The Wise Word 02/15/2023

Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

Can you believe it? This Friday marks the end of the second trimester for this school year! This year is flying by, and we only have one more trimester left in this school year. I want to again extend my gratitude for this wonderful community! All of your patience, hard work, and effort have made this year successful! Thank you for all of your support.


Just a gentle reminder that this week we have 2 minimum days, Thursday is our normal minimum day with dismissal at 11:55am. Friday, the last day of the trimester, will also be a minimum day with a 11:55am dismissal. 


Don’t forget to give your student the free COVID test on Feb. 26

MVWSD is providing at-home COVID-19 testing kits for free to families and staff members so that you may test before returning to campus after the winter break. Please administer the test to your student on Sunday, Feb. 26 before returning to school on Monday, Feb. 27. Please see this letter for what to do after 

testing. Thank you for participating in these measures to help ensure all of our students and staff stay healthy. 

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor


Events Calendar

 

February 2023

15th

Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

17th 

End Trimester 2 - Minimum Day Dismissal 11:55AM

20th - 21st

Washington & Lincoln Day - No School

22nd - 24th 

Winter Break - No School 

 

March 2023

1st

Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

1st

SSC Meeting - 5:00pm, Agenda

2nd

Wildmind Science Learning Assembly 

8th

Spring Pictures - Lifetouch

8th

Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

10th

Palo Alto Baylands Field Trip

13th 

Teacher in-service Day - No school for Students

15th

Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

16th 

Mad Science Of the Bay Assembly

21st

ELAC Meeting, 6:00pm - Register Here

22nd

Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

23rd

CSMA Art - Show 

23rd

Open House - 6:00pm - 7:00pm

24th 

Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

29th

Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

30th

Digital TAT2 Presentation for VA families

31st

Walkathon, 3:00pm - 6:00pm


In this Newsletter

School News:

  • Golden Ticket Winners

  • Minimum Day and Winter Break

  • Help for those affected by the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

  • We want to hear from you! LCAP survey responses due Feb. 17

  • 5th grade promotion date

  • Not Returning Students for 2023-2024 School Year

  • Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

 

Flyers:

  • February Lunch Menu - Here

  • 2022-2023 School Year Calendar- Link here

  • 2023-2024 School Year Calendar - Link here

 

District News:

  • February Better Together Infographic Flyer

  • Inplay: Find Camps and after school activities

  • Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Change upsetting thoughts

  • The View Teen Center: February Events Flyer

  • City of Mountain View Summer Camp Fair Flyer

  • MVLA Parent Ed: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness

  • Early Bird pricing for MVEF Gala tickets is available until 3/12/2023

  • Living Classroom: Docents Needed! (Flyer attached to email on 2/13/23

  • MVEF Gala Sponsorships are available!

  • MVEF needs your help!


PTA News:

  • PTA Executive Board Elections

  • Fifth Grade Parent Volunteers

  • Walkathon - Save the Date - Friday March 31st


Golden Ticket Winners 2/9/2023

Milo A. RM: 1           Adalberto H.    RM: 11

Astrid R. RM: 2           Damian L. RM: 13

Samuel R. RM: 3           Justin W. RM: 14

Ayden M. RM: 4           Luke D.       RM: 15

Mira D. RM: 5           Aadit S..           RM: 16

Ahmet O.  RM: 6           Sofia R..           RM: 16

Adrian W.  RM: 8          Katherine P.      RM: 14 

Ananya B. RM: 9  Mrs. Leopold     RM: 04        

Steven O. RM: 10

 


School News

 

Minimum Day Friday and Winter Break

Just a reminder that Friday, Feb. 17 marks the end of Trimester 2 and is a minimum day. There is no school next week (Feb 20-24) for winter break. Have a safe and restful break and we'll see you back at school on Monday, Feb. 27th!

