Hello Golden Owls,
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Words cannot express how thankful I am to have such a wonderful community of staff, students, and families. Each day that I come to work is a joy because I am surrounded by such a fantastic community. Thank you all for your partnership, and I look forward to our continued journey together!
Parent Conference Information:
Parent-Teacher Conferences are important as we partner up to support our students’ growth and development. If you have not already done so, please schedule your Parent-Teacher Conference with your teacher. The scheduling window is now open.
On November 17th, parents received the scheduling link via email from your child’s teacher. Conferences are scheduled for the week of December 4-8, 2023, when we will have minimum school days ending at 11:55 am. You will be able to select from available time slots between 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm, each day of conference week. If none of these times work for you, please be sure to contact your child’s teacher, directly.
If you have technical issues, please email Principal Taylor directly at [email protected] For all other questions, please contact Mrs. Bea at [email protected] or Ms. Silvia [email protected]. You can also call us in the school office at (650) 903-6952.
If you were not able to make our Vargas Parent U Extension on Effective Parent Teacher Communication, please check out the slide deck here. In the deck, I provide information for iReady, Report Cards, and ways you can prepare for parent teacher conferences.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
December
4th - 8th Parent - Teacher Conference Week Minimum day all week 11:55 am
7th Planetarium Visit 8:00 to 11:50 am at the MUR
22th Principal’s Coffee MUR 8:10 am
25th to January 5th Holiday Recess
January 2024
8th Teachers Service Day - No School
9th Students return to School
In this Newsletter
School News:
Golden Ticket Winners
Attendance
Short Term Independent Study
Flyers:
November Menu Here
December Menu Here
2023 -2024 School Year Calendar - Here
SELPA 1 CAC Newsletter 2023-2024 Here
District News:
MVEF Update: Save us a Call
City of MV: Tree Lighting Celebration Here
Letters to Santa Here
PTA News
Books Inc and Blue Line Pizza Fundraiser - Thursday November 30th
Holiday Toy Drive - December 4-12
Parent Coffee- Friday Dec 8
Nominating Committee
Golden Ticket Winners November 16 , 2023
Dhanvi V. RM: 1 Joel B RM: 11
Saanvi K. RM: 2 Ria T. RM: 12
Elise D. RM: 3 Yoli L. RM: 13
Ethan H. RM: 4 Milana K. RM: 14
Elias C. RM: 5 Dominic M. RM: 15
Emilio L. RM: 6 Greidys G. RM: 16
Erika F. RM: 8 Ismael R. RM: 17
Theodore F. RM: 9 Parker B. RM: 18
Katherine D. RM: 10 Mrs. Leopold
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Attendance
As we are near the Holiday breaks, I want to remind families of the importance of students being at school every day. Chronic absenteeism has a lasting impact on a student’s academic, social and emotional development. We have lots of great things happening at Vargas and many strategies to support student learning, including RTI, MTSS, and strong, differentiated instruction with a focus on priority standards. Students need to be present in order to take advantage of these services and resources. We know there are many reasons students may need to miss school, but we ask that you plan your vacations so that you do not need to miss school. Thank you for prioritizing your child’s attendance.
Short-term Independent Study Contract
It is a contract that allows students to miss a minimum of 3 days, with a maximum of 14 days per school year. It is approved on a case by case basis, requires a 2-week notice, and students must be in good academic and attendance standing. If the contract is not approved, the days will be counted as unexcused and the student may be considered truant. While we know that some absences cannot be helped, it is important to try to have your child in school as much as possible. Whenever you can, try to avoid taking trips during the school year -- or make efforts to take trips during District holidays.
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DISTRICT NEWS
MVEF Update: Save us a Call
The amount donated to MVEF so far this year is slightly less than in previous years. MVEF volunteers will soon be reaching out directly to inform our community about the need for donations each year. You can save us a call by donating today! Visit mvef.org/donate today!
This year, community donations to MVEF are providing:
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More than 8,500 Art4Schools lessons in 130 TK-5th Grade classrooms.
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Over 17,000 Music4Schools lessons in 170 TK-5th Grade Classrooms.
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Over 500 Living Classroom lessons for all students in TK-6th grade.
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Environmental Science lessons and field trips for all 4th and 5th graders.
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Additional English Language Arts teachers to reduce the average class size in grades 6-8.
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Supplemental funding for Performing Arts, Music, and Athletics Teams in grades 6-8.
When we achieve our fundraising goals, we can do even more for our students!
City of MV: Tree Lighting Celebration Here
On Monday, Dec. 4, 2023 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. the City will celebrate the winter season with the Community Tree Lighting Celebration in Downtown Mountain View. The celebration will feature local performances, tributes to multicultural and diverse traditions, free refreshments, a train ride, games, crafts, the lighting of the community tree and an appearance from Santa. This event is free and open to the public. Visit MountainView.gov/TreeLighting for more information.
Letters to Santa Here
This holiday season, all children who are residents of Mountain View can put together their wish lists and letters and send them to Santa! In return, Santa will mail a letter back! Letters will be accepted until Friday, Dec. 8. There are two ways for Santa to receive letters: 1) Drop off in Santa’s mailbox located at the Mountain View Community Center (201 S. Rengstorff Avenue) or 2) Mail letter to: City of Mountain View Recreation Division c/o Santa Claus P.O. box 7540, Mountain View, CA 94039. Don’t forget to include a return address! For more information, contact [email protected].
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PTA News
Books Inc and Blue Line Pizza Fundraiser - Thursday November 30th
Get your holiday booklist ready and join us at Books Inc (317 Castro Street) on Thursday, November 30th from 5-8PM. Mention “Vargas” and Books Inc will give 10% of sales for JA Vargas back to our PTA.
Additionally, dine at Blue Line Pizza (146 Castro Street) between 11:30AM-8:30PM on the same day, and they will donate 15% of sales back to our PTA. Be sure to mention the code, “VargasLovesBlueLine2023.” Only applies to in-person dining and takeout; DoorDash, happy hour discounts, promotions and beverages not included in the donation.
Holiday Toy Drive - December 4-12
We will be collecting donations for Hope’s Corner, including new, unwrapped toys for children aged 0-18, from December 4-12th. Please drop off items in the provided bins in front of the office during that time. All donations will go to local youth in need this holiday season, distributed through Hope’s Corner.
To view Hope Corner’s wishlist, visit: https://www.hopes-corner.org/wish-list
Parent Coffee- Friday Dec 8
Join us Friday, Dec 8, between 8am to 9am after drop-off for a coffee and pastries at Chetwood Park (345 Flower Ln, Mountain View), hosted by the PTA. Stay and chat or grab a cup and say a quick hello on your way to work!
Nominating Committee
We are looking for five volunteers to form our Nominating Committee. This is an important part of our PTA Association with very minimal time commitment. Committee members will help to find candidates for next year's open board positions. Please contact [email protected] for further information.
Kimberly Cheng, and the PTA Executive Board
[email protected]
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