What a fabulous start! Thank you Hall PTA, COVE and NC PTO's!! We appreciate you! 

IMPORTANT DATES

• Tues, Aug 19 - WEB Orientation and Cougar Prep Day

• Wed, Aug 20 - First day of School & PTA Welcome Back Lunch

• Wed, Aug 27 - Back to School Night, 6 pm 

• Fri, Aug 29  - Minimum Day, 1:30 Dismissal

• Fri, Aug 29 - School Picture Day

• Mon, Sept 1 -  Labor Day, No School

• Tues. Sept 2 - PTA Meeting, Larkspur Community Room, 8:30 am

• Fri, Sept 26 - PTA Walkathon 

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Welcome back Cougars!!! We hope you had an amazing summer and are thrilled to be opening the 2025-26 school year this week!! There is a lot going on so we are reminding our families of how to best prepare! The office is open if you need direct support and Cougar Prep day is coming too! Please read this and the school news section below for more information as we open 2025! 

WEB Orientation is coming!!!  All incoming 6th grade and any new 7th & 8th grade students to Hall are invited to attend. Please meet in the Hall gym at 10 am to begin their journey as a Cougar! Our WEB team is ready and we are excited to welcome our new students to the Cougar Family. Thank you to Ms. LaBlue, Ms. Dalal and Ms. Sarao for their work behind the scenes to support the transition to middle school! 

Cougar Prep day is Tuesday, August 19th from 9 - 2pm. Here is the schedule- 

8th Grade 10:00 - 11:00 am 

6th Grade 12:00 - 1:00 pm 

7th Grade 1:00 - 2:00 pm 

Please join us as the schedule above outlines for each grade level and please remember to bring a backpack to pick up your chromebook and supplies! Stations available on Tuesday will include, PE Clothes, Yearbook pre-orders, Hallway Locker assignments, Class schedules, Chromebook distribution, bus passes and more!! If you cannot make this date please plan to come to complete stations on Wednesday, August 20th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm in the gym. If any financial support is needed, please email Mr. Blatt.  

Don’t forget about our special Hall PTA Welcome Back lunch!! Our amazing PTA will be serving pizza, fruit, and rice krispie treats to our entire school community!! We will have gluten free and vegetarian options for our Cougars if necessary. Don’t forget our first day back is a minimum day with school dismissal at 1:45 pm.

As a reminder there is lots of construction happening around on Doherty as we begin this school year. In an effort to keep our students safe please use caution and drop off students in areas such as our drop off loop, Piper Park, and neighboring streets. Thank you in advance for your support. ]

We are so excited to see our school community come together to start the year off right and look forward to all the smiles, reconnecting, and introductions see you Tuesday!! 

Wishing you all a beautiful Sunday,

Dr. Toni Chavez & Hall Staff 

SCHOOL NEWS

ATTENDANCE  Please email hallabsentee@lcmschools.org by 8:30 am the morning your child will be absent or needs to leave early.  You will need to come into the office to sign your child out. If your child is late coming to school, kindly send them to the office for a late slip.  Please familiarize yourself with the Absence/Tardy Procedures & Policies that can be found here.

PICTURE DAY Mark your calendar!  Picture day is Friday, August 29th.  For more information and how to order, refer to the Dorian flyers. (English)  (Spanish)

SCHOOL SUPPLIES Our AMAZING PTA is taking this off your to-do list!! Supplies will be distributed at both Cougar Prep day and in classes on day one! Please use this link if you have not already done so to make your donation to Hall PTA and designate sizing for your PE uniform. If you do not need another PE uniform, please consider donating the uniform back to Hall to support our students in need. 

MTA at Hall As in previous years, we will continue to work with Marin Transit Authority to coordinate transportation to and from school. Bus service will begin on the first day of school and changes have been made to support transportation to Corte Madera. This change will divide up students traveling to the East and West side of Corte Madera. For students that live on the west side of Highway 101, you will now take the Route 613 bus leaving in front Hall at 3:08 pm MTThF. Students who reside on the east side of Highway 101 will take the Route 29 bus (across the street at Doherty and Larkspur Plaza Dr.) at 3:18 pm MTThF. On Wednesdays, all students will take the Route 613 bus leaving at 1:58 pm. We hope this information is helpful and supports our Cougars getting to school! Temporary bus passes will be available at Cougar Prep day, and more information will be provided! 

