Dear Park Families,

I have been reticent to include photos from school this year and purely for selfish reasons. It requires that I ensure we have approval from parents for any photos of kids and culling through the permission slips tends to be a headache. That said, I couldn’t pass up attaching this photo of the Champions of our Staff vs. 5th Grade Hockey Game.  To be sure, the outcome was never in doubt but, more importantly, we had a great time!  Our 3-5 grade classes came to cheer and even a few younger classes were in attendance.  It was a super fun experience and big thanks to Coach Taylor putting it together.  Congrats to the fiercest line-up of hockey players anywhere:  Ms. Herrera, Mr. Finnane, Ms. Chris, Coach Taylor, Mr. Firmage, Mr. Thompson, and Ms. Kira!

Have a great weekend!

David

dfinnane@mvschools.org

Measure E, on the June 2, 2026 ballot, renews parcel tax funding for the Mill Valley School District. The District's existing parcel tax funding is expiring soon and, unless renewed by local voters, the District will lose one quarter of its current budget, approximately $12 million a year in locally controlled funding. A funding loss of this magnitude would require additional cuts to teachers, academic programs, and services. Seniors who own property in the district may apply for a senior exemption. More information about the measure, including the full text and impartial analysis, is available through the Marin County Elections Office and the attached one-pager from the district.

Tam High Leadership is partnering with Tam’s Music Department to host a fun, family-friendly community event on April 25 from 12–2 PM: Day on the Green! The event will take place at the Arches near the front of Tam High, where our music department will be performing live for all Mill Valley students, parents, and residents! There will be food, bake sales, Tam merch, games and club booths. We would love for your students and families to stop by and get a glimpse of the Tam community and the numerous programs and activities offered.

6:00-7:00pm

Park School!

Please let Anne know at amalvaux@mvschools.org if your child will not be returning to Park/MVSD next year.  This request applies to all current TK-4th grade students.  Thanks!

The Garden is closed after school and on weekends!  No kids should be in the garden during non-school hours. Thank you for your support with these expectations.  

Please call the attendance line (415-389-7735 ext 2390) or email Anne Malvaux (amalvaux@mvschools.org) when your child is absent for sickness, travelling or Dr visits, etc. before 9:00 am.  If you message your child’s teacher, please CC Anne in the office.  For safety reasons and accountability, it is really helpful to receive this information early in the day.  Thank you.  

At this time of the year, families begin to think ahead to the next school year. As the end of the year nears, we are hard at work planning for the upcoming school year. Part of that process includes assigning children to their new classes. We take into account many factors when forming class groups. We consider gender, learning styles, social and academic strengths and challenges, friendships, work habits and diversity, among many other variables to create equitable classroom communities. Children are at the center of our process and teachers consider each individual child. Our aim is to create an optimal learning environment for all students at Strawberry Point. 

We respectfully ask that parents do not request a specific teacher or friend for their child. There are far too many interrelated factors to be considered when constructing classes to be able to accommodate a particular placement. It is very difficult to successfully build balanced classes on the basis of parent requests. Teachers take the process of class placement for your child very seriously, and we ask that you trust our process and professional judgment. Please do not put teachers in an uncomfortable position by making a request. Thank you for your cooperation. 

Notice of Construction - Park Elementary School 

2022 Measure G Bond Project 

As a parent at Park Elementary School, we are notifying you that construction at the school is about to begin. The scope of this work will include accessibility improvements, fire life safety upgrades, electrical upgrades, mechanical upgrades, roofing, play structure replacement, site work, and drinking fountains along with other miscellaneous work. 

Construction will begin on June 13, 2026, and is scheduled to be complete by August 15, 2026. 

For safety reasons, public access to the campus will be closed for the duration of construction. If you have any questions or issues during the construction, please contact the onsite Construction Manager or the District Maintenance & Operations Director whose contact information is listed below. 

Project Contacts: • MVSD Maintenance & Operations Director: Julio Arroyo ▪ Phone – (510) 303-4158 ▪ Email

 jarroyo@mvschools.org

Thank you!

Over the past several weeks, we have conducted a series of engagement sessions to inform key District priorities, including the development of the 2026–2027 budget and the selection of a new school lunch provider. These efforts are designed to be thoughtful, transparent, and inclusive, ensuring we hear from a broad range of educational partners before making final decisions.

Budget Engagement and 2026–2027 Planning
The budget engagement process began with a Board Study Session in March, followed by school site visits with parents and a staff presentation. Each opportunity provided context on our current financial outlook, highlighted potential challenges ahead, and gathered input to guide our planning. We are grateful for the time, insight, and engagement of those who have participated. Your feedback remains essential as we work to make informed, responsible decisions for the future of our District. Community members are encouraged to share their perspectives using this link or the QR code. These insights help ensure our budget planning reflects the values and priorities of our community.

School Lunch Program Update
We are also in the process of reviewing qualifications for a potential new lunch provider. This effort has been guided by our commitment to providing students with high-quality meals that meet California school meal nutrition guidelines, while ensuring fiscal responsibility, environmental responsibility, and strong operational service.

The District initiated a formal Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process to identify experienced vendors capable of meeting our program goals. The RFQ emphasized nutritional quality, menu variety, sourcing practices, cost structure, packaging and compostability, and reliable service. We received responses from three qualified providers.

Following review of submissions, all three vendors participated in a blind tasting process designed to gather feedback from students, parents, staff, and administrators on meal quality, taste, presentation, and appeal. Each provider prepared sample menus representative of their proposed offerings.

We were impressed by both the quality of the meals and how closely aligned the vendors were in our point-based scoring system, reflecting the overall strength of the proposals and making the process highly competitive.

Feedback from the tastings was combined with the RFQ criteria to inform the final recommendation. Key considerations included food quality and student appeal, nutritional alignment, operational capacity, cost competitiveness, packaging sustainability and compost potential, and responsiveness to District priorities.

This process is now nearing completion, and the final qualifying contract will be brought to the Board for approval on May 14.