 

Help for those affected by the Earthquake in Turkey and Syria

This week Turkey and Syria were hit by two catastrophic earthquakes of 7.7 and 7.6 magnitudes, leaving more than 35,000 dead while an estimated 200,000 are still under the rubble. The earthquake affected 10 major cities and approximately 13 million people. The freezing winter conditions are extremely difficult for survivors who lost their homes.

 

Your heartfelt wishes mean a lot to us who have friends and families back home in Turkey. We feel very fortunate to be part of the Mountain View and Vargas communities. Many of our friends are asking how they can help all those rebuilding their lives. If you are interested in supporting, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected],  and [email protected].  – even small amounts go a long way!

 

(Repeat) We want to hear from you! LCAP survey responses due Feb. 17

Have you clicked on the link in your inbox to complete the LCAP survey? We need to hear from every family in the district as part of the annual process of updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Your input will guide the update of our District plan for the 2023-24 school year.  Your responses are confidential. More information found here: https://www.mvwsd.org/LCAP

 

(Repeat) 5th Grade Promotion Date

Each year, we look forward to celebrating with families as our 5th grade students are promoted to middle school. This year, the 5th grade promotion date is Monday, June 5. We will share more specifics about the celebration as details are available.


(Repeat) Not Returning Students for 2023-2024 School Year

If you plan on moving during the summer or know your child will not return to our District for the 2023-2024 school year, please email our school secretary at [email protected].


(Repeat) Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

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!

 

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 February, we honor Black History Month. As educators and parents, we can help our young people imagine a world where they are active participants in the dismantling of racist and oppressive forces. We can help them imagine a future where we are all #BetterTogether. Please see the attached flyers or visit http://mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

 

InPlay: Find camps and afterschool activities

February break and spring break are just weeks away. Even summer break is just around the corner. Looking for activities or camps 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.

 

Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Change upsetting thoughts

Everyone has upsetting thoughts from time to time, which can make us feel angry, sad, or frustrated. This is normal! It is often our emotions that drive these upsetting thoughts, not the facts of the situation. By catching our upsetting thoughts, checking the facts, and changing our thoughts based on those facts, we can start to have more helpful thoughts and improve our mood.  


Watch this video and learn more about how to change upsetting thoughts to be more helpful.


To change your upsetting thoughts: 


  1. Catch it. When you feel upset, pause and ask yourself, “What words or phrases are running through my mind right now?”

  2. Check it. Consider whether the thought you are having is helpful or not. 

  3. Change it. If you are having an unhelpful thought, consider other ways of looking at the situation. Reframe your thought to one that is more helpful.


Catching, checking, and changing your thoughts takes practice. By noticing your unhelpful thoughts and reframing them based on facts, you can improve your mood.


The View Teen Center: February Events - Flyer

The View Teen Center is a free facility in Mountain View (263 Escuela Ave) for all Mountain View and Los Altos 6th - 12th grade students. The center is open Monday through Friday: 3:30 - 7 p.m. and Saturday: 1 - 6 p.m, and features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! February Teen Center events include Winter Break drop in hours (February 21-24, 1:00 - 6:00 p.m) and field trips, including an Ice Skating & In-N-Out Trip and a Bike To Boba. See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs or visit their webpage for more information.


City of Mountain View Summer Camp Fair - Flyer

The City of Mountain View will be hosting a Summer Camp Fair on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 9 - 11 a.m. at the Mountain View Community Center 201 S. Rengstorff Ave. Join us to explore summer camp offerings, discuss swim lesson levels and meet summer camp staff. If you have any questions, please visit MountainView.Gov/Register. Resident registration for camps begins March 4 at 9 a.m. Non-resident registration begins March 13 at 8:30 a.m.


MVLA Parent Ed: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness 

Join MVLA Parent Ed on February 28 at 7:00 PM in the LAHS Eagle Theater for an evening with Dr. Kelli Harding  – author of The Rabbit Effect – as she discusses ways for school communities to help foster cultures of kindness and positive social connection. Groundbreaking new research shows that love, friendship, community, life’s purpose, and our environment can have a greater impact on our health than anything that happens in the doctor’s office. Harding presents a new model for you to take charge of your health. Register here for this free event.