SPARK NEWS

DISTRICT NEWS

School Fencing Discussions at City/Town Council Meetings On August 20 and September 2, the potential school fencing project will be discussed at the City of Larkspur (8/20) and Town of Corte Madera (9/2) Council Meetings.

Board Updates On August 13, the Board met and celebrated the work that our 12-month employees engaged in over the summer to prepare for the start of school. They discussed the recent study conducted by Hanover Research on school fencing, as well as the updated renderings of potential school fences based on feedback received last spring. All agendas can be found here.   

PTA NEWS

Please use this link to join the Hall PTA. The suggested donation is $10 per adult in the household. We appreciate your membership and support at Hall!

COMMUNITY NEWS

Free Teen E-bike Class  Ready to level up your e-bike game?

Join other middle and high school riders for Teen E-bike Smart Marin, a fun, on-the-road class that’ll boost your confidence and skills just in time for school.

• Saturday, September 6, 2025

• 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

• Mill Valley Middle School

• Link: https://marinbike.org/e-bike-smart-marin-class/

Whether you’re cruising to school, hitting the trails, or just riding with friends, this class will help you stay safe, ride smooth, and have more fun.

This class is free - all you need is your e-bike and a helmet. We’ll take care of the rest!

22nd Annual San Francisco High School Fair High school admissions and student representatives from over 30 schools throughout the Bay Area will be present to share insights on their respective schools, the high school application process, financial assistance, software platforms, and admissions event registration. 

Due to high demand at last year's fair, registration for this event is required and available in one-hour time slots. Families interested in attending during the 10 am time slot can RSVP using the link provided here; those interested in the 11 am time slot can sign up here. 

please contact justin.bakerrhett@sfuhs.org with any questions.

Looking forward to seeing you and your school's families on September 13th.

CORTE MADERA RECREATION  

Fantastic Youth Fall STILL OPEN Classes Starting Now!
COVE: Almost Everything is open! Sewing, Guitar, Art, Dance, Lego, Science, and more all on your site! Click here: https://www.cortemadera.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10609/Fall25_menu-cove-final

We even planned a bunch of classes that start at a convenient time for you off site!

Neil Cummins: Over 24 Open Classes! Sewing, Jewelry, Glee Club, Guitar, Carpentry at 4:30p, Kids Choice!!, D&D, Weaving, Basketball, Flag Football, Skateboarding and MORE!

Click here: https://www.cortemadera.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10610/Fall25_menu-NC-final

Middle Schoolers:  We have Cheerleading, Skateboarding, Carpentry, Hip Hop, Tap, Volunteer Opportunities and Saturday D&D Classes. Go to page 19 in our guide: https://www.cortemadera.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10574/fall25-final

For crawling up to 5yr olds, we have 3 wonderful classes: Mini Music, Mini Elites Dance, Jr Hip Hop, and Leap Froggers (our indoor playground with air conditioning, Toddler Bounce, Tike cars, circle time and more!) Go to pages 12 & 13 : https://www.cortemadera.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10574/fall25-final

To See & Register for all our Youth Offerings, click here: http://www.cmprreg.org

LARKSPUR RECREATION

Afterschool Pottery classes for elementary, middle, and high schoolers!

Join us for our creative and connective 6 week Pottery course where you will learn how to make clay creations using various hand building techniques. New students will learn the fundamentals of sculpting with clay, and experienced students will have the opportunity to refine techniques and create more challenging projects. Everyone will have the freedom to create what excites them. Students will glaze their own pieces and we will fire it in our electric kilns. Cost is $450 for 6 classes, all materials included and you take home your finished pieces! Sign up through Larkspur Parks and Recreation here: type Pottery in search bar. https://larkspur.recdesk.com/Community/Program?category=3 

Dear Hall Family,

We hope this email finds you well and enjoying summer. With the start of the 2025-26 school year just around the corner, we look forward to welcoming you back. Here are some important dates to put on your calendar, and links to information you may want to prepare for our return to Hall. 

