Tam District Family Newsletter
September 2019
October is National Bullying Prevention Month.
Here are some things your student can consider doing to help prevent bullying and increase the sense of belonging and inclusivity on our campuses.
- Week of October 7th-Meet Someone New At School. Students are encouraged to make friends with someone they may not know and who may seem isolated.
- Week of October 15th-Stand Up for Others. Stand up for someone who is being bullied or get an adult to help. Please click here for information on how to be an Up-stander.
- Week of October 21st: Include Others. Include everyone at lunch and other activities #nooneeatsalone week.
- Week of October 28th: Start a Conversation with your Peers. Start a conversation with your peers about improving the culture of your school.
Tam District's Bullying Policies are linked here.
For more resources on bullying prevention and reducing bias, please visit these websites:
Congratulations to our National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists
- Benjamin Wall-Feng: Tamalpais High School
- Ariana Brisco-Schofield: Sir Francis Drake High School
- Drake Goodman, Eva Oppenheim, Ryan Redmond, Owen Ross, Abigail Strausbaugh Hjelmstad: Redwood High School
Tam District Earns Highest Rating Possible from Moody's
"Summary: Tamalpais Union High School District, CA (Aaa stable) has a large and growing tax base, benefiting from unusually strong resident wealth and income measures and the district’s location within the vibrant Bay Area economy. Deeply entrenched in community-funded status, the district's financial operation benefits from the resulting financial flexibility. The district's management is strong, having proactively addressed a developing structural deficit resulting from enrollment growth outpacing tax base growth, by both securing new revenue and cutting expenditures. We expect these operational changes will sustain the district’s strong financial position in the near term. The district has very low level of debt and moderate pension liability. On September 11, we assigned an initial rating of Aaa with a stable outlook to the district's general obligation bonds."
Please see the full credit opinion from Moody's linked here.
The Importance of Strong Attendance
Your student's attendance can be viewed on Home Access, for instructions on how to set up a home access account, please click here.
If you have questions or would like some support for your student around attendance, please contact your student's school site administration team.
PG&E "Public Safety Power Shut Off "Program
Additionally, for information on current public safety power shutoffs, please visit the PG&E weather awareness website linked here.
Please see the following information regarding District actions during power outages:
- If power is turned off while school is in session, whenever possible, we will keep students in class through the end of the regular school day.
- If there is a confirmed power shutdown scheduled for a school day the District will close the schools affected and communicate the closures as soon as possible.
- In the event of a power shutdown, if power is restored prior to 5am on a given school day, the District will continue with regular school activities.
- All information related to school closures and reopening will be posted to our District and school websites.
- We will also provide information via Twitter. The Twitter account for the district is: @TamSupt.
The impact of power shut offs may vary from school to school and if one school in the District is closed due to a loss of power, other schools within the District that have power will remain open.
Tam District Board Explores Potential Parcel Tax Renewal
The current parcel tax:
- Provides $16.8 million annually
- Accounts for 17% of annual budget
- Provides funding to attract and retain high-quality teachers, support academic programs, provide excellent instruction and art/music programming, and prepare students for college and careers.
The Board is considering a renewal of the existing parcel tax with an increase of $190 per year, which would generate an additional $6 million annually (starting in 2020-21), for a 10 year term. This amount was derived from budget analysis and would maintain the programs our community values, maintain a balanced budget, and provide reserve levels at the board approved amount.
To view the presentation made to the Board of Trustees in September regarding a potential parcel tax renewal, please click here. The Board has not yet taken action on this topic.
Important Health Warnings
New Vaping Warnings: In recent months, there have been reports of serious respiratory illness, several that have resulted in death, believed to be caused by vaping. The California Department of Health issued a new advisory this week, which is linked here. We encourage you to speak with your student about the dangers of vaping.
Some Resources for Parents
Below are articles that we have found useful for our own continued learning. We hope you, too, find them informative.
parent and community education events
Courageous Conversations About Race: Intro for Parents
October 2nd
7:00-8:30
Kent Middle School
800 College Ave
Kentfield, CA
This introduction to Courageous Conversation About Race is designed to help parents, staff, and community leaders understand the impact of race on their lives and investigate the role that racism plays in institutionalizing achievement disparities. Take home practical, creative ideas for how you can engage your family, friends and school community to engage, sustain and deepen Courageous Conversations About Race in our district.
Show up, and show your kids that adults can “be the change” too! Spanish translation available. All parents and caregivers welcome.
Please click here for registration information.
Resilient Families: Navigating Substance Use & Abuse through the Teen Years
Join Huckleberry Youth Programs and TUHSD Wellness to begin a dialogue between teens and their parents/caregivers about substance use and abuse. In this 90 minute workshop, we will introduce families to the landscape of teen substance use and abuse in Marin County, information about adolescent development, and strategies to help build communication and understanding between youth and their caregivers. Intended for caregivers and their teens to attend together, Resilient Families is intended as a first step in establishing a common ground around this pressing issue.
Join us for this unique opportunity to come together with your teens to talk about drugs and alcohol.
What: Resilient Families: Navigating Substance Use & Abuse through the Teen Years
Who: Teens with their parents/caregivers (families) – We ask that you come together!
When: October 22, 2019 6:30-8pm
Where: Kreps Conference Center (TUHSD District Office, Back Lot of Redwood HS)
How: Maximum of 35 families.
Please RSVP for one family here:
Teen Wellness Film Series
November 12, 2019 – Teen Wellness Film Series – Screenagers NEXT CHAPTER: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience at the Smith Rafael Film Center at 7:00pm. Screening + Panel Discussion. Presented by CFI Education and TUHSD Wellness - Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente
March 3, 2020 – Teen Wellness Film Series – Not Alone at the Smith Rafael Film Center at 7:00pm. Screening + Panel Discussion. Presented by CFI Education and TUHSD Wellness - Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente
April 21, 2020 - Teen Wellness Film Series – Film TBA at the Smith Rafael Film Center at 7:00pm. Screening + Panel Discussion. Presented by CFI Education and TUHSD Wellness - Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente
The link for purchasing tickets is not yet available, but will be emailed out when it is.
School Calendar Reminders
- October 2nd is a minimum day-please see your school's website for student release times
- October 9th: No School-All school sites will be closed for the day
- Here is a link to our year long school calendar.
Tam District
Email: ttaupier@tamdistrict.org
Website: tamdistrict.org
Phone: 4159451021
Twitter: @TamSupt