Principal’s Message:

 

Hello Golden Owls,

On Thursday, May 16th, we will be having a Volunteers Lunch from 12:00- 1:00 pm to celebrate our fabulous volunteers this year. If you have volunteered this year, please join us in the MUR. Words cannot begin to express the level of gratitude we have for our wonderful community of volunteers. Your support and collective efforts help to build such a warm, caring, and enriching community. Thank you for all of your continued support throughout this year, and I look forward to celebrating with you at tomorrow’s lunch!

Speaking of Volunteers, We still need volunteers for the School Site Council. 

Vargas School Site Council (SSC) is a decision-making, leadership group composed of the Principal, Teachers, Classified Staff, and Parents/Community Members. The SSC plays an important role in the continuous improvement of our Students’ Education by reviewing, approving, and monitoring the annual Vargas Site Plan and categorical monies that fund the plan. As a member, you will review and analyze student performance, ask hard questions and participate in thoughtful discussions, and work as a team with staff and the Principal. Click Here for a video overview (Spanish) and this webpage for more information.  

The time commitment you make is to attend approximately six 1 hour meetings during the school year at an agreed upon day and time, with some outside reading time in the fall when the Site Plan is created. The term for the newly elected members will begin the first meeting of the next school year (late August or early September).

You may nominate yourself as a candidate by filling out this form. Self nominations are extended until  May 14th.

Finally, the end of the year is fast approaching, and I want to make sure that parents are aware of upcoming days that may impact your childcare schedule. Please note the following:

• Thursday, May 23, 2024 is a Regular Thursday minimum day.

• Friday, May 24, 2024 is a minimum day because it is the end of the trimester.

• Monday, May 27 2024 is Memorial Day, and we do not have school.

• Thursday, May 30, 2024 is a regular Thursday minimum day.

• Friday, May 31, 2024 is the last day of school, it is a minimum day, report cards and iReady Reports sent home. 

In Partnership, 

 

Principal Vern Taylor

 

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Events Calendar

 

May

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

Golden Ticket Winners

Medi-Cal Expansion

Turning in this Year’s Volunteer Badges; and How to Apply to be a Regular Volunteer Next Year

Vargas Elementary Field Rental Update

End of the Year Library Schedule

Mountain View’s Bookmobile comes to Vargas - May 15!

New Families Orientation Meet and Greet

Vargas Field Day

Kindergarten and 5th Grade Promotion **Please plan ahead! 

Staff Members Honored by Acknowledge Alliance

MV Public Library: Summer Reading Program - Flyer 1 - Flyer 2

i-Ready Diagnostic 3 Assessments and Student Reports

 

Flyers:

Book Mobile - Flyer

May Menu Here

School Year Calendar  2024-2025 Here

 

District News:

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. - Agenda 

Mentor Tutor Connection - VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION - Flyer

Better Together: May

Mental Health Month

Donate to MVEF!

PTA News

Dine Out at the Habit Burger May 21 (4-9:30pm)

Last PTA Association Meeting - May 22 (6-7pm)- in-person @ JAV Library

PTA Bylaws Notice

Incoming Kinder Summer Playdates 

End of Year Ice Cream Social - Friday May 31 (12:00-1:30PM)

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Golden Ticket Winners May 9 , 2024
Daniel Q.          RM: 1          Eva G.             RM: 10  
Saanvi K.          RM: 2          Victor M.        RM: 11
Olivia B.           RM: 3          Emma Y.     RM: 13
Cristina G.        RM: 4          Fiona L.          RM: 14
Elias C.             RM: 5          Annie D.         RM: 15 
Jodhveer P.       RM: 6           David J.          RM: 16
Erika F.             RM: 8           Ada A.            RM: 17 
Eshana V.          RM: 9           Joe C.             RM: 18
                                               Ms. Cherry     MUR
                                               Ms. Gaby        RM: 4

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Medi-Cal Expansion
Medi-Cal helps you and your family stay healthy. Even if you’ve been denied for full Medi-Cal recently, you may be eligible now. Immigration status does not matter. Applying will not affect your immigration status. Learn more at Medi-Cal.dhcs.ca.gov.

Turning in this Year’s Volunteer Badges; and How to Apply to be a Regular Volunteer Next Year

Parents, we are so grateful for your volunteering this year! It has been a great year, and we are looking forward to next year already. But first …

• Please turn in your volunteer badges to the front office between now and the end of the school year. This year’s badge will not work for next year.

