Marin School Newsletter: September 11, 2026

Dear Marin Families,

Happy Friday and Shana Tova (Happy New Year) to all who celebrate! I hope you have had a great week. I want to highlight ways we are learning as a team. I’m so grateful for the work our interventionists and teachers have done both to assess where our children are in their learning and to analyze this data. Together we are making plans to best meet the needs of every child. See more under Marin News related to this. I’m so proud of the reflective and learning nature of this team!

I’ve also been reflecting today about where I was 25 years ago. For some of you, September 11, 2001 may be a day you remember clearly; for others, you may have been too young to have memories of it at all.

In 2001, I was living in San Francisco and finishing my doctoral work at Stanford. I woke that morning to the news and, in a daze, walked to one of my best friend’s apartments. I spent the day there with her and her fiancé, glued to the TV. That Sunday, I got on one of the first planes flying out of San Francisco to attend their wedding back East. It was surreal to be flying again so soon, and my connecting flight flew that night over the site of the attacks.

I hold onto a few core memories from that time: the silence of the skies before planes began flying again, the camaraderie among those on the plane with me, and especially the power of being in community—coming together to celebrate the love of my friends alongside others who had made the journey so soon after the tragedy.

As I reflect, I also recognize the pain and suffering caused by the overgeneralization, discrimination, and Islamophobia that followed—and that continue to this day.

Today, I’m sending special love to all of you and to the many ways you come together as a community to care for one another. That sense of connection, compassion, and care for others is something worth holding onto, today and every day.

Love,

Ginger

New to the Marin Community?

Wondering how to get involved, or what the PTA is? We're parents, teachers, and staff working together to support our students and build a strong Marin school community! There are two easy ways to get involved:

1. Become a PTA member. Membership makes up a significant portion of our funding, with no expectations or commitments attached. It often comes with perks too, like free movie night tickets! And it's tax-deductible as a non-profit donation.

2. Sign up to volunteer. We'll reach out throughout the year for both specific and general opportunities, big or small.

Upcoming School Assemblies:

Sounds of the Watershed Assembly

On Wednesday, September 16, ZunZun will visit Marin to present “Sounds of the Watershed,” a fun and interactive musical assembly. Through music, unique instruments, and student participation, students will learn about water science, conservation, and the connection between water and energy.

Mark your calendars and join us for these upcoming PTA events!

Headlands Brewing Night No need to plan dinner! Join fellow Marin families at Headlands Brewing on Wednesday, September 16th from 4pm - 7pm. 10% of sales go directly to Marin PTA!

Movie Night: Friday, September 25th!  Join us for pizza at 6:15pm, followed by a family movie in the Marin Multipurpose Room (MPR) starting around 6:45pm. Grab tickets here — admission is FREE for Turtle, Dolphin, and Dolphin Circle PTA members (join here!).  Stop by the Library before the event for the Book Fair!

Ocean View’s Fall Festival Ocean View School invites Marin and Cornell families to join their Fall Festival on Saturday, October 3rd, 11am–3pm. This event brings students and families together from across the district for a day of games, activities, food, and fun!

STEM Day The PTA-sponsored STEM Day event is back by popular demand. Happening at Marin School on Saturday, October 24th, 11am - 1pm this is a FREE day full of learning and exploring for the whole family, including lunch! If you are interested in volunteering or have ideas to contribute, please email Joel Weber (jmw654@gmail.com), this year’s STEM Day Chair.

“What I Need” (WIN) Time Starting Soon

I want to inform you about the reading difficulty risk screener your child takes every school year. In the first few weeks of school, kindergarten through fifth grade students completed a DIBELS assessment which we use to identify students who may need additional reading support.

All schools have dedicated “What I Need” (WIN) Time, which is when teachers meet with small groups of students to support them with targeted literacy skills and literacy enrichment. If your child’s DIBELS assessment indicates that they need additional reading support, your child will be supported during WIN time with either their classroom teacher or an Intervention Teacher who is qualified to provide more intensive support. If your child is on grade level according to our literacy screener, then they will participate in literacy enrichment activities during WIN. In the coming weeks, you may hear your child talk about working with their classroom teacher or an Intervention teacher to build their reading skills throughout the school day. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns with regards to your child’s progress. 

Scholastic Book Fair

The Scholastic Book Fair is coming to Marin soon! Mark your calendars now for weekend events. 

Book Fair Open Hours

Fri. 9/25: 6:00 - 7:30pm  movie night shopping 

Sun. 9/27: 12:00 - 4:00pm weekend shopping 

Mon. 9/28 - Friday 10/2:

• 8:00 - 8:25am before school shopping for grown-ups only (with own children in attendance)

• 12:00 - 12:45pm 1st - 5th grade shopping at lunch recess

• 3:05 - 3:35pm after school shopping for 1st - 5th, except Wed.

• Wed - 1:30 - 2:00pm - after school shopping for TK-5th

Sat. 10/3: 12:00 - 4:00pm weekend shopping - last day of the book fair

Looking for Book Fair Volunteers

The book fair is coming in two weeks! Would you like to help?

Click here to sign up. We are especially looking for people to help in 1 - 1.5 hour time slots for opening night on Movie Night, 9/25, and on our two weekend openings Sunday, 9/27, and Saturday, 10/3.