Del Mar. If you see Mr. Silva in his office, on the field, or on the court, don’t hesitate to say hi! | SCHOOL’S NOT FAR - DITCH THE CAR!
International Walk to School Day - Wednesday, Oct. 8th
Parents, please encourage your students to Walk or Roll to School on Wednesday, Oct. 8th. If you live too far, drive part way, PARK and let them enjoy the 10 minute WALK to campus. Every student who walks, bikes, scooters or skateboards can enter a raffle for prizes - Tommy Breeze Beanies and Hydroflask water bottles! Walking and Biking is healthy, it helps the planet, and it’s FUN. Event sponsored by
Safe Routes to Schools. | 8th Grade Families: Applying to Private High Schools?
| Linked HERE is Del Mar's protocol for students applying to private high schools. Please take a look if you are considering private high schools for next year. | 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, Wednesday, Friday: bagels and cream cheese, fruit
Tuesday: Sunbutter and jam sandwich and fruit Thursday: banana 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. Please remember to send water and snacks, and please NO food delivery services.
The September lunch menu is below: | 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. We are hoping to get a few additional volunteers for Thursdays - popular pasta day. Please see the
sign-up link for exact times and dates.
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. |
Student Bulletin ~ **College Spiritwear Day Tomorrow!!!**
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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 read during Advisory on Monday afternoons, plus a written copy is emailed to all parents and students. The Student Bulletin is linked HERE. | Bell Schedule Our 2025-26 regular bell schedule can be found HERE. | Attendance Instructions/Leaving Early/Arriving Late
| 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." Absence does 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. Leaving School Early? Arriving Late? We want to avoid calling into any classroom! 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. | We Are Here For You! Staff Contacts | To locate teacher info click HERE
. Emails are the first letter of the teacher's first name along with their full last name @reedschools.org. 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, For tech help, email: help.reedschools.org. 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 |
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