For all of the details and documentation requirements to get yourself set up as a frequent volunteer for the 2024-25 school year, please see mvwsd.org/volunteers. MVWSD will begin accepting volunteer applications for 2024-25 on August 1. Please look for an email this summer with more details about training and applying to volunteer next year. Thank you

 

Vargas Elementary Field Rental Update

Beginning, Monday, June 3, the City of Mountain View will be responsible for permitted uses on the Vargas Elementary School Field during non-school hours. To learn about the City of Mountain View’s field reservation process, the City is hosting "Field Office Hours" at the Vargas Elementary School Field on Wednesday, May 15, 5 - 6:30 p.m. Join City staff to learn how to reserve a field and ask your questions about the reservation process. For more information, please see mountainview.gov/reservations.

 

End of the Year Library Schedule

Library Book Return/Check-in: Friday May 17th will be the last day to return the library books, or pay the fees for lost/damage books

When students return their book(s) to the library during the week of May 13th to May 17th, they will get 10 Hoot Loot.

The first classroom to return ALL the books and/or pay the fees for the lost/damaged books, will get a popsicle party.

I thank you for your help!

Mountain View’s Bookmobile comes to Vargas - May 15!

Mountain View Public Library’s bookmobile will visit Vargas on Wednesday, May 15, at 2:30pm on the blacktop.  The new bookmobile operates fully on electricity and will be recognizable with the eye-catching City colors and library logos. Come check it out!

New Families Orientation Meet and Greet

Incoming new J.A Vargas Families join us for our upcoming meet and greet on Saturday, May 18th, 2024. 

Details included in the flyer here.

Vargas Field Day

On Thursday, May 23, Vargas will be conducting field day. To ensure this day is safe and fun for your child, the following items are recommended:

T-Shirt: color of the team assigned to as noted in teacher notification. (expect this in Friday Folder)

Sunscreen

Hat or Visor

Shorts and Sweatshirt

Tennis Shoes

Water/Water bottle

Kindergarten and 5th Grade Promotion **Please plan ahead! 

We will have a celebration for Kindergarten Promotion on Thursday, May 30 from 11:00-11:55am.

Visitors will need to sign in the office with their picture IDs. The celebration will begin promptly at 11:00am, so please make sure to give yourself plenty of time to find parking, and sign-in. We suggest arriving at least 15 minutes before the start to ensure you can participate in the full celebration.

5th Grade Promotion:

We will celebrate our Fifth-graders with a promotion celebration Thursday, May 30 from 12:30-1:30 pm. Because the ceremony takes place after dismissal, parents will not need to check into the front office. As you know, parking is limited, so please plan ahead and arrive early if you need parking. 

 

Staff Members Honored by Acknowledge Alliance

I am happy to announce that several members of the Vargas staff will be honored by Acknowledge Alliance as the Educator Team of the Year. Ms. Bea, Our School and Community Engagement Facilitator Mr. Damion, our At-Risk Supervisor,  Mr. Luis, our day custodian and Principal. Taylor, will be honored at the Forget Me Nots for their work in further Acknowledge Alliance mission of  promoting lifelong resilience in children and youth, and strengthening the caring capacity of the adults who influence their lives. For more information about the event, and to read bios,  Click Here

MV Public Library: Summer Reading Program - Flyer 1 - Flyer 2

The Mountain View Public Library’s free Summer Reading Program will run from May 25 - July 31, 2024. Everyone in the family can sign up for a summer of reading and rewards. Register at MountainView.gov/SummerReading. The Summer Reading Program kicks off with an all-ages extravaganza in the park on Saturday, June 1 from 2-4 p.m. at Pioneer Park. Enjoy music, lawn games and treats!

i-Ready Diagnostic 3 Assessments and Student Reports

Your child will take the end of year i-Ready Math and Reading diagnostic assessments during the week of May 13th, 2024. Parents can access their children’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score via their Powerschool Parent Portal starting at 4 pm on May 31. Parents will have access to three reports for their child - For Families Report, Common Core State Standards Report (CCSS), and the Diagnostic Growth Report. Steps to access your child's i-Ready Reports on Powerschool are linked here. To learn more about how to read the reports, please click here. Please contact your child’s school office if you have any trouble accessing reports. 

