Principal’s Message:
Hello Golden Owls,
February is Black History Month, and I was recently asked what Black History Month means to me. I have to admit that I have always struggled with the concept Black History Month because as a Black American, I strongly believe Black History IS American History. In an ideal world, American History textbooks and classes would incorporate the contributions of Black Americans throughout the curriculum and not be relegated to a single month. That being said, I had a very enlightening conversation with a parent last year about Vargas’s lack of Black History programming during the Black History Month. The parent appropriately pointed out that their student hasn’t had the chance to see themselves reflected in our standard curriculum.
I strive to foster an inclusive, welcoming community for all here at Jose Antonio Vargas. In that goal for inclusivity, is embedded the notion that students see themselves reflected, celebrated, and valued. We kicked off Black History Month yesterday with a school scavenger hunt. Our librarian, Mrs. O, is also taking time during library visits to highlight books about and by Black Americans. I would also like to point parents to this month's equity calendar. I encourage you all to start discussions with your children as well. Thank you all for your support in helping to make our community inclusive.
A few important reminders:
We want to hear from you! LCAP survey link is in your inbox:
The District is beginning its annual process of updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). This input collected will guide the update of our District plan for the 2022-23 school year. Look for a meeting at your school to learn more about the LCAP process, as well as a survey about the plans' goals. An email with a link to the survey was sent to your inbox on Jan. 31. More information is here: https://www.mvwsd.org/lcap
Returning for 2022-2023 School Year:
If you plan on moving during the summer or know your child will not return to our District for the 2022-2023 school year, please email our school secretary at [email protected].
If you have not yet filled out our student survey for next year, please do so as soon as possible.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
2nd - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
9th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm -Register Here
9th - Cafecito con el Superintendente, 5:30 - 6:30 - Register here
10th - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00pm - 10:00pm
11th - Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
16th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
16th - SSC Meeting - Virtual, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
18th - Principals Coffee, 8:30am - 9:30am
18th - End of Trimester - Minimum Day
21st - 25th - Washington & Lincoln’s Birthday / Winter Break - No School
1 - Spring Picture Day
1 - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here
In this Newsletter
School News:
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Golden Ticket Winners
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Water Bottles
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Absences
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In case you missed it: Incoming 6th grade information night
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After school Enrichment Opportunities
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Please upload your child’s completed vaccine card
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Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
District News:
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February Better Together Infographic - Flyer
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Help Your English Learner Child Become a Confident Communicator, with Dr. Kate Kinsella: February 3
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We want to hear from you! LCAP survey link is in your inbox
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Cafecito con el Superintendente
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Parent University: Bullying Prevention
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Resources for afterschool and school break care - Flyer
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MVEF receives grant from Google.org
PTA News:
Golden Ticket Winners - Week of 1/31/2022
Tay V. RM: 1 Alexander S. RM: 10
Christopher G. RM: 2 Andrew M. RM: 13
Sahasra D. RM: 3 Cruz A. RM: 14
Jacob C. RM: 5 Eli L. RM: 15
Peter P. RM: 6 Maxine B. RM: 16
Kevin G. RM: 9 Soeren C. 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.
Water Bottles
Please send your child 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. In case it is lost at school, please write your child’s name to ensure we return it.
Absences
If your child has an upcoming doctor, dental, or any other appointment, and you know ahead of time, you can email [email protected] . We will not call you to inquire about the absence.
In case you missed it: Incoming 6th grade information night
Our middle schools recently held meetings for next year's 6th graders and their parents to hear from our principals, information about courses, tips on how to be successful at middle school and more. The presentation slides and videos are posted here:
Crittenden: https://crittenden.mvwsd.org/news/what_s_new/orientation_information
Graham: https://graham.mvwsd.org/prepare_for_next_year/incoming_6th_graders
After School Enrichment Opportunities
Vargas is looking forward to starting the first round of after school enrichment opportunities. Please make sure to read the Friday Message for class descriptions and sign up opportunities. As the year moves forward, we look forward to adding additional classes as well.
