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  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter - Happy Thank...

    Thanksgiving Break Dear Mill Valley School District Families, Thanksgiving Break is next week, and I wish you time to connect with your family, filled with laughter, relaxation, and tasty favorites.  As a reminder, we are asking you to follow the  guidelines issued by Marin public health related to holiday travel . Your commitment to these guidelines is critically important for the safety of all of our staff and students. When you follow these guidelines,  your child’s classroom may open safely and your child’s classmates and your child’s teacher will be kept safe and healthy.  We look forward to welcoming students back to campus on November 30th in a safe manner, wearing face masks and following physical distancing guidelines. All of our schools have provided health and safety handbooks in addition to the   district handbook . Additionally, all MVSD sites have  School Site Specific Protections Plans in place.  You will be able to access the ParentSquare Health Screening Form starting at 7 pm on Sunday, November 29th and you will receive a reminder to submit your child’s screening at 7 am on Monday, November 30th and each weekday morning thereafter. Please see  this post to see screenshots of where to access the form. Thank you for your partnership in ensuring a safe and healthy return to school. Yours in Education, Dr. Kimberly Berman And the Board of Trustees Marco Pardi, President Emily Uhlhorn Todd May Leslie Wachtel Bob Jacobs COVID-19 Community Testing The Marin County Office of Education is working with Curative to offer a Pilot Community Testing Program for students, families, and community members. See the flyer below for more information.  Location: Lutheran Church of the Resurrection parking lot at 1100 Las Gallinas Avenue across the street from the Marin County Office of Education Monday, November 30, 2020 - 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Tuesday, December 1, 2020 - 11:00 am – 5:00 pm Pre-registration and appointment is required.  Register here .

    Saturday, Nov 21 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter & November 12...

    ParentSquare Health Screening Practice Day On Wednesday, November 18th, we are conducting a practice day for the ParentSquare Health Screening that parents will fill out each day for students who are attending in-person learning. Facts about Health Screening The form will open at 7 pm each evening prior to school and will remain available through the start of the afternoon cohort.   You will receive a daily reminder to fill out the screening form.  Parents must submit the screening prior to their child’s arrival to campus for either the A or B cohort.  Teachers will view the dashboard for their classroom to ensure students are screened and healthy to enter the classroom.  A reminder for our practice day will be sent at 7 pm on Tuesday, November 17th. You will access the form from the ParentSquare website or App, and a button will become available in the upper right corner of the screen on the website, and at the bottom of the app. Below are screenshots from a test ParentSquare account for both the website and the app. COVID-19 Tier 3 Decision Tree and Updated Mill Valley School District Handbook The Marin County Department of Public Health has provided an updated COVID-19 Decision Tree for Tier 3 . Additionally, we have updated our Mill Valley School District COVID-19 Safety Handbook to reflect changes for Tier 3. Changes have been highlighted in yellow. Public Health Emphasizes Safe Holidays and Travel As you are no doubt aware, Marin County has moved into Tier 3, which indicates moderate risk.  It is vital  that we continue to be extremely careful in order to reduce the transmission of the virus and curb an outbreak. When we return to in-person learning on November 30th, we want to keep everyone safe and remain open. As the holiday season approaches and COVID-19 cases are rising in other parts of the state and country, we need to find safe ways to connect. This week, new guidance was released from the Marin County Department of Public Health regarding travel and how to celebrate safely.  Please read the latest press release regarding holidays, guidance on how to celebrate safely , and review the CDC’s guidance on assessing your family’s travel risk . Our school district follows the guidance from the Marin Public Health. According to public health, “If you travel outside the Bay Area, it is strongly recommended that you self-quarantine for 14 days after your return if your activities while traveling put you at higher risk of getting COVID-19. These higher-risk activities include: Spending time within 6 feet of people you do not normally live with, while you or anyone around you was not wearing a face mask – especially if you were indoors. Traveling on planes, buses, trains, public transportation, or other shared vehicles, if face masks were not worn at all times by both you and the other people in the vehicle.” Mill Valley School District will adhere to the guidance from the Marin County Department of Public Health as it relates to travel. We encourage everyone to take our health and safety pledge. Please read and sign the pledge to show your commitment to the health and safety of our community. So far, 221 people have signed the pledge. Let’s aim for 1,000 by next Friday! We are all in this together! Webinar - “Permission to Feel: Strategies for Supporting your Child’s Emotional Well-Being During Uncertain Times” This webinar, hosted by Common Sense Media, will occur on Wednesday, November 18th at 5 pm PT. You may register here . Bundle Up With Some Books - from Common Sense Education As we snuggle firmly into an autumn like no other, it's a great time to take some refuge in reading. From family read-alouds to no-nonsense novels, there are reading opportunities for everyone. Check out what's new and fresh for little kids and tweens, especially if you have a voracious reader on your hands. But don't leave your teen out, because there are plenty of Young Adult books published this year that will keep them engrossed. Sometimes it's fun to listen to a book   while you're doing other things—or listen together! And if you're looking for enriching screen experiences, these book apps have more to offer than a match-three game. No matter the form or even the willingness level of a reluctant reader , finding refuge in a great book is one strategy to use right now. Board Meeting Highlights November 12, 2020 The recording of the full board meeting is available below, in addition to notes summarizing each agendized item. Second Annual State of the Students Address The annual State of the Students Address is a time to honor our trustees, students, staff members, teachers, and families, to highlight our Strategic Plan objectives (Balanced Learners, Supported Staff , Communications , and Sound Finance and Infrastructure ), and most importantly, hear from the very insightful and balanced learners at all 6 schools in the Mill Valley School District. Students answered questions such as “This summer, our Country focused on racial injustices. What would you change in our local community to make a difference and how will you start?” and “We have just recently had a Presidential election. What would you do if you were President of the United States?” Their responses were truly impressive. Annual Organizational Meeting - December 14, 2020 The date and time of the annual organizational meeting must be held on a day within 15 days of the second Friday in December (between December 11 and December 26, 2020) in accordance with Education Code Section 35143. The Mill Valley School District Board selected December 14, 2020, for their annual organizational meeting. Board Meeting Schedule for 2021 The proposed board meeting dates for 2021 were approved by the Board of Trustees. In-Person & Extended Distance Learning EDL Overview Administrative staff provided information and educational updates related to the Mill Valley Middle School and elementary instruction and preparedness. Julio Arroyo, Director of Maintenance, Operations, and Safety shared that all heating and ventilation inspections and unit repairs have been completed at all schools. Registers and vents have also been cleaned. MERV-13 air filters will be changed every 4 months along with component inspections. Erin Conklin, Special Education Coordinator, shared that the district’s average number of students on campus per day and per week have increased as the district provides in-person services to students in need, in particular for special education students and those with IEPs. Additionally, students are being invited to campus for orientations. Nicole Reyherme, Director of Educational Technology, shared an updated Mill Valley Middle School in-person hybrid schedule that includes core tenants prioritized by the MVMS Working Group. 3 classes will be provided per trimester, which reduces daily contacts for our staff and students. Students will attend school remotely on Monday and Tuesday and will attend in-person in either the blue or green cohort on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Additional information about the Extended Distance Learning option was also shared. Students will utilize the online curriculum program Apex to engage in lessons and instruction for their courses. The curriculum will be supplemented by additional projects and assignments, taught by 2 credentialed MVMS teachers. These teachers will also facilitate the Apex program. This is not an independent study program. The key components are: 120 synchronous minutes of seminars daily Daily participation in Panther Community Lunch time that mirrors the hybrid schedule to allow for participation in clubs Elective offerings through Apex Daily interaction with peers 6th, 7th, and 8th grade unit projects A final commitment form was shared with middle school families following the meeting, which is due Monday, November 16th at 8 am. We look forward to welcoming students back on all Mill Valley School District campuses on November 30th.

