Wise Word - 09/09/2020

Principal’s Message:

Dear Golden Owls,

I hope you enjoyed your extended weekend break. I wanted to take this opportunity to recognize our staff this week. The Vargas Staff has been working tirelessly to ensure that our students are getting the best education possible while also learning new skills themselves. I know we have many areas to improve, but in our first month of school, I believe it is also important to celebrate our wins. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to share something positive with your child’s teacher, STEAM teachers, front office staff, instructional aides, RSP providers, custodians, lunch providers, or any other staff member who has had a positive impact for your family this school year. A brief moment of your time could create a lasting impact on our staff’s day or week. 

 

Thank you you for supporting our school and students,

Mr. Taylor


Events Calendar

  • 9/9 - Principal’s Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 9/16 - Principal’s Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 9/16 - SSC Virtual Meeting, 5pm -6pm

  • 9/17 - PTA - Dine Out for Vargas: Pizza My Heart, 4pm - 9pm

  • 9/17 -  MVWSD Board of Trustee Meeting, 6pm - 10pm

  • 9/18 - ELAC Virtual Meeting, 4pm

  • 9/23 - Principal’s Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 9/25 - Principal’s Virtual Coffee, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

 


In this Newsletter

School News

  • Golden Ticket Winners 

  • SSC Election

  • New Attendance Guidelines Starts this week

  • Materials Distribution Kinder, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade only - Pick up this week

  • Lost & Found Items from last School Year

  • Reminder: Old Chromebooks & Library Books

  • Technology Support 

District News

  • Distance Learning tip

  • ThoughtExchange

  • Free Student Meals - Flyer here

  • MV Parent U on Sept. 9: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy - Register here

  • Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Information Session - September 10th

  • Public hearing on Sept. 17: Sufficient instructional materials

  • The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series - Flyer here


PTA News

  • Teacher & Staff Appreciation

  • Save the Date - Dine Out for Vargas: Pizza My Heart

  • Become a Member

  • Vargas Spirit Wear

  • Amazon

 


Golden Ticket Winners - Week  9/7/2020

Martin D            RM: 1              Duru P              RM:11

Lachlan M         RM: 2              Clara K             RM: 13

Rohan O            RM: 3              Eliana M          RM: 14

Shanaya J         RM: 4              Danna Z           RM: 15

Sushrut J          RM: 6              Tate W              RM: 16

Sophia H          RM: 8               Isabella K         RM: 17

Advay D           RM: 10              Mrs. Dux          RM:1

You can stop by the office to pick up your prize! You may stop by on Monday or Wednesday from 11:30am to 2:00pm.

School Site Council Vote

Please see the links below to provide your vote for members of the School Site Council for Vargas Elementary School. Please submit this school ballot online, to the school office or by email [email protected] by 4 PM on Wednesday, September 16, 2020.


School Site Council (SSC) Ballot (English PDF) or (Vote online)


If you prefer a printed ballot, please contact the front office.


Materials Distribution for  Kindergarten, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Only 


Pick up this week Thursday 9/10 and Friday 9/11, from 7:30am - 12:30pm - please see below

Kindergarten, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Families, we will be handing out more materials for your grade level. 

  • Kindergarten: Kinder hands-on work packets

  • 3rd grade: Book, Riding Freedom

  • 4th grade: Book, Wonder and Recorder for Music 

  • 5th grade: Book, Sign of the Beaver


Please write your child’s first and last name, along with their grade level on a piece of paper and place it on your passenger window. Please drive up to the main office, a staff member will greet you with a mask and gloves, and place the items in your trunk.


Please plan to pick up your child’s materials during the following time blocks on Thursday, September 10, 2020

Time

7:30-8:45

8:45-10:00

10:00-11:15

11:15- 12:30

Last Name

Last Name

A-D

Last Name

E-L

Last Name

M-R

Last Name

S-Z

*The names and times are spaced such that we do not have all families coming to campus at one time. This serves to limit the number of interactions.


