Hello Golden Owls,
Each year, elementary schools create a Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) that guides our work for the upcoming year. Over the past month, elected parent representatives from our School Site Council (SSC), and English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) have worked in partnership with our school staff members to provide input. This input and feedback is used to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. This plan helps us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students based on various data points. A school’s SPSA establishes goals and outlines each school’s plan for achieving its goals. The SPSA aligns with both the District's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Strategic Plan 2027. These plans outline the goals and actions for the entire district.
At Friday’s Principal’s Coffee, I will be providing an overview of the draft goals, key strategies, and budget expenditures. Please join me at this week's Principal’s Coffee to learn more about our plan this school year.
I also wanted to alert you to two messages in our district section:
First, MVLA is having Julie Lythcott-Haims as a guest speaker on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, at 7pm (MVHS- Spartan Theater). Julie Lycott-Haims is a former Dean of Freshman students for Stanford University. (Fun Fact: She was my dean my freshman year at Stanford!) She will be presenting “How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap.” Register here for this free event.
Second, I would like to draw your attention to the City of Mountain View’s “A Day without Driving.
Next Wednesday, Join MVWSD, MVLA and the City of Mountain View in “A Day Without Driving” on Wednesday, October 4th sponsored by the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition. I hope to encourage all of our Golden Owl Families to pledge to use alternative modes of transportation on this day in honor of California Clean Air Day and International Walk to School Day. Those who take the pledge (linked below!) will be submitted into a raffle of $50 gift cards, bike lights, and Bike to Wherever Day T-Shirts. Sign the pledge here.
Additionally, our teachers will be asked to count how many students took an alternative mode of transportation to get to school on October 4. (walk, rolled, or public transit) The class who had the most students participate, will be given a popsicle party and extra recess.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
September
October
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2-6 Scholastic Book Fair
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5th MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting 6:00 pm Meeting here
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6th PTA - Movie Night
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12th & 13th staff development/work dayTeacher’s Service Day - No school
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18th Picture day - Retakes
November
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2th MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting
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3rd End of Trimester - Minimum Day 11:55
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3rd Walkathon Afterschool - Save the date!
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10th Veteran’s Day - No School
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14th Math Festival 6:00 - 7:30 pm
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20th - 24th Thanksgiving Recess - No School
In this Newsletter
School News:
Golden Ticket Winners
No School for Students on October 12th and 13th
Principal’s Coffee, Sep 29 at 8:10 MUR
Scholastic Book Fair - October 2-6
Mid-Autumn Festival
Attendance Awareness Month: Attendance Tips
Attendance Awareness Month: What’s an Excused vs. Not Excused absence?
September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month
Lost and Found
Items Drop-Offs
Early Pick-Up
Flyers:
2023 -2024 School Year Calendar - Here
SELPA 1 CAC Newsletter 2023-2024 Here
September Menu Here
District News:
Parent University: Self Care for Parents
Day Without Driving: Oct 04
Volunteer with MVEF!
MVLA Speaker Series: Julie Lythcott-Haims - How to raise An adult
City of MV Monster Bash Here
PTA News
Movie Night Oct 06
Walkathon - November 3rd. Save the date!
PTA Participation Waivers
Membership Drive - Ends Oct 06
After School Creative Enrichment (ACE) Programs
Konstella
Website
Golden Ticket Winners September 21, 2023
Stepan (Steve) B. RM: 1 Kristina D. RM: 11
Abel C. RM: 2 Pelin G. RM: 12
Olivia B. RM: 3 Emilio S. RM: 13
George Z. (Yuecheng) RM: 4 Andrei B. RM: 14
Austin K. (Zhi-Yan) RM: 5 Jaiden C. (Chun-Hao) RM: 15
Lily P. RM: 6 Angelina Y. RM: 16
Luis R. RM: 8 Simon H. RM: 17
Hannah P. RM: 9 Max (Pedro) L. RM: 18
Miranda M. RM: 10 Mr. Luis R.
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No School for Students on October 12 and 13
Thursday, October 12th is a staff development day, which means no school for students but a staff development/work day for teachers, school secretaries and 12-month classified staff. Friday, October 13th a recess day (no school for students and staff)
Principal’s Coffee 9/29/2023
At our September Principal’s Coffee, I will present some school data and review our school site plan. Please join us in the MUR at 8:10. Spanish interpretation will be provided.
Scholastic Book Fair - October 2 to 6
Our Fall Book Fair will be held in the MUR from October 2-6! To volunteer for a shift, sign up on Konstella here. Join us to shop from hundreds of items. Bonus: every purchase supports our school and teachers.
Mid-Autumn Festival
Last year, Alvin Lin, a Vargas parent, emailed me to share information about a September holiday that is celebrated in some Asian countries, the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as the Mooncake Festival. Thank you, Mr. Lin for reaching out and sharing information to our community. I hope that many more of you will reach out and share about important traditions, celebrations that are important to you with our community. Remember that we are so much better together. You can read more information about the Mooncake Festival in this flyer.
Attendance Awareness Month: Attendance Tips
Early learning and success later in life depends on attending school. There are long-term positive outcomes for youth who attend school each day. Creating routines for strong attendance can help youth avoid chronic absenteeism.
