Marin School Newsletter: March 6, 2026

Posted Date: 03/06/26 (04:20 PM)

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Dear Marin Families,

Our loading zones are designed to keep students safe and traffic moving efficiently. Unfortunately, we have had a variety of serious and unsafe incidents during arrival and dismissal times, especially recently. This is unacceptable because it puts our children at risk. We do not have staff available to supervise the loading zone, so we need EVERYONE to follow the rules below. I know I speak for our entire community when I say that nobody wants to see a child get injured or worse due to unsafe driving. Thank you for your support!!

Pick-up and drop-off rules:

Use crosswalks; do not jaywalk.
Do not leave your car unattended in the loading zone.
Stay parked in the loading zone only as long as it takes to drop off your child, and no more than 3 minutes.
Do not double park, as this blocks the flow of traffic and upsets people.
Drivers should be extra cautious on the roads. Look carefully for pedestrians and bicyclists. Obey all traffic laws, including speed limits, at all times. Pedestrians have the right of way at any crosswalk or intersection, so yield and be prepared to stop.
Stop at the crosswalk stop line to give drivers in other lanes an opportunity to see and yield to pedestrians too. Avoid blocking the crosswalk when making a right-hand turn.
Stay alert and avoid distracted driving.
Enter and exit driveways and alleys very carefully.
Be cautious when backing up – pedestrians, especially young children, can move across your path.
When parked on the street, check for other drivers and cyclists before opening doors.

If you see unsafe driving behavior, please do not hesitate to call the Albany Police Department.

Thank you for your support,

Melisa Pfohl, Principal

IMPORTANT DATES

March 5-13	Spring Conferences, Wednesday schedule: 1st-5th = 8:30-1:45; TK & K = 8:30-1:30
March 10	PTA Meeting, Marin Library, 6:30-8pm
March 11	5th Grade Camp Bake Sale, 1:45pm
March 11	Parent Ed: “Can I Have a Phone?”, OV MPR, 6:15-7:45pm
March 14	Marin Talent Show & Bake Sale, AHS Little Theater, 3pm
March 17	Marin Site Council, 6-7:15pm, Zoom link
March 18	5th Grade Camp Bake Sale, 1:45pm
March 20	NO SCHOOL: Staff Development Day
March 23-28	Marin Book Fair
March 29	Chalk It Up
April 1	5th Grade Camp Bake Sale, 1:45pm
April 18	Moonlight Auction

PTA CORNER

PTA Meeting – Join Us on Tuesday, March 10

Please mark your calendar for our upcoming PTA meeting on Tuesday, March 10th at 6:30 pm. We'll meet in the library on the Marin campus (a simple dinner will be available) or feel free to join via Google Meet. We’ll cover key updates, upcoming activities, and ways to get involved. All families are welcome!

Moonlight Auction

The 2026 Marin Moonlight Auction will take place on April 18th! You can help make this annual fundraiser a success by donating an auction item! Donations needed by March 10.

Donate a Personal Item: Popular items include a stay at a vacation home, tickets to a show or sporting event, a tour of your unique workplace, a photography session, gift certificates, catering a dinner, or your time and talents. Please donate by filling out this form or contacting auctioneer@marinschoolpta.org.

Host a Sign-Up Party: What’s better than having fun with friends, meeting new Marin families, and supporting the PTA all at once? Parties can be for the entire family (game nights, bbqs), just adults (neighborhood cocktail crawls, poker night, hike and brunch), or kids-only events (scavenger hunts, experiences). Hosts provide the party, and guests donate to the PTA for the privilege of attending. Host your own unique party by filling out this form or contacting auctioneer@marinschoolpta.org.

Donate a Bottle of Wine for the Wine Wall: This is a fun feature at the auction. We disguise the bottles, and participants pay to pick a bottle from the wine wall. Will you choose a hidden high-value bottle and walk away with a steal? You can sign up to donate wine by filling out this wine donation form.

Please remember to save the date - The 2026 Marin Moonlight Auction will take place on April 18th!

3/11 PTA Parent Education Night: “Can I Have a Phone?”: When to Say Yes, When to Wait, and What to Consider

As kids begin asking for phones and smartwatches at younger ages, many parents are left wondering: How do I know when my child is ready? Join us for an informative and practical workshop designed to help families thoughtfully navigate this important milestone. Healthfully by Reichi Lee will guide parents through key considerations around first phones and smartwatches, offering research-based insights and concrete tools to support healthy device use.

