Principal’s Message:

Dear Parents, Guardians, and Families,

 

November is the month when we start to reflect and articulate the things that we are thankful for. I wanted to take some time to convey a short glimpse into why I am so thankful for this community. Last week, students in 3rd grade were giving presentations. As part of the presentations, students were asked to dress in professional attire. During drop off, one of our Golden Owls was wearing his suit, but he hadn’t gotten his tie on quite yet when he exited his car. It seemed he needed help, and another parent took time out of their day to help our student tie his tie. I know this small act of kindness will mean a lot to this one student. It's this kindness that really keeps our community thriving. I hope you have a restful break. Please continue reading for more information about parent teacher conferences.

Parent Conference Information:

Please mark your calendars that we will have a week of minimum days, December 5-9, 2022.  These minimum days will allow us to hold In person or Virtual Parent Teacher Conferences.  Parent-Teacher Conferences are important as we partner up to support our students’ growth and development.  To sign up for a 30-minute conference time, your teacher will email you a calendar link.  You will be able to select from available time slots between 12:30pm and 4:00pm, each day of conference week. If none of these times work for you, please be sure to contact your child’s teacher, directly.  The scheduling window will open on 11/18/22 at 3:00pm when you will receive an email link from your child’s teacher.  

If you have technical issues, please email Principal Taylor directly at [email protected]. For all other questions, please contact Mrs. Evelyn at [email protected] or Ms. Silvia [email protected].  You can also call us in the school office at (650) 903-6952.

Step-by-Step Guide to Scheduling Your Appointment 

1. Click on the Appointment Page Link provided by your teacher via email on 11/18/22.

2. Click on the open appointment time slot that works best for you.  Open appointment time slots will be white/gray in color.

3. A scheduling window will open. Please type virtual or in person. If you would like the assistance of a translator, please indicate this by typing the language you require in the “Description” box.

4. Your teacher will email you the video conference link the morning of your Virtual Parent-Teacher Conference.

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

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Events Calendar

November

 

December

 

January 2023

 

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

• Golden Ticket Winners

• After School Enrichment

• Please use your free COVID test after Thanksgiving break

• Parent Teacher Conferences

• United Against Hate Week

• Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

District News:

• Health and Wellness Tip: Improving Mood 

• County MedAssist Program - Flyer

• The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. - Agenda

• 13th Annual Spartan Turkey Trot - Flyer

• MVHS Spartans Tree Lot - Flyer

• Parent University Speaker Series: Accessing Your Child’s CAASPP and i-Ready Scores

• i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Test Scores

• Better Together Infographic: November - Flyer

• CSA Holiday Sharing Program

• Parent U SEL Recording Available

• Available now: Updated COVID boosters for ages 5+

• The View Teen Center: November Events - Flyer

• It’s “Giving Day Season!”

PTA News:

• Food Drive (Nov 14-18)

• See’s Candies See's (ONLINE) - Nov 14 - Dec 2

• Books Inc and Crepevine Fundraiser - December 7th

• Direct Donations/Corporate Matching

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Golden Ticket Winners 11/10/2022
Aya S.              RM: 1           Liam P.            RM: 10
Devika M.        RM: 2           Ada D.            RM: 11
Inaya G.           RM: 3           Alexander S.   RM: 13
Emily X.          RM: 4           Samuel K        RM: 14
Marco S.          RM: 5           Isabella L.       RM: 15
Ahmet O.         RM: 6           Shinee P.         RM: 16
Carlos M.         RM: 8           Angali S.         RM: 17
Rizwan H.        RM: 9          Mr. Damion     RM: 18
                                             Mrs. Antunez   Office        

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School News

After School Enrichment

As you know, we will be preparing for school-funded, after school enrichment classes. We are planning to start classes in January. Before we finalize vendors and classes, we need an approximate interest in order to plan accordingly. Please complete by November 18, 2022. (Click here for survey) Please complete one survey for each child.