Here are some tips to help improve attendance and ensure your child gets the most out of their educational experience:
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Get a good night’s sleep
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Prepare for school the night before
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Establish regular morning routines
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Have a back-up for drop off and pick up: Make a plan with family, friends, or neighbors
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Reduce health related absences: wash hands and maintain healthy habits
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Plan family vacations for school breaks
Attendance Awareness Month: What’s an Excused vs. Not Excused absence?
Illness, 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.
September 15 to October 15 is National Hispanic American Heritage Month
We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. Our students will be engaging in activities to learn about the contributions of various Hispanic Americans.
Lost and Found
The lost and found rack is getting full again, please take a look to see if any items belong to your child. The last day to claim any items is Tuesday, October 14th. Anything left after dismissal will be donated.
Items Drop-Offs
Snack/Lunch, music instrument, water bottle, Chromebook, and any other drop-offs
Please ensure your child has everything they need with them for school when you drop off in the morning. We are unable to assist and guarantee personal item distribution each day. I suggest a morning check-list to ensure you have all items. This can also help students build independence as they get older.
Early Pick Up
Do you need to pick up your child early? Please make sure to follow our procedure:
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An approved adult must check in and sign-out students.
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The office will call the classroom and ask for the student to come down.
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Students will be dismissed from the office.
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For security reasons, no one is allowed to go to the classroom to pick up students.
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*Feel free to call the front office to alert us that you are on your own.
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DISTRICT NEWS
Parent University: Self Care for Parents
Date and Time: October 3, 2023 at 5:30 p.m. Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu100323
Being an active supporter of your child’s learning can be exhausting, confusing, and sometimes anxiety-inducing. Balancing everything is far from easy. Join us for a Parent U that will support you to be your best self. Show up for yourself so that you can “show up” for your kids!
To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
Day Without Driving: Oct 4
Join MVWSD, MVLA and the City of Mountain View in “A Day Without Driving” on Wednesday, October 4th sponsored by the Silicon Valley Bike Coalition. We hope to encourage all residents of Mountain View to pledge to use alternative modes of transportation on this day in honor of California Clean Air Day and International Walk to School Day. With help from sponsors, those who take the pledge (linked below!) will be submitted into a raffle of $50 gift cards, bike lights, and Bike to Wherever Day
T-Shirts. Sign the pledge 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
MVLA Speaker Series: Julie Lythcott-Haims - How to Raise An Adult
Join MVLA Parent Ed on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 7pm (MVHS- Spartan Theater) for Julie Lythcott-Haims’ presentation of “How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap.” In this widely acclaimed talk, Julie draws on her insights as the former dean of freshmen at Stanford as well as her deeply personal journey as a parent to highlight the ways in which overparenting undermines skill development and positive mental health and wellbeing in our children. Listen as she offers practical strategies that allow children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary to become healthy, thriving adults. Register for this free event here.
City of MV Monster Bash Here
On Saturday, October 28, 2023, Mountain View’s Rengstorff Park will transform into a ghoulish good time for all ages with the return of Monster Bash. From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., community members are encouraged to don their favorite costumes and enjoy a fall festival loaded with a treat trail, spooky games, enchanting performances, a stilt walker, inflatables, creepy, crawly, ooey gooey zone, Dia de Muertos celebration and more. This event is free and open to the public. Visit MountainView.gov/MonsterBash for more information.
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PTA News
Movie Night - October 6th
Bring your chair or blanket, find a spot on the field, and join us for an outdoor movie screening of “Elemental” on Friday, October 6th, hosted by the PTA.
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5:30-6:30 PM - Book Fair open in MUR - last chance to shop!
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6:00 PM - Concession sales begin (We will be selling pizza, drinks, boba milk tea, snacks, and spirit gear)
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7:00 PM - Movie begins
To volunteer to help with concessions or gear sales, sign up here.
Walkathon - November 3rd, 12-3:30PM– Save the date!
Please plan to join the entire Vargas community right after school for one of our most vital fundraisers and fun events of the year. Note that 11/3 is a minimum day.
PTA Participation Waivers: Click here for waiver.
A Participant Waiver is required for you and your child(ren) to participate in any after-school activities sponsored by the Jose Antonio Vargas PTA during the 2023-2024 school year, such as the Ice Cream Social, Movie Night, International Festival, or the Walkathon. Only one form needs to be filled out per family; it is valid for all events for the 2023-2024 school year.
Membership Drive - Ends October 6th
Congrats to Room 12 for being the first to earn a popsicle party for reaching 70% PTA membership! See how your class is doing and invite others to join. Members who register by October 6 will be entered in a raffle to win one of three $10 vouchers for spirit wear.
Become a member today to have a vote and a voice on goals, programs and budget allocations to benefit your child at Vargas. It’s $10 to join– join here!
Or visit our website to download a membership form, make a donation or find out about corporate matching. We hope to raise $150/student through donations, fundraising, and membership to fund our wonderful programs.
For PTA membership fee sponsorship, please contact Mr. Taylor or Ms. Beatriz Claas.
Afterschool Creative Enrichment (ACE) Programs
It’s not too late to join an afterschool class. If classes have started already, prorated fees can be offered. Some vendors additionally offer scholarships, be sure to check out the website for details.
For the list of programs and details about scheduling and scholarships, click here.
Konstella
Konstella is our main PTA tool to share information with our Vargas community. It's free and you don’t need to be a PTA member to join. Stay in the loop– sign up for Konstella here.
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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