Please upload your child’s completed vaccine card
Many of our younger students are getting their 2nd COVID vaccine shot this week. When your child's vaccine card has their second shot listed, please upload a copy to Powerschool. Vaccine cards will be referred to in the case of a positive COVID exposure for your student, and MVWSD needs accurate data for decisions about COVID protocols. Click here for a video that shows you how to upload documents: https://vimeo.com/606954357. Thank you in advance for uploading your documents now!
Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
Join me on Wednesday 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
February Better Together Infographic - Flyer
In the month of February, there is much to celebrate and acknowledge. The Lunar New Year reminds us of the power of rebirth and renewal, while Black History Month gives us the opportunity to recognize the resilience of those on the shoulders we stand, along with the cultural richness of those identifying as Black in America and across the world. Heritage months grant us the opportunity to highlight the history of oppressed groups and their fight towards equality, but renewal and Black excellence transcend just this month. However we celebrate, we are #BetterTogether.
Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.
Help Your English Learner Child Become a Confident Communicator, with Dr. Kate Kinsella: February 3
Dr. Kinsella is back! At this special parent event, co-sponsored by Imai, Landels, and Vargas Elementary schools but open to all MVWSD families, parents will learn how to support their children in reading, writing, listening, and speaking both in school and in their daily lives.
Dr. Kinsella is the author of many professional publications and research-validated programs to support multilingual learners and striving readers, including READ 180 Universal, English 3D, Language Launch, and Academic Vocabulary Toolkit. She has served as the lead scholar and pedagogy guide on three recent U.S. Department of Education funded research initiatives to improve educational outcomes for K-12 English language learners.
Date: February 3, 2022
Time: 6:00 - 7:00pm
Zoom Link: http://mvw.sd/kinsella22
Cafecito con el Superintendente
Wednesday, Feb. 9, 5:30 – 6:30pm
This is an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents. Translation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting by clicking here: http://mvw.sd/C29
Parent University: Bullying Prevention
Date: 2/16/22 Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu021622
“Bullying” is a serious, yet often misunderstood concept. What does it really mean and how can we stop it? Better yet, how can we prevent it? This presentation will:
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Identify basic concepts of bullying: definition, types of bullying, basic data
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Provide tips for bullying reduction
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Explore relationship-building to prevent bullying as we work to create new standards of acceptable behavior
To submit questions prior to the event, please click here. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
Resources for afterschool and school break care - Flier
Looking for afterschool, February break or spring break activities for your children? InPlay offers a free searchable program guide for parents, with filters for age, location, price (including free or reduced cost), and more. To find programs local to Mountain View, head to: https://www.inplay.org/r/mountain-view. Available programs include those that serve students with special needs or English learners.
Additionally, the City of Mountain View provides eligible, low-income Mountain View families with financial assistance to register children for recreation classes. Applicants must be a Mountain View resident and qualify through the Community Services Agency screening process. Contact the Community Services Agency at (650) 968-0836 to schedule an appointment to see if you are eligible. Please see the attached flyer for more information.
MVEF receives grant from Google.org
MVEF is honored to receive a $100,000 grant from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, to support California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for students in MVWSD. Google.org’s generous support will help fund the ‘Living Classroom’ program to provide an interdisciplinary and practical science-based curriculum that meets NGSS, and ‘Discovery Education’ to support STEM-RTI programs which help implement NGSS for all elementary school students in the district. Read the full press release on our website.
PTA News
PTA Parent Coffee- Friday
On Friday, February 4, 8am to 9am join us after drop-off for a PTA parent coffee at Chetwood Park (345 Flower Ln, Mountain View). Stay and chat or grab a cup and say a quick hello on your way to work!
Teacub Boba & Snack - Fundraiser 2/17 10am-8pm
175 E El Camino Real, Mountain View
20% of the proceeds from the purchase towards the donation will be donated to the Jose Antonio Vargas PTA. Orders placed through doordash, ubereats, grubhub are not valid for the fundraiser.
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]