Nurse’s Corner

A Note from our School Nurse:
As usual, respiratory and gastrointestinal viruses are spreading widely this time of year. The "new" flu strain for the 2025-2026 season is a highly evolved variant of Influenza A known as H3N2 subclade K, which emerged after vaccine composition was set, leading to a potentially less effective vaccine, but the vaccine still offers protection against severe illness.

Please remember a few tips to help keep your family and our schools healthy:

Keep your student home if they are feeling sick. Students must be without fever, vomiting and diarrhea for over 24 hours without medication before returning to school. They should also feel well enough to participate in all school activities.
Keep your family up to date on flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines (it’s not too late!), as well as childhood routine vaccines. If you or your child gets sick, check in with your medical provider in case they recommend testing and treatment.
Make sure your children get plenty of sleep each night (9-12 hours) and eat a healthy, well-balanced diet.
Read Dr. Matt Willis' newsletter for helpful updates about infectious disease activity and other public health news

Thank you for partnering with us to keep everyone healthy!

-- Nurse Mankin

Beverage Policy Update at Del Mar:

Caffeine/Energy Drink Restriction

We want our students to stay healthy, hydrated, and ready to learn! At Del Mar, to keep our learning environments clean and distraction-free, please remember that only bottled water is allowed inside classrooms. Other permitted drinks (like juice or milk) should be finished during break or lunch in designated areas, and discarded in the proper waste-management receptacle located outside classrooms.

To comply with California state laws, leave energy drinks (like Red Bull, Monster, or Celsius) at home. In California public middle schools, these drinks are generally not allowed to be consumed or kept by students on middle school grounds.

Here is a quick run-down of our beverage policy for students.

State Law: California law (EDC § 49431.5) sets strict health standards for middle schools. These rules ban drinks with added caffeine, allowing only the tiny amounts found naturally in items like chocolate milk.
Health & Safety: High levels of caffeine can cause jitters, dehydration, and a racing heart—none of which help during a busy school day.
Focus: Avoiding "caffeine crashes" helps students maintain steady energy and better concentration in class.
Progressive Consequences: Since energy drinks are against state and school regulations, any found on campus will be confiscated or redirected to be properly discarded by staff. If a student disregards staff warnings, and continues to break school rules/policy, they will be subject to school disciplinary action.

Staff Spotlight Mrs. Grinnell

By Leadership Students Tala Sarhangi and Shir-linh Murad

This week’s staff Spotlight is none other than our Del Mar office manager Ms. Grinnell. Ms. Grinnell was born in Illinois and moved to Texas at a young age where she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian, inspired by her love of animals. She grew up with a brother and two poodles. As a child, she looked up to her teachers who sparked her love for working with children and education. In addition, she often played soccer and tennis where she built her skills for dedication and collaboration. For her college career Ms. Grinnell attended the University of Texas and ASU where she majored in business. She later attended Dominican University to receive her teaching credential.

Over the years, Ms. Grinnell has built a respected career working with students. Before Del Mar, she was the Director at Hawthorn Pre-K, where she developed her leadership and communication experience. Ms. Grinnell sent her three children through the Reed School District where she was introduced to a job opportunity as a manager for the girls locker room. Ms. Grinnell was also a substitute teacher, which exposed her to working with middle schoolers. Later, she transitioned into the job of co-managing the office, alongside Ms. Kristy. Ms. Grinnell manages absences, assigning substitutes to classes, and updating the school’s calendar, all of which help our school continue to run smoothly. Now, in her sixth year at Del Mar in this position, she always finds ways to promote positivity and kindness throughout our school, building onto our “Nice Vibes Only” motto. Ms. Grinnell continues to focus on making students feel supported and confident through their middle school journey, and ensuring that all members of Del Mar feel welcome.

One thing that Del Mar students can do to help Ms. Grinnell is to be on time to class and sign themselves out when leaving early, as it is hard to track students around the campus. One thing Ms. Grinnell loves about Del Mar is the kind student body that creates a strong and inclusive community. However, Ms. Grinnell would love to see Del Mar get a campus upgrade to make it even more beautiful than it already is. Through her experience at Del Mar she advises new students to join many clubs and not to be afraid of asking for help. Additionally as important, she states to ‘have fun and be your authentic self.’