Please use your free COVID test after Thanksgiving break

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 Thanksgiving break. A box containing one test will be sent home with each student this week before Friday so that you can test on the weekend of Nov. 26-27 before returning to school on Monday, Nov. 28.  Please see this letter for what to do after testing. Thank you for participating in this safety measure to help ensure all of our students and staff stay healthy. 

Ability Awareness Week (AAW) - Volunteers Needed - Flyer

Come and have fun with other parents and experience first-hand what students with visible or non-visible disability go through each day in order to learn. This event will help us build a more empathetic and compassionate community! Please email Mrs O at [email protected] if you would like to volunteer.

Parent Volunteer Meeting Friday, December 2, 2022 at 8:30am

Parent Teacher Conferences

Please mark your calendars, we will have a week of minimum days, December 5-9, 2022.  These minimum days will allow us to hold Parent Teacher Conferences.  Parent-Teacher Conferences are important as we partner up to support our students’ growth and development. 

 

United Against Hate Week

We are excited to join MVWSD schools in participating in United Against Hate Week. United Against Hate Week was founded in 2017. For more information, click here. At Vargas, we will use this week to help us celebrate, embrace, honor our differences. Teachers and students will be engaging in activities that allow them to identify their own cultural identity and provide a representation using flags. On Thursday, November 17, will also have a Read Around the World Event. Readers from our community will read books written in other languages, and students will ask questions about the reader’s experience. 

(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. 

 

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District News

i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Test Scores

Students will take the i-Ready Math and Reading Diagnostic 2 during the week of November 14 - 18. i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading. Families can access their student’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score through their Powerschool Parent Portal starting December 2, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Reports are available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ under “Parent Reports” for each of your students.

Health and Wellness Tip: Improving Mood 

Stressful events influence our thoughts (words or images that pop into our mind), feelings (our emotions), and actions (what we do or say). For example, if your childcare falls through, then you might think, “My day is ruined;” you might feel frustrated; and you might act short-tempered with your child, partner, or colleagues. Doing enjoyable activities can prevent stressful events from ruining our day.

Watch this video to learn more about how doing fun activities can make you (or your child) feel better.

To improve your (or your child’s) mood:

1. Track your mood throughout the day (e.g., rate how you feel each morning, afternoon, and evening from 1 = unhappy to 5 = happy).

2. Create a list of activities that you enjoy doing (e.g., painting, exercising, talking to a friend).

3. Plan when you can do one or more of your activities (e.g., scheduling a phone call with a friend for Saturday morning).

4. Do your scheduled activity.

5. Reflect on how you feel after doing your activity (e.g., compare your mood rating before and after your activity).

These tips came directly from the free, online toolkit from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

County MedAssist Program - Flyer

The MedAssist Program aims to improve health outcomes and medication adherence for select individuals who reside in Santa Clara County. Qualified patients will receive financial assistance in the form of a grant designed to off-set high out-of-pocket expenses for life-saving medications such as anti-diabetics, asthma inhalers, and/or epinephrine auto-injectors. For more information and application, visit medassist.sccgov.org/

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. - Agenda

Some of the meeting topics include:                                                  

• School Plans for Student Achievement 2022-23

• Wellness Policy Annual Goals Progress Report 

For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees. Please note, there is no Community Check In on Nov. 18.

13th Annual Spartan Turkey Trot - Flyer

MVHS Sports Boosters will be hosting the 13th Annual Spartan Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, November 24th at 8:30 a.m. starting at Mountain View High School (3535 Truman Avenue). All proceeds benefit the MVHS athletics department. For more information about this event or to register for the 5K Walk/Run, Kids Run or Spartan Mile, visit SpartanTurkeyTrot.com.

MVHS Spartans Tree Lot - Flyer

MVHS Sports Boosters will be opening up the Annual Spartans Tree Lot on Friday November 25 at 10 AM for the 2022 season at the Mountain View High School Stadium (3535 Truman Ave.). Spartans Tree Lot offers premium, top-quality trees ranging in size from 3 feet to 12+ feet, holiday decorations, and supplies. In person and online delivery options are available. All proceeds benefit Mountain View High School Athletics. For more information, head to: SpartansTreeLot.com.

