Principal’s Message:
Hello Golden Owls,
I hope that you and your families are well and finishing up a memorable summer! I was able to spend some time relaxing, reading, exercising, and hanging out in the sun. I was most excited to feed the ostriches and swim with the fish on my trip to Curacao! (Video 1 and Video 2). I am so grateful for that time to unwind and recharge, and am excited to welcome all students back to campus soon!
For those of you haven’t met me, My name is Principal Vern Taylor. This is my fourth year as principal, and we are very much looking forward to the coming school year and welcoming all our students and staff back. I look forward to getting to know you and your students this upcoming school year. Thank you for joining our Vargas community..
Please read the entire message below for important back to school information. At last night’s New Family Orientation, I reviewed many procedures. You can find the presentation here, and the video here. In addition, please plan on attending the following information sessions:
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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.
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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.
Finally, please join me at the Vargas blacktop for our Popsicle Social on Monday, August 8th @ 5:00-6:30 pm.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
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8th - Popsicle Party, 5:00PM - 6:30PM
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10th- First Day of School - Minimum Day - Dismissal at 11:55AM
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10th - Principal’s Office Hours 4:00 PM Register Here
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12th - Community Check-in with Dr. Rudolph, 3:30PM - 4:30PM Register Here
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17th - Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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23rd - ELAC Meeting, 6:00PM
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24th - Principal’s Office Hours, 4:00 PM Register Here
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25th - Back to School Night
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26th - Principal’s Coffee, 8:30 AM Register Here
In this Newsletter
School News:
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First Day of School - Minimum Day
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Bell Schedule
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Drop off and Pick up Procedures
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Drop-off and Pick-up Procedures
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Reporting an Absence
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Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
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School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
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School Meals are Free
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COVID Safety
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Stay in touch
Flyers:
District News:
First Day of School is a Minimum Day
The first day of school, Wednesday, Aug. 10, is a minimum day, meaning students will be dismissed earlier according to the schedule. Thursday, Aug. 11 is on the Thursday schedule (earlier than typical release). Friday, Aug. 12 will be a full school day for students.
Bell Schedules and Schools’ Start/End Times
Please click here to view our school’s updated schedule for the 2022-23 school year. Please note that Thursdays end early at all elementary school sites, and last days of trimesters are minimum days during the 2022-23 school year.
Drop Off and Pick-up Procedures:
Morning Drop off - Vehicle Drop:
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School starts at 8:00am - Drop off starts at 7:45am
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Drop off time begins 15 minutes before the school day (7:45)
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Parents/guardians or other individuals dropping off or picking up children should remain in their vehicles to the extent possible.
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Students will walk to their morning Pickup location.
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Parents/guardians should drop off their child(ren) at the main entrances. - Map designations here
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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.
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Staff will guide students to walk to the basketball courts and stand by the cone of their classroom number.
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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:
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Drop off time begins 15 minutes before the school day (7:45AM)
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We recommend parents/guardians drop off their child(ren) at the main front gate entrance.
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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
1st to 3rd grade Dismissal at 2:35pm - 4th to 5th grade Dismissal at 2:40pm:
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Parents may arrive at 2:35pm and walk to the field to pick up their child. - Map designations here. Please use gate 4.
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Any student not picked up by 2:45pm from the field will walk with the teacher to the front gates.
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Students will wait outside of Gate 2.
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Front Office Staff will help students connect to their vehicle.
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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.
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.
Principal’s Virtual Office Hours
We will continue our virtual Principal Office Hours on Wednesdays from 4pm -5pm. Feel free to drop in if you have any questions or if you just want to chat.
Register in advance for this meeting.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
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.
School meals are free
MVWSD will continue to provide free meals to all students as part of California’s universal meal program. Breakfast and lunches are available daily. Menus and nutritional analysis can be found on https://www.mvwsd.org/nutrition. There will be a vegetarian option each day. A count of those taking school lunch will be taken at the beginning of the school day. Students may bring their own self-contained lunches if desired.
COVID Safety
There have been changes to our COVID protocols since last year based on guidance from the Santa Clara County Department of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health. With your support, MVWSD will work to manage COVID in sustainable and adaptive ways while continuing to provide resources to support healthy learning environments. We are in the process of finalizing our COVID protocols based on the latest safety guidance. Please check https://www.mvwsd.org/returntolearn on August 5 for details.
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
Latino Community Advisory Council Back to School Kermés
The Latino Community Advisory Council (LCAC) in partnership with the Mountain View Police Department invites the community to a Back to School Kermés on Saturday, August 6th from 12 - 4pm at the St. Athanasius Church (160 N Rengstorff Ave). Representatives from MVWSD will be in attendance to share information about accessing district resources. The event will also include other community partners and entertainment including food, Mariachi, dances, and raffles.
Want to know more?
Please attend our Parent University: Parent U Kickoff event, “MVWSD District Orientation: What you need to know to be informed and connected this school year” on Aug. 10, 2022. Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu081022. This is a district-level orientation to everything parents and caregivers need to know to kickoff the school year. It’s a great reminder of the resources both the district and our individual schools have, as well as a thorough introduction for new families to the district. Who would you go to for help with the school meal application? How do you access information regarding your child’s assessments? Come and hear answers to these questions and more! We encourage you to submit questions prior to the event: please click here.
Transportation
The Mountain View Whisman School District Transportation Department provides transportation for students who are residents of Moffett and students with disabilities who are eligible for this service. For more information, and to apply for a bus pass, please visit this web page.
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.
Immunizations
Students are not allowed on campus, and will not receive teacher assignments/class schedules until their required vaccinations are completed. Vaccinations (visit this website for the list) are required for school admission, and they are also crucial to prevent children from getting sick. Please schedule an appointment with your health care provider for a well-child visit and to review your child’s immunization record. Our Health Services team has been contacting parents/guardians to let them know what immunizations are missing. All documents, including vaccines, will need to be received and verified prior to the first day of school. For questions or help, please email [email protected].
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.