Please plan to pick up your child’s materials during the following time blocks on Friday, September 11, 2020

Time

7:30-8:45

8:45-10:00

10:00-11:15

11:15- 12:30

Last Name

Last Name

A-D

Last Name

E-L

Last Name

M-R

Last Name

S-Z

*The names and times are spaced such that we do not have all families coming to campus at one time. This serves to limit the number of interactions.

 

New Attendance Guidelines

Due to new state guidance, beginning Sept 8, there will be some changes to how our school is required to count and monitor student attendance.

 

It’s important to know that school attendance during distance learning is mandatory. If your student will be absent, please report it by calling or emailing us as soon as possible. If your child is having difficulty with distance learning, please let us know. We want to help.

 

Changes to attendance monitoring beginning Sept 8:

  • Elementary teachers will check in with students at the beginning of the day. Attendance will be taken at the end of the day every day, including Wednesdays. 

  • Students will no longer get a separate participation grade in Google Classroom. Attendance and participation scores are now combined and can be viewed by parents in Powerschool under “attendance history.”

  • If you don’t report your student’s absence, we will be calling you to determine the reason for the absence.

 

For more information about attendance, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/attendance


Lost and Found from Last School Year

We have a few bins with sweaters and other items in our lost and found from last school year. The bins will be outside the MUR, this week and next week, starting tomorrow from 7:30am to 3:00pm if you would like to stop by and see if your child left any items please do so within those times. Any items not claimed by Friday, September 18th will be donated. 


Reminder: Old Chromebooks & Library Books

If you have an old chromebook or a library book from last year, please drop it off during the materials pick-up: this week Thursday 9/10 and Friday 9/11, from 7:30am - 12:30pm, or during the Lost and Found times: this week and next week, starting tomorrow from 7:30am to 3:00pm.

Technology Support:

If you are having problems with the chromebook you can contact: [email protected] to create a ServiceNow ticket or call the Tech Department at

(650) 526-3252.


If it's not device/hardware related or account related, and more about using a program, please contact Marissa Hamaguchi, Tech Coach, ([email protected]) or call/text (650) 336-5863.

 


District News

Distance Learning tip

Distance Learning tip: How can I set sound alerts so that my student doesn’t miss a class meeting?

To have sound, Chromebook users will need to make sure their Google Calendar settings are set correctly. The instructions below will show how to change the notification setting.

 

- Go to the following page: calendar.google.com/calendar/r/settings

- On the left side of the page under "General" choose "Event Settings"

- Make sure the "Notifications" are set to "Desktop Notifications" and that the play notification sounds button is checked.

 

This should have the calendar play sound when events trigger.

 

ThoughtExchange

Join the MVWSD conversation: Distance Learning: What's working?

We’re now up to 1200 thoughts so far in our online conversation about Distance Learning.  Now that we've been distance learning for several weeks due to COVID-19, in your opinion, what’s working well and what are our areas of improvement?

 

Before Thursday, Sept 17: Please take some time to participate or rejoin the conversation to start thoughts entered since you were there last. You may participate in this exchange by clicking on this link: http://mvw.sd/TE. Translation is available in multiple languages.  Your input will help us further improve and refine our plans as we move into the future.refine our plans as we move into the future.

 

Free Student Meals - Flyer Here

The free meal program has been extended! (flyers attached) During Distance Learning, free meals are again available to all children in the Mountain View Whisman School District age 18 and younger. No IDs required. Locations: All schools, except Stevenson (pickup for Stevenson is at Theuerkauf). Times: 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at the elementary schools. 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the middle schools. Walk, drive or roll up to grab a free meal and go! Parents should continue to go here https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ to apply for free or reduced price meal benefits through the National Lunch Program, if needed. 

 

MV Parent U on Sept. 9: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy - Register here

Join us on Wednesday, September 9 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for our next Parent University event: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy from Home.

 

MVWSD Instructional Coaches Karen Gordon and Natalie Gallagher will share several resourceful strategies for supporting reading, writing, listening, and speaking at home during distance learning:

  • Easy activities to boost your child's reading engagement 

  • Creative ways to encourage and support writing using four text types (expository/informative, narrative, opinion, argumentative)

  • Fostering listening skills to be able to extract key information

  • Cultivating speaking skills using academic vocabulary

  • Tips to prepare your child for ELPAC testing

 

Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Information Session - September 10th

You can change the life of a student!

