Wise Word, 10/12/2022

Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

October is Safety Month in MVWSD. As you read in Dr. Rudolph’s letter, we want to be ready to act when dangerous situations arise. We have already practiced fire drills and soon will practice an earthquake drill and how to react to a dangerous intruder.


This week, our staff members will be training on the Incident Command System (ICS) and general emergency procedures. The ICS assigns roles to school staff members so that even scary situations can have well-organized responses.  


Earthquake drill: After training, we’ll practice what to do during the districtwide earthquake drill to be held on Oct. 27. Click here to view the video that shows how we approach safety and what an earthquake drill looks like.


We talk with students in age-appropriate ways about what they can expect and why we practice emergency responses.  For elementary students, we say the most important things to remember if an earthquake happens at school are duck, cover and hold if they feel the ground shake.  When it stops, go outside to the field. Stay calm with kid voices off, so we can follow adult instructions.  In an emergency, we will keep them safe at school until their grown-ups can pick them up.


Dangerous intruder: During the week of October 24, our schools will review what to do in the event of a dangerous intruder or similar event on campus. The dates for each school’s practice will vary depending on scheduling. Vargas students will practice on Monday, October 24. Practice at the elementary schools means students will view an age-appropropriate “dangerous intruder” video (which you may preview here) and talk with their teacher. The video and classroom discussion will encourage children to stay calm, follow directions, and listen to trusted adults. Middle school students will learn what they should do in the event of an active shooter from a presentation and by participating in a drill. The training is held in conjunction with the Mountain View Police Department and is aligned with the protocol recommended by the Santa Clara County Police Chiefs’ Association.  


For more details about safety at school, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/safety.

 

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor


Events Calendar

 

October

12th

CANCELED - Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM

13th

Teacher Service Day - No School

14th

Recess Day - No School

17th

ELAC Meeting, 6:00pm - Register Here

18th

PTA Amici’s Pizza Fundraiser, 11:30am - 9:00pm

19th

Unity Day - Wear Orange

19th

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

20th

Mountain View Fire Station Field Trip

21st

Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - Register Here

26th

Picture Retakes

26th

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

27th

Earthquake Drill

28th

Principal’s Coffee, 8:30 AM Register Here

31st

After School Halloween Parade, 2:45pm

 

November

1st - 4th

Walden West Science Camp

2nd

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

4th

End of Trimester - Minimum Day: Dismissal at 11:55am

4th

Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - Register Here

9th

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

10th

Parent U Extension - Effective Parent/Teacher Communication - 6:00pm

11th

Veteran’s Day Holiday - No School

15th

ELAC Meeting, 6:00pm

16th

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

17th

PTA - Fall Carnival, 4:00pm - 6:00pm

18th

Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - Register Here

21st - 25th

Thanksgiving Recess Break - No School

 



In this Newsletter

School News:

  • Golden Ticket Winners

  • Lost & Found

  • Attendance Awareness: Letters and calls

  • October 19 is Unity Day-Wear Orange

  • Upcoming October no-school days

  • After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @2:45pm

  • 5th graders Science Camp - We need your help!

  • Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

Flyers:

  • October Lunch Menu - Here

 

District News:

  • The View Teen Center - Flyer

  • October CAC Events - Flyer

  • Parent University: Social Emotional Learning at School and Home

  • City of MV: Monster Bash & Bike Circus - Flyer 

  • Your employer could help us meet the MVEF goal of $1.2 MM!


PTA News:

  • Book Fair

  • Membership Drive 10/3-10/21

  • Amici’s Fundraiser 10/18, 11:30-9pm

  • Invitation to Vargas Math Club for 4th and 5th Grade

  • Donation request 

  • Kontella

  • Spirit Wear

  • Website

 


Golden Ticket Winners 10/6/2022
Jonathan F.         RM: 1       Sohum J.        RM: 9
Misael H.           RM: 2       Pedro L.         RM: 10
Lucas Z.             RM: 3       Nerea R.        RM: 11
Alexa P.             RM: 4        Chloe G.       RM: 13
Hannah P.          RM: 5        Andrew M.   RM: 14
Miranda M.       RM: 6        Anika J.        RM: 15
Ellie K.             RM: 8        Mya R.          RM: 16
Limsy R.          RM: 8        Sam R.           RM: 17
                                           
Ms. Peñalosa  RM: 5


School News

Lost & Found

Our Lost and Found Rack is seeing nice sweaters, water bottles, lunch boxes that miss their owner. If items are not claimed by the end of this month 10/31 they will be donated. 

