Hello Golden Owls,
It was great to see you all at Back to School Night. I hope you all had a chance to understand and get to know the expectations for your child’s classroom for this school year. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to check out our STEAM classrooms, here is a quick video from Mrs. Bisbee and Mrs. Butchko that provides more details about our STEAM program.
In their position Statement on Homeschool Collaboration, The National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) Stated. “Home-school collaboration leads to improved student achievement, better behavior, better attendance, higher self-concept and more positive attitudes toward school and learning. Parents and educators also benefit when true partnerships are established. Successful home-school collaboration is dependent upon educators, families and community members working together to understand each others’ perspectives and to develop shared goals.” This reminds me that as we work together this school year, it's imperative that we build strong partnerships so that our students become the best Golden Owls possible. You can see NASP’s full statement with cited resources here
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
August
September
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4th - Labor Day - No School
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5th ELAC Meeting 6:00 pm- MUR
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6th - Picture Day
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26th ELAC Meeting 6:00 pm - MUR
In this Newsletter
School News:
Attendance is Important
Short-Term Independent Study
Reporting an Absence
School Meals are Free
Looking for an Afterschool program?
Updating Contact Information
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
Flyers:
2023 -2024 School Year Calendar - Here
August Menu Here
District News:
Sown to Grow
CAASPP scores are now available
MVWSD seeking District Equity Advisory Committee members
Volunteer with MVEF!
August/September CAC and LCC Events (English and Spanish) Here
General Parent/Community Meeting
Parent Chat
September 13, 10 am Morning Let’s Talk
Living Classroom seeking Docents! Here
Hazardous Household Waste Drop Off event on Aug 26 Here
Housing and Eviction Help Center Here
SCCOE Family Engagement Symposium 2023: Sept. 9
PTA News
After School Activities/Programs
Volunteering
Welcome Packets
Membership
Konstella
Spirit Wear
Website
Attendance is Important
Research shows that school attendance is a strong indicator of success. It's about students learning what they need to know, belonging to the school community, and being part of the team that is preparing them with good habits for high school.
Regular school attendance is required by the state law, and is included in the District’s Local Control Accountability plan (LCAP) and reported in the California School Dashboard. State law requires MVWSD to notify parents whose students are truant or chronically absent.
What’s an Excused vs. Not Excused absence? Illness (including quarantining due to COVID), doctor’s appointments, bereavement, and certain religious exercises are excused absences. Please see MVWSD board policy for the full list. All other reasons are not considered excused.
Are Vacations / Travel Excused? Unfortunately, family vacation or travel is not excused – even when you inform your teacher or the office. This comes as a surprise for parents. We appreciate you letting us know so that you will not receive a call from the auto-dialer asking you to verify the absence.
When do parents get truancy letters? California law requires MVWSD to notify parents of truancy. Any three unexcused absences and/ or tardies over 30 minutes means a child is truant.
Short-Term Independent Studies
If you are planning on scheduling family vacations, please make every effort to schedule around our instructional calendar. You can also find minimum days outside our regularly scheduled early release Thursdays for scheduling appointments for your scholar. If your plans include your child missing 3-15 days of school, please notify the front office to discuss a short-term independent studies contract to minimize the impact of missed school days.
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 Meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help you and your school
MVWSD will continue to provide free meals this year to all students as part of California’s universal meal program.
However, parents need to reapply for the Free and Reduced Price Meals program now for this school year. If you think you could qualify (qualifying income levels listed here), we ask you to apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more. Qualifying is one factor in your child’s eligibility for free MVWSD after school care and summer camp.
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. 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.
Looking for an afterschool program? Read on to see if your child qualifies for MVWSD+!
A student qualifies for the free MVWSD+ afterschool program if one or both of the following conditions are true:
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The student is an English Learner (EL). EL status is established via the results of the Initial ELPAC exam, which is being administered to certain students in August and September. Results are usually available within two weeks of the completion of testing. If you have questions about the Initial ELPAC exam, please contact Leticia Corcoran at [email protected].
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The student qualifies for free or reduced price lunches based on federal income guidelines. At this time, lunch for all children is free, but this may not always be the case. To fill out the application for free or reduced lunch, please go to ezmealapp.com. Qualifying students’ data is collected at the state level and usually appears in the district’s data system within two weeks. If you have questions, please contact your school office.
Soon after a student’s EL or Free/Reduced Lunch Status changes to indicate he/she qualifies for MVWSD+, you will receive an email from the MVWSD+ Team inviting your child to enroll.
For questions or troubleshooting, please reach out to [email protected] or Jennifer Nunez at (650) 526-3500 x1061.
Updating Contact Information
It is important we have your most current contact information (phone number, email address, emergency contacts). If you have a change or want to add an authorized person to pick up your child, please email our front office staff, Ms. McElyea at [email protected] with any changes or updates you may have.
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.
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DISTRICT NEWS
Sown to Grow
MVWSD is again partnering with Sown to Grow for the 2023-24 school year for grades K-6. Sown to Grow is a platform designed to promote safe and supportive classrooms. Through student check-ins and reflective activities, students are encouraged to engage in self-awareness, set personal goals, and develop essential social and emotional skills. This data allows teachers, principals, and counselors to proactively reach out to support student needs. For more information, please read the attached letter. Sown to Grow Letter (English)
CAASPP scores are now available
CAASPP student (ELA, Math, CAA) score reports (from the Spring tests) were recently released by the state and are now available for parents on the PowerSchool Parent Portal (under “Score Reports” - choose the 2022-23 school year). 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.
