MVMS Panther Pride - February 22, 2026

Posted Date: 02/22/26 (04:00 PM)

Wonderful Panthers,

Our hearts go out to the families and the Mill Valley community impacted by the accident near Lake Tahoe over the break. Please know the staff of MVSD is here to support you.

With care and sympathy,
Kelly, Melanie, and Rob

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kkriss@mvschools.org. You are always welcome to make an appointment to meet with me, also.

Bell Schedule for This Week

What's Happening

Check out the Sports Calendar HERE

MCOE Resources

Upcoming Trainings for Families and Partners

CIP Marin’s Raising Healthy Families - Community Education Series (digital flyer) including these upcoming events:
- Parenting Teens in a Time of Risk: Understanding Development, Spotting Red Flags, and Responding to Substance Use. Monday, March 2nd, 6:00 - 8:00 pm in-person and via Zoom. More information and register here.
- Starting the Conversation: Suicide, Stigma, and Support. Thursday, March 12th, 6:00 - 8:00 pm via Zoom. More information and register here.
- Call of the Wild: Helping Teens to Resist Extremist Political Ideologies. Monday, March 16th, 6:00 - 8:00 pm in-person and via Zoom. More information and register here.
- Emotional Suffering in Children & Teens: What Parents Should Know and When to Act. Monday, March 30th, 6:00 - 8:00 pm in-person and via Zoom. More information and register here

PTSA
It's that time of year when your PTSA is planning for the Executive Board for next school year. Our roles have to be proposed with names by our March General Meeting, and as such we are posting this message now to see who among you might be interested in joining!

It's such a great way to get to know the School Administration, to understand the issues and decisions made in the background of your MVMS community, and to have direct impact on your child's school experience. Not all roles are big lifts, and most of our board members are full time working parents. We highly encourage you to reach out for more information to see how you can get involved! Below are the open roles for next school year. Reach out to Ashley Droege with inquiries!

-Vice President
-Secretary
-Treasurer
-DEI Lead
-Fundraising Lead
-Staff Services
-Student Experiences

There is only one Exec Board Meeting per month, and much of your role can be remote. It really takes a village to make all this work-please consider joining our team for your school!!

Please see our website here for ways you can support us. We are still below our participation goal for the year, and we truly appreciate any way you can support. As you can see, it goes to great use, and the staff and PTSA Board are so grateful for this community!

Raising the Bar

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We are proud to partner with Raising the Bar, a county-wide initiative committed to keeping youth events substance-free through policy that prohibits adult drinking or drug use at youth-centered events.

Research shows that parents and caregivers play a powerful role in shaping young people’s attitudes and decisions around alcohol and other substance use. By working together, we can make a lasting impact on the health and well-being of our youth – reducing the short- and long-term consequences of underage substance use for adolescents, families, and our broader community.

Raising the Bar, a program of Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships works in collaboration with Marin Prevention Network, Marin County Office of Education, Marin Health and Human Services, Marin schools, youth sports teams and organizations and other local community based organizations. Together, we aim to shift norms around substance use and encourage healthy choices by promoting positive adult role modeling.

We request that all adults abstain from using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and other substances at youth-centered events, during youth sports competitions, and at team celebrations. By collectively promoting healthy behaviors, we can support a safer, healthier environment for all youth.

To learn more, please visit rtbmarin.org or email lisa@mhyp.org.

Thank you for your support in helping our young people thrive.

It Takes A Village (ITAV)

We are excited to share that ITAV will be celebrating its 20th anniversary at this year’s second district-wide DEI event, Spring Village Fest: Neurodiversity, Disabilities, Belonging, on March 11! We hope you will join us as we come together to celebrate community, honor differences, and reaffirm that everyone belongs exactly as they are.

It Takes a Village is our district-wide PTA focused on building connection and support for families navigating neurodiversity, learning differences, and disabilities across the Mill Valley school community. Our volunteers produce the Mill Valley PTA Speaker Series, along with monthly parent hikes and coffees, creating welcoming spaces where families can learn from experts, share experiences, and build lasting friendships. While we center families navigating complex needs, our events are for everyone, because when we learn together, we build a more compassionate community where every child and family can thrive.

Spring Village Fest- Neurodiversity, Disabilities, Belonging

Join us to celebrate 20 years of It Takes a Village (ITAV) at the Mill Valley Community Center on Wednesday, March 11th from 4-7pm (with sensory-friendly quiet hour from 4-5pm).

For two decades, ITAV has supported families navigating neurodiversity, learning differences and disabilities across the Mill Valley school community.

Let’s come together to build a more compassionate community and enjoy interactive booths, high energy movement activities, crafts, a sensory friendly quiet zone, and more! Plus, art exhibits, resource booths, food trucks and dogs!

Open to all Mill Valley School District families and friends, this free celebration is hosted by It Takes a Village and the Mill Valley PTA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committees.

RSVP here to join the fun!

Want to help make this event happen? Let us know

Kiddo!
PTSA, Kiddo!, and MVSD work closely together to maintain educational excellence for our students. Kiddo! plays a vital role by fully funding arts education, and this year, we stepped up to provide crucial additional funding to protect elementary counseling and add STEM electives at MVMS. These essential programs rely entirely on the generosity of our community; without your donations, the salaries for these dedicated teachers and the programs they lead would simply not be covered, and these opportunities would vanish. If you haven't yet, please consider making a tax-deductible donation to Kiddo! today at a level meaningful to your family. Every single dollar directly supports our students by ensuring these high-quality, essential programs continue. www.kiddo.org

Feel free to reach out to any of our administration:
Kelly Kriss, Principal, kkriss@mvschools.org
Melanie Harris, Assistant Principal, mharris@mvschools.org
Rob Celli, Dean, rcelli@mvschools.org

GO PANTHERS!