Wise Word, 8/10/2022

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 Thursday Morning assemblies.


Just a reminder that indoor masks are required at school currently and while CDC data shows our community transmission level as “High." Please be sure to send your child to school in a well-fitting, high quality mask

 

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 a school break. A box containing one test was sent home with each student on today/Wednesday so that you may test your student tonight.  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. 

 

Please check this graphic for an overview of our COVID protocols.

 

Please plan on attending the following information sessions:

  • Bring your school-related questions to the Vargas Principal's Office hours on Wednesday, August 10th @ 4:00 pm on Zoom meeting here. I’ll be talking about campus procedures and provide an update about campus construction. Spanish interpretation will be available.

  • Bring your district-related questions to the Superintendent’s Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Aug. 12, at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom at http://mvw.sd/CC812. 

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor


Events Calendar

  • August

  • 10th - Principal’s Office Hours 4:00 PM  Register Here

  • 12th - Community Check-in with Dr. Rudolph, 3:30PM - 4:30PM Register Here

  • 17th - Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

  • 23rd - ELAC Meeting, 6:00PM

  • 24th - Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

  • 25th - Back to School Night

  • 26th - Principal’s Coffee,  8:30 AM Register Here

  • 31st - Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here

 

  • September

  • 5th - Labor Day - No School 

  • 7th - Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM  Register Here



In this Newsletter

School News:

  • Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

  • Reporting an Absence

  • School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form

  • Medical Forms

  • Back to School Night - August 25

  • School & Community Engagement Facilitator (SCEF)

  • iReady Assessment

  • Drop off and Pick up Procedures

  • Stay in touch   

 

Flyers:

  • 2022 -2023 School Year Calendar - Here

  • August Food Menu - Here

 

District News:

  • School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help your school

  • Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Aug. 12

  • MVWSD Job Fair: Saturday, Aug. 13

  • Board meeting preview: Aug. 18

  • Puberty Talk for Fifth-Graders 

  • CAASPP scores are now available

  • Why MVEF Matters

  • Child Care

  • Security Cameras


PTA News:

  • Hello Golden Owls

  • Kontella

  • Membership

  • Spirit Wear

  • Website


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. 

 

The first date for Principal’s Office hours will be 8/10/22

 

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.

 

Medication Forms

If your child requires medication to be kept at school, please email Mrs. Evelyn Antunez at [email protected], and/or Ms. Silvia McElyea [email protected] to be emailed medication release forms during our first week of school and return ASAP (we cannot administer any medication without the form).  Please note that all medication, even over the counter ones, need a medication form signed by your doctor.   

 

Back to School Night - August 25th

Families, you are cordially invited to our annual Back to School Night on Thursday, August 25, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. BTSN is an important opportunity for families to learn about their children’s 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 7:00 p.m.  See you on August 25! 

 

Our STEAM teachers, Mrs. Bisbee and Mrs. Butchko, our Education specialist Mrs. Solorzano and Ms. Abraham, and I will also be hosting two sessions. Feel free to stop by their rooms as well!  ‘

 

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]

 

iReady Assessment

Our grade 1-5 students will be taking the iReady Reading assessment on Tuesday 8/16 and Math assessments on Thursday 8/18. Kinder students will take their assessments on August 23 and 25. 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.

    •  This is a diagnostic test that covers information that may be beyond their current level. Please reassure them that they should try their best even through difficult questions.

Drop Off and Pick-up Procedures:

Morning Drop off - Vehicle Drop: 

  • School starts at 8:00am - Drop off starts at 7:45am

  • Drop off time begins 15 minutes before the school day (7:45)

  • Parents/guardians or other individuals dropping off or picking up children should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible.

  • Students will walk to their morning Pickup location.

  • Parents/guardians should 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 to allow for flow of traffic.

 

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: 

  • Drop off time begins 15 minutes before the school day (7:45AM)

  • We recommend parents/guardians drop off their child(ren) at the main front gate entrance.

  • Students will walk to their morning location.

 

**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]

 

Commuting to school safely

It's critically important for children's safety that you take time now before the start of the school year to plan their route, tune up their wheels and talk with them about road safety. Please see your inbox for a letter this week from Dr. Rudolph that contains resources on our bike safety webpage.

 

Dismissal:

Kinder Dismissal at 1:30pm: - Map designations here

  •  For parents who are walking onto campus

    • Parents will remain in the kinder waiting area

    • Teacher will dismiss students from the classroom

    • Parents/guardians who walk should leave campus as quickly as possible because other students are still learning on campus

  • For Parents who are picking up by vehicle

    • Parents/guardians or other individuals picking up children in their car should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible. 

    • Teacher and Front Office Staff will help students connect to their vehicle/parents/guardians. 

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.

 

Stay in touch

Please take a moment and follow our district and school social media accounts. Staying in touch with us on social media will keep you in the loop on important happenings, as well as provide a critical line of communication during emergencies.


Click on the account links below and like or follow to stay in touch!


Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

Mountain View Whisman School District - Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo

 



District News

 

School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help your school

MVWSD will continue to provide free meals to all students as part of California’s universal meal program. Breakfast and lunches are available daily.


We ask you to please 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/ or call your school office.