MVWSD seeking District Equity Advisory Committee members
MVWSD is continuing our work by engaging meaningfully with the community on issues of equity through the District Equity Advisory Committee (DEAC). The goal of the DEAC is to provide feedback to the Superintendent on how to support MVWSD towards achieving its goals of becoming a more equitable and inclusive school district.
We are seeking a combination of district-level leaders, principals, teachers, staff members, and parent participants who represent the interests of both elementary and middle schools. Committee members will be expected to attend and participate virtually in meetings held monthly (on average) online in the evening hours.
If you’re interested in participating, please complete the application here.
Volunteer with MVEF!
MVEF needs 1-3 additional volunteers at each school in MVWSD. MVEF school representatives help the families at their school understand what MVEF is and why it exists so that they are inspired to donate and spread the word about the impact of MVEF funding. MVEF also needs volunteers to help with planning our annual Gala and other community events. To learn more, visit: https://www.mvef.org/volunteer
August/September CAC and LCC Events (English and Spanigh) Here
SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. We are ALL having learning challenges right now, and CAC and LCC are here to help. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org
We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children: Try a Sensory Diet
General Parent/Community Meeting
August 28, 9 am
with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:00 am for LCC and 9:15 am for CAC. We will be planning for the year, discussing upcoming programs and having a question period for administrators. For our agenda, please join our Google group, https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvd-qorDwsH9UXSPmOtja90uQqRnD9kef3
Parent Chat
September 12, 10 am
Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child? Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. Every second Tuesday of the month at 10 am on Google Meet. Meeting is for 1 hour only due to Google Meet limitations. Contact [email protected] for invite.
September 13, 10 am Morning Let’s Talk - IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModeirqToiHdQpAOpxx4g3NaLHuElaLtJs
Missed our Parent Education events last year?
We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including last year’s Inclusive Fun Fair for summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw
Living Classroom seeking Docents! Here
Do you enjoy spending time with kids and being outdoors? Volunteer with Living Classroom to teach fun, engaging STEM-based lessons in your local MVWSD school! No prior teaching experience is necessary. For more information on our volunteer program, please visit: https://www.living-classroom.org/get-involved.html or email [email protected].
Hazardous Household Waste Drop Off event on Aug 26 Here
The City will be hosting a Hazardous Household Waste Drop Off event on Aug 26, 2023. It is a free event for residents of Santa Clara County to safely dispose of unwanted household hazardous wastes, including paint, batteries, electronics, auto fluids, pesticides, garden chemicals, propane tanks, fluorescent and LED lightbulbs, household cleaners and more. See the attached flyer.
Housing and Eviction Help Center Here
The City of Mountain View's Rent Stabilization Program runs the Housing and Eviction Help Center (HEHC) at the MV Public Library to provide housing-related support to the community, including information about housing programs and legal resources. These services are available on 1st and 3rd Thursdays (walk-ins welcome or virtually at mountainview.gov/housinghelpclinics) from 6 - 8 p.m. For more information, see flyers attached or visit mountainview.gov/evictionprevention.
SCCOE Family Engagement Symposium 2023: Sept. 9
Join SCCOE’s upcoming free Family Engagement Symposium “Belonging Begins with Me” on Saturday, Sept 9, 2023. Workshops include Family Writing Activity - Writing Your Belonging Story, Establishing Your Financial Roots, How to Raise and Nurture an Antiracist Family, and more! Register here: https://sccoe.to/PEPBelongingSept9.
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PTA News
Afterschool Activities/Programs
This Fall we will have vendors on campus to host after school programs at Vargas! The PTA has sourced an extensive list that includes chess, art, Spanish, lego robotics, basketball, soccer, mathletes, Hindi, Mandarin Chinese, science and much more!
All these classes will be fee based as the state and federal grants have changed for 2023-2024. Some vendors will offer scholarships, but spots are limited and depend on enrollment.
Please see the list of classes here: https://www.javargaspta.org/after-school-programs
Volunteering
We need you! There are numerous ways to get involved, with varying time commitments, and each role is important in making this year even better than the last. Consider volunteering and create lasting memories for you and your children.
Fill out the interest form: https://tinyurl.com/VargasVolunteer2023 or email Kim at [email protected].
Welcome Packets
Your student should have received our PTA welcome week last week with info on membership, volunteering, events, and more. For a digital copy, click here: https://tinyurl.com/PTAguide2023
Membership
Join the Vargas PTA! All our programs are supported by memberships, donations, and fundraising. Our goal is to have 300 members this year and we are already over 30% there! Classrooms that reach 70% membership participation will get a popsicle party. Members who register by October 6 will be entered in a raffle to win one of three $10 vouchers for spirit wear. Thank you for supporting your school!
Please join and make a contribution: https://jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta
Konstella
Konstella is our main PTA tool to share information with our Vargas community, including upcoming social events, classroom updates, event volunteering opportunities, and fundraising opportunities. You will also be able to communicate with other families from your child's classroom. It's free and you don’t need to be a PTA member to join.
Use this link to register: https://www.konstella.com/p/Vargas
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”.
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 PTA Executive Board
[email protected]
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