    Friday, Nov 13 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter - Upcoming Bo...

    Upcoming Board Meetings Special Board Meeting - Monday, November 9, 2020 at 3 pm The Board will  meet to engage in discussion about the Middle School Return to In-Person Learning . This meeting will include discussion directly related to the return to in-person learning for grades 6-8. After the presentation by the working group, the public may comment. Following public comment, the board will engage in discussion with the Middle School working team.  Visit this page to access the meeting links . Regular Board Meeting - Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 6 pm There is a  regular board of trustees meeting Thursday, November 12th at 6 pm. At 6 pm, we will begin with the 2nd Annual State of the Students Address. This is a time when we will present our Strategic Plan goals, share about teaching and learning, and hear directly from our students. We encourage you to join us for this event and the rest of the board meeting.  Reminder: No School on Veteran’s Day As a reminder, there will be no school on Veteran’s Day, Wednesday, November 11th. Updated COVID-19 Scenarios for Tier 3 The  COVID-19 scenarios have been updated by the Marin County Office of Education and Marin public health for Tier 3. This information will let you know more about what to do if your child is ill and when/if a cohort classroom or school may need to be closed for health and safety reasons.  Parent-Teacher Conferences Parent-Teacher Conferences for 1st-5th grade begin on Monday, November 9th and run for two weeks through November 20th. This time allows us to foster a strong partnership between home and school, which is key to each child’s success. Be sure to share any questions that you may have. Mill Valley School District Job Opportunities The Mill Valley School District is currently seeking candidates for multiple positions. We welcome professionals with all types of educational experience.   See the full flyer here for more information and direct link to postings. Counselor Parent Education Event - Parenting Through the Pandemic: Learning how to manage big emotions so you can be the calm for your child. Please join the MVSD elementary school counselors on November 12th for a guest Zoom parent event, “Parenting through the Pandemic: Learning how to manage big emotions so you can be the calm for your child.” Parenting through the pandemic is full of BIG feelings for kids and grown-ups alike. Everyone is ready for IT to be over. And since it is not over, it can be very helpful to reset by grabbing some new communication tools that can help you and your kids better manage the big disappointments, fears, sadness, and anger that having kids out of the classroom can bring. Our school counselors are partnering with Ellen Dodge, the Education Director and curriculum author of Kimochis to offer a district-wide parent presentation to learn Social-emotional Learning (SEL) tools and to promote common language that can help bridge the school to home connection.  When? Thursday, November 12th. Ellen is offering two times for this event: 11am-12pm 4pm-5pm Where? Please join the events on Zoom: 11-12pm zoom link   4-5pm zoom link Who? Presented by Ellen Dodge, see below. About Ellen Pritchard Dodge, M.Ed CCC-SLP Ellen Pritchard Dodge is a recognized leader in character education and communication skills in the classroom. Ellen has published numerous books and articles in the area of social-emotional learning. Ellen’s interactive workshop-style and effective communication strategies and passion for raising children’s social and emotional intelligence makes her a sought-after speaker. Ellen has extensively taught in public schools in Northern California where her communication curriculum won a National Character Education award. Ellen and Dr. William Pollack, author of Real Boys, collaborated to create classrooms that are academically and socially engaging for boys through Supporting Our Sons. Since 2008, she has been the educational director and curriculum author for Kimochis®. In 2013, Ellen served on Parenting Magazine’s Editorial Advisory Board. In 2017, Ellen launched  www.TheParentingPartner.org to help schools and homes partner to raise emotionally strong and resilient kids. The California Speech Language and Hearing Association bestowed Ellen Honors of the Association which is the highest honor as a significant contributor to the field of Speech and Language Pathology and to the CSHA organization. Ellen is the mother of three daughters and lives in Northern California but treasures her midwestern roots and large extended family in Chicago. Bibliography of References from the Rethinking Schools - Marin County Public Health Guided Return to Site-Based Classroom Instruction The Marin County Office of Education and public health have provided a  bibliography of references and resources related to COVID-19 that may be helpful. October 16th Survey Response Data Last week, we shared our survey response data. There was an error in one of the data points and some clarifying information was added to   this survey response data document   if you wish to view it. This data is being reviewed by staff.  Hand Sanitizer Dispensers At elementary schools, second hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed in each classroom with an exterior door (all classrooms at Strawberry Point, Tam Valley, and Edna Maguire) as well as the ones that were installed in June at interior entryways. Mill Valley Middle School also has hand sanitizer dispensers at both the interior and exterior doors. Common Sense’s Education Tip of the Week - Helping Kids Understand Democracy and Voting When major world events are happening, books are a good place to help start discussions with your child, and there are  selections for all ages . To help your child learn about state and local elections, check out these resources . And there's  this toolkit that has resources to help teens—and adults—navigate the sticky world of social media news to figure out what's fact—and what's fake.

    Saturday, Nov 07 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter - Survey Resp...