At home, you can often find Ms. Grinnell reading a book. She recommends a novel called The Tattooist of Auschwitz, by Heather Morris. In addition to reading, Ms. Grinnell dabbles in 70’s hits and old country music. To pursue her childhood love for animals, Ms. Grinnell volunteered at The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, a nonprofit that aids the blind, located in San Rafael. A fun fact about Ms. Grinnell is that if she was not working at Del Mar she would be relaxing on a warm, sunny beach. To conclude, us Del Mar citizens already can tell how hard Ms. Grinnell works to make Del Mar a better place everyday, so if you see her in the office or running about the campus, don't hesitate to show her your gratitude!

8th Grade Families: High School Information, 2/26 Redwood Open House for Prospective Freshman and

Graduation Date!

Important Redwood High School Information:

NEW DATE for OPEN HOUSE FOR INCOMING FRESHMAN: Thursday, February 26th

● Principal Payne will be holding a presentation for incoming freshmen and their families from 4:30-6:00 pm -doors open 4:15--(meet outside the gym). This presentation is called Roots of Redwood and will include: Redwood student experience, information regarding 9th grade course selection and elective classes, and student led tours.

See Redwood's letter linked HERE for more details!

Redwood Registration is OPEN!!

Linked HERE is a letter from Redwood High School with all the information you need!

Interested in an InterDistrict Transfer to Archie Williams or Tam High?

Please see THIS LETTER from Redwood High School

8th Grade Graduation:

Ceremony will be: Friday, June 12th at 2 PM. Save the date! Our graduation Chairs are beginning to make plans for an extra special last day celebration at Del Mar. Stay tuned!

Grill Day Coming Up 2/24! Breakfast/Lunch

Water Bottle, Snack and DelMarket Reminder!

Tuesday 2/24: Our new lunch vendor, Revolution Foods, has offered to put on a "Grill Day" for students. They will be grilling hot dogs, hamburgers and veggie burgers here on campus at lunchtime. All students are welcome to participate

Please remind your students 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

Our Leadership Students run the DelMarket most morning breaks. The DelMarket 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. $5.00 snack packs are also available!

Please remember to send water and snacks, and please remember: NO food delivery services are permitted on campus. You may drop lunches off on the blue shelves outside the office. Please notify your child to look there for lunches since we do not send reminders to classrooms.

Attached HERE is allergen and nutrition information sent from Revolution Foods for all Revolution Food items.

Del Mar PTA News

❤️ Let’s shower our amazing teachers and staff with some extra love this Valentine’s Day. Sign up for the The Valentine’s Treat Bar here:

👉 Sign up HERE!!

A huge THANK YOU to our incredible Hospitality Team for making this happen!

❤️ This Valentine’s Day, Del Mar PTA is celebrating our amazing crossing guards and bus drivers! Stop by and help us say thank you.

Thank you to the five amazing RUSD parents who have generously volunteered to serve on this year’s Nominating Committee: Sarah Chow, Suzanne Davenport, Alison Gathright, Rachel Martin, and Franny Mulberg .

The Nominating Committee does the important work of putting together the slate for the RUSD PTA Executive Board.

Seeking Parents Wanting to Make an Impact on the RUSD PTA Executive Board

Looking for a meaningful way to support your child’s school? Consider stepping into a PTA leadership role! Most of these positions are 2-year terms, giving you time to make a real impact. No special skills needed—just a passion for helping our schools and students thrive!

Upcoming Open Positions for 2026-2028 are:

District Executive Vice President
District Assistant Treasurer
Del Mar Assistant Site Chair
Del Mar Assistant Treasurer
Bel Aire Site Chair
Bel Aire Assistant Site Chair
Bel Aire Assistant Treasurer
Reed Assistant Site Chair
Reed Assistant Treasurer

Job descriptions are listed on the PTA website. If you are interested in one of these leadership positions, please contact any of the Nominating Committee or RUSD Parliamentarian, Tracey Paull.

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