The RVSD Updates provide information to our RVSD community from the Departments of Superintendent, Fiscal Services, Curriculum and Instruction, Food Service, Human Resources, Maintenance and Operations, Student Services, and Technology.

Our Focus on Wellness

Dates Ahead

Almost two years into the pandemic (and the third school year), it is normal and expected that children (and adults, too) are feeling fatigued and craving normalcy. As we pass the 100th day of school, it is important that we allow ourselves and our kids to recognize and experience these feelings; we also deserve the grace and time to focus on what brings us joy. Our focus as a District continues to be the health, safety and wellbeing of every child, every day - something we look to bring about in partnership with parents and our many community partners.

To better understand how our students are faring in these challenging times, we are planning a district-wide survey for students in grades 3-8 over the next month to assess their sense of connectedness and belonging, peer and staff relationships, overall mental/emotional wellbeing and school climate. Rather than wait until the end of the school year, we want to get a better sense of how our students are doing school by school so we can recognize areas of strength as well as where we need to focus more of our efforts to ensure that all students feel accepted, supported and valued. Building back to “normalcy” will require effort, thoughtfulness and patience.

We continue to focus staff development on health, wellness and safety practices. This includes training for all staff on identifying and supporting students who are most at risk of experiencing depression, bullying and suicidal ideations. The training platform is called Kognito and is being utilized across Marin County schools, and meets the requirements of Education Code 215 for suicide prevention.

Here are some additional resources that can provide avenues for families to focus on their own health and wellbeing at home.

• ChildMind resources for parents: https://childmind.org/healthyminds/parents/
• Ask Lisa: The Psychology of Parenting” with Lisa Damour
• https://flusterclux.com/  with Lynn Lyons
• Dear Anger - GoZen!

Crisis Resources

• National Suicide Prevention Life Line: 800-273-8255;
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741; and
• Marin County Crisis Text Line: Text MARIN to 741741
• The Trevor Project (LGBTQQIA+): Text “START” to 678678 or Call (866) 488-7386 (Open 24/7)
• Marin Mobile Crisis Unit (415) 473-6666

• Brookside School
• Hidden Valley School
• Manor School
• Wade Thomas School
• White Hill Middle School

3.1-4.1: Interdistrict Transfer Request Window

RVSD Equity Work

Thank you to the 138+ participants who were able to join us last Wednesday for our parent education event - Are You Raising an Anti-Racist? with moderators Charmaine Pattinson (founder of Plinkit) and Misasha Suzuki Graham (Plinkit contributor and Co-Founder of the award-winning Dear White Women podcast and co-Author of Dear White Women: Let's Get (Un)comfortable Talking about Racism). The recording and slidedeck  from the evening have been made available to all of our RVSD community.

Much of our work in RVSD this year is focused on how to bring our equity work into the classroom and we appreciate the opportunity to expand the conversation to our parent community.

Our January 25th board meeting featured an update on our Racial Equity Plan. You can learn more about this work by watching the  board presentation  or viewing the presentation slides.

As we move into February our classrooms are learning about Lunar New Year traditions and celebrating the extraordinary achievements of Black Americans as a part of our ongoing efforts to acknowledge, recognize, and honor the diverse histories and backgrounds of our students, staff, and families. We commit to keeping our BIPOC communities at the forefront all year long, as we highlight Black achievements this February and beyond.

Community Funded Status 

Since we learned in November 2021 that the District will be moving to Community Funded (AKA Basic Aid) status beginning in the 2022-23 school year, we have been working to understand the impact on our budget and researching responses to questions that have arisen, such as in the areas of how much more money will we have and in-lieu property tax payments. We have created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for our RVSD community to learn more.

For a review of information previously provided on this topic, please see:

• RVSD Updates 12/17/21
• At the January 11, 2022, Board of Trustees meeting
  • For the recording of the 1/11/22 presentation and discussion, click here.
  • The presentation materials may be accessed here.
• At the December 14, 2021, Board of Trustees Meeting
  • For the recording of the 12/14/21 presentation, discussion, and action taken, click here.
  • The presentation materials may also be accessed at the links below:
    • First Interim Narrative and Budget
    • 12/14/2021 First Interim Budget Presentation by Chris Carson, CBO, Ross Valley School District
    • 12/14/2021 Presentation by Kate Lane, Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, Marin County Office of Education

January 25, 2022 Board of Trustees Regular Meeting Recording

For the January 25, 2022, Board of Trustees Regular meeting recording, click here, and for the meeting agenda, click here.

For recordings of past meetings, click here.

COVID-19 Information and Resources

Reporting All COVID Tests Results to Primary Health

Thank you for informing us of your positive Covid-19 cases and exposures in your household and for following the guidelines for Isolation and Quarantine to help prevent the virus from spreading to our schools.

ALL tests done at home for students and staff should be reported to Primary Health. This includes home tests provided by the school or those purchased/obtained elsewhere. Please report both positive and negative results. Doing so will ensure we can continue to provide tests to students and staff through the CDPH School Covid-19 testing program. If you have not yet registered in Primary Health, you may do so by clicking here. A link for reporting results has been sent to everyone currently registered in Primary Health; contact covidresponse@rossvalleyschools.org if you have questions or need assistance.

Anyone who is NOT a student or staff member in RVSD, should use the Marin County Self-test Reporting form for reporting at-home Covid test results.

FREE COVID-19 At-Home Tests

We are continuing to work with Marin County Office of Education (MCOE), Marin Health and Human Services (MHHS), and the CA Department of Public Health (CDPH) team to procure At-Home Rapid Antigen tests through state and federal sources for our students and staff.