    K-5 Cohort or EDL Placement and Middle School Survey Today, your K-5 student received their In-Person Hybrid Cohort or Extended Distance Learning Placement for our return on November 30th. We are looking forward to having students back on campus and have all measures in place to do so.  Additionally,  here is a link to survey response data from the commitment form shared with K-5 families and the survey shared with middle school families. Pop-Up Food Pantry at MVMS For the past three weeks, the Mill Valley Middle School has been hosting the weekly  Pop Up Food Pantry that was previously held at Tam High School throughout the summer for any community member in need of groceries. Volunteers prepare bags and place them into the car of those who drive through. What a great community effort! We are grateful to host this initiative each Friday through November 20th.  If you are in need of food, simply swing by the Mill Valley Middle School any Friday from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm between now and November 20th and the volunteers will load food into your car.  Happy Halloween! We hope everyone has a Happy Halloween and Dia De Los Muertos. We were happy to see some students in costume in the few cohorts that are currently on our campuses this morning!  Let’s Talk: A toolkit for navigating teen substance use in Marin County On Wednesday, November 4th at 7 pm, there will be a second of six virtual community discussions that follow chapters of  “ Let’s Talk: A toolkit for navigating teen substance use in Marin County . ” This session will look closely at “What’s the big deal?” and will explore why the risks of teen substance use are greater today and what could be contributing to the consistently high rates of underage substance use in Marin. You can  register via Zoom here .

    Friday, Oct 30 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter - Potential P...

    Potential Public Safety Power Shutoff The Marin County Office of Emergency Services is monitoring a weather event forecast for Sunday, October 25th through late Tuesday, October 27th, which is now categorized as a fire weather watch by the National Weather Service, and includes an “elevated” status for Public Safety Power Shutoff Potential by PG&E for much of the region including Marin County. To date, the only areas in Mill Valley School District that are affected are Tam Valley School and Old Mill School.  The next significant update from PGE is scheduled for 8pm this evening with any updates being made on the PGE websites links below. With many of our staff living in surrounding counties that may be impacted, and, with students currently in a remote learning environment, we know that a PSPS would have a significant impact on both remote and in-person instruction, and contingency plans should be considered. Please access the power outage plans your teacher previously provided to engage in learning on Monday or Tuesday if you are without power.  The district will provide a notice by 6 a.m. on Monday and/or Tuesday if a school is without power and Power Outage plans should be used. We’ll continue to monitor, and provide any pertinent updates when we receive them. Here are some key links from the National Weather Service and PG&E with up to date information so that you can monitor your area.  https://www.weather.gov/mtr/ https://www.pge.com/en_US/safety/emergency-preparedness/natural-disaster/wildfires/psps-weather-map.page https://pgealerts.alerts.pge.com/outages/map/ (scheduled to be updated 8:00 pm October 23rd for the October 25th weather event) Mill Valley School District COVID-19 Safety Handbook The  COVID-19 Health and Safety Guide for students and families provides guidelines that are relevant to all schools district-wide. Site-specific information will be provided by your principal.  Mill Valley School District COVID-19 Decision Tree The  COVID-19 Safety - Decision Tree for Schools outlines the process for students and staff members presenting symptoms of COVID-19 or those who have come in contact with someone who tested positive with COVID-19. This decision tree is in effect while Marin County is in Tier 1 or Tier 2 from the Blueprint for a Safer Economy. Marin County Office of Education Webinar with Dr. Lisa Santora - Family Handbook COVID-19 Safety Please see  this webinar recording for more information related to student screening for COVID and travel plans and gatherings your family may be considering.  Student Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LeCAP) Feedback Meeting Students are invited to participate in a feedback session for our Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LeCAP) on October 28th at 3:30 pm. If you would like to sign up your child to participate, please  fill out this form . Students of all grade levels are welcome to attend. Anti-Racist Resources from Common Sense Education It's never too early—or too late—to  start talking about race with your kids . It's also important for them to see media that features kids who represent them positively and offers a window into other people's experiences. You can start with some  books for all ages that allow for bedtime reading and informed discussions.  Little kids ,  tweens , and  teens   all can learn some critical history lessons with these wonderful books, too. With your tweens and teens, there are some great  TV shows and movies you can watch together. And  these movies span every age and offer a wide range of stories. Keep the education and conversation going! Maintaining Your Family’s Mental Health Webinar with Common Sense Register for this webinar on Thursday, November 5th at 10 am. Join Common Sense for a conversation about the state of kids' mental health, and learn how to harness some of the breakthrough technological methods for good, to help kids (and adults) deal with the mental health issues on the rise. The Mill Valley Learner Health & Safety Pledge As a reminder, we encourage everyone in our community to take our health and safety pledge. Please  read the pledge or  watch this video of the pledge being read and show your commitment to health and safety in our community by  signing . Staff COVID-19 Surveillance Testing Has Begun Mill Valley School District staff members have been  assigned one of four quadrants to be tested for COVID-19 for surveillance purposes. Every staff member is tested prior to school opening and then once every 2 months so that 25% of staff members are tested every 2 weeks to monitor for viral spread in an ongoing manner. Additionally, if any staff member is symptomatic or has come into contact with a confirmed or suspected COVID test, they are to contact their health care provider.  Through Self-Insured Schools of California (SISC) and Quest, we have also offered at-home COVID-19 testing kits to staff members and many have registered for that option, which can be used during their testing quadrant.

    Friday, Oct 23 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter & Board Meeti...