School Supplies

Did you hear?? Our AMAZING PTA is taking this off your to-do list!! Supplies will be distributed at both Cougar Prep day and in classes on day one! Please use this link if you have not already done so to make your donation to Hall PTA and designate sizing for your PE uniform. If you do not need another PE uniform, please consider donating the uniform back to Hall to support our students in need. 

Join the Hall PTA

Please use this link to join the Hall PTA. The suggested donation is $10 per adult in the household. We appreciate your membership and support at Hall! 

Cougar Prep Day 

As a reminder we will be gearing up for the 2025/26 school year on Tuesday, August 19th. Please join us as the schedule above outlines for each grade level and please remember to bring a backpack to pick up your chromebook and supplies! Stations available on Tuesday will include, PE Clothes, Yearbook pre-orders, Hallway Locker assignments, Class schedules, Chromebook distribution, bus passes and more!! If you cannot make this date please plan to come to complete stations on Wednesday, August 20th from 2:00 - 3:00 pm in the gym.  

Day One Reminders

One of the favorite Hall traditions is back and starting us off right! On Day One, August 20th, we will gather as a school community for a special Hall PTA Welcome Back lunch!! Our amazing PTA will be serving pizza, fruit, and rice krispie treats to our entire school community!! We will have gluten free and vegetarian options for our Cougars if necessary. Don’t forget our first day back is a minimum day with school dismissal at 1:45 pm. 

MTA at Hall

As in previous years, we will continue to work with Marin Transit Authority to coordinate transportation to and from school. Bus service will begin on the first day of school and changes have been made to support transportation to Corte Madera. This change will divide up students traveling to the East and West side of Corte Madera. For students that live on the west side of Highway 101, you will now take the Route 613 bus leaving in front Hall at 3:08 pm MTThF. Students that reside on the east side of Highway 101 will take the Route 29 bus (across the street at Doherty and Larkspur Plaza Dr.) at 3:18 pm MTThF. On Wednesdays, all students will take the Route 613 bus leaving at 1:58 pm. We hope this information is helpful and supports our Cougars getting to school! Temporary bus passes will be available at Cougar Prep day and more information will be provided! 

Hall Calendar

Don’t forget to subscribe to our Hall Calendar (Click on export calendar - left side) to stay informed of all Hall events. 

Shopping for sports equipment?? 

Sports Basement is supporting schools! If you happen to be shopping for sports equipment, shoes or anything at Sports Basement, remember to mention Hall Middle School at checkout to give 10% back to Hall! Thank you in advance for supporting our school!! 

Construction

As a reminder there is lots of construction happening around on Doherty as we begin this school year. In an effort to keep our students safe please use caution and drop off students in areas such as our drop off loop, Piper Park, and neighboring streets. Thank you in advance for your support. 

Other important links

Hall Bell Schedule 2025/26

LCMSD Calendar 2025/26

Week One Schedule 2025

Wishing you all a wonderful summer and will see you soon! 

Dr. Toni Chavez & Hall Staff 

Hello Hall Cougar Families, 

We look forward to seeing our new Cougar students at WEB Orientation and all of our students and families at Cougar Prep Day. Both events are on Tuesday, August 19!

We are excited to welcome you and your children to the Hall Middle School 2025-26 school year. This message outlines our plan for WEB Orientation and Cougar Prep Day on Tuesday, August 19, the day before school starts, where students and families come to campus to get ready for the school year.

WEB Orientation

For all of our new students (including our entire 6th grade class plus any new 7th and 8th grade students). WEB Orientation is a student and staff only event. Parents are welcome to join later in the day for Cougar Prep Day. WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Orientation is the time at the start of the school year when staff and returning students welcome our new Cougars to campus to build community and share about important aspects of our school. All 6th-grade students plus any new 7th or 8th-grade students should report to the Hall Middle School gym ready for a 10am start on Tuesday, August 19. 

