Principal’s Message:
Hello Golden Owls,
I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow at the Open House. During this time, you and your child will get to celebrate the learning that has happened over the past year. Please remember that Open House is not a time for individual conferences with the teacher, but a chance to celebrate all the learning over the last year. If you have concerns or want to discuss your child’s progress, please work with your child’s teacher to set up a meeting to address these concerns. After you visit your child’s class, please also visit the MUR to see the CSMA art show, which is made possible by MVEF.
Just a friendly reminder that there is no school next Monday. Monday, March 25, 2024, is a professional work day for teachers. There is no school for students.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
March
|
21st
|
Open House
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25th
|
No School - Teacher Service Day
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29
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Principal's Coffee, MUR 8:30am - 9:30am
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April
|
1st
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MSI Field Trip
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3rd
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Hidden Villa Field Trip
|
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4th
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Science Festival, 5-7pm
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8th - 12th
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Spring Break - No School
|
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18
|
MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
|
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25th
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Reclassification Ceremony, Crittenden MS
|
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26th
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Principal's Coffee, MUR 8:30am - 9:30am
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May
|
2nd
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
|
|
10th
|
4th Grade Poetry
|
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16th
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
|
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22nd
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Walt Disney Family Museum Field Trip
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24th
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End of Trimester - Minimum Day
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24th
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Principal's Coffee, MUR 8:30am - 9:30am
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27th
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Memorial Holiday - No School
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30th
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Mission San Jose Field Trip
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30th
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
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31st
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Last Day of School - Minimum Day
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31st
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Last Day of School Ice Cream Social
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In this Newsletter
School News:
Golden Ticket Winners
Earth Hour - March 23rd
Native American Cultural Regions (Student Project)
No MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Thursday, March 21
Annual Reclassification Ceremony: Thursday, April 25
Summer Reading Books Needed!
Flyers:
School Year Calendar 2024-2025 Here
March Menu Here
District News:
Invitations for districtwide Summer Programs will be emailed to those who qualify beginning in mid March
MVEF Gala & Graham New Family Potluck
National Nutrition Month
Crittenden Middle musical: "High School Musical Jr." - Flyer
Parent University: Preparing for Middle School
SCCOE Environmental Literacy Summit - Flyer
PTA News
PTA Association Meeting, Wed 3/27 @ 8:30AM (Zoom)
Lawrence Hall of Science Festival - Thurs 4/4 evening
International Festival - Thurs 4/18 (5-7pm)
Spring Afterschool Enrichment Classes - starts Mar/Apr
Lunchtime Chess on Wednesdays
Vargas Night @ SJ Earthquakes vs LAFC 5/4
PTA Open Board Positions for 2023-2024
Golden Ticket Winners March 14 , 2024
Madelyn B. RM: 1 Leyla B. RM: 10
Xzavier R. RM: 2 Liam P. RM: 11
Mateo V. RM: 3 Eva F. RM: 13
Samuel V. RM: 4 Hana V. RM: 14
Lucas Z. RM: 5 David C. RM: 15
Sara P. RM: 6 David J. RM: 16
Luis R. RM: 8 Ismael R. RM: 17
Wendy C. RM: 9 Christopher B RM: 18
Ms. Barrie RM: 15
Earth Hour - March 23rd
Every year, at 8:30pm local time on a Saturday of March, supporters in over 190 countries and territories unite, taking action on and raising awareness of the issues facing our one home.
But Earth Hour is more than just an hour for Earth - it's a movement for our own futures, for the benefit of people and planet.
And it's not only a symbol of solidarity - it's a catalyst for change, harnessing the power of the crowd.
Here are some ways you can give your hour:
Pick up litter in your local area
Go for an outdoor walk
Spread awareness
Cook a sustainable meal
Read an article about the environment or ways to take action
Let us know what you'll be doing using #BiggestHourForEarth! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeX1h24ntZY
Educator and Student Resources: https://www.earthhour.org/take-part/engage-your-community
No School on March 25, 2024
Monday, March 25, 2024, is a professional work day for teachers. There is no school for students.
CAASPP Testing (Grades 3-5)
Grades 3-5 will start CAASPP testing soon. Vargas 3-5 grade students will start holding their practice tests from April 2-5 BEFORE Spring Break. Our 5th-grade students will test science on April 16-20. Vargas upon returning from Spring Break. All 3–5 Students will test in ELA on April 23-26, and Math on April 30-May 2. Students will test before AM recess. Please avoid scheduling appointments during these times.
Native American Cultural Regions (Student Project)
A few 5th grades, Caleb, Gavin, James, and Vani have created a website that they wanted me to share with our community. In their email, they wrote,
Our website will open up the gate to communication between parents and adults about the people who used to live here because our website is very easy to understand for parents and students. It is also a great tool for researching. It also opens us up to rich history and new culture; it is very important for children and adults to be exposed to different types of culture, people, and ways of life.
I hope all of you can take some time to appreciate the hard work of our 5th grade students. Here is a link to the website.
No MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Thursday, March 21
Due to preparations for Elementary School Open House, there will be no MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Thursday, March 21. MVWSD+ families, thank you in advance for making other arrangements. This affects all Right At School programs, all Beyond the Bell programs, and the district-paid YMCA programs. Programs resume as normal on Friday, March 22.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or call (650) 526-3500 x1061.
Annual Reclassification Ceremony: Thursday, April 25
Our yearly celebration of former English Learner students who have reclassified as fluent in English this school year will take place on the afternoon of April 25 at Crittenden. Invitations will be sent home to families by the end of March. We are all looking forward to cheering on the students’ achievement!
Summer Reading Books Needed!