    October 12th In the past adopted calendar, October 12th was a staff development day. October 12th is now a regular school day for students. Please continue to attend Distance Learning classes for the day. You may view our current calendar here . Maintenance & Operations Department Feature Video - Meet the Staff! At last night’s board meeting, we took a few moments to recognize our Maintenance, Operations, and Safety department with the video below. All maintenance and custodial staff members are introduced, and Julio Arroyo, Director of Maintenance, Operations, & Safety provides additional information on implemented safety measures. The Great ShakeOut - October 15th We invite all families to participate in the Great ShakeOut at home. The Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill is a worldwide earthquake safety movement involving 17.1 million people (and counting) throughout 2020. Due to the pandemic, participants are adapting their ShakeOut activities. There is still time to join ShakeOut this year: register to participate on any day that works for you and your family at ShakeOut.org . Most take action on International ShakeOut Day each third Thursday of October, this year being October 15. Mill Valley Middle School Roof Project Is Complete The Mill Valley Middle School roof has been upgraded to a “cool roof.” This means that it will reflect the harmful UV rays and reduce the rooftop temperature, which will reduce the workload on the mechanical heating and ventilation units. This sustainable roof will equate to energy savings. Check out this fun drone video from the Allied Construction Services and Tremco showing the new roof. Upcoming Events Common Sense Media Family Movie Night Sunday, October 11th, 4 pm Mill Valley School District families, particularly middle school families, are invited to the first Common Sense Family Movie Night this Sunday, October 11th, at 4 pm. You may RSVP for this digital event here . This event will be a discussion of the film, The Social Dilemma , with the filmmaker, Jeff Orlowski, the renowned professor, Gabriel Kahn, from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Common Sense's Jeff Knutson, who built their Media Literacy Platform, and Nina Morgenstein, a Common Sense Teen Council members. All participants should watch the film prior to the discussion. Mill Valley School District Board Meeting Highlights October 8, 2020 Board Meeting The full recording of the October 8th board meeting is available below. We encourage you to remain involved and watch the public comments [starts at 3:02], Board Members’ reports [starts at 33:58], Superintendent’s report [starts at 1:07:56], and presentations [Educational Updates starts at 1:22:59 and Facility Update starts at 2:42:57] if you wish. Educational Updates Julie Harris, Director of Student Support Services, provided Educational Updates related to the i-Ready student benchmarking assessment data for reading and math and information related to scheduling and planning. On i-Ready, all students have an individualized learning path based on their assessment performance. This platform is adaptive to allow students to be challenged at their level or progress to work of a higher grade level if they are advanced. Additionally, teachers use this data to inform them about specific student needs. The goal is for all students to be in the “green tier” of proficiency for their grade level by the end of the school year or to make appropriate progress from their starting point. At the time of this initial assessment, students are performing at all 3 tiers, which is expected. This is merely a snapshot in time of student performance at the start of the school year. Students will continue to learn and improve their performance over the course of the school year. Julie Harris also stated that the middle school was working on complex schedules for their 944 students in order to return to in-person instruction. Our middle school is the second largest in Marin County. Students who were identified with unique needs have been attending school on campus since September 29th in small cohorts with daily health screening and supervision. MVMS is considering many factors as we have been planning our return to in-person learning. Currently, in distance learning, students receive 160 minutes of live instruction per class, per week. With the safety guidelines required for in-person instruction, students would be limited to 80 minutes per class per week for live instruction In Distance Learning. In distance learning, teachers and students meet with their whole class on a daily basis and students are able to do group work in small groups and partner breakout sessions on Zoom. For in-person instruction, students may not move about the classroom, change seats, or interact closer than 6 feet apart. The confines of the classroom will limit the variety of groups students may interact with during class. We are all reimagining learning, and realize the limitations of distance learning and the new in-person learning that we are creating within new requirements. We remain committed to thinking creatively and working closely with our staff to continue to meet the needs of students in cohorts both from afar and in person. As we continue to move in a positive direction with COVID and within our County tiers, we will continue on our pathway to in-person instruction. In the meantime, we will continue to maintain Distance Learning through November 20th. At the elementary level, site administrators are continuing to plan for the November 30th reopening and replanning master schedules. Specialist classes will continue to happen remotely once students return to in-person instruction in an AM/PM cohort model. Safety measures are being put in place, including staggered and designated recess areas, and ingress and egress plans. Students in need of extra support will be brought back for in-person learning in small cohorts with daily health screening and supervision beginning the week of October 12th. Additionally, all teachers will meet their class on campus one time prior to the November 30th return to in-person instruction in order to provide an orientation to the new flow of the campus, including safety procedures, the classroom space, and how to enter and exit the campus. Facility Updates Julio Arroyo, Director of Maintenance, Operations, & Safety presented information about facility projects that have occurred over the past several months. He outlined the essential protective equipment that has been provided for all staff and shared that air purifiers with MERV-13 HEPA filters will be in all classrooms district-wide. These will clean and purify the air every 12 minutes for a 960 square foot classroom and they will be used in addition to other ventilation measures such as opening one window and an exterior door or two windows. Additionally, the middle school main building “cool roof” project has been completed. The new roof coating is designed to reflect sunlight, reduce heat gain into the building, and provide an additional layer of water protection. Julio Arroyo also shared the classroom layouts that have been prepared by the Maintenance, Operations, and Safety team, which involves tape on the floors to keep students and teachers at safe physical distances. Heating and ventilation inspections will be completed at all district sites and all report data will be reviewed and submitted under a State of California Registered Mechanical Engineer seal. Temporary shade was also discussed. The Division of State Architect (DSA) rules limit the use of temporary shade. Tents smaller than 120 square feet that are erected for less than 180 days or tents smaller than 400 square feet (approximately the size of two parking spaces) that are erected for less than 42 days may be exempt from DSA review. Julio Arroyo provided suggested areas for potential outdoor learning at each school campus.

    Friday, Oct 09 2020

  • An Important Announcement

    Dear Elementary K-5 Community,   As you know, we have been planning to return on October 12th in an AM/PM model for those students who want to come back in person and an extended distance learning option for those who choose it. Though we have been working diligently as a district and with our staff to work toward reopening, we realize that we need to gather more information from our stakeholders and will therefore delay our return to in-person learning and continue with Distance Learning through November 20, with a planned return following Thanksgiving break.  After gathering data, we will engage in working groups with our teachers and staff to ensure that we are able to minimize the disruption of shifting schedules, teaching modalities, and changes in teachers for the largest number of students possible upon return to in-person instruction.   We will send a detailed survey to families next week and will use that data to work closely with our staff to re-design a return to school approach, with the goal of increasing consistency and continuity for the largest number of students possible. We will also survey our community again in November. This second survey will ensure that we have real-time data from our stakeholders, while also taking into account the current status of COVID-19 in our county and more broadly.   Two main factors came into play in the last week that drove our decision making:   1. The number of students enrolling in extended distance learning is approximately twice what we anticipated, based on earlier survey data. 2. We have not been able to hire enough quality long-term substitutes to back-fill classrooms for teachers who will teach extended distance learning positions.   We could push forward with our October 12th date, but based on the factors above and the current high quality of distance learning, we have determined that returning to school sites will create too great of a disruption to our students and staff at this time. If we were to move forward with an October 12th return, it would mean that:   1. Grade levels with small class sizes at individual schools would be combined, with one teacher becoming an extended learning teacher from those grade levels. 2. In-person class sizes across the district would increase as a result of combining those classes. 3. Some students who indicated that they want to return to school in-person would then be placed in new classes with new teachers. 4. Students who requested extended distance learning would not be guaranteed a spot in their original class as we hoped, as some of those classes would have been eliminated and others would be at capacity.   We hope to minimize the factors above by gathering more detailed data from our families and engaging in working groups with our staff to find creative solutions that will minimize disruption for all of our stakeholders when we return in-person.  We know that there is a wide variety of opinions among all of our stakeholders, and we acknowledge that this news is last-minute and is a major disruption for everyone involved. We understand many families have begun shifting plans in anticipation of our return, and we also know that we have some students who are struggling with distance learning.  We will continue to share information about our plans, and we will provide families with their AM/PM cohort assignment in the upcoming weeks so you may plan accordingly. Teachers and administrators will work together to identify students for in-person services and/or supervised distance learning.  Principals and teachers will be reaching out to parents next week on a targeted basis to offer this opportunity. If you don’t receive a message from your principal or teacher, but have concerns about your child’s learning, please contact your child’s teacher. Before we return to in-person instruction, we will ensure that all teachers, staff, children, and families are able to come to their school sites to see the newly designed classrooms, practice ingress and egress, and familiarize themselves with safety procedures and protocols. Our school staff and maintenance and custodial staff have been working hard to meet or exceed public health recommendations, and this will continue until re-opening.   This is not the announcement we wanted to make, and we are sorry. We ask for your understanding and grace as we continue to work with our teachers to design the best return to school possible during these uncertain and ever-evolving times. We are all devoted to doing what is best for your children, and we know that there is not a perfect solution. We thank you for giving us the time to gather more feedback and design the best possible educational plan we can. Warmly, Dr. Kimberly Berman