Cougar Prep Day

Staff and volunteers will be hosting stations for students to prepare for the start of school. Students may attend by themselves or with their parents or guardians. Stations will be located in the Hall Middle School Main Courtyard, located outside the library (see map). Students will receive locker assignments, PE uniforms, class schedules, and Chromebooks + chargers.

Schedule for Tuesday, August 19

Volunteer to Support Cougar Prep Day!

Help us welcome back our Cougars and get them set up for success! Fill out this brief form to share your availability.

Hall PTA Donation Request

Hall PTA is requesting a donation of $125 per student. This will include all student school supplies and a set of PE clothes, which includes a Hall PE shirt and shorts. School supplies will be distributed both at Cougar Prep day and on the first day of school. Students will be responsible for supplying their own backpacks, but all other materials will be included with your PTA School Supply donation. Get this off your to-do list and click the link to get ready for Back to School! Using this link, you will be directed to RevTrak to complete the form. If you have previously created an account, you will need to login. If you have not used RevTrak before, please create an account, as this will be used throughout your time at Hall. If you are interested in donating more to support other families, please use this link. We appreciate your support in advance! In addition, if you need any financial assistance, please reach out to Harrison Blatt via email (hblatt@lcmschools.org) for any student needs. 

If you are not available on 8/19, Cougar Prep Makeup Day will be on the first day of school, August 20, 1:30-2:30 in the Hall Gym. 

Please reach out with any questions!

The deadline to order lunch for the first week of school is Tuesday, Aug 12th by 9am.

Please read ALL of this important breakfast and lunch information:

 
Kinder Parents and new families:  Please set up a student lunch account with LunchMaster - Go to:  Sign Up - The LunchMaster (LINK) - USE SCHOOL CODES - neilcummins or coveschool

School codes:

NC = neilcummins
Cove = coveschool

Hall = Hall students do not order lunch online – a variety of meals are available each day to Hall students who choose to pick up lunch.
 
Returning families: Upon logging into LunchMaster, you will be required to update your students grade level and class teacher (if your student is in Kinder, 1st or 2nd)– It is important to update so your students lunch ticket gets to their classroom each day.  Unfortunately, teacher assignments are not available until next week – Please choose the exact grade your student is in and next time you place an order on lunchmaster, please update the teachers name (again only Kinder, 1st and 2nd) need to add a teacher name.

*If your student is now a 6th grader – please delete their LM account.
 
School breakfast and lunch will be served daily and are at no cost to any family regardless of income level.  The District pays for each lunch that is ordered and is only reimbursed from the State based on meals that are picked up by your student (not just ordered).  Please do not order meals if your student is not interested. Last year, the District lost $5.40 per lunch that was not picked up which amounted to thousands of dollars and wasted a lot of food.  If your student is not picking up their ordered lunch on a consistent basis, you will be contacted.
 
Deadlines: 
Cove and Neil Cummins Lunch orders will need to be placed by 9am on Tuesday for the following week. Approx. 7 days early.  

Dear LCMSD Families,

Every year parents are required to update important information in Aeries, our student information system. These updates include emergency contacts, medical information, and authorizations. It is essential that this information is updated prior to the first day of school. 

We use an online process called Parent Data Confirmation through the Aeries Parent Portal. This portal also contains important student data for parents, including report cards, CAASPP scores, and attendance information. 

• Each student must have their information updated by Friday, August 15. Instructions are below.

• On Monday, August 18, class placements will only be shared with parents of students who have completed the Data Confirmation by August 15. 

• No other information in the Parent Portal (e.g., CAASPP scores, attendance information, report cards, etc.) will be visible to you until you complete the Parent Data Confirmation. 

Step by Step Instructions

1. Sign in to the Aeries Parent Portal (larkspurcortemadera.aeries.net/student/LoginParent.aspx)

   1. Parents of new students have received an email with a portal username and temporary password. Use that information to sign in. 

   2. If you do not remember your password, did not receive a setup email, or are unsure if you have an account, click "Forgot Password?" at the portal login screen and the system will send password reset information to your email address.

   3. Contact Edith Valencia (evalencia@lcmschools.org) if you cannot sign in.

2. Complete all steps of the process and submit.

Thank you for your help with this important process. We look forward to a great school year!