Hello Golden Owls,
The end of the trimester is just around the corner. Friday, November 5, 2021, marks the end of the first trimester. It is also a minimum day for students, dismissal will be at 11:55am. I am so proud of the effort and work that our community has put into making this an excellent first trimester for the school year. Parents, students, teachers, and staff have worked hard to create an excellent learning environment for all of our students. Thank you for all of your effort and partnership over these past few months.
Please join me on Friday for my Principal’s Coffee. I will be providing updates on our School Site Plan and the Learning Recovery Plan. (Click here to register)
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
School News:
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Golden Ticket Winners
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Important Reminders
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Weather Reminder
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After school Virtual Halloween Parade 10/29 @ 3:00pm
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Coach’s Corner
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Last Call - Lost and Found
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MV Public Library Author Visit
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Is your child feeling sick?
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Gift Card Donation
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Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
Flyers:
District News:
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Parent University: Supporting Literacy Grades 3-8
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Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement
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Trick or Treating for Donations with MVEF
PTA News:
Golden Ticket Winners - Week of 10/25/2021
Reyna F. RM: 1 Ishkirat S. RM: 10
Hanna P. RM: 2 Meher D RM: 11
Maxwell L. RM: 3 Jezebel A. RM: 13
Ananya B. RM: 4 Izzy M. RM: 14
Taylor W. RM: 5 Jaiden W. RM: 15
Miroslava G RM: 6 Alejandra R. RM: 16
Ada D. RM: 9 Soeren C. RM: 17
Ms. O Library
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
Important Reminders:
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Please complete the OKtoReopen Screener BEFORE children come on campus or by 7:30am
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Pack a filled water bottle
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Masks are required for staff and students on campus, please ensure your child comes with a mask at drop off and pack a few more in their backpack it gets dirty or breaks
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Send everything your child needs for the day: snack, lunch, filled water bottle, sweater, homework, instrument
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Please practice with and remind your students that they need to wash or sanitize their hands after coughing or blowing their noses.
Weather Reminder
Please know that we will continue to eat outside and play outside as much as possible, even on days when it has rained. Make sure your child is dress appropriately for the cooler weather.
- If it is actively raining during the eating time, please know that students will be eating in their classroom.
- If it is raining at morning drop-off, students will report directly to their classrooms.
- If it is raining at dismissal time: We will have the normal pickup routine for pedestrians. For parents who are picking up via car, we will bring students out to the parking lot as usual. Please remember to be patient as we put the rainy day procedure into place. Be prepared for student pick up and drop off to take extra time on rainy days.
After school Virtual Halloween Parade 10/29 @ 3:00pm
The virtual Halloween parade will take place after school at 3:00 on October 29, 2021. If you would like to join us for the virtual celebration, Please click here. Can’t wait to see OWL of you! Thank you to all those who sent in their pictures to [email protected].
Please note: Our school does not have any school-wide event that asks students to wear costumes during the day of 10/29; however, if students want to wear costumes for 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.
Coach’s Corner
Students have access to over 40000 of the best books and audiobooks at home with Epic! Students can log on to Epic directly through their Clever portal. Epic is a learning digital reading platform, and has a vast collection of high-quality books for students 12 and under. Encourage your student to explore Epic at home and build their reading confidence with books they love!
For directions on How to Access Clever at home using a browser, Click Here
LAST CALL - Lost and Found
Our Lost and Found Rack is filling up quickly with nice sweaters, water bottles, lunch boxes that miss their owner. If items are not claimed by Friday, 10/29 they will be donated.
Our Lost and Found Rack can be found in the following places:
MV Public Library Author Visit
Matt de la Peña is the New York Times bestselling, Newbery medal winning author of seven YA novels. His picture book The Last Stop on Market Street won the Newbery Medal Award in 2016.
Through Zoom, Matt will join librarian Maynard Martinez and speak to tweens about his journey from reluctant reader to author and the power of education.
Registration is required.
Date: Tuesday, November 2, 2021
Time: 3:30pm - 4:00pm
Location: Online
Presenter: Matt de la Peña
(Repeat) Is your child feeling sick?
Please keep your child home if they are not feeling well. Signs to look for are headaches, runny noses, sore throats, fever etc… If your child has any of those symptoms, we will need a negative COVID test before returning to school. We want to ensure the safety of all children and staff. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping your child home to get the rest they need to recover. For more information about our district and county guidelines for quarantine and COVID testing, click here.
