Can you believe that at the end of this week, we are half way through the trimester?  Please continue to read through the Panther Proud Newsletter for all upcoming events and updates.

A friendly reminder that CAASPP testing starts next week.  
  
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.  

Thank you,
Kelly Kriss, Principal
Bell Schedule for This Week

What's Happening

Check out the Sports Calendar HERE

5/1 Trimester 3 Progress Reporting
5/4 CAASPP Testing starts
5/4 Staff Appreciation Week
5/6 Bike To School Day
5/6 MVMS & Redwoods May Day Celebration 
5/14 Regular Board Meeting
5/21 MVMS Open House 6-7pm
5/22-25 Kiddo! Carnival
5/25 No School - Memorial Day
6/2 Vote on Measure E
6/4 Regular Board Meeting
6/12 Last Day of School; 8th Grade Promotion

Measure E

Measure E – Mill Valley School District Parcel Tax Renewal

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.

Earth Day Thank You
Thank you very much for volunteering to support our MVMS Earth Day Celebration last Friday. The students enjoyed the activities, and we could not have done it without you!



Upcoming Art Show
The Annual MVMS Art Show will be gracing the main hallway of the school from May 11th through May 27th.  Open House will be taking place on Thursday, May 21st and would be a wonderful time to take a moment to enjoy the variety of Kiddo-funded visual art projects by the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade art students.

Safe Routes to Schools

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS is celebrating National Bike To School Day on Wednesday, May 6th. Our theme this year is LAUNCH YOUR COMMUTE!

Check out the Green Team table!  Students can fill out raffle tickets to win one of two gift cards to Sports Basement.  There will also be Welch’s fruit treats for students. 

Parent Volunteers Needed
We invite you to join us at lunch time for supervision.  Please go to this link and sign up for lunch supervision.
If you have any questions, email Melanie Harris at mharris@mvschools.org.
Thank you for volunteering at MVMS.

MCOE Resources 

• Let’s Talk: Mental Health and Underage Substance Use - Wednesday, May 6th from 7:00 - 8:30 pm via Zoom.  Explore the connection between youth mental health and substance use. This discussion will highlight how stress and emotional challenges impact teens—and how parents can provide meaningful support.  More information and register here.

It Takes A Village (ITAV)

When: May 6 from 9-11am

Where: Tennessee Valley Trailhead (in case of heavy rain, meet at the cafe inside of Good Earth)

Learn more at It Takes a Village (ITAV).

PTSA
Please see our website here for ways you can support us. 

Raising the Bar 
Learn more about Raising the Bar, a program of Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships. 

 

Kiddo!

Superintendent's Report

April 24, 2026

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. 

Next Regular Board Meeting: May 14, 2026

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