LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Par...

  LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Part Series Issue 6 of 6: Golden Bell Winners Dear LCMSD Community, In our last installment of this six part series, we are proud to celebrate the stellar individuals who make it all possible! Each year, District staff members select one Certificated Staff Member (teacher, education specialist or counselor) and one Classified Staff Member (secretary, custodian/maintenance, paraprofessional, district staff or campus support) from each school site to earn a coveted Golden Bell Award. Staff members may only win a Golden Bell Award once, so receiving one is truly an accomplishment. Here's a little more about the Golden Bell Award: Created in 1982, the Golden Bell Awards celebrate public education in Marin County by bringing our community together to recognize fantastic certificated teachers and faculty, exceptional classified and confidential staff, outstanding community partners and student programs. These are the Academy Awards of Education! Here are our 2025 Golden Bell winners ...           LCMSD Board of Trustees Amir Movafaghi,  President  Beth Blair, Vice President Natalie Medved, Clerk Eric Schmautz Ava Fruin Superintendent Brett Geithman, Ed.D.

Wednesday, Mar 26 2025

LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Par...

  LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Part Series Issue 5 of 6: Vision 2036 LCMSD Reimagined Dear LCMSD Community, This year, we embarked on our most extensive community engagement process in decades, generating over 1,100 inputs to shape Vision 2036: LCMSD Reimagined . This vision serves as our north star, guiding our students, staff, and community toward a future of opportunity and success. It is currently in the design phase and will be professionally published later this spring. A bold vision is powerful, but meaningful progress comes from action. That’s why we have already launched the strategic planning process to define key action steps and measurable outcomes for the next 3-5 years. This plan will be finalized by June, ensuring a clear roadmap to bring our vision to life. Graduate Portrait – The Future of LCMSD Students Our goal is to ensure that every student who graduates from LCMSD embodies the following characteristics: 🌟 Inquisitive Critical Thinker – An inquisitive critical thinker possesses the skills to analyze, solve, and interpret complex challenges with logic, creativity, and open-mindedness. 🌟 Real-World Ready – Being real-world ready entails managing responsibilities, applying knowledge, and demonstrating adaptability for a sustainable future. 🌟 Equity & Inclusion Leader – Equity leaders champion diversity, disrupt inequities, and advocate for inclusive and just communities. 🌟 Emotionally Intelligent and Socially Aware Leader – Emotionally intelligent leaders navigate interpersonal dynamics with self-awareness, empathy, and resilience. 🌟 Effective Communicator and Collaborator – Effective communicators and collaborators foster understanding and inclusivity through purposeful expression and teamwork. 🌟 Ethical & Responsible Contributor to Society – Ethical and responsible contributors act with integrity, fostering inclusivity and positive societal impact. 🌟 Adaptable Lifelong Learner – Graduates possess a genuine passion for acquiring knowledge and developing new skills, which fuels ongoing personal and academic growth. LCMSD Board of Trustees Amir Movafaghi,  President  Beth Blair, Vice President Natalie Medved, Clerk Eric Schmautz Ava Fruin Superintendent Brett Geithman, Ed.D.

Tuesday, Mar 25 2025

LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Par...

  LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Part Series Issue 4 of 6: Cougars Rising Dear LCMSD Community, In this fourth edition of a five part series, we are going to focus on the recent and planned updates at Hall Middle School. While Hall has been the recipient of state and national recognition, we are committed to gathering feedback from all stakeholders to further advance our programs. Over the last year, we’ve engaged with Hanover Research on several studies involving students, staff, parents, and Redwood students and staff, to evolve our standards-based grading practices. Hall Middle School continues its commitment to academic consistency and student support with these updates: Chromebook Use – Behavioral data and feedback from teachers and parents have shown a need to revisit school-wide chromebook expectations. Students are only allowed to use chromebooks when instructed by teachers and may not use them for games or as an activity when classwork is finished. Homework Practices – After mid-winter break we launched our consistent grade level appropriate homework expectations that are aligned with research supported by the National Educators Association and National PTA. Hall has structured homework to 10 minutes per grade level per night (e.g., 60 minutes for 6th grade, 70 minutes for 7th, 80 minutes for 8th). Consistent Communication – At the beginning of the school year we launched a biweekly  newsletter  for each course and gradebook updates in Aeries to keep families informed. Additionally, we have mid-trimester progress reports that are generated for any students at risk of meeting standards. Standards-Based Grading Enhancements – At the beginning of the year, we added a Level 4 “Surpassing” to our SBG scale. We also created consistent percentages school-wide for each proficiency level. Additionally, teachers have spent the last two professional development days to further define surpassing. This will be clearly communicated on our grade level websites shortly. The expectation is for all students to work toward surpassing once demonstrating proficiency.    Work Habits  – A schoolwide proficiency scale for Work Habits has been developed and will be implemented starting T3. This will allow for a consistent feedback mechanism for soft skills and executive functioning allowing students to grow in skills needed to excel in all subjects and to build a passion for learning.  Equitable Grading Practices – Proficiency on every standard is the goal. There are multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency, retakes are allowed, and revisions in writing is a key part of the practice. Assessments and Study Skills – Teachers are currently working on developing a consistent set of assessment practices and exposure to study skills. This will be published later this spring. Writing Expectations and Notetaking – Late spring/summer teachers will clearly define writing expectations by grade level, as well as notetaking skills and expectations. A key indicator of academic excellence is in students’ preparation to excel in high school . We continue to partner with Redwood, our feeder school, and collaborate with staff to review data and teaching practices to ensure our students are well prepared high school academics, social life, and extracurriculars. LCMSD Board of Trustees Amir Movafaghi,  President  Beth Blair, Vice President Natalie Medved, Clerk Eric Schmautz Ava Fruin Superintendent Brett Geithman, Ed.D.

Monday, Mar 24 2025

LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Par...

  LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Part Series Issue 3 of 6: LCAP Goal Progress and Action Steps Dear LCMSD Community, In this third communication of our week-long series, we are going to focus on the recent report on  LCAP Goal Progress and Action Steps for 2024-25   that was presented and discussed with the Board on March 5, 2025. Based on a variety of data points (CAASPP, standards-based grading study, LCAP survey, iReady data, LCMSD 2036), the following action plans have been initiated during this school year: Expansion of Tier II intervention iReady implementation, analysis, and distribution of detailed reports for parents MyPath personalized learning Data Learning Labs, within grade levels and across schools, to generate Tier I action plans and a consistent set of instructional strategies Literacy curriculum pilot Hall standards-based grading updates (Level 4 “Surpassing,” percentages, Aeries quick-check, parent tutorials) Hall Middle bi-monthly teacher newsletters Defined homework practices at Hall Middle  Defined chromebook expectations at Hall Middle Defined levels of proficiency in “Work Habits,” teaching and sharing feedback on soft skills and building passion for learning Depth of Knowledge professional development K-8 Currently defining consistent assessment practices and study skills practice at Hall Middle T3 publication of Hall Middle proficiency scales AI Inquiry Group Vision 2036 3-5 year strategic plan Below are the 2024-2027 LCAP Goals we are striving to achieve by implementing the action plans cited above  and in our LCAP .  Note: The gold stars indicate the metrics we've already met! LCMSD Board of Trustees Amir Movafaghi,  President  Beth Blair, Vice President Natalie Medved, Clerk Eric Schmautz Ava Fruin Superintendent Brett Geithman, Ed.D.

Friday, Mar 21 2025

LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Par...

  LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Part Series Issue 2 of 6: Student Achievement Dear LCMSD Community, In this second communication of our week-long series, we want to celebrate our success by highlighting LCMSD's performance on state accountability measures. We believe that it is important to have both qualitative and quantitative data to understand our successes, as well as areas of improvement. Below are quantitative state measures, where LCMSD is ahead of the class! While these recognitions and data points are important, education is continually evolving. We are always striving toward continual improvement and providing the best learning experiences for our students. CAASPP Season: Show What You Know! Spring marks the start of CAASPP practice assessments for students in grades 3-8. The assessment window will be open the first half of May. To prepare, students are engaging in interim assessments designed to build confidence and familiarity with the test format. Families can support students by encouraging good rest, a positive mindset, and ensuring that students keep up on their homework, class assignments, and read at least 20 minutes per night. LCMSD Schools Score High in English and Math According to the California Dashboard, only 25% of Marin school districts met the highest criteria in the five tiered color system (blue) for performance in English Language Arts and Mathematics—LCMSD was one of those districts. California Distinguished Schools We’re proud that ALL LCMSD schools have earned this recognition. Over the last five years, only 23% of Marin schools have met the criteria for California Distinguished Schools. Only 2 Schools per State are Awarded National Distinguished Schools Every year the State of California selects two schools from the list of all California Distinguished Schools to represent our state nationally. In 2021, Hall Middle was selected as one of those schools! According to available ESEA records, Hall Middle is the only school in Marin that has ever receive this award.  LCMSD Board of Trustees Amir Movafaghi,  President  Beth Blair, Vice President Natalie Medved, Clerk Eric Schmautz Ava Fruin Superintendent Brett Geithman, Ed.D.

Thursday, Mar 20 2025

LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Par...

  LCMSD: Celebrating Success, Dreaming Big – A Six-Part Series Issue 1 of 6: Survey Says . . . Dear LCMSD Community, At LCMSD, the Board of Trustees, district leadership, teachers, and staff are aligned in our deep commitment to academic excellence while ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for all students. In reflecting over the last five years, this shared vision is reflected in our student outcomes and state recognition. Over the next week, we are going to highlight some of the major indicators that show how LCMSD’s academic growth and wellness initiatives are making an impact on student achievement and staff satisfaction. Additionally, we will share key action steps and preview our vision for the future. Thanks in advance for reading this six-part series! Our Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) goals continue to guide our district’s efforts: Equity  –  Close or narrow the equity gap for student groups (English Learner, students with disabilities, Hispanic/Latino, and socioeconomically disadvantaged). Academic Growth  –  Increase the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards in literacy, mathematics, and science for all students, with an emphasis on accelerating the academic growth of identified student groups (Hispanic/Latino, socioeconomically disadvantaged, special education, English Learner). Wellness & Connectedness  –  Maintain and improve a comprehensive wellness program, which includes social-emotional learning, campus and student safety, and a well-rounded course of study. LCAP Survey Data Highlights   were shared at the March 5, 2025 Board Meeting. We appreciate the time that everyone took to engage in these important questions as they help us assess progress on current goals and inform our next steps.  Social-Emotional Growth: Significant Gains at All Schools This reflects our ongoing focus on student wellness (supported by the  SPARK ), including expanded social-emotional learning (SEL) programs, mental health supports, counseling resources, and wellness centers at all three schools. Communication Satisfaction: Strong Overall, Significant Growth at Hall While communication at Hall remains an area of focus, we are encouraged by this substantial improvement and will continue refining feedback loops between staff, students, and families. Emergency Preparedness & School Safety: High Levels of Confidence School safety measures, including secure campus procedures and emergency response plans, will continue to be updated based on best practices and continued collaboration with LCMSD Safety Task Force, Central Marin Police, Central Marin Fire, Marin County Office of Education, and Marin Office of Emergency Services. Staff Perspectives on Working at LCMSD: Our schools are great places to learn and work These findings reaffirm the district’s commitment to providing the necessary resources and professional development to ensure both staff and students thrive. Perception of Academic Progress: A Long-Term Trend This multi-year trend underscores the importance of continuing our efforts to improve communication around academic progress and student support. Additionally, it reaffirms our commitment to creating consistency across classrooms and underscores the importance of academic rigor. This has been identified as a top priority for growth. LCMSD Board of Trustees Amir Movafaghi,  President  Beth Blair, Vice President Natalie Medved, Clerk Eric Schmautz Ava Fruin Superintendent Brett Geithman, Ed.D.

Wednesday, Mar 19 2025