San Marin Sun - October 4, 2026

Our Vision for Student Learning

At San Marin, every student is greeted by name and heard, reasons aloud with classmates through problems they cannot solve alone, drives their own thinking and revision, and leaves San Marin ready to think, contribute, and lead.

From Principal Boone

Progress grades posted last week. This week the Mustang Way focus is Goal Setting, which is what you do with a progress grade: set a target and check your progress. The next progress period closes Friday, October 30. That is four weeks. Ask your student what the target is for the hardest class on that report, and how they will know by the end of the month whether they are on track. One more tool for that: the Learning Lounge is now open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4:00 to 5:00 PM in the Library. Science students, we are also looking for students who want to be peer tutors, in physics or any other science. Tutoring counts as documented volunteer hours. If that is your student, this is the form. Sign up to be a science tutor →

Saturday night is the Green and Gold Roundup at Corda Ranch. 5:00 PM. BBQ, games, music, dancing, and the auction. This is the one night a year the whole San Marin community shows up for every team, every sport, every season. This is the last Sun before it, so if you have been meaning to get tickets, this is the week. Tickets → Full details below.

Come see goal setting in action on Tuesday night. Our STEM Marin ninth grade Engineering class is showing their Rube Goldberg machines, 5:30 to 7:00 PM in the STEM Science Building. It is open to everyone. A Rube Goldberg machine does not work the first time, or sometimes the tenth. The students set a target, test it, watch it fail, and fix it. That is the whole lesson.

Wednesday is a full day. Our staff holds the first WASC self-study committee meeting during department time, and ELAC meets at 6:00 PM in the Library. ELAC is open to every family.

Friday night, football and cheer are home against Cardinal Newman, JV at 4:30 and varsity at 7:00. And a reminder: there is no school Monday, October 12.

Coming Up

Full district calendar at nusd.org →

Green and Gold Roundup

San Marin Athletics does not happen without you. This Saturday. Come for the party. Show up for our kids. We are bringing the entire San Marin community together for one unforgettable Green and Gold night at Corda Ranch. BBQ. Games. Music. Dancing. Auctions. Mustang Pride.

Come hungry. Play some games. Bid on something amazing. Hit the dance floor. Bring your friends. Country chic, cowboy casual, Green and Gold encouraged.

This night is about more than throwing a great party. The Green and Gold Roundup is our community's opportunity to help keep ALL San Marin sports going strong. Every sport, gender, season and program.

Tickets are $100 for individuals, $180 for couples, and $1,000 for a VIP table that seats ten. On sale now.

San Marin Performing Arts

Just in time for Halloween. This family-friendly musical brings the famously eccentric Addams family to the stage in a story filled with humor, heart, memorable music and plenty of wonderfully macabre fun. Tickets are on sale now for all four performances, and seating is limited, so buy in advance.

Three programs, one department. Here is who puts it on.

Twelve minutes inside the program, made by Starnstruck Media, San Marin Class of 2020. Watch the video →

Addams Family tickets, concerts, and how to get involved, at sanmarinperformingarts.org →

Rube Goldberg Night

A night of engineering and innovation. The ninth grade Engineering class showcases their Rube Goldberg machines. Join us for a fun night of creativity and innovation.

STEM Marin is also looking for guest judges to offer feedback to students that night. Email Katie Stafford at kstafford@nusd.org if you can help.

ELAC and ELD

ELAC is our English Learner Advisory Committee: parents and staff who advise the school on programs and services for English learners. Families learn about our English Learner programs, share ideas and concerns, and work together to support our students. Meetings are for all families, not just families of English learners. This year's information is at the link below, in English and Spanish. Carmen Moreno (carmenmoreno@nusd.org) or the Counseling Office can answer questions.

The Mustang Way

What is your target this month, and how will you check it? Last week's question was about what you do when the work gets hard. This week's question is the next step. Mindset is deciding to respond. Goal Setting is deciding what to respond toward, and how you will know if it is working.

The timing is real. Progress grades posted last Tuesday. The next progress period closes Friday, October 30. Four weeks is long enough to change a grade and short enough that you cannot wait. A target for this month is not "do better." It is one class, one number, one habit. Check it on a day you pick, not on the day the report comes out.

Families, ask your student what the target is and when they plan to check it. Then put that date on your calendar too.

Mustang Way Students of the Month

Five freshmen, one for each pillar, nominated by their teachers for September. Here is what their teachers said.

Athletics

Twenty two contests this week, thirteen of them at home. Football and cheer are home Friday night. Home contests are at San Marin. Student athletes with a release time leave class early that day. Every team, every result, at sanmarinathletics.com →

Homecoming 2026

Three days, one theme.

