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.
If you have questions:
Bring your school-related questions to the Vargas Principal's Office hours on Wednesday, August 9th @ 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. 18, at 3:30 p.m. on Zoom at http://mvw.sd/CC818
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
August
9th- First Day of School - Minimum Day - Dismissal at 11:55AM
9th - Principal’s Office Hours 4:00 PM Register Here
18th - Community Check-in with Dr. Rudolph, 3:30PM - 4:30PM Register Here
22nd Back to School Night - Minimum Day - Dismissal at 11:55AM
25th Principal’s Coffee, MUR
September
4th - Labor Day - No School
6th - Picture Day
In this Newsletter
School News:
Back to School Night
School & Community Engagement Facilitator (SCEF)
iReady Assessments
Medication Forms
Bell Schedule
Drop off and Pick up Procedures
Reporting an Absence
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
School Meals are Free
Transportation
Stay in touch
Flyers:
2023 -2024 School Year Calendar - Here
August Menu Here
Back to School Night - August 22nd
Families, you are cordially invited to our annual Back to School Night on Tuesday, August 22, 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 22!
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 and Math assessment on Monday 8/14 and Wednesday 8/16 Kinder students will take their assessments on August 21 and 23. 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 be.st 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.
Medication Forms
If your child requires medication to be kept at school, please email 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.
Bell Schedules and Schools’ Start/End Times
Please click here to view our school’s updated schedule for the 2023-24 school year. Please note that Thursdays end early at all elementary school sites, and last days of trimesters are minimum days during the 2023-24 school year.
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 entrance.
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 clerk,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 through the main gate and wait in the gray area
Any student not picked up by 2:45pm from gray area will walk out to their vehicle
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
Mountain View Whisman School District - Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Vimeo
Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary - Facebook, Instagram
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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 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
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
Kimberly Cheng, and the Executive Board
[email protected]
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