APRIL 2026

Mill Valley Middle School Chorus Sings Anthem at Oracle Park

The Mill Valley Middle School Chorus, led by choir director Jessica Nicholson, performed the National Anthem at our annual Kiddo! Night at the Giants. See video above! The event was well-attended by Mill Valley School District teachers and families. It was all-in-all a great day, especially when the Giants won 7-2 over the Mets, and we can only attribute that to the dulcet tones of the MVMS Choir who started the evening off with a bang!

Inaugural Band and Orchestra Music Festival Is Great Success

Late last month our orchestra and band students leveled up at the MVMS Music Festival! They spent the day learning from expert adjudicators - including the legendary Bob Calonico, former Cal Band Director - and wrapped it up with an epic joint performance that included our 5th grade musicians. A huge thanks goes out to Cayce Carnahan and Stephen Gardner for organizing such an inspiring and symphonic day!

Turning History Into Art at Tam Valley

Second graders at Tam Valley, with Art Teacher Nancy Bloch, created these paper collages inspired by the textile tradition of quilting in Gee's Bend, Alabama. Students learned about the historical context and evolution of Gee's Bend's quilting from making quilts of scraps of fabric to becoming famous artists whose work is displayed in galleries and museums around the world! In addition to the important lessons on history, art concepts included pattern and repetition, symmetry/asymmetry, and color scheme.

Quilters of Gee's Bend: Loretta Pettaway, Lucy Mingo and Mary Lee Bendolph.

Business Spotlight: Mill Valley Market and the Canepa Family

For nearly four decades, the Canepa family and Mill Valley Market have been quietly helping strengthen Mill Valley’s schools and community. What many residents may not know is that the Kiddo! Business Partner Program, now a cornerstone of Kiddo!’s fundraising, began with an idea from longtime community member and Mill Valley Market owner Bob Canepa.

Bob served as a Kiddo! board director from 1987 to 1991. During that time, he chaired the organization’s Business Committee and launched what would become the Kiddo! Business Partnership Program, creating a new way for local businesses to support Mill Valley schools. Mill Valley Market was the very first partner.

“My father always emphasized the importance of supporting and giving back to our community,” Bob recalls. “That value guided my involvement. It was only natural that Mill Valley Market became the first partner of the Business Partnership Program in 1987.”

At the time, the market’s community shopping program supported just two organizations: the Mill Valley Schools Community Foundation and Tam High School. Over time, the program has grown to include dozens of local nonprofits, all of which are listed in small print on laminated sheets next to the store's cash registers.

The impact has been significant. Through Mill Valley Market’s Shop & Give for the Community program, the store has donated approximately $1.49 million to local organizations. Of that, an estimated $350,000 - $375,000 has supported Kiddo! and Mill Valley schools over the decades.

Today, that tradition of community investment continues with Ryan Canepa, Bob’s grandnephew, and the current co-owner of Mill Valley Market along with business partner Abner Chinchilla. Ryan is also now a Mill Valley School District parent, with two children attending Edna Maguire Elementary and another starting TK next year.

For Ryan, the commitment to supporting local schools is deeply personal and rooted in family example.

Ryan Canepa in 2013

“I grew up watching my grandfather Jim be heavily involved in everything around town as a volunteer,” Ryan says. “It set an important example for me.”

Ryan says the reason the market prioritizes supporting local organizations is simple.

“We live here too. We are part of this community, and what benefits the community benefits all of us.”

Mill Valley’s schools play a central role in what makes the town special, he says, but they are part of a larger ecosystem of community engagement that defines the town.

“There is a reason people move to Marin and to Mill Valley specifically from all over the world,” Ryan says. “Obviously the schools are a big part of that, but it is also the natural beauty, the civic engagement, and the wide variety of activities and organizations that people can get involved in.”

For Ryan, the connection to Mill Valley schools comes full circle in meaningful ways. His son’s fourth grade teacher at Edna Maguire, Ann Eshoff, was also his own fifth grade teacher  when he attended the school.

“That is one of the things I love about this community,” Ryan says. “Teachers want to stay here, and organizations like Kiddo! help make that possible by supporting the schools.”

Kiddo! has endorsed Measure E for the June 2 ballot, and we encourage you to learn more at https://protectmillvalleyschools.org/ and VOTE YES. Our schools are the heart of this community and this parcel tax ensures that the programs our kids love continue to thrive. Without this renewal, our district faces a $12 million funding gap that would impact every classroom.

Upcoming Events

• Thursday, April 23 Community Art Show at Bob’s Donuts. All are welcome! Thank you to Bob’s for showcasing our student artists.
• Sunday, April 26 The Kiddo!/Tam High Foundation Golf Tournament. Join the Kiddo!, Tam High Foundation and the Mill Valley Golf Course for a tournament fundraiser benefiting students from TK through high school. Please click HERE to register. LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER IS NOW!
• Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10 - Save the date: Kiddo! is teaming up with the Mill Valley Chamber of Commerce to Celebrate Care this Mother's Day Weekend! Local businesses will offer special deals and gifts for moms and caregivers, so shop local and support our community. Local business interested in participating? Visit the Chamber's landing page to learn more and sign up.
• Memorial Day Weekend Kiddo! Carnival and Day on the Green, May 22-25, advance discounted tickets will be available the week of Monday, May 18 at the Kiddo! Office, elementary school sites, and MVCC. Follow Kiddo! on Instagram (@kiddomillvalley) for details on ticket sales later this spring.