Parade. Thursday, October 22, 6:00 to 7:00 PM on Grant Street. Clubs, teams, and classes can enter a float. Register at the link below.

Crowning. Friday, October 23, at halftime of the home football game.

Dance. Saturday, October 24, 7:00 to 9:00 PM in the gym. Student tickets are on sale at the link below. Students bringing a guest from another school need a guest pass form, available in the front office. Forms are due Thursday, October 15 in room 804 with $30, cash or check.

Dance tickets → Register a parade float →

Hispanic Heritage Month

We are celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 through October 15. Flags are up around our school to recognize and honor the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of the Hispanic community.

The flags represent some of the countries and cultures that are part of our school community. They are a small reminder of the many backgrounds, traditions, and experiences that make our school stronger.

Counseling and College

Seniors, optional one-on-one meetings with your counselor end Friday, October 9. If you have not signed up, use the link your counselor emailed. The senior presentation slides and the senior packet are below.

Financial aid help from 10,000 Degrees. A virtual Financial Aid Info Night is Wednesday, October 14, 5:30 to 7:00 PM, with separate sessions in English and Spanish. Virtual Submit Workshops follow on Wednesday, November 4 and Wednesday, December 9, 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with one-on-one help completing the FAFSA, the CADAA, or the 10,000 Degrees Scholarship application. Questions go to FinancialAid@10000degrees.org.

Dual enrollment lets students take college courses while in high school. College of Marin is on campus every Wednesday, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, in the College and Career Center to help with applications and questions. See your counselor to book an appointment, or stop by.

Volunteers from 10,000 Degrees are in the library every Tuesday from 1:55 to 3:10 PM to help seniors with college essays and Personal Insight Questions. Sign-up sheets are in the College and Career Center.

Mr. Glasgow, the Marin County Office of Education career liaison, is on campus every Thursday. He meets with students about internships, volunteer opportunities, and career exploration. Families and students can join his Remind group to hear about programs and deadlines as they come up.

Parent and Family Education

Let's Talk fall webinars. Let's Talk is an initiative of Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships. The fall series runs on Zoom, with youth speakers, time for questions, and live Spanish interpretation at every session. Coming up for middle and high school families:

Wednesday, October 7, 6:00 to 7:00 PM, in Spanish: Hablemos, cómo nos cambia la vida familiar al llegar a este país.
Wednesday, October 14, 7:00 to 8:30 PM: Nicotine Pouches, Cannabis Edibles, and Other Emerging Products.
Wednesday, November 4, 7:00 to 8:30 PM: ADHD and Youth Well-Being.
Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 to 8:30 PM: Fentanyl and Overdose Protection.
Wednesday, December 2, 7:00 to 8:30 PM: The Adolescent Brain.

The Marin County Office of Education keeps a public calendar of free parent and family education events across the county, with registration links for each one.

Volunteering and Driving

Planning to volunteer or drive for San Marin or any NUSD school this year? Every volunteer completes the volunteer application, mandated reporter training, and TB clearance before starting. The district page below has all of it. Completed paperwork goes to Lisa Sosa, Office Manager, in the main office.

Drivers, including student drivers, also complete the district driver form.

STEM Marin

Science peer tutoring. Student tutors are available Thursdays, 4:00 to 5:00 PM, during the Learning Lounge, and Mr. Blok is there Tuesdays to support students. Students can sign up for tutoring in any science subject at the link below. Some sessions will use Access time in Ms. Femmel's room. The current focus is physics, but tutoring is available for any science a student is struggling in. Students interested in becoming a peer tutor, in physics or any other science, use the same form. Sign up for science tutoring →

STEM Stampede, Saturday, November 14. 5:00 PM at Indian Valley Golf Course, a country western evening supporting the STEM Marin program. Tickets are on sale now. Buy tickets →

STEM Marin runs on family giving. The program needs more than $65,000 a year to operate, and that money pays for the labs, equipment, and materials students use in Engineering, Biotechnology, and Art in Science. The suggested contribution is $250 per student. Any amount helps, and a contribution of $250 or more comes with a swag bundle.

Prefer a check? Make it payable to STEM Marin Fund. Drop it at the school office, or mail it to San Marin High School STEM Program, 15 San Marin Drive, Novato, CA 94945.

The STEM Marin September newsletter is out, and the September STEM Students of the Month are featured there. Read the newsletter → Questions about the program itself go to stemmarin.org →

Around Campus

Thirteen home contests this week, and football is back under the lights Friday. Then Saturday at Corda Ranch. See you there.

Go Mustangs. Go Green & Gold. 🐴