In addition, we are encouraging all families and staff to seek and pursue access to free (and/or reimbursable) rapid antigen tests through the following new resources:

• Order your own free at home test kits:
  • Go to https://www.covidtests.gov/
  • Or, go directly to the USPS site to place your order at https://special.usps.com/testkits
• Reimbursement from health insurance providers: Starting January 15, health insurance providers must provide reimbursement for the cost of up to eight at home COVID-19 tests per month. Purchase the tests from a pharmacy, store, or online retailer and submitting a claim or reimbursement. Contact your insurance provider to learn more.
  
  Note: if you have Kaiser, they have already reached out to patients to provide notification and are accepting forms through their www.KP.org patient portals (see attached screen shots to help navigate).
• Find a COVID test website: Go to https://www.findacovidtest.org/ for up to date information on where rapid antigen tests may be available.

Public Health Updates

 Public Health Update for Parents, Guardians, etc.
Monday, February 7, 2022
6:00PM - 7:00PM
ZOOM LINK

Webinar ID: 834 8966 2839
Passcode: 571127
Dial In: 408-638-0968

 Public Health Update for the School Community
Wed. February 9, 2022
3:00PM - 4:00PM
ZOOM LINK

Webinar ID: 812 9212 8992
Passcode: 010145
Dial In: 408-638-0968

Both Webinars will be recorded and posted on the Rethinking Schools Website. Spanish translation is available.

Returning from Out-of-State / International Travel Guidance

Vaccination Opportunities in Marin

While more than 91% of our entire population is fully vaccinated, only 68% of eligible residents have received their booster shot. Bolstering our immunity against COVID-19 is of utmost importance, especially with the continued presence of the Omicron variant in our community. Fortunately, we have access to vaccines which are a FREE and effective resource for keeping us protected.

If you know someone who is still in need of a vaccine or booster shot, please share the list below with them! We are grateful to everyone in our community who has done their part by getting fully vaccinated and boosted when eligible.

Upcoming vaccine clinics with open appointments are listed below:

• Northgate Mall: San Rafael – February 2, 3, 4 & 5
• Kerner Clinic:San Rafael – February 5
• St. Andrew Presbyterian Church: Marin City – February 9

Additional vaccine options in our community include:

• Your medical provider, doctor or family physician
• Local retail pharmacies

Walk-ups are now available at most vaccine providers across the county. Visit the Vaccine Finder webpage to view available clinics and schedule an appointment. Remember, vaccine recipients between the ages of 5 to 17 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to receive a vaccine.

If you are unable to find a vaccination clinic open at a time that works with your schedule, more options for COVID-19 vaccine clinics are available by visiting California Department of Public Health’s MyTurn COVID and flu vaccination scheduling website.

Once your child has received their 2nd shot in the series, please provide a copy of the vaccination record to your child’s school office. If you wish to decline to provide your child’s vaccination record, please let your child’s school office know that.

This section includes information about upcoming events, training, and resources offered in Marin County to support students and families.

Confronting Antisemitism virtual workshops March 2 and 30, presented by Jewish Family and Children’s Services and in collaboration with the Marin County Office of Education. To learn more and to register, visit: https://holocaustcenter.jfcs.org/holocaust-events/confronting-online-antisemitism/

Other Opportunities in February and March:

• Talk Saves Lives - American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers an introduction to Suicide Prevention for Educators and Community Members. Talk Saves Lives is a presentation that will cover what we know about this leading cause of death, the most up-to-date research on prevention, and what we can all do to fight suicide. Participants will learn the common risk factors for suicide, how to spot the warning signs in others, and how to keep ourselves, our loved ones and those in our community safe. We will also provide a session focused on the LGBTQ+ community, identifying risk factors and how to spot the warning signs in others.
• Mental Health First Aid Training for Adults to Support Youth - Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges and teaches a 5-step action plan to offer initial help to people with signs and symptoms of a mental illness or in a crisis, and connect them with the appropriate professional, peer, social, or self-help care.
• Question. Persuade. Refer.Help Play a Role in SuicidePrevention! Sign up for this 1-hour FREE online, self-directed Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training.
  1. Navigate to: http://qprtraining.com/setup.php
  2. Enter the organization code: MCDHHS
  3. Select: Create Account
  4. Complete and submit registration form
  5. QPR will display and email the newly created Username and Password.
  6. Login to begin using the provided username and password at https://qprtraining.com/
     
     Click Here for a Link to the Flyer to Register

The Community News section includes non-district/school related activities that may be of interest to parents/guardians and/or students and are shared in accordance with Board Policy and Administrative Regulation 1325 Advertising and Promotion. 

FOR THE KIDS

Sonoma State Symphony Orchestra

On Saturday, February 26 at 2pm in the Green Music Center's Weill Hall, Sonoma State Symphony Orchestra will present an hour-long concert of stories, fairy tales, and great orchestral music. They will be featuring music from Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Maurice Ravel's Mother Goose Suite, and Edward Grieg's Peer Gynt - all accompanied by readings from the fairy tales on which this music is based. Kids activities and story readings will follow in the Weill Hall lobby after the show. Audiences (kid and grown-ups!) are invited to come dressed in costume as their favorite fairy tale character.

They are thrilled to be joined by a special guest narrator, Megan McDonald (author of the Judy Moody series), who will be available to sign copies of her books after the show. Children ages 3 - 12 get FREE admission with the code: FreeYouthOrch22.

For more information (including information about our Covid safety policies) and to purchase tickets please visit http://music.sonoma.edu/events/2022/symphony-orchestra-family-concert-fantastic-tales and see attached flyer.