We all know how important reading is to academic success. It is especially important for all of our students to keep up their reading over the summer. Do you have books that your family has outgrown and that you can donate to other families at Vargas for summer reading? Please bring them to Ms. Bea in the office. She will make sure that they find a good home for the summer. All levels of books are needed. We’ll be collecting books until Friday, May 10th. Thank you for your generosity.
DISTRICT NEWS
Invitations for districtwide Summer Programs will be emailed to those who qualify beginning in mid March
Qualifying families will soon be receiving invitations to one or more programs that will provide summertime care, enrichment, and academic support. The majority of these programs are for students who are English Learners and/or considered socioeconomically disadvantaged. The programs vary in scope and specific qualification criteria.
Students with IEPs who have Extended School Year services documented in their IEPs will be receiving information about that program by March 22
MVEF Gala & Graham New Family Potluck
Mark your calendars! This month is packed with opportunities to connect with our school community. Don't miss the MVEF Gala, a chance to celebrate the talents of our middle school musicians and vocalists while supporting vital arts programs. Get your tickets now to take advantage of early bird pricing! And for our 5th grade families, join us for a welcome potluck at Graham Middle School on March 22nd, please RSVP today! The Crittenden welcome potluck date will occur in May, stay tuned for updates.
National Nutrition Month
March is National Nutrition Month! This year’s theme is “Beyond the Table”. This month, we’re exploring how our food choices extend beyond our plates, impacting our personal health, our community, and our planet. A great way to start supporting sustainable and mindful eating is by learning about the origins of our food. Check out this video about the journey carrots take from the farm to your table.
Crittenden Middle musical: "High School Musical Jr." - Flyer
Crittenden Middle School Performing Arts proudly presents "High School Musical Jr."! Join us for an unforgettable evening filled with laughter, music, and incredible performances. Mark your calendars, invite your friends and family, and join us for a night of entertainment that will leave you singing and dancing all the way home. We can't wait to see you there!
Tickets are now available for purchase here. You can see the show at:
Dates and times:
Fri March 22 7:00pm
Sat March 23 7:00pm
Sun March 24 2:00pm
Location:
Leanne Rzepiela Auditorium
Crittenden Middle School
1701 Rock St. Mountain View, CA 94043
Ticket Prices:
Adult $15 - Child/Student $10.
Parent University: Preparing for Middle School
Date and Time: 4/2/24 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu040224
Nervous about middle school? We get it! Change can be daunting, but it can also lead to amazing new experiences. Join us to learn how to support your children as they prepare for the next stage in their academic and social lives. We will feature a panel of staff and students from Crittenden and Graham who will offer lots of wisdom and details about grades six, seven, and eight. See you there!
To submit your questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions.
SCCOE Environmental Literacy Summit - Flyer
Join Santa Clara County Office of Education on Saturday, April 27 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the third annual Environmental Literacy Summit featuring guest speakers, student-led panels, interactive workshops, and an opportunity to connect with our community-based partners. This year's theme is Building Climate Resiliency Together, and will focus on key themes of reducing our impact, supporting healthy school communities, and providing environmental and climate literacy education. The registration fee of $50 includes a light breakfast, lunch, resources, and entry into raffle. This event is free for full-time students in grades 3-12. Register at https://sccoe.to/ELS2024
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PTA News
PTA Association Meeting, Wed 3/27 @ 8:30AM (Zoom)
We would love to see you at our next meeting! We will have a principal's update as well as what the PTA is planning for the remainder of the school year, including community events and fundraisers. Register here. Agenda link.
Lawrence Hall of Science Festival - Thurs 4/4 evening
The PTA is bringing the Lawrence Hall of Science to Vargas for a "Build, Engineer, and Invent!" festival. There will be two identical sessions to accommodate the entire Vargas community. To run this festival, we need help!! Each session will require 14 adult volunteers to facilitate stations. Please sign up here to volunteer for one or both sessions.
First session: 5:00-5:50 pm
Second session: 6:00-6:50pm
International Festival - Thurs 4/18 (5-7pm)
Our 2nd annual International Festival is coming up. This is one of our biggest events of the year, where we invite our incredibly diverse community to share their culture. If you are interested in signing up to represent a country, please sign up here!
Spring Afterschool Enrichment Classes - starts Mar/Apr
Visit our website to see the updated list of Spring Afterschool Enrichment class options, including start dates, scholarship, and registration info. Prorated rates are offered for classes that have already started. There are classes for everyone, including new classes this session (e.g. The Green Room Theater class, Creative Clay, and Science class). Sign up now!
Lunchtime Chess on Wednesdays
The PTA is bringing Bay Area Chess to Vargas to provide a free lunchtime chess club, for students at all levels, starting on March 6 for 10 weeks. Players of all levels are welcome!
Vargas Night @ SJ Earthquakes vs LAFC 5/4
Join your fellow Vargas families and watch the SJ Earthquakes take on LAFC at Levis’ Stadium.
For each ticket purchased through this link, a small portion will go back to our school, so enjoy a fun night out while giving back to your school!
PTA Open Board Positions for 2023-2024
In March we will hold our election for PTA board members for next school year. The main position that we need to fill for next year is the Treasurer. The treasurer attends PTA meetings, prepares financial reports, issues checks and updates budgets. There is no accounting or financial experience required as there is good training and support available. The main strengths would be being organized and being able to commit to 6-8 hours per month.
We are also looking for a Parliamentarian and a Historian. A link to PTA positions and descriptions can be found here: Current PTA role descriptions 23/24
If you are interested or would like to hear more about any of these positions you can talk to anyone on the nominating committee (Franziska Romanovsky, SE Hayes, Jennifer Chan, Kevin Morrison, Shannon Lundin) or email [email protected]
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