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DISTRICT NEWS

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m. - Agenda 

Some of the topics include:

• PK/TK and K-5 English Language Arts Curriculum Adoption Recommendations

• Strategic Plan 2027 Update

• Appointment Process for a new Board Member

• Measure T Construction Priority 2 Project List

• Developing Communication Opportunities With Trustees

For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees

 

Mentor Tutor Connection - VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION - Flyer

May 21st (online only): 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm, Zoom -- Online.

Join us online or in-person for a lively volunteer information event. Learn how you can become a mentor or tutor in the Mountain View and Los Altos public schools, and help a local student to a brighter future! To register go to www.mentortutorconnection.org/events  - or email us at [email protected].

Better Together: May

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, a time dedicated to recognizing the rich history, cultural diversity, and significant contributions of the Asian American Pacific Islander community to our society. It's an opportunity to celebrate the many achievements and the vibrant traditions that AAPI individuals bring to the fabric of our communities. As we honor this important month, it's also an excellent moment to reflect on the #BetterTogether theme of recognizing our own self-worth. Each of us, regardless of background, has unique strengths and an intrinsic value that contributes positively to our communities and the world at large. Celebrating AAPI Heritage Month reminds us to appreciate not only the diversity around us but also the value within ourselves, fostering a deeper understanding and respect for all.

For more information about Better Together, visit mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD.

Mental Health Month

Here are 5 things you can do for your #mentalhealth this week:

1. Make a list of 5 things you’re grateful for today.

2. Practice positive affirmations.

3. Start a conversation about mental health.

4. Stay hydrated!

5. Take a break from screens.

#MentalHealthMonth #WhereToStart

The National Institutes of Health offers ideas and resources for whole-self wellness: https://bit.ly/3UXZgOQ 

Donate to MVEF!

MVEF is SO CLOSE to achieving the $1.2 million goal for 2023-24 - thanks to our wonderful community! With 97% raised and just $36k left to go, can you help us pass the finish line to fund the programs every single student in the district is benefiting from? Please donate!

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PTA News

 

Dine Out at the Habit Burger May 21 (4-9:30pm)

Grab a bite at the Habit Burger (1040 Grant Rd. Suite 370, Mountain View) during our last restaurant dine-out event for the year and 20% of proceeds will go back to our school. 

 

Last PTA Association Meeting - May 22 (6-7pm)- in-person @ JAV Library

At our next PTA Association meeting, we will conduct our election for the 2024-2025 Executive Board for the Jose Antonio Vargas PTA and approve our proposed budget for next year. Stay after the meeting for refreshments and a chance to chat with other parents before school ends.

Thank you to the nominees, both new and returning, who have volunteered to be part of the PTA board next year and the nominating committee who worked to find parents to fill the roles. Please attend this last PTA meeting of the year to ensure we have enough members to elect our next PTA Executive Board.

Nominees:

President:Kimberly Cheng

Vice President: Sukie Grewal

Treasurer: Daniel Lopez

Secretary: Julie Kantorovskiy

Parliamentarian: Sandy Wen

Financial Reviewer: Pei-Ching Huang

Historian: Saty Reddy

Please let Shannon [email protected] or Kim [email protected] know if you have any questions about the elections. 

PTA Bylaws Notice

We have made amendments to the PTA bylaws that will be presented and voted on at the next PTA Association Meeting on May 22nd @ 6pm, in person at the school library. Please see the proposed amendments. Feel free to contact Shannon Lundin [email protected] for any questions.

 

Incoming Kinder Summer Playdates 

If you have an incoming kindergartener next year, we are looking for a few parents to help organize a few incoming kinder play dates over the summer. Helping may include picking a date and park to meet at, purchasing refreshments (reimbursed by PTA). This is a great way for kinders to meet future classmates and parents to meet other parents and share questions and ease nerves before the first day. Contact Kim if you are able to help organize play dates [email protected]. Once dates and locations are set, we will announce them on Konstella. 

 

End of Year Ice Cream Social - Friday May 31 (12:00-1:30PM)

Save the Date - The PTA is hosting an Ice Cream Social to celebrate the end of the school year on Friday, May 31st from 12:00-1:30PM on campus. More details to follow.

 

Kimberly Cheng, and the PTA Executive Board [email protected]g