Hello Golden Owls,
October is Safety Month in MVWSD. Don’t forget that the district-wide earthquake drill is tomorrow. We have reviewed our procedures, and we are ready to practice. Parents, since students will be outside for approximately one hour, please plan to apply sunscreen to your child in the morning and have them bring a hat if they’re sun-sensitive.
Please reassure your child that drills are our way of practicing for an emergency. These things may never happen, but if they do, we’re better protected and are more able to help ourselves and others.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
October
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23rd to 27th College Week
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24th ELAC Meeting 6-7 pm MUR
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31st Halloween Parade @ 2:45 pm
November
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1st Writing Workshop 3rd-4th-5th Grades Parents Only 6-7 pm MUR
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2nd MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting
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2nd Hearing and Vision Testing for K, 2nd & 5th
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3rd Hearing and Vision Testing for K, 2nd & 5th
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3rd End of Trimester - Minimum Day 11:55
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3rd Walkathon After school - Save the date!
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10th Veterans Day - No School
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14th Math Festival 6:00 - 7:30 pm MUR
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20th - 24th Thanksgiving Recess - No School
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27th Parent U Extension: Effective Parent/Teacher Communication 6-7 pm MUR
In this Newsletter
School News:
Golden Ticket Winners
It’s Never too early to talk about College!
Halloween Parade 2:45 pm
Writing Workshop (For 3-4-5th grade parents) Nov 1st MUR 6:00-7:00 PM
Hearing and Vision Testing for K, 2nd & 5th - Nov 2 & Nov 3
Math Festival Nov 14 6-7:30 pm
Winter Clothes Donations
Lost and Found - Thursday 10/19/23
Flyers:
2023 -2024 School Year Calendar - Here
SELPA 1 CAC Newsletter 2023-2024 Here
October Menu Here
October CAC and LCC Events Here
District News:
The Board of Trustees will meet on Oct. 19 6:00 pm Agenda here
Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement
Parent University Speaker Series Presents
MVWSD Preschool Enrollment
Better Together: October
MVEF Community Survey
Mentor Tutor Connection: Volunteer Info Session Here
The View Teen Center: October Here
PTA News
Walkathon - November 3rd.
Membership Drive - Popsicle Party Winners
Konstella
Website
Golden Ticket Winners October 12, 2023
Teacher’s Service Day - No School
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It’s Never too early to talk about College!
At Vargas, we celebrate College Week
EVERYONE IS INVITED TO DRESS UP AND DREAM BIG!
10/23-10/27
Monday 10/23 - Scavenger Hunt at school
Tuesday 10/24 - For a bright future-Wear Yellow
Wednesday 10/25 - Your future is out of this world-Wear Blue
Thursday 10/26 - Wear College Attire or the Vargas t-shirt
Friday10/27 - Dress like a boss!
After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @ 2:45pm
This year, we will be hosting a Halloween parade after school. For those wishing to participate, we will be meeting on the blacktop after dismissal. For those who have students in Right at School and YMCA, they will also be able to join. Can’t wait to see OWL of you!
Please note: Our school does not have any school-wide event that asks students to wear costumes during the day of 10/31; however, if students want to wear costumes for the day of Halloween, they can. We are asking, as is standard, not to wear masks or overly gruesome or violent attire. We are also asking that students not bring any accessories that would distract from regular classroom instruction.
Writing Workshop (For 3-4-5th grade parents)
Guiding and Coaching Your Aspiring Writer
This 1-hour parent workshop will give strategies to guide and coach your aspiring writer with confidence. We will talk about how to help your child improve sentences and how to affirm and gently nudge children to expand their idea development.
Presenter: Jaime Koo
Parent Engagement Coordinator
School Climate, Leadership & Instructional Services
Professional Learning & Support Division
Santa Clara County Office of Education
When: Wednesday, November 1st, 2023
Where: J.A. Vargas MUR
Time: 6:00-7:00 PM
Student vision and hearing screenings set for Nov 2 & Nov 3
Each fall, MVWSD conducts hearing and vision screenings of all students in Kindergarten, Second, Fifth and eighth-grade, as California State Law mandates. These screenings will take place on November 2 & 3 for our Vargas students.
Parents will be notified in writing if children fail a screening. Parents who do not want their child screened for either vision and/or hearing should send a letter to our school indicating that their child is to be excluded, and vision and/or hearing results will need to be provided from their physician.
If you have any concerns about your child’s vision or hearing, please contact our school nurse. Questions about the screenings should be directed to the Health Services office at 650-526-3500 ext. 1050.
Math Festival - Tuesday, November 14, 2023 6:00-7:30 pm Vargas MUR
Please join us for our first math festival at Vargas Elementary School. This is an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the joy of math.
The mission of Julia Robinson Math Festival (jrmf.org) is to help all students build confidence, joy, and a positive identity around math. The students and their families will explore a variety of fun, hands-on, Common Core-aligned math puzzles and games.
Winter Clothes Donations
It's finally time to get the warm clothes out of the closet! If you find items that are too small for your kids, or you just don't want them anymore, please bring them to the Vargas office and we will find them a good home. Baby and adult clothes are also needed.