    Tuesday, Oct 06 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter - Antisemitis...

    Confronting Online Antisemitism Presentation Yesterday, the Marin County Office of Education, in partnership with Jewish Family & Children’s Services Holocaust Center and the Anti-Defamation League, held a conversation webinar on Confronting Online Antisemitism. The  recording of the meeting is available here , as well as  resources discussed throughout the webinar.  This meaningful work will continue with a  series of trainings for students, school staff, and parents.  Playgrounds! Parents and children rejoice! The California Department of Public Health issued  formal guidance that allows outdoor playgrounds located in parks, campgrounds, and other publicly accessible locations to reopen. Outdoor playgrounds are defined by the California Department of Public Health as follows: Fully outdoors Publicly accessible Free to enter and use Operated by a city, state, county, or federal government  Designed primarily to serve nearby residents within a half a mile Can provide State-mandated outdoor space for preschools (which could be scheduled in advance to avoid overlapping use) Typically includes recreational equipment, like play structures, slides, swings, etc. intended to enrich children's physical health and development Visitors to outdoor community playgrounds must comply with the following the State Health Department requirements: Face masks over the mouth and nose are required for everyone 2 years of age or older with caregiver supervision at all times to ensure face mask use. Do not use the playground when different households are unable to maintain a physical distance of 6 feet or when the capacity limit has been reached. Caregivers must monitor to keep adults and children from different households at least 6 feet apart. Consider coming on different times or days to avoid wait times and potential crowded times. No eating or drinking on the playground, to ensure face masks are worn at all times. Wash or sanitize hands before and after using the playground. Elderly and persons with underlying medical conditions should avoid the playground when others are present. Limit visit to 30 min per day when others are present. Playground operators should review and follow the recommendations outlined in the  guidance in order to keep patrons of all ages safe and minimize the potential spread of COVID-19. National Disability Awareness Month October is recognized as National Disability Awareness Month. In honor of this, MVSD would like to recognize our strong partnership with  It Takes a Village (ITAV), MVSD’s Special Education PTA. ITAV was founded in 2005 with the purpose of supporting the academic success of all students in MVSD who learn differently through parent education and advocacy. Since its beginning, the organization has had an immensely positive impact on MVSD.  ITAV is an education and support group designed to provide outreach to families and collaboration with MVSD to support the unique needs of all learners. As a parent, you have probably attended a speaker event that has been organized by ITAV.  If you have children who have gone through 4th grade in MVSD, they have benefited from participating in  A Touch of Understanding , which is a hands on disability awareness training program that ITAV brought to MVSD and continues to sponsor.  ITAV has also sponsored classroom and library initiatives that support developing a greater understanding of students with diverse learning needs.  Please consider joining ITAV for a monthly meeting or becoming a member.  More information about ITAV can be found on the  MVSD website . Let’s Talk Parent Resources Marin County teens, like others throughout the country, are facing unprecedented challenges today. COVID, air quality from the devastating fires, a reckoning around racial injustice, online learning, social isolation, mental health issues, and substance use are just a few of the challenges our youth are facing. And not surprising, it appears there is an increase in substance use for both young people and adults during this time.To support our students and expand our conversations with and for our teens, I want to share with you   Let’s Talk , a toolkit for navigating teen substance use in Marin County. This printable booklet and digital resource was created through a joint effort by Marin County Office of Education, Marin County Health and Human Services, and a network of community partners. The Let’s Talk booklet includes local data, tips for parents, drug facts, and resources to support families in navigating teen substance use. A printed booklet was mailed to all incoming Marin County public school freshmen families in August, and we are hoping to expand the reach to all families in schools with the   online version . We hope you will find it helpful in beginning and continuing the conversation with your teens about navigating substance use. On October 14th at 7:00 PM, our Marin County partners will host the first in a series of online community discussions on topics from Let’s Talk. Please visit the   Let's Talk Discussion Series webpage for more information, a calendar of events, and registration link. Learn about School Board Candidates Election day is quickly approaching and the Mill Valley Council of PTAs and the League of Women Voters of Marin County are presenting an event to introduce you to the Mill Valley School District School Board candidates on Friday, October 9th from 7-8:30 pm. See the image below for additional details. Further, you can read the candidate bios in this document . Technology Tip of the Week: Did you know that the Google search bar is also a calculator? No need to pull up a calculator app, just enter your equation directly into the search bar and your calculator will pop up. iPad Support Some families have reported their iPad battery draining quickly during the day. Unfortunately, this is a result of the toll that Zoom places on devices, with the constant streaming. The best solution is to leave your iPad plugged in whenever possible.    Our support team is continuing to solve tech tickets. If you are experiencing an issue please continue to use the help ticket system at  ipadsupport@mvschools.org . When you submit a ticket, please provide as much information as possible. Including a screenshot of the error you are receiving is very helpful. Our team is working hard to respond to all tickets. We thank you for your continued patience. MVMS Roofing Project The Mill Valley Middle School Roof Project is now substantially complete, with just minor finishing items being completed. The roof is now properly insulated and weatherproofed. Upcoming Events “Race: What Is My Work and How Do We Move Forward During This Racial Uprising” - A Session with Deborah McNight This session, sponsored by our PTAs and ITAV,  is limited to 200 people and RSVPs are required. Please sign up to attend here  and you will receive the Zoom link 2 days before the session. If you have questions, please email .

