Dear Marin Families,

Student attendance is of utmost importance for students' success in school. Please make every effort to have your student in school each day for the full day, barring illness or one of the other EdCode excused reasons. Please be aware that per EdCode, a 30 minute+ tardy or early pick-up counts as an absence, and will show up on your child's attendance record in Aeries under the "O" code. We want to partner with you in your child's success and school and attendance is the greatest indicator of their sense of belonging and academic success. Thank you for your understanding and support.

Thanks so much to the Marin Student Council for creating the Marin Monthly Newspaper! Please see their amazing reporting in the pdf below!!

Have a great weekend,

Melisa Pfohl, Principal

Join the PTA – And We'll Throw a School-wide Popsicle Party! Only 12 more memberships to go! Help us hit our goal of 125 Marin PTA memberships for the 2025–26 school year. When we reach 125 memberships, the PTA will treat the whole school to a Popsicle Party! Haven’t joined yet? Purchase your membership here—every membership counts! https://marinschoolpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/t98467108 Membership perks for Turtle, Dolphin, and Premier Dolphin levels include free admission to all Marin Movie Nights, with pizza

Updated Marin PTA Bylaws

Our PTA bylaws were due for a refresh, and we’ve completed an updated draft. You can review the proposed bylaws here. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Sarah at secretary@marinschoolpta.org.

Next Year’s Academic Calendar

We have an academic calendar for the 2026-27 school year! You can also find the calendar via a link below, in the Quick Links section of this newsletter, and attached to this message. This calendar was adopted at the Nov. 18 Board meeting.

Committees to Get Involved In

We’re looking for a parent and/or community member to participate in the AUSD Facilities Steering Committee. This committee will take a look at how space is used in our district, and specifically at Marin. This committee will also help prioritize site improvement projects at our school.

We’re also looking for more people to join our School Site Council. This committee plays a vital role in shaping our school’s goals, reviewing academic data, allocating certain school funds, and helping to guide programs that support student learning and well-being. 

If you’re interested in either of these opportunities, please email Principal Pfohl at mpfohl@ausdk12.org.

Food Bank Donations

Thanks to Ms. Dunigan and her 2nd grade class for organizing our Holiday Gift of Food Drive! It's a wonderful opportunity to discuss kindness and helping others in addition to giving the children a chance to participate. We just ask that it's non-perishable - no fresh fruit, veggies, milk products etc. If your child would like to bring something, they may drop it off before school or during recess in the box outside of the office. 

AMS Auction Is Open! Support the Albany Middle School PTA and get some of your holiday shopping done by bidding in the 2025 Online AMS Spirit Auction, one of the biggest PTA fundraisers of the year. The auction is live now until December 12, 10pm. The online catalog is filled with fun items such as tickets to Warriors and Cal games, tickets to performances at the SF Symphony and Cal Performances, restaurant offerings such as Eureka, Benchmark and Agrodolce, self-care treatments including dental, acupuncture, fitness workouts and climbing gyms, tickets to area favorites such as the SF Zoo, the Oakland Zoo and the USS Hornet, and so much more! Get your bid on today! Making College Affordable: FAFSA & Early Financial Planning  Join the Asian Pacific Islander Parent Engagement Group (API-PEG) on Thursday, December 11 at 7pm via Zoom for valuable insights and an interactive discussion (a Q&A section will be included) with the expert, Mike Nie. Mike specializes in family-centered tax and real-estate strategies, with deep expertise in college cost planning. You may join API-PEG Google Group by filling out this form. Join API-PEG Group email by filling out this form.  You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you have any questions, please email AlbanyAPIparents@gmail.com. Hanukkah Shabbat Potluck The Jewish Parent Engagement (JPE) committee warmly invites you to join us for our Hanukkah Celebration on Friday, December 12, 5:00–7:30pm in the AMS gymnasium. The evening will include a potluck, music, games, Shabbat and Hanukkah candle lighting, and plenty of opportunities to gather in joy. All are welcome.. please RSVP here. First Ever AUSD Winter Wonderland Potluck! Everyone is welcome to a community-wide celebration of winter holidays on Sunday, December 14, 4:30–6:30pm in Ocean View’s MPR. Ocean View’s PTA is working alongside all of AUSD's parent engagement groups to deliver a festive end-of-the-year celebration with activities for kids! Through this event we hope to highlight the diversity in our community and learn more about how various groups in our community celebrate holidays during winter break. Sign up for the potluck here! Be A Writer Coach! WriterCoach is recruiting parent volunteers for the Thursday and Friday I-Search coaching sessions January 15 through March 13, 2026. We are looking for new volunteers to join WriterCoach Connection to work with AMS 8th graders to provide support as they work on their I-Search, a major research project. The coaching time commitment is one two-hour block per week, either Thursday or Friday, during school hours, for eight weeks. (Some four-week-only options are available.) You indicate your availability, and we put you on a team that fits your schedule. Coaches meet sequentially one-on-one with three students at each session. WriterCoach Connection is a wonderful opportunity for “word people” to share their love of writing with students — you don’t need to be a teacher, writer, or editor to coach. You’ll be joining a group of experienced coaches and a site coordinator, who can all mentor you as you learn the ropes. Contact Jane at jane@writercoachconnection.org.  Superintendent's Community Update Click here for the Superintendent's Community Update.