Principal’s Message:
Hello Golden Owls,
We hope your child/ren have had a wonderful first day of school. Our staff was excited to welcome all of our families back to campus. This week we are reacquainting students back to campus. Our teachers are training our students how we want them to interact while on campus. We are asking that all students follow the Vargas Way by being responsible, showing respect, being safe, and being an upstander. When students demonstrate these traits, students are able to earn Golden Tickets. Golden Ticket winners will be announced on our Monday Morning Video announcements.
In Partnership,
Principal Taylor
Events Calendar
12th - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting - 6:00pm - 7:00pm -
18th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual - 4:00pm - 5:00pm -
19th - Back to School Night - Virtual - 6:00pm - 7:30pm
24th - Coffee with the Superintendent - 9:00am - 10:00am -
25th - ELAC Meeting - 8:30am -
27th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual - 4:00pm - 5:00pm -
1st - Principal Office Hours - Virtual - 4:00pm - 5:00pm -
6th - Labor Day Holiday - No School
8th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual - 4:00pm - 5:00pm -
In this Newsletter
School News:
-
Back to School Night - August 19th
-
School and Community Engagement Facilitator (SCEF)
-
Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
-
iReady Assessment
-
2021-2022 School Calendar
-
Vargas School Map
-
Drop Off and Pick-up Procedures
-
OKtoReopen Health Screener
-
Masking
-
Handwashing
-
School meals are free
-
Apply at EzSchool Meals
-
Reporting an Absence
-
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
District News:
-
Board Meeting Preview: August 12
-
Superintendent’s Community Check In on Friday, August 13
-
Parent University: MVWSD District Orientation - What you need to know to be informed and connected this school year
-
Bond Oversight committee seeks community representatives
PTA News:
-
Hello Golden Owls!
-
Website
-
Spirit Wear
Flyers:
Back to School Night - Virtual - August 19th
Families, you are cordially invited to our annual Back to School Night on Thursday, August 19, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. BTSN is an important opportunity for families to learn about their children’s virtual classrooms, grade level programming, and general expectations. We will have two sessions to accommodate families with multiple children and allow them the opportunity to visit more than one classroom that night. Session one will begin at 6:00 p.m. and session two will begin at 6:45 p.m.. See you on August 19!
Our STEAM teachers, Ms. Bisbee and Ms. Butchko, our Education specialist Mrs. Phillips and Ms. Kamigaki, and I will also be hosting two sessions. Feel free to stop by our virtual rooms! Teachers will share with parents before Wednesday.
School & Community Engagement Facilitator (SCEF)
As part of Vargas’s plan, we have a School and Community Engagement Facilitator who will work to ensure that every student, family, and community member will feel valued and supported while working, learning, and partnering with our school. Here at Vargas, Bea Claas is our School and Community Engagement Facilitator. She specifically focuses on students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged and/or English learners and works to organize parent education, provide translation services, and support positive student behavior. Bea’s overall goal is to increase parent education and engagement, support our PTA and ELAC parent groups, and form strong relationships with students and families. She can be reached at [email protected]
Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
I will again be hosting Principal Office Hours virtually on Wednesdays 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. The first date for Principal’s Office hours will be 8/18/20
iReady Assessment
Our grade 1-5 students will be taking the iReady Reading assessment on Monday 8/16 and Math assessments on Wednesday 8/18. The initial assessment for the school year helps us to establish a baseline for a student’s growth for the school year. The i-Ready data helps us monitor student progress throughout the year. It also helps us identify standards that students have already mastered, as well as areas of focus during first instruction. It is important that each child does her/his best in order to provide teachers with the most accurate information.
Families, Below are some tips you may find useful to help prepare your child for the diagnostic assessment:
-
Explain to your child that it is important to do his/her best.
-
Remind your children to work out their problems and pace themselves
-
Make sure that your child is well-rested and has breakfast the day of the assessment.
-
Please make sure to encourage your child.
2021-2022 School Calendar
Please click here to view our school calendar with important dates.
Vargas School Map
Please click here to view our school map.
Drop Off and Pick-up Procedures:
Morning Drop off - Vehicle Drop:
-
School starts at 8:00am - Drop off starts at 7:45am
-
Students are Tardy at 8:00am - Students will need to enter through the front office to pick up a tardy slip.
-
Before arriving at school, parents will complete a health screening questionnaire, OktoReopen.
-
Please drive slowly in our parking lot and pull as far up as possible.
-
Parents/guardians will drop off their child(ren) at the main entrances. - Map designations here
-
Adults should stay inside the vehicle. *If a student needs help getting out of a car seat/seat belt, please do so quickly. Have all materials (lunch, backpacks, masks) ready to go for easy drop-off.
-
Staff will guide students to walk to the basketball courts and stand by the cone of their classroom number.
-
Please leave campus immediately after drop off.
Kindergarten and New Families:
We know this will be new to you and your child. At the drop-off location, will have a staff member walk your child to his/her designated classroom area. To help with a smooth transition, please send your child an index card with the following information: Student's name, classroom number, and teacher name to hand to our staff.
Pedestrian Drop-Off:
-
School starts at 8:00am - Drop off starts at 7:45am
-
Students are Tardy at 8:00am - Students will need to enter through the front office to pick up a tardy slip.
-
Before arriving at school, parents will complete a health screening questionnaire.
-
Parents/guardians will drop off their child(ren) at gate entrance 1 and 4.
-
At the gates, staff will confirm parents/guardians have completed health screening.
-
Students will walk to the basketball courts and stand by the cone of their classroom number.
-
Please leave campus immediately after drop off.
*For in-person/pedestrian drop off, only a single adult individual should drop off the student.