 

Notice: National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs

The Mountain View Whisman School District today announced an amendment to its policy for serving meals to students under the National School Lunch / School Breakfast Programs for the 2022-23 school year. All students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge at the following site: Mariano Castro Elementary School.

 

Additionally, in 2022-23, all students will be served lunch and breakfast at no charge through California’s Universal Meals Program (Universal Meals) at the following sites:

Bubb Elementary, Crittenden Middle, Graham Middle, Amy Imai Elementary, Landels Elementary, Gabriela Mistral Elementary, Monta Loma Elementary, Stevenson Elementary, Theuerkauf Elementary, Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary

 

For additional information please contact: Deborah Austin, Director of Food Service, 1701 Rock St., Mountain View, CA 94043, 650.903.6965, [email protected].

 

Non Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.

 

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the agency (state or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at 800-877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

 

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027), found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA

office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of

the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call 866-632-9992.

 

Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by:

(1)   Mail:   U.S. Department of Agriculture

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights

1400 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, D.C. 20250-9410

(2)   Fax:    202-690-7442

(3)   E-mail: [email protected]

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

 

Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Aug. 12

Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Aug. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC812


MVWSD Job Fair: Saturday, Aug. 13

MVWSD is hiring! Join us at our job fair on Saturday, August 13 from 8:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m. at Stevenson Elementary (750 San Pierre Way). We are seeking Substitute Teachers, Instructional Assistants, Noon Duties, BTB After School Tutors, and more! See mvwsd.org/jobs for more details about open positions.


Board meeting preview: Aug. 18

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Aug. 18 at 6 p.m. 

For meeting details and agenda, please click here: mvwsd.org/trustees


Puberty Talk for Fifth-Graders 

MVWSD provides 5th grade students with a unit on human growth and development. The District continues to use the Puberty Talk program. Parents and guardians are welcome to attend parent information sessions about the online program and its content.  Please click here to register for an MVWSD parents, guardians only information session on August 31 at 6:00 pm. Parents who cannot attend the August 31 preview can choose to attend a general preview session on September 1 at 5:30 pm. More information about the program and organization is available at https://www.health-connected.org/. An FAQ document is available here for families.


CAASPP scores are now available

CAASPP student (ELA, Math, CAA) score reports (from the Spring tests) are now available for parents on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. To learn more about how to understand your child’s CAASPP score report, go to the Starting Smarter website at https://www.ca.startingsmarter.org/.  If you need assistance with logging on to the Powerschool Parent Portal, please contact your student’s school. 


School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help your school

MVWSD will continue to provide free meals to all students as part of California’s universal meal program. Breakfast and lunches are available daily.


We ask you to please 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/ or call your school office.


Why MVEF Matters

Thanks to financial support from parents like you, the Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF) ensures your child will have access to a competitive, well-rounded education that would not be possible without this additional funding.  MVEF is a volunteer-driven, non-profit that raises funds to bring essential programs to all Mountain View Whisman School District schools. State and local school funding is not enough. School funding supports salaries, facilities, and core academic programs that meet state standards. MVEF funding creates the well-rounded, robust learning environment that our kids deserve including art, music, hands-on environmental science programs from Living Classroom and Environmental Volunteers, and middle school athletics and English Language Arts teachers. Please see the website at mvef.org for more information and to donate online.

 

Child Care

MVWSD partners with providers Right at School and YMCA to provide on-campus, fee-based childcare. Registration for programs is happening now. Please click here for information on sessions, cost and registration. 

 

Security cameras 

To improve the safety of students and staff members, and to deter vandalism and damage to school campuses, the District has installed security cameras at all school sites and offices.  Cameras are not placed in areas where students, staff, or visitors have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as restrooms or locker rooms.  Cameras may be used to monitor buildings, exterior campus areas, including but not limited to: parking lots, perimeters, walkways, stairwells, entrance and exit doors, interior hallways, large open interior spaces, cafeterias, picnic areas, foyers, lobbies, gymnasiums, school buses, and other areas.  The cameras may or may not be monitored.  The recordings may be used in disciplinary proceedings, and may be referred to local law enforcement, as appropriate under Board policy (BP 3515, AR 3515) or required law.  

 



PTA News

Hello Golden Owls!

 The JA Vargas PTA wants to welcome you back to school! If you are new to our school and are wondering what the PTA is, a quick synopsis is that we are a non-profit organization made up of parent and teacher volunteers that helps to support student enrichment and community engagement at our school. To support these goals we raise money through membership, donations and fundraisers. The funds we raised are spent directly at our school on after-school enrichment classes, assemblies, field trips, school-wide events, and more!

In the coming weeks you will be hearing from us at back to school events, principal's coffee and a PTA Welcome packet that will be sent home with your student soon. We will share information on how to contribute, how to get involved and the programs that we fund! 


Below are some links on how to get started.


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

Membership

Joining the PTA helps our organization to support our Vargas students, teachers and families and builds parents' connection to their school community. https://jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta

Spirit Wear 

We are in the process of re-stocking our Vargas t-shirts. We will update the shop as soon as we receive our shipment. We will also have gear to purchase in person at Back to School Night on 8/25.

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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