Come learn about volunteer opportunities to Mentor high school students and Tutor students in grades K-8  in our Mountain View and Los Altos schools.

Becoming a Mentor or Tutor will add joy to your life and help a student in our local community to a brighter future!

There is no obligation to sign up as a volunteer.  You're welcome to just come and learn more about what we do.

 

Please note: Mentor Tutor programs are currently remote and will remain so until students are back in school and the school district permits volunteers in the classroom

 

All volunteers must be high school graduates.  

Date:           Thursday, September 10th

Time:           5:00 - 6:00 pm

Location:     Online via Zoom (URL provided upon registration)

Register:   REGISTER ONLINE  

Questions: [email protected]

Information: MentorTutorConnection.org

 

Public hearing on Sept. 17: Sufficient instructional materials

A public hearing will be held in order to comply with Ed Code section 60119 on September 17, 2020 to detail the extent to which text books and instructional materials were provided to all students, including English Learners.

 

The definition of “sufficient textbooks or instructional materials” means that each pupil has textbooks or instructional materials, or both to use in class and to take home in each of the following subjects:

• Mathematics

• Science

• History/Social Science

• Language Arts

The public hearing on September 17, 2020 at 7:00pm will be held during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. To view details about accessing the meeting either online or by phone, please click on the September 17 agenda link on this webpage: https://www.mvwsd.org/about/board_of_trustees/board_meetings

 

The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series - Flyer here

The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series presents: Jeff Selingo on "Who Gets In and Why:  A Year Inside the College Admissions Process" on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online | Zoom

 

Join us for an insightful evening with journalist and higher education expert Jeff Selingo, as he dispels entrenched notions about the college admissions process. 

 

While many have long believed that college admissions decisions are driven largely by merit, Jeff presents a more complicated truth.   Embedded in three distinctly different admissions offices — a selective private university, a leading liberal arts college, and a flagship public campus — Jeff closely observed college admission officers as they made their often agonizing and sometimes life-changing decisions.

 

Based on a year of reading applications and sitting through committee meetings where up and down votes were taken, Jeff reveals what really matters to the gatekeepers and how their ultimate decisions are often based on a college’s priorities.  Following interviews with students, testing agencies, marketers, and ranking organizations, Jeff also shares practical advice and helpful strategies for navigating the confusing, chaotic, and often-times stressful college application process.  

 

Audience:  High school parents and students; teachers and counselors

Register: To register for this free event, go to https://mvla2020-21-jeffselingo.eventbrite.com

Book:  Jeff's new book, Who Gets In and Why, will be released Sept. 15th and is available with free shipping from Books, Inc.  Jeff is generously offering our community a 30% discount + free shipping for pre-orders made directly through him. If interested, use code MVLA30.

 

Event Login:  We will send the Zoom link via Eventbrite email, Thursday afternoon, October 1st. 

If you have not used Zoom before, please make sure to allow a few extra minutes before the event to download the free Zoom app.    

Sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.

 


Vargas PTA

Teacher & Staff Appreciation

Last Thursday the PTA provided lunch for all the teachers and staff as our way of saying “thank you” for being amazing!  We hope to continue to provide appreciation throughout the year.


Save the date 

Our first Dine Out for Vargas night is Thursday, September 17th at Pizza My Heart on El Monte Avenue, from 4pm - 9pm. It's easy to support the school by ordering dinner and mentioning our dining out night.  30% of sales get donated back to JA Vargas PTA. 


Become a Member!  

The PTA has a goal of 300 members this year and we are 1/3 of the way there.  Joining is easy – click here and join online


Do you have your JA Vargas Spirit Wear yet?

Do you have your JA Vargas Spirit Wear yet? Lots of great options and make sure your students wear Vargas Green on Mondays to show our school spirit! Here's a link to purchase spirit wear that supports your school! 


Amazon

If you shop through Amazon, please shop through the Amazon Smile portal for Vargas: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/90-1257353 A percentage of sales through this link goes back to the school.
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