    Friday, Oct 02 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter - Planning, A...

    Superintendent’s Office - A Message from Dr. Berman We are currently planning for the return to in-person learning and extended distance learning (EDL) for our K-5 students on October 12th. Planning includes: Air ventilation inspections at all sites Issuing Air Purifiers for all classrooms Finalizing daily health screening forms for students in ParentSquare Finalizing cohorts and schedules for in-person learning and EDL  Staff are completing COVID testing as recommended by Public Health   5th Grade Band, Chorus, and Orchestra Information Attention parents of 5th graders! Did you know that 5th grade students have the option to participate in district-wide music performance ensembles? MVSD 5th grade chorus, band, and orchestra classes are enrolling now. Students recently attended an assembly to hear about these offerings; please discuss with your child and  follow this link for more details on these programs and how to sign up . Student Services Update - A Message from Julie Harris We appreciate all the families who completed the Commitment Form for K-5 learning.  Approximately 15% of all K-5 families are requesting Extended Distance Learning (EDL).  Just a reminder, we are offering EDL so that students and families who choose to quarantine will have a viable option for the remainder of the year and or through the end of the first trimester if they choose to transition back to in-person.  Please  view our FAQs for more information. Educational Technology - A Message from Nicole Reyherme Technology tip of the week:   Did you know you can see all of your open iPad apps by double-clicking on the home screen button? All of the open apps will appear. If you want to close them, just flick up on the app you want to close.  iPad Support Our support team is continuing to solve tech tickets. If you are experiencing an issue please continue to use the help ticket system at ipadsupport@mvschools.org . We are striving to respond to tickets within 24 hours. When you submit a ticket, please provide as much information as possible. Including a screenshot of the error you are receiving is very helpful. Our team is working hard to respond to all tickets. We thank you for your continued patience. Maintenance & Operations - A Message from Julio Arroyo Air Ventilation Inspection - District-Wide We are in the process of performing air ventilation inspections for all Mill Valley School District sites. These inspections and reports will take 7 work days and the reports are expected to be available from an independent third-party inspector by October 8, 2020. These inspections will ensure that adequate ventilation is available at all school sites for the return to in-person instruction. Preparing School Sites for Student Return Our teams are working on many items, including:  setting up classrooms for  physical distancing marking floors with tape to ensure desks and walkways are clearly spaced assembling hand sanitizer stations and outdoor sinks adding plexiglass partitions to work spaces providing essential emergency protective equipment to all school sites, including masks, face shields, safety glasses, humanity shields as well as other essential items.  HEPA Air Purifiers We are outfitting each classroom throughout the district with HEPA air purifiers to ensure adequate ventilation even during days with poor air quality. This is in addition to each classroom across the district having at least one exterior door and window or two exterior windows for ventilation and MERV-13 filters in our HVAC systems. Upcoming Events “Race: What Is My Work and How Do We Move Forward During This Racial Uprising” - A Session with Deborah McNight This session, sponsored by our PTAs and ITAV,  is limited to 200 people and RSVPs are required. Please sign up to attend here   and you will receive the Zoom link 2 days before the session. If you have questions, please email .

    Friday, Sep 25 2020

  • Mill Valley School District Newsletter (Important In...