Clean and gently used clothes only, please. Nothing with stains or permanent damage. We will donate these items to families in need in our community. We will be collecting donations until Friday, November 3, 2023. Thank you!
Lost and Found
The lost and found rack is getting full again, please take a look to see if any items belong to your child. The last day to claim any items is Thursday, October 19th. Anything left after dismissal will be donated.
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DISTRICT NEWS
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Oct. 19 at 6:00 p.m. Agenda here
Some of the topics include:
For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.
Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement
Each year, our schools create Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs or “site plans”) that guide the work for the coming year. These plans help us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students. In the fall, elected parent representatives from School Site Councils and English Language Advisory Committees work with principals and school staff members to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. Parents and staff members may give feedback through Oct. 26 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.
Parent University Speaker Series Presents
Parenting in the Digital Era - Supporting Dialogue and Strategies for Building Healthy Tech Habits
Date and Time: October 24, 2023, 5:30-7:00 pm Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu102423
One of our favorite nonprofit organizations is back! Information presented by My Digital TAT2 will empower parents to navigate the complexities of raising tech-savvy, digitally responsible children. We will address common tech issues such as digital “perfection”, misinformation, and things you might not know about popular apps and platforms.
Parents will gain crucial strategies that will support open dialogue and cultivate healthy tech habits among all family members.
To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your questions during the session.
MVWSD Preschool Enrollment
MVWSD’s award-winning preschool has a limited number of part-day state preschool spaces still available at Latham. These spaces are free for all 3- and 4-year-olds living within the Castro Elementary School boundary. Families can get an application at mvwsd.org/preschool, stop by the preschool office (1850 Latham St.) or call 650-526-3560.
Better Together: October
Cultural appreciation is an acknowledgment and celebration of the rich and diverse tapestry of human heritage that exists around the world. Indigenous Peoples' Month, observed in various regions, highlights the unique cultures, traditions, and contributions of indigenous communities. It serves as an opportunity for all of us to learn, respect, and honor the invaluable knowledge, customs, and wisdom that indigenous peoples have preserved for generations. We are #BetterTogetherMVWSD. For more information about Better Together, visit mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD.
MVEF Community Survey
MVEF is seeking input from the community via the annual online survey, which will be open throughout October: http://bit.ly/MVEF-Survey
As a community-funded foundation where over 70% of donations come from families, your input is a very important part of the planning process for future MVEF-funded programs. If donations to MVEF approach the annual goal of $1.2MM by December 31, 2023, MVEF may be able to add additional programs in 2024.
MVEF has raised just shy of $400,000 -- donate today if you haven't already: https://www.mvef.org/donate. THANK YOU MVEF donors and volunteers!
Mentor Tutor Connection: Volunteer Info Session Here
MENTOR TUTOR CONNECTION - VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION - Wed., Oct. 18, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm, El Camino YMCA, 2400 Grant Rd, Mountain View. Please join us and learn about becoming a mentor and/or a tutor in the Mountain View and Los Altos public schools. Help a local student to a brighter future! To register go to www.mentortutorconnection.org/events - or email [email protected].
The View Teen Center: October Here
The View Teen Center is a free facility in Mountain View (263 Escuela Ave) for all Mountain View and Los Altos 6th - 12th grade students. Drop-in hours are Monday - Friday, 3:15 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 - 6 p.m. (on no school days or minimum days, The View Teen Center is open 1-6 p.m.), and the center features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs in October or visit their webpage for more information.
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PTA News
Walkathon - November 3rd, 12:15-3:30PM
Step right up for our carnival-themed Vargas Walkathon on Friday, November 3! This is a minimum day, and the after-school portion of the event runs from 12:15-3:30pm. Our students will embark on a thrilling walkathon adventure, walking laps to earn exciting prizes while contributing to the PTA's annual budget. But that's not all! There's even more fun to be had with food trucks, games, and a fantastic photo booth.
To ensure a fun, safe event, please do the following:
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Sign the PTA Participation Waiver, required by the PTA's insurer and applicable for ALL PTA Events during the 2023-24 school year.
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Sign the Walkathon Permission Form, to let teachers know if your student will stay on-campus at school dismissal.
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Volunteers NEEDED: You can easily sign up through Konstella (link here) to become a part of the Walkathon team. We appreciate all the help!
Join us for an unforgettable day of fun, community, and fundraising.... See you at the carnival!
Membership Drive - Popsicle Party Winners
Congratulations to Room 1, 3, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13 who’ve earned a popsicle party for reaching our goals in the membership drive! Also, a big thank you to all the families, teachers and staff who have joined and donated as well. We truly value your support!
While our membership drive has ended, we continue to welcome new members and donations (corporate matching where available) throughout the school year. It’s never too late to become a member and support the school.
Konstella
Konstella is our main PTA tool to share information with our Vargas community. It's free and you don’t need to be a PTA member to join. Stay in the loop– sign up for Konstella here.
Website
Find links to membership, Konstella, gear shop and volunteer opportunities on our website. https://www.javargaspta.org/home
Kimberly Cheng, and the PTA Executive Board
[email protected]
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