Event Details:

Wednesday, March 11, 2026
6:15 – 7:45 p.m.
Ocean View Elementary – Multipurpose Room 1000 Jackson St., Albany
Pizza provided
Childcare provided (limited availability – RSVP required)
Hosted by the Cornell, Marin, and Ocean View Elementary PTAs

RSVP HERE!!

Talent Show - March 14

Mark your calendars - the annual Marin Talent Show is coming up soon! On Saturday March 14 at 3:00pm, at Albany High School's Little Theater, Marin students from TK all the way up to 5th grade will put on a fun and memorable show. They have been working hard to bring you a fantastic show - please join us to cheer on your friends and be part of a community that celebrates and nurtures young talent. Tickets are free! There will also be a bake sale, with proceeds going toward the costs of the 5th grade camping trip!

Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at the show.

Bake Sale at the Talent Show

The PTA will be hosting a bake sale at the upcoming Marin Talent Show on March 14th. The proceeds of the bake sale will be used to cover costs of the 5th grade camping trip, a Marin tradition! Please consider signing up to volunteer at the event or bake/buy an item for us to sell.

Here is the link: Bake Sale Sign Up.

MARIN NEWS

A Book For Every Dolphin at the Book Fair

Don't forget about A Book For Every Dolphin! Please see information from our wonderful Class Parents about this crowd-funded plan to ensure that each and every child at Marin can leave the book fair with a book in their hands. If there is room in your family budget, we're asking for a donation of $13 for each child, including an extra $13 to help pay for another child.

Thanks for supporting our library -- a place that serves every child at our school!

Get involved in Albany USD's Facilities Master Plan

With the help of HKIT Architects, Albany USD is in the process of developing a facilities master plan that will:

create a long-term vision for facilities upgrades throughout the District
identify priorities for immediate projects using Measure L bond funds

We want to hear from you!

There are a number of ways to participate right now. Go to https://ausd.mysocialpinpoint.com/ to:

Learn about the current conditions on each campus and add your knowledge.
Help identify the most important guiding principles for prioritizing projects.
Ask questions: what do you want to know about the facilities master plan?

Meetings for community are being scheduled at school sites as well. Stay tuned for dates.

AUSD NEWS

New Announcements Page!

Check out our new Announcements Page on the website! This page will allow you quick access to all announcements, without extending the length of school newsletters or risking not seeing some announcements when the email is clipped.

API-PEG Parent Education Speaker Series

Join our workshop Resilience in the Sandbox: Preparing Our Children for What Comes Next, March 18, 7pm. Speaker Yahya Radman is a leadership educator and former collegiate coach. He partners with families to build resilience and discipline in youth. In this session, he will offer practical strategies for parents raising confident, self-reliant children in today’s demanding world. This presentation is geared to parents with students in all grades. You may join API-PEG Google Group here. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you have any questions, please email AlbanyAPIparents@gmail.com.

Eid and Holi Celebration

Join the Celebration of Eid and Holi on Sunday, March 29, 1:00pm-4:30pm at Ocean View Elementary School. This event is hosted by SWANA, the Southwest Asian and North African Parent Engagement Group. All are welcome to attend! Scan the QR code above to RSVP and sign up for the Potluck.

Superintendent's Community Update

Click here for the Superintendent's Community Update.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Spring Cricket Camp

Cricket’s in Albany at Ocean View Sports Field! Ten weeks beginning March 10. Boys and girls ages 6–13. Register at calcricket.org or use the QR on the flyer.

Cub Scouts Pancake Breakfast

Albany Cub Scouts, Pack 3 will hold their annual Pancake Breakfast on March 15, 8:30 - 11 AM at Memorial Hall, 1325 Portland Avenue, Albany. Tickets are $10 for adults; $5 for Senior and kids 10 and under.

The Berkeley Mini Math Tournament 2026 is for students in grade 8 and below, including advanced elementary school students and middle school students. It will be held on Sunday, April 12 in person at UC Berkeley campus. Students are encouraged to register as a team of 3–5 students. Tests from past years are posted on our website. We are an all-volunteer, UC Berkeley student-led nonprofit running math tournaments for middle schoolers and high schoolers since 2012.