Parent University Speaker Series: Accessing Your Child’s CAASPP and i-Ready Scores

Date and Time: November 28, 2022, 6-7pm  Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu112822

Come and learn how to see your child’s score reports online for the state CAASPP (end of year Math and ELA exams) and for the district i-Ready diagnostic assessments. 

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

Better Together Infographic: November - Flyer

Running from November 1st and November 2nd, Día de los Muertos is this indigenous holiday that originated in southern Mexico and celebrates the remembrance of family members and friends who have died. November also marks the recognition of Native American History month and #BetterTogether's exploration of self-expression. What does it mean to find your voice? How can we uplift the voices of others? Please see the attached flyers or visit http://mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

CSA Holiday Sharing Program

Community Services Agency (CSA) is seeking donations of gift cards for their Holiday Sharing Program, to be held December 9-10 and 16-17. This program provides Safeway and Target gift cards to community members in need so they can purchase what they most need to have a joyful holiday season. Last year, CSA served over 3,500 people. You can make a donation online or drop gift cards off at the office during business hours: 204 Stierlin Rd, Mountain View, CA 94043.

 

To find out if you qualify to receive gift cards, please call CSA during business hours: 650-968-0836. The receptionist speaks English and Spanish. If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message and you will be called back.

 

Parent U SEL Recording Available

In case you missed it, recordings of the most recent Parent University event, “Social Emotional Learning at School and Home,” are available. English (https://vimeo.com/765795126) and Spanish (https://vimeo.com/765899241). Find recordings of past Parent U presentations at https://www.mvwsd.org/parentu.

Available now: Updated COVID boosters for ages 5+

The updated COVID-19 booster is now available for everyone ages 5+! #GetBoosted to keep yourself and your family safer with the most protective doses yet. Find updated boosters for ages 5+ at http://www.sccfreevax.org, your pharmacy, or healthcare provider.

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

It’s “Giving Day Season!”

If your company offers a "giving day" or a special matching program, please let MVEF know and also tell your co-workers that there is a non-profit organization directly supporting the K-8 public schools in Mountain View: MVEF! For more information about what MVEF funds, please click here. To donate directly to MVEF: http://mvef.org/donate

Attention, Googlers!

With Google’s upcoming end-of-year Benevity campaign, Google employees can donate an additional $400 to the non-profit of their choice using the special Google voucher between November 7 - 18. Please encourage your Google co-workers to support local public education by donating their voucher to MVEF!

 

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PTA News

 

Food Drive (Nov 14-18)

We are also hosting a Holiday Food Drive that week, from November 14-18. There will be collection bins outside the front office. Donations will be given to the Community Services Agency in Mountain View.  Let's support our community together!

• Items needed: Regular size oatmeal, regular size cereal (low sugar), shelf stable milk , soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, pop top non-condensed soup, pop top spam, instant coffee, tea, hot chocolate, Hispanic, Asian, Indian specialty items, crackers, cookies, snacks, granola bars, condiments, spices, sauces, rice, clean empty egg cartons

 

See’s Candies See's (ONLINE) - Nov 14 - Dec 2

• Order gifts for the holidays through our See's Candies online shop. Your order will be delivered directly to you. 

• To order, simply go to our online store: https://tinyurl.com/JAVCandy2022

Books Inc and Crepevine Fundraiser - December 7th

Get your holiday booklist ready and join us on Castro Street on Wednesday, December 7th for some shopping at Books Inc. and dining at Crepevine Restaurant. More details will follow.

 

Direct Donations/Corporate Matching

Googlers: Consider donating to the Jose Antonio Vargas PTA during Google's Holiday Giving Campaign on November 7-18. During this time, employees receive a $400 credit to donate to a charity of their choice. Your PTA contributions will fund student programs this winter such as after-school classes, in-school assemblies, and field trips. Thank you in advance for your support!

Check out our website if you have any questions about donating or corporate matching: https://www.javargaspta.org/donate

Shannon Lundin, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]