Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions:

Website Questions:

Wellness & Nutrition Questions:

Child Care for Before and/or After School:

What time is "early dismissal"?

"Early dismissal" is at 1:45 pm. "Early dismissal" occurs on Wednesdays throughout the year and during parent/teacher conferences in the Fall and applies to all grades except Kindergarten.

How does one enroll a student in Old Mill School?

Residents within Mill Valley School District boundaries may enroll in Mill Valley Schools. Please see this page for a description and map of the school district boundaries. Which elementary school (of the 5 in the district) your child will be assigned to is determined by a series of factors including proximity to the school, and enrollment numbers at the various classes in each school. The District Office will provide complete information on the enrollment process to families new to the district.

How many teachers are there at Old Mill School?

Please see the Staff menu item for a complete list of all teachers (not including our very valuable teacher's aides).

How many students are enrolled at Old Mill School?

There are 290 students at Old Mill School. Complete demographics for our school can be found at Just for the Kids California.

How can I get involved at Old Mill School?

Parents: Our PTA is extremely organized and active. Our co-presidents, Robin Moses and Jan Hudson, will be glad to hear from you and assist you in finding ways to participate in and help Old Mill as a parent.

Volunteers: If you are interested in volunteering to help out at Old Mill, contact the Principal regarding your specific interest and experience. There are many ways that community volunteers can assist.

Can I visit the school to check it out?

School tours are available for prospective parents. A schedule for visits is usually published on the website by the end of November. The tours are led by student docents and end in a chat with the principal and PTA president. Parent visitors are encouraged to call for a tour appointment if they are interested. We limit each tour group to no more than 20 visitors. New Kindergarten parents are provided with several options to visit and become familiar with the school and the classrooms prior to starting school in the Fall.

Prospective parents, please note that school placement is designated by the Mill Valley School District Office, not by Old Mill School parents or Old Mill School personnel.

What is the bell schedule for Old Mill School?

Grades 1 thru 5 start school at 8:30 am and end school at 2:50 pm, except on Wednesdays when school lets out at 1:45 pm. Kindergarten starts at 8:40 am and ends at 1:40 pm every day.

I don't want to manually check for updates to this website. Would you send me an email when there are new entries?

Please visit our Main Page, and look for "Receive Website Updates via E-Mail!" on the right side. Enter your email address, click on "Subscribe" and your email address will be added to our subscription list. You will receive an e-mail when a new posting is made to the main page.

What computers and web browsers does this website support?

This website should display properly in any modern web browser on Windows or Macintosh computers. In general, you should use the most recent web browser version available for your computer. For Windows computers, make sure you are running Internet Explorer Version 7, which is available from Microsoft's Download Center. If you are using Firefox under Windows use "Check for Updates..." from the "Help" menu to make sure you have the latest version of Firefox. For Macintosh Computers running OS X, use "Software Update" to make sure you have the latest version of the Safari Web Browser.

Who should I contact with questions and/or comments about this website?

Please see the following entry: Who Did This Site?

What if I find a mistake or typo in one of the web pages?

Our webmaster, Myron Tuttle, makes lots of mistakes, especially when it comes to the English language. If you wouldn't mind, please email your correction to webmaster@oldmillschool.org. (See the entry Who Did This Site? if you wish to provide feedback or other comments that are not corrections to the existing site.)

My child was sick last night, but is feeling fine today. Should I bring my child to school?

Please read When to Miss School if you have a child who is not feeling well. You might want to print Healthy School Pt. 1 and review it with your child. Everyone should be aware of the signs of illness in Healthy School Pt. 2. Finally, if you are interested, please read the Pandemic Flu Planning Checklist in case of a future flu pandemic.

When to Miss School 
Healthy School Pt. 1 
Healthy School Pt. 2 

My child will not be attending school because of illness. Who should I notify?

Lynn Frazier, the school administrative assistant, keeps the attendance records. If your child will not be attending school, or is arriving more than ½ hour late, you should call her at 389-7727, x2500. If you do not call her, she will call you to inquire about your child. If your child is enrolled at EDS, they should also be notified at 383-1308.

What do I do about lunch?

Your child has 3 options for lunch:

  1. Bring a bag lunch from home - If they bring a lunch from home, it should be convenient enough for them to open and serve themselves. Of course, low-waste or no-waste lunches are preferable to having lots of things for them to throw out.

  2. Sign up for the school lunch - The school lunch is ordered on a monthly basis, and can be ordered for one day or all days in the month. The sign-up will be sent home monthly.

  3. Sign up for our new lunch program with Revolution Foods - The Old Mill School sponsors Revolution Foods for its alternative lunch program. Please keep in mind these important dates when ordering lunches for your Old Mill student through Revolution Foods:

    Menu PostedTermPayment Due
    August 1SeptemberSeptember 3
    September 1October/NovemberSeptember 24
    November 1December/JanuaryNovember 19
    January 1February/MarchJanuary 28
    March 1April/MayMarch 25
    May 1JuneMay 27

    Notes:

    • Place your order at order.revfoods.com at the time menu is posted.
    • After you place your order, payment must be made for the difference between your future orders and your account balance.
    • Make your check payable to Old Mill PTA and drop it off in the envelope outside the office before 3 pm on the due date listed above.
    • To avoid cancellation of your orders, payment must be made by the due date.

    Background:

    As of September 2008, all schools in Mill Valley School District are using a new lunch vendor – Revolution Foods. The new lunch provider allows all schools in our district to comply with federal government standards for nutrition in our school lunch program. Revolution Foods has a varied menu that will rotate on a regular basis. The lunch includes fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and milk.

    The program will continue to be one of our major fundraisers, coordinated by PTA volunteers, and all funds raised will remain at Old Mill School. We cannot provide the lunch program without the help of our parent volunteers. Please consider helping out.

    The ordering process is simple and quick. To sign up with the program, please follow instructions given in the First Day Packet or pick up instructions outside the office (for information about free or reduced lunches, please contact Lynn Frazier).If you have any questions, please contact Heidi Whalen at 380.1883 or Molly Mercy at 388.7876.

These options can be used in combination. For example, you may want your child to bring a bag lunch 3 days a week and use Revolution Foods for the other 2 days.

What are my options for child care before and/or after school?

Marin Day Schools Extended Day Services (EDS) provides child care on campus before and after school. They have a morning session from 7:30 until 8:30 (8:40 for kindergartners), an afternoon kindergarten session from 1:40 until 3:00, and a full afternoon session until 6:30pm.

In addition, the Mill Valley Parks and Recreation department runs after-school enrichment programs at all Mill Valley elementary schools, including Old Mill. They offer a broad variety of classes and activities, some for all ages and some specifically for the younger kids or older kids. Many parents and kids make great use of these programs. Your child can participate in these programs even if they are also enrolled in EDS. The enrichment teachers will pick up your child from either EDS or class, and either return them to EDS or wait for you to pick your child up.

There are three calendar sessions of enrichment classes each year, and some of the programs are very popular, so if you don’t get your desired program at first, you have two more chances during the year. There is an additional charge for these programs (and no discount from EDS for missing time if your child is also enrolled there). The sign-ups for the first session occur sometime in the first few weeks of school, at the Mill Valley Rec Center. Your child's teacher will provide information about the enrollment process before each session.

What if my child just wants to play at school after classes are over?

For all grades except kindergarten, Mill Valley Parks and Recreation offers an enrichment class called "Supervised Play" from 2:50 to 4:00 pm, either outside in the upper yard or in the auditorium/multi-purpose room.