Wise Word, 03/16/2022

Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

Next week is the start of the Read-a-Thon. On Friday, March 11, 2022, we sent home the following Kick-Off Kit with your student. (Click here) Additionally, our PTA made this fun video to help us understand how the Read-A-Thon works and how to create your Read-A-Thon page.  

 

The Read-a-Thon is a great way for our PTA to raise money, and more importantly, the Read-a-Thon is an excellent way for our students to immerse themselves in reading. Please join us in making this a successful experience, by encouraging reading at home. 

 

There are several ways students can engage in reading including physical, digital, and  audiobooks, virtual read aloud, and physical and virtual story time. Our PTA has created a page for parents to submit and access stories in a variety of languages. (Click here), students can access free programs, such Epic Reading, and Reading A-Z through Clever. I will be hosting Storytime on Tuesday, March 22 and Tuesday, March 29 at 7:00PM. Click here to register.

 

 Thank you so much for your support in making this another successful Read-a-Thon. 

 

 

Important Updates:

 

Updated COVID guidelines - Flyer

Due to falling case rates and updated public health guidance from the county and state, effective now, MVWSD has loosened some COVID restrictions. The most notable change is outdoor masking is recommended but will no longer be required. Masks will remain required indoors for now.  Please see this webpage and the attached infographic for more details about the changes to COVID protocols.

 

 

In Partnership, 


Principal Vern Taylor


Events Calendar

 

  • March

16 - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here

21- Read-A-Thon Kick Off 

22- Story Time with Principal Taylor, 7:00PM  Register Here

23 - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here

23 - SSC Meeting - Virtual, 5:00pm - 6:00pm - Register Here

24 - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00pm - 10:00pm

25 -  Principals Coffee, 8:30am - 9:30am - Register Here

25 - Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

29 - Story Time with Principal Taylor, 7:00PM  Register Here

30 -  Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here

 

  • April

6 - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
7 - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00pm - 10:00pm -
8 - Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - 4:30pm

11 to 15 - Spring Break - No School 

 



In this Newsletter

School News:

  • Golden Ticket Winners

  • Earth Hour

  • School Spirit Week

  • Read-a-Thon

  • Morning Drop-off and Afternoon Pick-up

  • Water Bottles

  • Coaches Corner: Reading is all around us! Scavenger Hunt

  • Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

District News:

  • March Better Together Infographic - Flyer 

  • LAHS Writers Week - Community Read event

  • The Talk: “The Culture of Success” on Mar. 16th

  • MVHS Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk: March 18th - Flyer

  • SCCOE Career Exploration for Middle School Parents - Flyer

  • March CAC Announcements - Flyer

  • MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series: Scott Schimmel, Tue. March 22 - Flyer

  • Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Belly Breathing

  • Get your tickets to the MVEF Spring Gala “The Art of Words”

  • MVHS Spartans Sports Camp: Registration Open - Flyer


PTA News:

  • Readathon

  • Scholastic Book Fair - March 28 - April 1

  • PTA Roles

  • Konstella

 


Golden Ticket Winners - Week of 3/14/2022
Tyson W.         RM: 1         Caleb C.          RM: 13
Theodore F.     RM: 2        Aliana L.          RM: 13
Anthony L.     RM: 4        Selena V.           RM: 14
Sohum J.        RM: 5        George I.           RM: 15
Abigail K.      RM: 6        Abby D.            RM: 15
Milana K.      RM: 9        Leah M.             RM: 15
Aaria M.       RM: 10       Hayk D.            RM: 16
Eric C.          RM: 11       Hayden S.         RM: 17

The Vargas Way - Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be an Upstander.

 

What are Golden Tickets?

Students earn Golden Tickets from teachers and staff when they are following the Vargas Way. What is 

The Vargas Way? Click here for an in depth view. 


Earth Hour
Every year, at 8:30pm on the last Saturday of March, supporters in over 190 countries and territories unite, taking action on and raising awareness of the issues facing our one home. 

But Earth Hour is more than just an hour for Earth - it's a movement for our own futures, for the benefit of people and planet.

 

And it's not only a symbol of solidarity - it's a catalyst for change, harnessing the power of the crowd. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbg97CnFf8c


School Spirit Week

School Spirit Week: 3/21-3/25

March 21

Monday

March 22

Tuesday

March 23

Wednesday

March 24

Thursday

March 25

Friday

Vargas Green Day!


Wear your school gear or green items.

Scrabble Day


Tape a letter to your shirt, and make words with friends throughout the day!

Sports Day


Represent your favorite sport or team with uniforms, jerseys, or team shirts.

Multicultural Day


Wear cultural dress, or items from your favorite destination or trip.

