Principal’s Message:
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Families,
In the month of January, we will be focusing on the question of "how does my culture influence who I am and how I see others?" As you know, Vargas is an extremely diverse community that represents a variety of cultures. It offers a great opportunity for us to learn and grow from each other. As a school community, we will be exploring this concept with our students. Additionally, teachers will also be having these discussions with their classes. I encourage you to discuss with your children important aspects of your culture and how they have shaped and continue to share your world-view. Finally, please share photos or other artifacts from your culture so that I can then share with our greater community. Send photos to [email protected] or upload directly here.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
January 2023
18th
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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20th
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Hidden Villa Field Trip
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25th
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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27th
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Principal's Coffee, 8:30am
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27th
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CuriOdyssey Field Trip
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31st
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ELAC Meeting, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
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February 2023
1st
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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1st
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Student Registration Help Night - 5:00pm, Vargas Library
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8th
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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15th
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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17th
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End Trimester 2 - Minimum Day
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20th - 21st
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Washington & Lincoln Day - No School
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22nd - 24th
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Winter Break - No School
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March 2023
1st
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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1st
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SSC Meeting - 5:00pm,
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8th
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Spring Pictures - Lifetouch
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8th
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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10th
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Palo Alto Baylands Field Trip
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13th
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Teacher in-service Day - No school for Students
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15th
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Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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16th
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Mad Science Of the Bay Assembly
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In this Newsletter
School News:
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Golden Ticket Winners
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Community Input Session: Greening of Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary's campus
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For parents of 5th-graders: Middle School Information Night on Jan. 23
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Returning students: Enrollment in MVWSD for next year
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For parents of new students and incoming kinders: There are important new student registration meetings coming up
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Lunar New Year
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Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
Flyers:
District News:
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Cafecito con el Superintendente
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Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session - Flyer
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MV Public Library: Positive Approaches to Managing Challenging Behaviors in Kids - Flyer
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Parent University: Living Our New “Normal”: Tips for Families on How to Thrive Post-Pandemic - Flyer
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Parent U SEL Recording Available
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The View Teen Center: January Events - Flyer
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MVEF survey request
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Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Belly Breathing
PTA News:
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Nominating Committee
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Shop with Amazon Smile
Golden Ticket Winners 1/12/2023
Jaein S. RM: 1 Derin C. RM: 11
Maksim S. RM: 2 Aj Y. RM: 14
Braden R. RM: 3 Samuel G. RM: 14
Levi J. RM: 4 Adya I. RM: 15
Alexa G. RM: 5 Eli L. RM: 16
Isabella A. RM: 6 Katalina K. RM: 17
Penny R. RM: 8
Angel L. RM: 9
Julio R. RM: 10
School News
Community Input Session: Greening of Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary's campus
Tuesday, January 24, 4:30 – 5:30pm
Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/green124
MVWSD is working to "green" the campus and create outdoor learning spaces. The project includes replacement trees for the front of the school and greenery to reduce the heat island effect produced by asphalt. Please attend the session with Carducci Associates to share any additional considerations. To view the Board presentation before the input session, please click here: http://mvw.sd/green
For parents of 5th-graders: Middle School Information Night on Jan. 23
If you will have a 6th-grader next year, please check your inbox for the link to the Incoming 6th Grade Information Night on January 23. This is an opportunity for you and your student to learn about middle school life. You will hear from middle school principals, information about courses, tips on how to be successful at middle school and ask any questions you may have.
Returning students: Enrollment in MVWSD for next year
MVWSD enrollment for next fall for returning students will open soon.
For CURRENTLY enrolled students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Starting Jan. 24, parents can log on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to enroll their children for next year. Look for an email in your inbox on Jan. 24. If you have difficulty signing in to PowerSchool, please contact your school office. For more information, call 650-526-3500 or go to https://www.mvwsd.org/register.
For parents of new students and incoming kinders: There are important new student registration meetings coming up
MVWSD choice schools: There are in-person school exploration events: Wednesday, January 18 from 1:30 - 4 pm at Theuerkauf for parents of Theuerkauf Transitional Kinders, Preschool and for the public. Wednesday, January 25 from 2- 4 pm at Castro Elementary for parents of Latham Preschool and for the public.
Is your student too young for kindergarten?
Click here to learn about the right program for your young learner: https://www.mvwsd.org/kinderready
➤ The information meeting for transitional kindergarten is January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/TK119
➤ The preschool informational meeting is January 19 at 3:30 pm (English) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK119 and February 1 at 3:30 pm (Spanish) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK21.
Student registration starts soon!
Open enrollment for all students (including returning students) for the fall starts on Jan. 24. Click on https://www.mvwsd.org/register for all of the details.
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family.
(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
Cafecito con el Superintendente
Wednesday, Jan. 18, 6 pm
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/C111
Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session - Flyer
Come learn about volunteering as a Mentor or Tutor! Help a local student to a brighter future. VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION - January 19, 12:00-1:00 pm, El Camino YMCA, 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View. To register go to www.mentortutorconnection.org/events - or email [email protected].
MV Public Library: Positive Approaches to Managing Challenging Behaviors in Kids - Flyer
Looking for ways to manage challenging behaviors in your child or teen? Jessika Hurts, Psy.D., Clinical Instructor, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine will offer expert practical advice and answer your questions at this free virtual Mountain View Public Library event on Thursday, February 2 from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Register in advance here.
Parent University: Living Our New “Normal”: Tips for Families on How to Thrive Post-Pandemic - Flyer
Date and Time: Feb. 7, 2023 5:30pm Registration Link: https://mvw.sd/pu020723
The last three years have been difficult on parents and children. How do we keep going and continue to show up to support our families?
Together, we will be able to:
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Identify what the “New Normal” means to us.
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Learn tips and strategies to manage stress and navigate our “New Normal”
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Commit to take one action to address a personal goal
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.
The View Teen Center: January 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! January Teen Center events include art classes, cooking classes, and an iPhone Photography workshop. See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs or visit their webpage for more information.
MVEF survey request
MVEF is a community-driven 501(c)3 organization that raises funds for specific programs across the Mountain View Whisman School District. Because families like yours drive the majority of our annual donations, we'd like your feedback on the programs that we fund. Click here to take the survey.
Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Belly Breathing
Our mood is influenced by physical sensations in our body. When we feel stressed, we tend to take quick and shallow breaths. By taking slow and deep breaths, we can signal our body to relax.
Watch this video to learn more about how belly breathing can help your child (or you) feel more relaxed.
To belly breathe:
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Choose a comfortable position, such as sitting on a chair or laying on your back.
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Place one hand on your belly.
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Take a deep breath in through your nose while you count to four. As you breathe in, your belly should rise.
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Hold your breath while you count to five.
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Breathe out through your mouth while you count to six. As you breathe out, your belly should flatten.
You may need to repeat these steps for 5-10 minutes before you start to feel relaxed. By practicing these steps, you can learn to relax after stressful situations.
PTA News
Nominating Committee
We are looking for five volunteers to form our Nominating Committee. This is an important part of our PTA Association with minimal time commitment. Committee members will help to find candidates for next year's board please contact [email protected]
Walkathon Committee
JA Vargas will be doing our first Walkathon this spring and we are looking for volunteers to help us plan the event. We are looking for general volunteers and also someone with art/ graphic art skills for making promotional materials. If you would be interested in helping us plan for this event please contact Sandy Wen: [email protected] or Shannon Lundin [email protected]
PTA Association Meeting, January 25th, 7pm
Please attend our PTA Association Meeting and see what we have planned for the rest of the school year. Agenda posted shortly. Register here.