 

Our Lost and Found Rack can be found in the following places:

  • Morning: during drop-off - Located by the main gate (in between the main office and MUR)

  • Afternoon: 

    • Kinder Pick-up - Located in the blacktop

    • Upper grades: Located by the main office


Attendance Awareness: Letters and calls

Regular school attendance is required by the state law, and is included in the District’s Local Control Accountability plan (LCAP) and reported in the California School Dashboard. State law requires MVWSD to notify parents whose students are truant or chronically absent. We know that regular attendance is a strong indicator of success. When students participate regularly, they not only learn what they need to know, but they also develop a sense of belonging to a school community. 


When do parents get truancy letters? California law requires MVWSD to notify parents of truancy. Any three unexcused absences and/ or tardies over 30 minutes means a child is truant. MVWSD will send letters to parents of any student who is truant to inform parents and outline the next steps and any resources or procedures in place to help their family get their child to school regularly.


MVWSD schools also use an automated system to notify parents when a student is absent from school when we haven’t heard from a parent about the reason for the child’s absence. This is important for the safety of your child and for our attendance accounting.  Please ensure we have the reason for your child’s absence. 


October 19 is Unity Day-Wear Orange

Unity Day is an annual event occurring during National Bullying Prevention Month that promotes joining together to create healthier communities through kindness, acceptance of difference, and inclusion. It was started by PACER's National Bullying Prevention Center in 2011 and is now celebrated around the world.


Unity Day is a day when we can come together in one giant, ORANGE message of hope and support. The call to action is simple: wear and share the color orange. This vibrant statement becomes a conversation starter, showing support for students who have been bullied and for bullying prevention. 

A few FAQ’s


Why unity? 

For years, our culture justified bullying with expressions such as, “Bullying is a natural part of childhood,” “Some kids just deserve to be bullied,” or “Bullying is a rite of passage.” The goal of the day is to bring together youth, parents, educators, businesses, and community members across the nation to emphasize the message that bullying is not acceptable and that all students deserve to be safe in school, online, and in the community. 

What is the call to action?

 The call to action is simple—wear and share the color orange—as a visible representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion.

 Why the color orange?

 Unity Day is held during October, and orange is a color commonly identified with that month and season. It is also a color associated with safety and visibility. Orange is described as warm and inviting, and its vibrancy makes a strong statement. It was also a color that was not being used by another widely known cause.


(Repeat) Upcoming October no-school days

Friday, October 14 is a recess day (no school for students and staff). Thursday, October 13 is a staff development day, which means no school for students and no work for 10-month classified staff. Oct 13 is a staff development/work day for teachers, school secretaries and 12-month classified staff.

 

(Repeat) After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @2:45pm

This year, we will be hosting a Halloween parade after school. For those wishing to participate, we will be meeting on the blacktop after dismissal.  For those who have students in Right at School and YMCA, they will also be able to join.  Can’t wait to see OWL of you!

 

Please note: Our school does not have any school-wide event that asks students to wear costumes during the day of 10/31; however, if students want to wear costumes for the day of 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.

(Repeat) 5th grade Science camp- We need your help!

Science camp is a very fun and educational experience for our 5th graders. It’s a week to learn not only about science, but also to learn independence, responsibility, leadership, friendship and so much more.  Our students are excited to go to science camp, but we know that this can be stressful for some parents both emotionally and financially.  Please help us to make sure that all of  our students have what they need to have a great time at science camp.  If you can, please donate any of the following items. Items can be new or used (clean and ready to be used). Drop off your donation in the office

 

Sleeping bags

Warm blankets

Sets of twin sheets

Warm jackets size 10-12 or 14

Medium suitcase/duffle bag to carry the clothes

 

If you have any question or if your 5th grader needs any of these items, please contact Ms. Bea at [email protected]


(Repeat) 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!

 

Register in advance for this meeting.

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

 



District News


The View Teen Center - 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! See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs or visit their webpage for more information.


October CAC Events - Flyer

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


We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children: Try a Sensory Diet

Parent Education Event - Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges w/ Dr. Leena Khanzode of Silicon Valley Psychiatry and the Taarika Foundation

October 12, 7 pm 

Anxiety and depression can be common in children with learning challenges like autism, ADHD, physical disabilities, dyslexia and other learning disabilities. However, anxiety and depression can look somewhat different than in neurotypical children. Dr. Khanzode is a local child psychiatrist and the founder of the Taarika Foundation – whose mission is to support the whole child, raise awareness about mental health care, break stigmas around mental health disorders and improve social-emotional skills in children and teens. Children and teens are invited to listen in and ask questions along with their parents. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtcuGqrTgiHdcEgxduuvmYrDmqcOcRojAo


Parent University: Social Emotional Learning at School and Home

Date and Time: 10/26/22 5:30pm  Registration Link: https://mvw.sd/pu102622

Having challenges guiding your students with their emotions, feelings and behavior at home? Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from Karin Jinbo, district Director of Health and Wellness, and Brian White, the Health and Wellness Coordinator. The panelists will be sharing about our district-wide goals for student Social Emotional Learning, along with strategies and resources that you can apply at home that support your student’s social and emotional growth. We hope to see you there! 