(Repeat) Gift Card Donation
As you may know, there are several families in our district that need help to meet some basic needs. The district is providing meals every day. But some families need more support for providing food, clothes and shoes for their kids. There is a critical need for gift cards for these families. If you are able, please consider donating a Safeway or Target gift card to families in our own district. Thank you so much for your help! Let’s show these families how strong and supportive our Vargas community really is!
Please bring the gift cards to the office. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Bea, School and Community Engagement Facilitator – SCEF- at [email protected].
(Repeat) Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
Join me Wednesday, November 3rd for our informal Principal Office Hours (virtual) from 4pm -5pm. 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!
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
29th - Principal’s Coffee, 8:30am - 9:30am - Register Here
29th - Virtual Halloween Parade - 3:00pm - 3:30pm (Click here to join)
1st - Lifetouch Picture Retakes
2nd - ELAC Meeting (rescheduled from 10/26), 6:00pm - 7:00pm - Register Here
3rd - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
4th - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00pm - 10:00pm
5th - End of Trimester - Minimum Day - Dismissal 11:55am
5th - Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
10th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
10th - SSC Virtual Meeting, 5:00pm - 6:30pm
11th - Veteran’s Day Holiday - No School
17th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
18th - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00pm - 10:00pm
19th - Principal’s Coffee, 8:30am - 9:30am
19th - Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
22nd - 26th - Thanksgiving Holiday Recess - No School
1st - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
Parent University: Supporting Literacy Grades 3-8
Date: October 27, 2021 Time: 5:30-7:00pm
“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body” - Joseph Addison.
Join Instructional Coaches Melanie Stanley, and Katie Stern share creative tips and strategies to better support your child in their literacy skills. By supporting your child’s literacy you can take part in developing their reading ability, comprehension, and language skills. To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
Note: While this presentation is tailored towards families with children in third grade and above, all are welcome. If you’d like to see a presentation that is aimed more toward families with younger students, check out the recording of last year’s literacy-focused Parent University event.
Learn and Make A-Z Animals: Halloween Edition: Learn about some of nature's creepier creatures just in time for Halloween, on Thursday, October 28th from 4-4:45pm. Are spiders really dangerous to humans? Why are bats associated with vampires? Let's find out together. For children grades 2-5 on Zoom. We will do a craft together at the end of our learning journey. Registration Required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.
Day of the Dead Balloon Skull Decoration: In celebration of Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos the library will host a virtual program on Monday, November 1st from 4-4:40 p.m. on Zoom. Tweens (ages 9-12) will learn about the Day of the Dead and how it's celebrated. Then, balloon skulls will be decorated while festive music is played in the background. Registration Required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.
Learn and Listen with Matt de la Peña: Matt de la Peña, bestselling author and national award winner will speak to tweens about his journey from reluctant reader to author and the power of education. Happening Tuesday, November 2nd from 3:30- 4 p.m. on Zoom for children ages 9-12. Registration Required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.
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 Nov. 19 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.
Trick or Treating for Donations with MVEF
BOO! Don't be afraid, you still have time to donate to MVEF! We are trick or treating for donations for MVWSD! Each and every year we rely on generous donors like you to help MVEF fund programming and experiences at your school and every school in the district, ensuring that your child and every child has an inspiring, well-rounded education. MVEF funds Music, Art, Science, Middle School Sports and Electives helping to create a competitive, well-rounded education. Please see our website at mvef.org for more information and to donate online. You can also use your credit card to pay in monthly installments.
Membership Drive
We are still waiting for more families to join our PTA! Memberships cost $11 and additional donations are very appreciated! Donations will help pay for community engagement events, assemblies, author visits, educational subscriptions, teacher reimbursements for classroom materials, field trips, Ms. Bea’s scholarship program, and teacher appreciation. Classrooms that reach 80% membership participation will get a popsicle party and 3 people who register through November will be entered in a raffle to win some Vargas spirit wear. We have 152 members, so we need your participation to reach our goal! Please join and make a contribution: https://jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta
PTA Parent Coffee - New date
On Monday, November 1, 8am to 9am join us after drop-off for a PTA parent coffee at Chetwood Park (345 Flower Ln, Mountain View). You're gonna need to caffeinate after Halloween night so come grab a free coffee from the PTA! Stay and chat or grab a cup and say a quick hello on your way to work.
Get Involved
A great way to get involved this year is to become a room parent. We still need volunteers for room 8, 11, 15, 16 & 17! Sign up here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1VmB94ytD0ck24ygVjFXIjAKcElWOoP1HlW0Nm6P0_2A/edit
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]