Marin School Newsletter: October 30, 2026

Dear Marin Families,

Our week has been sandwiched with two fabulous Marin traditions: Our STEM day and Halloween. 

STEM Day

I was blown away by the STEM day last Saturday. Volunteers, every single table had something engaging and new to capture our students’ imaginations - holding snakes from the Vivarium, prototyping their own Mars Rovers, creating complex codes, learning about the importance of forests in keeping our water clean, exploding mentos in coke bottles, and so much more - you put so much effort into every detail - from passports to make-you-own sandwiches. Thank you to everyone who came and all those who worked behind the scenes to make the day a success.

We had 17 “booths” including parents that hosted a booth, parents that volunteered to support a booth, local community organizations, high schools groups, Cal groups, and Marin teachers!!  At least 350 people (probably more) joined in the fun.

Please be sure to thank the following committee members who spearheaded this fabulous event and have been meeting consistently since August to pull this off:

• Joel Weber & Anna Weltman (Eli, 2nd)

• Cindy Lamparter (Sylvan, 4th)

• Christina Freschl (Hattie 4th, Max 2nd)

• Stephen Naiff (2nd grade teacher!)

• Laura Weyl (Evan and Karina 1st)

We’ve got a lot on tap for the coming few weeks:

• Wed. Nov. Marin Morning and coffee with the principal

• Spirit Day: Stuffie Day and our Earthquake Full-Release Drill (Details below)

• Parent-teacher conferences and more! 

With appreciation,

Ginger

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

Yonsei Fundraiser Wednesday, November 4th from 11:30-3 and 5-9:30, Yonsei Handrolls will donate 20% of sales to Marin Elementary! Join your fellow Marin families for a delicious lunch or dinner out and support a local business and our PTA too! ​

Five Little Monkeys Fundraiser:  Five Little Monkeys will be donating 15% of the pre-tax sales to the PTA between Nov 1-15. Please consider doing your holiday gift purchasing local and early this year. You must use our school code (MARINSCHOOL2026) for it to count in-stores or on-line!

General PTA Meeting Everyone is welcome to come hang out, meet other parents and learn a bit about how we're spending our funding this year. The meeting will be held in the upstairs space at Anuhuac at 7pm on Thursday Nov. 12. The online business meeting portion of the evening will be from 7:30-8pm for those joining virtually. The PTA will provide appetizers (until funds run out) and all are welcome to order food or drinks as you like!  ​

Turkey Trot Save the Date for Marin's First Turkey Trot! Start Thanksgiving morning with fun and fitness. Marin Elementary PTA is hosting a family-friendly 5K and 1 mile kids run in Tilden Park on Thursday, November 26th. The 5k will start at 9am and the 1 mile kids run will start at 10am. Kids under 12 can choose to run the 5k, the 1 miler, or both! This is a fun run to support the PTA and 5th grade outdoor education overnight. Parking is at Tilden Nature Area next to the Little Farm and the course will be an out and back along Wildcat Creek Trail. Timing will be unofficial — we're not using bibs or chip timers, so finish times are for your own satisfaction, not for the record books. More information, registration and volunteer signups can be found here.

Moonlight Auction Committee - Call for Volunteers

Want to help with the PTA's biggest fundraiser of the year? We have an experienced crew this year but could use more people! From the flexible time commitment of solicitations to defined day-of help, please reach out and we can discuss. Contact Yana Brewsala, auctioneer@marinschoolpta.org. Auction date Saturday, April 17th, 2027.

Community Partners

• AEF Night at Little Star: The first Monday of each month (Nov 2 is the next one), 10% of every order goes to AEF.  Dine in, take out, or delivery. Give yourself a break from cooking and help fund the next classroom grant. 

• Albany Community Craft Fair: AMS PTA is hosting a community craft fair on Sunday, Nov. 8, from 11am-3pm at the Albany Middle School. There will be over 100 local crafters, food and live music. The event is open to the whole community.

Useful Links

• About the PTA

• Join the PTA or donate here

• Volunteer with the PTA

From all of us on the Marin PTA, have a fantastic Halloween weekend!  

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Nov. 1-2

Familias Latinas de Albany has set up a Dia de los Muertos altar in the atrium. We invite families, teachers, and staff to bring photos, items to honor and remember their loved ones, and/or marigold flowers. Feel free to encourage students to bring items as well. Note: Please do not bring fragile heirlooms, valuable items, or anything you would be saddened to lose. Ensure all photos or items are clearly labeled with student and teacher’s name and room # on the back so they can be returned.

Spirit Day, Wed. Nov. 4: Stuffie Day

Next Wednesday, November 4th, will be our next Marin School Spirit Day. Bring a stuffed animal to hang out with you at school on this day. Your stuffie must fit in your backpack. Can't wait to see all the stuffies joining the Marin pod on this day!

Holiday Food Drive

We're beginning our Holiday Gift of Food Drive on Monday, November 2nd! It's a wonderful opportunity to discuss kindness and helping others in addition to giving the children a chance to participate. Posted outside the office is a list of food items and dates, however, the items and dates are not important. 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 one of the boxes outside of the office. May your holidays be joyous and peaceful.

Next Gardening Meetup = Nov. 8

Join us on November 8th, from 9-11am for a Marin Gardening meetup. We'll help plant, weed, and do general gardening support around the school. Everyone is welcome! Contact jordan.sapp@gmail.com with any questions.

—The Marin Gardening Committee

Marin’s Annual Full-Release Earthquake Drill

Look for a ParentSquare message on Sunday night about the annual full-release earthquake drill happening on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 12:50 - 1:20pm.

Kids & Screens

Educational neuroscientist Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath speaks with Bay Area parents about how screens affect children's attention, memory, and learning, and what families can do at home. Check it out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_q0fI_3SWY

SWANA Diwali Celebration Southwest Asian and North African Parent Engagement Group is hosting a Diwali celebration on Nov. 1, 4:30 - 6:30pm in the Ocean View MPR. ​ AUSD & Community Events & Announcements The AUSD Events & Announcements page features districtwide events and opportunities for AUSD students and families.  AUSD Community Update Community Update from the Superintendent: November 2026