To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.


City of MV: Monster Bash & Bike Circus - Flyer 

On Saturday, October 29, 2022, Mountain View’s Rengstorff Park will transform into a ghoulish good time for all ages with the return of MONSTER BASH. From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., community members are encouraged to don their favorite costumes and enjoy a fall festival loaded with a twisty maze, spooky games, enchanting performances, stilt walkers, inflatables, creepy, crawly, ooey gooey zone, Dia de Muertos exhibit and more. This year the event will also feature a Bike Circus with a fun bike safety training for children, as well as free bike repairs valued at more than $100 - to be provided on a first-come first-served basis.


This event is free and open to the public. Limited parking is available at the Mountain View Community Center and Senior Center. Walking or biking to the event is encouraged.


Your employer could help us meet the MVEF goal of $1.2 MM!

Employer matching and grants from local companies are a major source of the funding for MVEF each year. October, November, and December are months when many companies coordinate “giving days” to encourage their employees to make philanthropic gifts to support non-profits. If your company does this, please consider listing MVEF as a non-profit organization doing good work in your child’s school district. For more information about what MVEF does, please click here

and... Apple is TRIPLING employee donations until October 17!

Apple is offering a special 2-for-1 match when employees donate to eligible organizations between October 3-17, 2022. When Apple employees give  $1000 to MVEF, Apple will give $2000, tripling the impact of the donation. Employees can donate using the online portal (Benevity), or give directly to MVEF and submit the receipt to Apple for matching. To make a gift to MVEF, please click here.

 



PTA News

 

Book Fair

Thank you for making our Book Fair amazing and creating memories that will last a lifetime!

If your child didn’t get to our Book Fair last week, you can still shop at our Online Book Fair here until Oct 16. Every online purchase means 25% in rewards back to our school.

 

Membership Drive 10/3-10/21

Support your students’ classrooms and school community by joining the Vargas PTA.  Our membership drive will start Monday, October 3 and end Friday, October 21.  Memberships cost $11 and help pay for community engagement events, after school classes, assemblies, author visits, field trips, teacher reimbursements for classroom enrichment, Ms. Bea’s scholarship program, and teacher appreciation.  This year we hope to raise $150 per student through membership and donations in order to make all these wonderful programs and events possible for your students to enjoy.  Classrooms that reach 75% membership participation will get a popsicle party and 2 people who register through October 21 will be entered in a raffle to win a $10 voucher for spirit wear.  Thank you for supporting your school!

 

Please join and make a contribution: https://jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta

Or visit our website to download a membership form, make a donation or find out about corporate matching https://www.javargaspta.org/joindonate

 

For PTA membership fee sponsorship please contact Mr. Taylor or Ms. Beatriz Claas.

 

Amici’s Fundraiser 10/18, 11:30-9pm

On Tuesday, October 18th JA Vargas PTA will be hosting a fundraiser at Amici’s Pizza between 11:30 and 9pm. Dine-in or pickup ONLY. Be sure to mention VARGAS school and Amici’s will generously donate 25% of the Vargas sales back to our PTA.

 

Invitation to Vargas Math Club for 4th and 5th Grade

We happily invite your 4/5 grade student to join Vargas Math Club. If they enjoy math, problem solving, and puzzles, they’ll love the club! We will be competing on Mathematical Olympiads for Elementary and Middle Schools (MOEMS). To know more about this competition, click here.

 

We meet after school until 4:00 on Tuesdays, beginning October 25 in Classroom TBD. Math Club can accept only 24 students who must be able to attend nearly all meetings. If your child is excited to join, please complete the registration form  no later than Thursday, October 20th.

 

We are asking for a suggested donation of $20 to cover expenses related to the club (for example: materials and pizza party at the end).

 

Donation request 

We are looking for an ipad (version 12 or up) or android tablet (version 7 or up) to use at events for gear and concession sales and membership and Konstella sign ups. If anyone has an old tablet they would be willing to donate please contact [email protected]

 

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


To Join a Classroom

Web:  Click your name at the top left corner.  Click “Your Children” to add/modify your children.

Mobile App:  Click the Settings icon at the top left corner.  Click “Your Children”. Membership

Spirit Wear 

Mondays are spirit days at JA Vargas, wear green and show your school spirit. Check out our selection of green spirit wear. Place your order online and pick it up on designated days at the office.

https://www.javargaspta.org/ja-vargas-store


Website

Find links to membership, Konstella, gear shop and volunteer opportunities on our website.

https://www.javargaspta.org/home


Shannon Lundin, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]


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