**If your child is allowed to walk or bike to and from school, parents MUST email our front office staff giving authorization. Please email our school secretary Mrs. Evelyn Antunez at [email protected], and Ms. Silvia McElyea [email protected].
Dismissal:
Kinder Dismissal at 1:30pm: - Map designations here
-
Parents may meet at gate 1 at 1:30pm. We will open the gate and let you into the pickup location, teachers will dismiss students from the blacktop.
-
Any student not picked up, the teacher will walk students to the front gates.
-
Teacher and Front Office Staff will help students connect to their vehicle/parents/guardians. Parents/guardians or other individuals picking up children should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible.
-
For in-person pickup, only a single individual should pick up the student.
-
Parents/guardians who walk should wear masks and leave campus as quickly as possible.
1st to 3rd grade Dismissal at 2:35pm - 4th to 5th grade Dismissal at 2:40pm:
-
Parents may arrive at 2:35pm and walk to the field to pick up their child. - Map designations here. Please use gate 4.
-
Any student not picked up by 2:45pm from the field will walk with the teacher to the front gates.
-
Students will wait outside of Gate 2.
-
Front Office Staff will help students connect to their vehicle.
-
Parents/guardians or other individuals picking up children should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible.
Students attending YMCA or Right At School: Staff members will pick up students from their classrooms.
OKtoReopen Health Screener
The screener needs to be completed first thing in the morning BEFORE children come on campus. Since it is so important for everyone's safety on campus.
Within the OK to reopen platform, parents can adjust the settings to receive text or email only. Additionally, questions can be answered for more than one child within the same window, using the drop-down menu at the top right. It is not necessary to download an OKtoReopen app. Please click here for Pro Tips.
Masking
All students and staff are required to wear masks while on campus. This includes both indoor and outdoor areas. Our staff has masks for students who forget them. Mask breaks will be provided on an as needed basis. Please ensure your child knows how to properly wear a face mask. For more information on facemasks, click here to watch this video.
Handwashing
Handwashing is one of the best ways to protect germs from entering our bodies. Students will be expected to wash hands before and after eating, after using the restroom, and when sharing common materials. For information on correctly washing hands, please click here to watch a video on effective handwashing protocols. In cases where handwashing is not available, students can use hand sanitizer. Please practice washing hands with your child prior to the start of school.
School meals are free
MVWSD will continue to provide free meals to all students in the 2021-22 school year as part of California’s universal meal program. Recess breakfast and lunches are available daily. Menus and nutritional analysis can be found on https://www.mvwsd.org/nutrition. There will be a vegetarian option each day. Gluten-free lunches are not available. A count of those taking school lunch will be taken at the beginning of the school day. Students may bring their own self-contained lunches if desired.
Apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family.
This Free and Reduced Price Meals benefit is not limited to meals only. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more. Students who qualify for free and/or reduced-price meals may be eligible for P-EBT cards. The more applications your school gathers at the start of each school year, the more additional funding it can receive for all kinds of programs that help children at your school. If you are currently out of work, you may qualify and help your school, regardless of your financial situation. Apply at https://secure.ezmealapp.com/.
If you need help, our office staff is available to help you. Please email Ms. Silvia McElyea [email protected], Mrs. Evelyn Antunez [email protected] or Mrs. Beatriz Claas [email protected].
Reporting an Absence
Please call the office at (650) 903-6952 or email [email protected] to report an absence or late arrival. Provide the following information: date of absence, student’s name, grade and room number, reason for absence, name and relationship of the person reporting the absence.
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
We will be furnishing all basic school supplies and textbooks for all students. Donations of items and funds for this purpose are appreciated, but not required. For those able to donate, please fill out this form and bring it to the front office, along with your donation, and our front office staff will provide you with a receipt. Sharing of supplies between students will be limited.
District News
Board meeting Preview: August 12
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Aug. 12. Some of the meeting’s topics include:
-
Revisions to the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP)
-
Learning Recovery Plan update
-
Community Facilities District Planning and Boundaries Options
Agenda and meeting details are here: http://mvw.sd/7cb3X. The meeting is also streamed on www.youtube.com/mvwsd.
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Aug. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions.
Parent University: MVWSD District Orientation - What you need to know to be informed and connected this school year
Tuesday, Aug. 17 at 5:30 p.m.
It’s a district “Back to School Night”! - an orientation to everything parents and caregivers need to know to kickoff the school year. A great reminder of the resources both the district and your individual schools have, as well as a thorough introduction for new families to the district. Who would you go to for help with the school meal application? How do you access information regarding your child’s assessments? Come and hear answers to these questions and more!
We encourage you to submit questions prior to the event: please click here.
Bond Oversight committee seeks community representatives
MVWSD needs your expertise to support the Measure T bond program. The District is seeking a member at large and parent representative/PTA member to serve on the Bond Oversight Committee for the District's Measure T Bond Program.
Representatives monitor, provide oversight and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District, including an annual report to the Board regarding the actual uses of such funds.
Applications can be mailed to: Mountain View Whisman School District, Attn: Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, 1400 Montecito Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 or emailed to [email protected].
Link to Application: Bond Oversight Committee
For questions, please call Dr. Rebecca Westover at 650-526-3500.
PTA News
Hello Golden Owls!
Welcome back to school! We won’t get to meet you all at back to school night but we will have a presentation introducing ourselves. We have also prepared a welcome packet that will come home with your students this week and is posted below. Please take some time to review this packet with information regarding membership, our communication platform Konstella, meeting dates and lot’s more information.
We have also been working on updating the website and re-stocking the gear shop. Check them out! Have a great first week!
Welcome PTA PAcket 21-22
Shannon Lundin, and the Executive Board
[email protected]
Website
https://www.javargaspta.org/home
Spirit Wear
Place your order online and pick it up on designated days at the office.
https://www.javargaspta.org/ja-vargas-store