 

Early Bird pricing for MVEF Gala tickets is available until 3/12/2023 

Buy tickets, donate items, and sponsor the Gala today by visiting the MVEF Gala page: https://www.mvef.org/2023gala

 

With approximately 150 in-person attendees and a goal to raise $100k, the MVEF Gala is an opportunity for residents, district parents, business leaders and community members to come together in support of our local public schools. Last year MVEF successfully took the bold step to extend its funding beyond art, music, science, and sports to include adding opportunities for differentiation in the classroom by reducing class sizes in ELA. This year we hope to raise a total of $1.2MM through the MVWSD community’s enthusiastic participation, allowing us to continue funding the new teaching positions, the existing MVEF-funded programs, and consider funding additional programs in the future.


Living Classroom: Docents Needed! Flyer

Do you enjoy spending time with kids and being outdoors? Volunteer with us to teach fun, engaging STEM-based lessons in your local school! Living Classroom teaches science by using our school gardens as our classroom. No prior teaching experience is necessary. Bring a friend and join the fun!


Come to our training sessions from 9am-12pm in Heritage Park, 771 Rengstorff Ave. in Mountain View:

March 6, 2023 (Kinder & 1st Grade Lessons)

March 20, 2023 (2nd & 3rd Grade Lessons)

March 27, 2023 (3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade Lessons)

For more information, visit www.living-classroom.org or contact [email protected].


MVEF Gala Sponsorships are available!

MVEF is currently accepting sponsorship donations for the annual Gala, happening April 29, 2023. With approximately 150 in-person attendees and a goal to raise $100K, the MVEF Gala is an opportunity for residents, district parents, business leaders and community members to come together and support local schools. This year’s event will include dinner, fundraisings activities (including a raffle plus live and silent auctions), and community-building.


MVEF offers 4 Gala sponsorship levels to community business and individuals. Each level includes different benefits for the sponsoring entity. To learn more and to complete a sponsorship application, click here: https:www.mvef.org/galasponsor.


MVEF needs your help!

MVEF has raised $885,000 towards the goal of $1,200,000! As MVEF annual funding continues to grow, we will be able to fund additional programs in MVWSD schools. In order to keep growing, we need more volunteers to help us spread the word about "why MVEF." We will soon be coordinating a training and development program for our volunteers, so if you're interested please contact us soon. Volunteer opportunities include: 


- Additional school "influencers" at every school site

- Volunteers to donate Gala auction items

- Volunteers to help with check-in and other tasks at the Gala 

- Governing board members


To learn more about these opportunities, please email [email protected]


Finally, don't forget to complete the MVEF Programs Survey by Jan 31: bit.ly/3XnfMGx



PTA News

 

PTA Executive Board Elections

We will hold elections for next years’ PTA Executive Board in March and we have started looking for members to help fill positions that will be open next year. Joining the PTA Board is a great way to make an impact at our school; helping to plan for programs and events that provide enrichment and foster belonging for students and families. The three main positions we need to elect for next year, President, Vice President and Auditor. Other positions will also be available. See a list of open positions with a summary of the role and timeline here and/ or contact Shannon Lundin [email protected], Kim Cheng [email protected]

 

Fifth Grade Parent Volunteers 

We are looking for one or two fifth grade parents to help plan a simple fundraiser for fifth grade promotion. Please contact Shannon [email protected] if you are able to help with this task.

 

Walkathon - Save the date - Friday March, 31st

We are busy planning a Walkathon fundraiser for 3/31. More details and a volunteer sign up sheet will be posted soon.

We are looking for a parent, or older child maybe, that has digital art experience to help us with a Walkathon project. Please contact Kim [email protected] for more details.
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