Pajama Day/

Stuffie


Roll out of bed to school in your PJ’s, and bring a stuffie if you want!


Read-a-Thon

Please mark your calendars for Jose Antonio Vargas’s third annual Read-a-Thon!

  • Read-A-Thon Kick Off -Monday, March 21st 

  • Read-A-Thon Activities Week- March 21- April 3, 2022


What is a Read-A-Thon

A Read-a-thon Fundraiser is a way to raise money by getting people to support students who spend a few weeks focusing on reading. It is the perfect school fundraiser because it does not require students to do anything other than what they are already doing at school.

The best schools allocate specific reading time already being done and use that reading time as reading sessions. Others might ask students to read at home. Where and when the reader reads is not extremely important. The fundraiser is based on the fact that a student is committed to reading more than normal.


The Read-A-Thon runs for two weeks. There’ll be author visits and local community readers visiting our students, fun activities, and a chance to win prizes. Be on the look-out for fun-themed activities and let’s read, read, read!


Morning drop-off and Afternoon Pick-up

Be safe and respectful: 

  • If driving to campus, only use the drop off/pickup lane closest to the sidewalk. Do NOT let your child exit or enter your car on the second lane. A safer option is to park on campus and walk in together.

  • Pull all the way forward and have your child exit quickly.

  • If you need to get out of the vehicle to assist your child, pull all the way forward to the front of the line. 

  • Give bicyclists space. The law requires that you provide at least 3 feet of distance between the car and the bicyclist.

  • If walking to campus, only cross the street at the crosswalks.  

Water Bottles

Please send your child to school with a water bottle daily. Because of our COVID precautions, we do not allow students to drink directly from our water fountains. They can refill their water bottles, but we do not have extras to hand out. Please write your child’s name on the bottle, so it can be returned if misplaced.

Coaches Corner: Reading is all around us! Scavenger Hunt

It’s time for a scavenger hunt! 


First, remind your student that reading is found in so many places: in a cookbook, on a menu, when looking at directions, reading a manual. Reading is all around us and a part of daily life! 


Next, create a scavenger hunt for your student (example below). Have your student find examples of reading in their daily lives. Once they have found all of the items on the list, provide your student with a new book as a prize!

Example Scavenger Hunt:
1) A recipe with more than 5 steps. 

2) A manual for putting together furniture.

3) An instruction pamphlet for a toy or electronic device. 

4) A description on a shampoo bottle. 

5) Ingredients on an item from the grocery store. 

6) A mailing address on a package or envelope. 

7) A park sign with information or a list of animals. 

 

Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

Join me today for our informal Principal Office Hours (virtual) from 4pm - 5:00pm. Feel free to drop in if you have any questions or if you just want to chat. For office hours, there is no formal agenda, it is a time for you to stop in to say hello, and for us to get to know each other better! I look forward to meeting you!

 

Register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

 

 


District News

March Better Together Infographic - Flyer
When women succeed, we all succeed. The same can be said for any of our community members who have felt the sting of marginalization or oppression. On International Women’s Day, let us appreciate all of the women and girls in our lives and the many intersecting identities that make them who they are. Let us never stop fighting for a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. After all, we are #BetterTogether. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

LAHS Writers Week - Community Read event

From March 15-18, Los Altos High School is holding the 37th annual Writers Week event, which brings a diverse and inspiring lineup of writers, poets, and journalists to LAHS English classrooms. This year’s Community Read features New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman in discussion with a panel of LAHS students about his books. This event will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. Please RSVP via this Eventbrite link to be sent the Zoom information prior to the event. Read more about our other Writers Week visiting writers here: 2022 Writers Week.


The Talk: “The Culture of Success” on Mar. 16th

“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” is a common phrase used in American political discourse, particularly around self-reliance and emotional resilience. Today’s culture of success was built upon our ideas, beliefs, and values. However, the pandemic and resulting shifts in our daily lives have called us to reflect on our foundational beliefs about the success and emotional resilience of our children. Let's talk about it.


You are cordially invited to MVWSD’s next Roundtable event: “The Talk: The Culture of Success – Our Beliefs About Success and Emotional Resilience” on Wednesday, March 16 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Register at: http://mvw.sd/talk316.


