Dear Families,

Site Council

I would like to introduce our School Site Council representatives: Vyvianne Kiriakis, Frances Bray, Danae Gamble, Stefanie Reinstein, a teacher representative and myself. Many thanks to Emily Starfas, Rachel Morse and Rikki Brost, who are stepping down after two years of service, for their commitment and contributions to school improvement. Throughout the year, this dedicated group will review our School Safety Plan and is responsible for the development and implementation of the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA). The SPSA is a tool for schools to prioritize particular programs and strategies that will best serve their students, families and the community. It is a plan for achieving school goals that are aligned directly with the district goals, thus guiding our school-wide quest for continuous improvement. Each participant brings valuable perspective and expertise to their governance role. We will be holding our first meeting on Monday, September 22nd.

Assembly

Today, our students enjoyed an assembly presented by Dr. Blake Brandes. Dr. Blake’s assembly featured age-appropriate and engaging Growth Mindset lessons infused with beatboxing, comedic storytelling, and family-friendly freestyle rapping. The outcomes of the assembly are to help students feel excited to learn new things and to help them persevere when they encounter challenges in their educational and personal lives. These lessons are based on the research of Carol Dweck (author of Mindset) and Angela Duckworth (author of GRIT).  Many thanks to the PTA for bringing this assembly to Strawberry Point for our students to enjoy.

Each year, we conduct fire drills, earthquake drills, a shelter-in-place drill and a lockdown drill. We will be conducting our annual lockdown drill on Wednesday, September 17th at 8:35am.

The safety of all children and staff in our schools is of the utmost importance to us. To maintain a safe environment for our students and staff, it is necessary that we practice our emergency and crisis response plans by conducting drills designed to exercise our procedures. I will make an announcement that the lockdown drill will begin and that the students are to make their way to a safe spot in the classroom (previously identified by their teacher) and remain silent until Vyvianne or I open the classroom door. The blinds will be closed, lights turned off and the doors locked. 

The staff and I are communicating with students the importance of practicing what to do in case of an emergency in student-friendly language, and highlighting the power it gives them to deal with a situation in a calm and thoughtful manner.  

Families may exempt their child from participating in the drill. Please provide written notification of this choice to the school office (vkiriakis@mvschools.org) and the classroom teacher at least 24 hours before the drill.  If you do not want your child to participate in the drill, please bring them to school between 8:45am - 8:50am.

Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA) Launches STEAM Program in 4th and 5th Grade

This week, Ms. Katie Fisher (TOSA) kicked off the STEAM program across the Mill Valley School District! Over the course of two weeks, Ms. Fisher will visit all 24, fourth- and fifth-grade classrooms to launch the year with an essential foundation in digital citizenship.

Students are diving into conversations about making healthy and safe media choices, using the “What? When? How Much?” framework to reflect on their own media habits. These lessons help students begin to develop a sense of healthy media balance—an important skill in today’s digital world.

Families are encouraged to continue the conversation at home. For tips, tools, and resources to support your child’s media use, check out Common Sense Media.

Tips for Families

Smile...It’s Picture Day!

Picture Day is coming! Mugsy Clicks will be on campus to take individual photographs on Friday, September 19th. All photographs will be taken outdoors, in the courtyard, using natural light.

Kiddo!

We had a good turnout at our Kiddo! Participation Day. I would like to thank our wonderful parents, teachers and students for creating a great energy as everyone arrived at school on Monday!

PTA DEI Committee Meet and Greet

The PTA DEI Committee invites you to a Meet and Greet—everyone is welcome! They’d love to see you there.

LunchMaster 

It is time to order lunches for October! LunchMaster is currently accepting lunch orders through October. 

Kimberley

News, Notes & Votes

Regular Board Meeting - September 10, 2025

Local Control & Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Budget Overview for Parents (2024–2027)
The Board held a public hearing on the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP), originally presented on June 5, 2025, and approved on June 18, 2025. Due to a missing attachment in the earlier agenda, the Board completed a re-approval process. To meet procedural requirements, a second Special Board meeting was held later that evening to allow formal Board approval separate from the public hearing.

Resolution #05-25/26: Conveyance of Easement to the City of Mill Valley for Storm Drain Purposes
The Board approved an easement to the City of Mill Valley for storm drain improvements at the corner of Elm Avenue and E. Blithedale Avenue, located in the Park Elementary School parking lot. This project will improve stormwater management in our community while minimizing any impact on school activities.

Resolution #06-25/26: Joint Use Agreement with Tam Community Services District
The Board approved a resolution authorizing an agreement between the Mill Valley School District and Tam Community Services to offer an afterschool program at Tam Valley Elementary. This partnership will provide students with a safe and enriching environment after school, giving families additional care and learning opportunities right on campus.

All public comments submitted between September 2 and October 17, 2025 (by 5:00 p.m.) are now under review. The Board of Trustees will take this feedback into account—along with key factors like cost, feasibility, and educational programming—as they determine the most appropriate location for the new school.

A decision on the preferred alternative is expected in December 2025, paving the way for construction to potentially begin as early as June 2026.

Through it all, MVSD remains committed to fiscal responsibility—funding the modernization project without additional financing—while still delivering a state-of-the-art learning environment for students and the wider community.  Thank you for being part of the process!

Submit Written Comments:

• By Email: jarroyo@mvschools.org

• By Mail: Mill Valley School District, Attn: Julio Arroyo, Director of Maintenance and Operations, 411 Sycamore Avenue, Mill Valley, CA 94941

Next Meeting October 16, 2025