    Superintendent’s Office - A Message from Dr. Berman Key Communication and Confirmation Form Coming Soon In a separate message, we will share information related to a return to in-person instruction for our K-5 students as well as a final confirmation form for K-5 Extended Distance Learning, which will be due on September 23rd. Thank you for your flexibility and resilience this school year. We appreciate the hard work and dedication everyone is showing toward distance learning. For more information on today’s announcement please see the presentation   shared at yesterday’s Transition Task Force meeting and the full video of the meeting below. This step in returning to the classrooms is a step toward more traditional in-person instruction. However, returning in half-day cohorts is far from regular school, and so we understand this creates a new burden on families as you work to adjust schedules yet again. This last week, we asked K-5 parents to indicate your choice for in-person or extended distance learning should schools be authorized to reopen. We recognize that this survey did not ask for whether we should remain in distance learning indefinitely. Education Code 43504 indicates that public schools shall offer in-person instruction to the greatest extent possible. However, we also must offer an extended distance learning option for the full school year for those who opt for that model. To open schools safely, we are relying on the Tiered Reopening Plan   provided by the California Department of Health. Earlier this week we were informed that Marin County is entering the Red Tier which allows for a return to in-person learning. With this information in mind, we agreed with our union leaders to open elementary sites for in-person learning starting on October 12, 2020. That is a change from the original October 5th date, but this later date will allow for even more extensive planning and preparation to ensure the safety of all students and staff. Our priority is to focus on returning safely. Enrollment at our middle school is around 945 students. Based on this large number and the number of teachers and students mixing throughout the day, we are taking a bit more time to return to in-person learning for this school as we address ways to ensure the ongoing rigor of learning. Enrollment at our elementary sites at half capacity for AM/PM cohorts ranges from about 115-215 students. This number allows us to control more factors related to cleaning, movement, and interaction. We recognize and appreciate the feedback of our community. We met with our union leadership at midweek to discuss several variations for return, and we have agreed that focusing on elementary school students in half day cohorts is best for safety and continued learning. We know you have many questions about what this will look like, and so we will be providing that information to you over the course of the next three weeks. As our district and schools prepare for this next step along with our neighboring communities, I am asking that you remain vigilant in all you have done to flatten the curve in our county and in Mill Valley. A return to school is a step in the right direction, only if we all continue to do our part. Our children and community have had to adjust to not engaging in sleepovers and large social gatherings. Now more than ever, it is important to limit activities that would put your children, their classmates, and their teachers into greater exposure. Thank you for your continued support. This is neither the school year nor decisions we wish to consider. However, it is our responsibility and duty to do all we can to provide access to in-person instruction in the safest way possible. We will continue to update our FAQ   to answer your questions. Please know that there may be some turn around time as we continue to receive a high volume of submissions. Public Safety Power Shutoff Protocol 2020-21 Last week was also a reminder that weather and electricity can be unpredictable. On that note, we would like to share our plans for any future PG&E Public Safety Power Shutoff events during distance learning. At this time, we are unaware of any scheduled outages. Teachers will provide power outage plan (POPs) packets that you may print out and have ready in case of a PSPS in your neighborhood or throughout our community. The Mill Valley Middle School will post POPS plans on ParentSquare on Monday. Your school may have already provided your packet. If you have trouble printing or are unable to do so, elementary families, please contact your teacher to arrange a pick up of the printed packet. If our community experiences a community-wide power outage, please have your POPs Packet ready for your child to engage in learning by completing the printed activities. We will also make the packets ready in paper form at the school sites or district office on the day of the power outage to the extent possible. Our purpose in preparing ahead of time is to minimize you having to go to your school or the district office on the day of the outage. In the event that we are notified of PG&E implementing a PSPs, we will provide notification by 5:15 p.m. if we are informed during the day, and by 5:15 am on a school day morning otherwise. We will notify you via ParentSquare alerts and emails, to the extent possible, to use your POPs packet for learning during the outage. Additionally, the district will make every effort to provide regular updates as possible and to post information on your school door. As you may recall from last fall, some areas were without cellular service to receive updates. On each day of the event at 12 hour-increments, we will make every possible attempt to update our staff and families on the status of school for the following day. It is important we have your accurate contact information. Please ensure that we have accurate and up-to-date cell numbers and email addresses by contacting your school office if you need to provide an update. This information will sync with our ParentSquare communications system where you will receive emails and emergency alerts. “Race: What Is My Work and How Do We Move Forward During This Racial Uprising” - A Session with Deborah McNight Our district is committed to increasing racial equity in our community. This is a focus of our PTAs as well, and we are happy to announce that they are working in conjunction with the Tam High PTSA and other southern Marin school districts to bring Deborah McKnight, a racial equity transformation consultant, to our community for a series of parent sessions beginning in October. Please save the date of October 7th from 6:30-8:30 pm for this interactive session, which will include breakout rooms and small group discussions. See the image below for more information. September Is Suicide Prevention Month September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Month. This month creates an opportunity for all of us - - from mental health clinicians, school and business leaders, youth advocates, parents and caregivers, community health members, survivors, and allies - - to raise our understanding and promote suicide prevention and recovery awareness. The vast majority of us have been personally touched by mental illness or suicide. We must bring that shared experience out of the shadows and create a safe space for our youth to seek and receive help to live fulfilling lives. Each one of us can play a role in creating a safe community for those in distress. Please know that your child can always reach out to their school counselor for support or resources. You may also visit the MVSD Elementary Counselors website for additional resources. Parent Resources Communicating with Teens: What to Say and How to Say It Buckelew Programs Helpful Phrases Crisis Resources If you or someone you know is in an emergency, call 911 immediately. If you are in crisis or are experiencing difficult or suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273 TALK (8255) If you’re uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line. How To Edit Your Directory Listing Visibility in ParentSquare Families, did you know you can edit what is and isn’t visible in your ParentSquare directory listing? As a default for new accounts, directory information is not visible and you can opt to make information available to other parents in your child’s school, such as your email, phone number, or address. For accounts that were established last school year, your directory settings will remain the same unless you have updated your release of information approvals. You can follow the directions in this help article to access your ParentSquare account and edit your directory visibility. Student Support Services - A Message from Julie Harris Update from K-5 Counselors The five elementary counselors are visiting all of the K-5 classes to teach guidance lessons twice per month. They are highlighting the Toolbox tools (i.e. breathing tool) and giving students the chance to practice. This is one of the ways we are ensuring that students learn how to recognize and regulate their emotions. Learn more about this tool and how counselors can support your child by attending their coffee chats coming up on September 25th from 1:00-2:00 pm. Look out for an upcoming ParentSquare message for Zoom links. District English Language Acquisition Committee (DELAC) Updates Parents of our English Language Learners met last week to learn about our EL programs and build community. We celebrated the 22 languages spoken throughout the district and multiple heritages and want to highlight Hispanic/Latin heritage month!  