MVHS Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk: March 18th - Flyer

MVHS Ambassadors have organized an Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk on Friday, March 18th, from 5:30-7:30 pm on the MVHS Track. The walk is inspired by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Out of the Darkness program, and is being held to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention and to show community solidarity in our goal of becoming more supportive to those struggling with mental health issues. There will be speakers, performances, introductions to partnership agencies, and a lantern-lighting ceremony to close the event. Registration information: url.mvhs.io/outofdarkness


SCCOE Career Exploration for Middle School Parents - Flyer

Join the Santa Clara County Office of Education virtually on March 24th from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.to explore future career options for your middle schooler. Parents will learn about the 15 Industry Sectors and the courses designed for career success, in addition to the Career Pathways at Santa Clara County High Schools and Community Colleges including Early College Credit. The session will be conducted in English with Spanish interpretation available. Registration for this free event: https://na.eventscloud.com/670621


March CAC Announcements - Flyer

SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org


3/30 Wednesday 17-8:30 pm  Evening Let’s Talk -  IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrce6qrz8vGdNbIywjg1vppQq3tHwvruYI


MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series: Scott Schimmel, Tue. March 22 - Flyer

Join the MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series on Tuesday, March 22nd from 7:00 - 9:00pm for Scott Schimmel’s talk, “Critical Foundations: The questions every kid must answer to build a meaningful life.” In this interactive presentation, you will learn about the critical questions every kid must answer to build the three pillars of a meaningful life- identity, purpose, and belonging, reflect on your parenting style and make adjustments to what your kid(s) need now, and put together an actionable plan to more effectively engage your kids in discussion. Register for this free event.

Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Belly Breathing

Our mood is influenced by physical sensations in our body. When we feel stressed, we tend to take quick and shallow breaths. By taking slow and deep breaths, we can signal our body to relax.


Watch this video to learn more about how belly breathing can help your child (or you) feel more relaxed. 


To belly breathe:


  1. Choose a comfortable position, such as sitting on a chair or laying on your back.

  2. Place one hand on your belly.

  3. Take a deep breath in through your nose while you count to four. As you breathe in, your belly should rise.

  4. Hold your breath while you count to five.

  5. Breathe out through your mouth while you count to six. As you breathe out, your belly should flatten.

You may need to repeat these steps for 5-10 minutes before you start to feel relaxed. By practicing these steps, you can learn to relax after stressful situations.


Get your tickets to the MVEF Spring Gala “The Art of Words”

Join MVEF on Saturday, April 23 for a lively evening that includes dinner, fundraising, and trivia in support of our schools.  Individual tickets are $125.  (Reduced to $110 until March 20!)  Join us from home with a single virtual login for trivia plus access to online fundraising for $50.  Find more information at https://www.mvef.org/ or https://secure.qgiv.com/event/mvefgala/


MVHS Spartans Sports Camp: Registration Open - Flyer

Spartans Sports Camp is proud to announce that registration for Summer Camp 2022 is now open. Camp will run Jun 13-July 29 this summer, and include sports, performing arts, and academic enrichment camps. Spartans Sports Camp is operated entirely by the MVHS Athletic Department and all proceeds go directly to support the sports programs at MVHS. For more information and registration, visit www.SpartansSportsCamp.com.

 



PTA News

 

Readathon

The Readathon starts next Monday, March 21st and our theme this year is Read Around the World! Readathon packets were sent home with students last Friday and it has all the details on how to track students reading minutes, how to create students fundraising page, prizes, events and more! The Readathon is our main fundraiser for all the programs PTA supports at our school and a great way to get kids reading and build community spirit. 

How to get started:

  1. Read the packet that came home with your student or find all the information on our website: https://www.javargaspta.org/read-a-thon-2022

  2. Create a fundraising page for your student on 99Pledges and share with family and friends. https://app.99pledges.com/fund/javargas2022/addme

  3. Check out our virtual story time and if you like share a video of your students favourite book or a story in another language. https://www.javargaspta.org/read-a-thon-2022/virtual-storytime

  4. Have your student design and submit their “Read Around the World” bookmark. Templates available in the packets and online. Winning entry will get printed and distributed to all students.

 

If you have any questions or need any assistance please contact us at [email protected]

 

Read on Golden Owls!

 

Scholastic Book Fair - March 28 - April 1

COMING SOON: We are excited to hold our spring Book Fair IN PERSON in the MUR! Our Book Fair will kick off on Monday, March 28, and run for one whole week!

 

Support our kids' love for reading AND earn rewards for our school. You’ll have access to best-selling books, collections, educational toys, games, and more.  

 

We hope to see you there. Remember, all purchases benefit our school.

 

PTA Roles

The PTA needs to fill some positions for our spring elections. The open positions are treasurer, secretary, historian, and parliamentarian.  Please refer to this document that describes the responsibilities of these roles and other volunteer options. Please contact myself or kinder parent and nominating chair Lara Gill ([email protected]) if you are interested in knowing more about the positions and job descriptions.

 

Konstella

Konstella is our main communication tool. The PTA will post information about meetings, events and volunteer opportunities. You will also be able to communicate with other families from your child's classroom.

Use this link to register: https://www.konstella.com/cd/XGJHYL

 

Shannon Lundin, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]

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