Headline News Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Dear RUSD Community,

First District Wide Safety Drill Tomorrow

On 10-16 at 10:16, we will conduct our first districtwide safety drill. This is the earthquake drill. Each school site will conduct the drill and we will practice our Incident Command System and full communication system. Key things to know and do:

You will receive a phone call from 415-855-7966 and a text from 833-232-7506 and an email from InformaCast.
Please add these 2 numbers to your contacts as “RUSD Safety Notifications” so you’re sure to receive it.
If you have multiple students in the district, you should receive one call for all of your students instead of one call for each.
We’ll conduct a short survey after the drill to gather your feedback.

New Family Guides for English Language Arts and Math
We're 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 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.

Staff Training on Monday, October 6th - Math, Artificial Intelligence, Safety, Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA)
Our recent October 6th Staff Development Day featured differentiated and targeted professional development to meet the diverse needs of our PK-8 staff. Teachers engaged in specific training like Amplify Desmos Math Stretch for K-5, AI Training, Safety Training, and Cross-District VAPA Collaboration. The afternoon was purposefully dedicated to site-level work time, fostering collaboration through grade-level meetings and department time across all three schools to ensure thoughtful planning and connections.

Our Inclusion Work
In September, our students learned about the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, including how hearing loss affects communication. They learned about tools and supports such as hearing aids and American Sign Language, which help people hear and connect with others. Students practiced learning basic signs, including the sign for “friend,” and learned about audiologists, the specialists who support hearing health. This experience helped foster understanding and respect for diverse communication styles and abilities. Here are some Deaf and Hard of Hearing Resources that you can review with your child. Also, please see the talking points and questions that you can ask your child at home.

What new signs did you learn, and can you show me how to sign “friend”? Can you show me how to sign your name?
Why do some people use hearing aids, and how do they help?
What is an audiologist, and what do they do?
How does American Sign Language help people communicate?
Why do you think it is important to learn about different ways people hear and talk?

Thanks to the Foundation for Reed Schools - Run for Reed was a blast!

Kind regards,

Dr. Kimberly McGrath
Superintendent
Reed Union School District
"We are even stronger together!"

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Navigating the Hard Stuff: A Parent's Guide to Meaningful Conversations with Your Child
If you missed out last week on this parent ed event, we would like to share this recording with you (please use this passcode: Zb$Bs@6y). Here are some great tools to tackle those challenging conversations every parent faces. Whether it's discussing mental health, addressing difficult emotions, or navigating sensitive topics, this session will provide you with evidence-based strategies that work. Speaker: Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith

Let's Talk Parent Series

Community discussions take a deeper dive into the Let’s Talk topics on the website with guest facilitators and topic experts. Parents and caregivers have the opportunity to share their experiences and best practices in a safe, solution-oriented environment. Register for one of our community discussions here.

Marin County Office of Education Delaying Social Media. Together

Today’s social media landscape is shaping how kids see themselves and the world—often before they’re ready. This talk dives into current research on how platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and Discord are impacting youth mental health, self-esteem, and safety. Register here.

Marin County Office of Education AI Artificial Intelligence for Future Ready Families

Virtual Webinar - No Cost. Learn more here.

Marin County Office of Education’s 2025-2026 Parent & Caregiver Education Series
These FREE offerings are intended to provide support to both you and your families throughout the upcoming school year. Learn more here. Questions? Email jle@marinschools.org.

The Marin County Office of Education warmly invites you to a special community screening of the award-winning documentary Counted Out, directed and produced by Vicki Abeles.
In today’s world, technology, data, and algorithms increasingly shape our opportunities. Counted Out shines a light on how math education impacts equity, access, and the power to participate fully in society. Together—as families, educators, and community partners—we can build classrooms and homes where all students see themselves as “math people.” Watch the trailer here. Join us on Thursday, October 30, 2025 from 5:30 – 7:45 PM at the Marin County Office of Education: 1111 Las Gallinas Ave., San Rafael, CA 94903. Following the film, join a special discussion with filmmaker Vicki Abeles. REGISTER.

Strengthening Partnerships for Students with Disabilities
2025–26 Webinar Series Fourth Thursday of the Month from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. The California Department of Education, Special Education Division, in partnership with the Seeds of Partnership project, invite you to join this engaging webinar series. Sign up 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.