If you have any questions, please contact Lindsey Louzon-Caruso (K-5)   lcaruso@mvschools.org or Rachel Hudson rhudson@mvschools.org   (6th-8th). Educational Technology - A Message from Nicole Reyherme Technology Tip of the Week: Place two fingers in the middle of the iPad keyboard and flick them to the side. This will split the keyboard making it easier to ‘thumb’ the keys (see picture below —notice the half-keyboards on either side of the image). iPad Support Our support team is continuing to solve tech tickets. If you are experiencing an issue, please continue to use the help ticket system at ipadsupport@mvschools.org . We are striving to respond to tickets within 24 hours. When you submit a ticket, please provide as much information as possible. Including a screenshot of the error you are receiving is very helpful. Our team is working hard to respond to all tickets. We thank you for your continued patience. Maintenance & Operations - A Message from Julio Arroyo Preparing Our Schools - Physical Distancing & Air Purifiers In order to maximize physical distancing and safety, staff were asked to remove personal furniture and belongings from their classroom by September 8, 2020. Therefore, this week walkthroughs began in order to plan for safe spacing for staff and students within the classroom. All schools and classrooms will be reviewed and evaluated to ensure physical distancing. The maintenance and operations team will be working closely with school administration over the next two weeks to ensure a safe return to in-person learning. The district will follow the guidelines established by Marin County Office of Education's Rethinking Schools Task Force as during the summer all schools had walkthroughs (each school 2x) inviting staff to participate. Each classroom across the district has at least one exterior door and window or two exterior windows for ventilation. We have ordered air purifiers for identified school site spaces to provide additional filtration. Sixty large units have been purchased for the Mill Valley Middle School, one for each classroom. Additionally, 15 have been purchased for Park School and 4 for Old Mill School. The heating ventilation unit repair for Strawberry Point Elementary has been assessed. Classroom and hallway vents as well as furnaces will be cleaned this weekend. After vents and furnaces are cleaned, all ducts and duct room areas will be professionally and thoroughly cleaned. The ductwork will commence with measurements and fabrication components. All work on this project will be completed by the end of the month. Middle School Roofing Project Update Last week, the crew completed work on the center, main section of the roof despite dark skies and ashy conditions. Upcoming Events “Race: What Is My Work and How Do We Move Forward During This Racial Uprising” - A Session with Deborah McKnight - October 7th, 6:30 pm Board Meeting Highlights September 14, 2020 The September 14th Board Meeting was recorded. You can watch the full video below or read the highlights in this message. Supporting Distance Learning Julie Harris, Director of Student Support Services and Nicole Reyherme, Director of Educational Technology, provided an update regarding distance learning , related to curriculum, instruction, and technology. Professional development has been provided to both Certificated and Classified staff to support distance learning. Topics for Certificated professional development include: racial equity - personal stories and empathetic listening; teacher collaboration to build consistency within site grade teams; building classroom community and common language; building continuity with assessment; engaging learners and executive functioning and feedback; i-Ready training on diagnostic assessment and learning path; technology platforms; district supported academic apps. Topics for Classified professional development include: getting grounded with remote learning; common practices to support student learning in Zoom; how to help students with technology and academics; where to find technology resources; increasing student engagement; platforms and apps: Seesaw and Google classroom. During distance learning, students and teachers have been using i-Ready, which is a diagnostic assessment tool for reading and math as well as a learning platform. Students receive an individualized learning path and teachers can use information from the platform as a reference to support students. The data from i-Ready will help us to prepare for instruction along with informal assessments and formal assessments. The goal is to complete diagnostic assessments by September 18th to have time between this and the next assessment window. Julie Harris also shared information about English Language Learners (ELL) in our District. There are 22 languages spoken district-wide and there are 126 ELL students. Nicole Reyherme shared that in a little over a week, we collected devices from the spring, reformatted, and redistributed them out to students, with support from our staff and PTAs, for distance learning. New Macbook Airs were also distributed to all teachers, along with 51 laptops that were distributed to Classified staff. Additionally, open tech support tickets are now down by 70%. There were over 900 open and active tickets and the team has reduced that to approximately 250. There have been over 9,000 Zoom participants so far during distance learning and there is an average of about 360 meetings district-wide per day. The District also launched a single sign-on portal called Clever for distance learning. About 68% of students and 87% of teachers have used it. In-Person Learning: Waivers, Cohorts, and Return California schools have been closed for in-person instruction since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. District staff provided updated information regarding the waiver process, cohort learning, and return to in-person instruction plans. There are three ways in which a California public school district may have students on campus for in-person instruction: the waiver process, cohort learning, or a return to in-person instruction when the County enters the red Tier. On August 14th, the State issued waiver applications. Waivers are available for grades K through 6, even if a particular school operates for grades outside this range. The waiver application must be consolidated for all schools in a district and the local public health officer may order phased school reopenings for some or all schools in the application. On August 25th, the state issued guidance on cohorts for small-group in-person instruction for “specialist services, targeted services and support” for students at both elementary and secondary levels. This includes school-based targeted specialised support and services including but not limited to: occupational therapy, speech and language, medical, and behavioral services, along with educational support services as a part of targeted intervention strategy or assessment, including those related to English learner status, IEPs, RtI, and other required assessments. The guidance urges school districts to prioritize small-group cohorts to serve the needs of students with disabilities as well as English learners and other identified “at-risk and high need” students when considering whether to offer these services. On August 28th, new guidance was released for criteria to return for in-person instruction. This established four tiered, color-coded categories to indicate the severity of COVID-19 spread. A County may be demoted in a tier if it falls short of criteria for 2 weeks. A County must stay in a tier for at least three weeks, aside from initial placement, to transition. The red tier is needed to return to in-person instruction. *Following the board meeting on September 15, Marin County entered the red tier. Additional information about the waiver process, cohort learning, and return to in-person instruction is available on the district website . Approval of Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LeCAP) Administrative staff presented an update   on the Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan (LeCAP) based on input from the August board meeting and Public Hearing as well as subsequent stakeholder meetings. The LeCAP outlines COVID-related state and federal preliminary funding and incorporates feedback from our stakeholders from several input sessions as well as at last month’s board meeting public hearing. The board approved the LeCAP, which will be submitted by September 18, 2020. Public Hearing: Sufficiency of Textbooks and Instructional Materials for 2020-21 and Resolution #05-20/21: Sufficiency of Textbooks and Instructional Materials for 2020-21 California Education Code 60119 requires that school districts annually declare sufficiency of textbooks and instructional materials for every student for the school year. Julie Harris, Director of Student Support Services, presented background information regarding annual determination of sufficient textbooks and materials for every student for the 2020-21 school year. She shared that we centrally receive, organize, and distribute orders for textbooks and instructional materials. A public hearing was held and the resolution was adopted by the board. Resolution #03-20/21 - Week of the School Administrator Annually, the Board of Trustees recognizes administrators, including principals, assistant principals, deans, coordinators, directors, the assistant superintendent and superintendent for their leadership and management of schools and departments. This resolution was approved by the board. Second Reading - BP6158 Independent Study State agencies interpret the new statutory requirements on distance learning to mean that districts that offer independent study, should do it as a program, not as a school type, and must still adhere to statutory distance learning requirements. Students participating in independent study must meet the statutory distance learning requirements within the independent study program including instructional time, schedule for minimum days' worth of assignments as certified by certificated staff, daily participation tracking, weekly engagement record for synchronous and asynchronous learning, tiered re-engagement, daily live interaction or alternate plan for frequent live interaction. For the 2020-21 school year, an independent study program would need to meet both independent study requirements and distance learning requirements. The policy was vetted and discussed with the Mill Valley Teachers Association (MVTA). Independent Study is intended as an option during a traditional setting. Dr. Berman shared that we are offering a distance learning option for the entire school year and understand how important that is when we transition to in-person learning. Looking into the Independent Study program has led to good discussions of how we meet the needs of our students and support their learning in both distance and in-person learning. Staff did not recommend approval at this time. No motion was made for adoption of this policy. Unaudited Actuals Financial Reporting for 2019-20 The 2019-20 Unaudited Actuals is an annual report reflecting the financial activities of the Mill Valley School District in which the data is not yet audited. Dr. Michele Rollins, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, presented the district’s Unaudited Actuals . The presentation outlined the components of the report, revenues and expenses, components of the ending fund balance, restricted and unrestricted dollars, and the timeline of upcoming financial reports and budgets. Property taxes are the district’s primary source of funding and our largest expenses are Certificated salaries. Expenditure per student is currently approximately $17,200. The Board approved the 2019-20 Unaudited Actuals, which were submitted to the Marin County Office of Education on September 15th. Resolution #04-20/21: Adoption of the Gann Limit The Gann Limit calculations are included in the 2019-20 Unaudited Actuals forms. Dr. Rollins presented the Gann Limit. The Board approved this resolution. Resolution #06-20/21: Certificated Assignment Authorization Jessica Goode, Director of Human Resources, presented Resolution #06-20/21 for Certificated Assignment Authorization, which allows a credentialed teacher to teach any subject in departmentalized subject matter (K-12). The Board approved this resolution. Resolution #07-20/21: Certificated Assignment Authorization (Music) Jessica Goode, Director of Human Resources, presented Resolution #07-20/21 for Certificated Assignment Authorization, which allows a multiple/single subject credentialed teacher to teach any subject in departmentalized subject matter (below grade 9). The Board approved this resolution.

    Saturday, Sep 19 2020