Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

This Friday, November 1, marks the end of the trimester. It is a minimum day and students will be dismissed at 11:55am. You will be receiving your child's report card on Friday, November 15th. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's grades, as always, please arrange to talk with the teacher, so the teacher can give you more details. We provide interpretation services when requested.

 

As Friday marks the end of our trimester, it also offers a time for us to reflect and celebrate the learning, hard work, and accomplishments of our students over the last trimester. As a district, we have worked to revise our LCAP and identifying key strategies for supporting students. Likewise, as a school, we have been working hard to develop our Single Plan for School Achievement (SPSA). If you would like to view a draft of our SPSA click here. I am thankful for our community and the hardworking staff that has made this possible.

 

As you will notice from the data, our students made significant growth according to our iReady D1 and D3 diagnostics. Even with all of this growth, we unfortunately did not meet all the goals that we wanted our students to achieve. When we analyzed the state CAASPP data comparing the 2022-23 school year to the 2023-24 school year, you will see that there are drops in student performance in ELA from 66-64% students scoring proficient or advanced. In math you see an increase from  57% to 62% students scoring proficient or advanced in grades 3-5. 

 

Our team has been working over the first trimester to develop many strategies and implement supports to help improve our achievement. In the next few newsletters, I will be sharing some of those strategies. As part of the SPSA, you will see that there are several action steps that we are taking to support student's future growth and success.  One important strategy that we hope to use is parent education and engagement to support parents in partnering with aligning school and home connection.  Our first parent education opportunities will be around developing literacy skills. Please be on the lookout for our announcement of those opportunities.

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

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Events Calendar

October

 

November

 

December

 

January 2025

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

Golden Ticket Winners October 24

After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @ 12:05pm

End of trimester and Report Cards

Happy Diwali (Shubh Diwali)! 

Elections: Maintaining positive school climate

Winter Clothes Donations

United Against Hate Week (November 18-22)

 

Flyers:

2024 -2025 School Year Calendar - Here

October Menu - Here

District News:

Better Together: November & December

Members needed: MVWSD Child Nutrition Focus Group

Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement

Parenting Tweens & Teens in the Digital Era - Supporting Dialogue and Strategies for Building Healthy Tech Habits - Flyer

MVWSD seeking District Equity Advisory Committee members

MVEF has reached its second milestone - $400k! Make your donation soon to achieve the goal of $1.2M

The MVEF Textathon and Phonathon are just around the corner! Help us skip the call or text by donating today.

 

PTA News:

Upcoming Dates:

Campus Clean-up - Thurs Nov 7th, 12:30PM

Walkathon

Trunk or Treat 

Konstella

Spirit Wear 

Website

 

Community Partners

City of MV: Día de Muertos - Flyer

Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session - Flyer

Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024

MVHS Spartan Turkey Trot - Flyer

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School News

 

Golden Ticket Winners October 24, 2024

Ali K.                 RM: 1         Alexa G.         RM: 11  

Philip N.            RM: 2         Ayden M.        RM: 12

Daria D.            RM: 3         Emilio S.         RM: 14

Catherine L.      RM: 4         Camila D.        RM: 15 

Vyom K.           RM: 5         Veer K.            RM: 16 

Nore M.            RM: 6         Dominic M.     RM: 16 

Lucas Z.            RM: 8         Devika M.       RM: 17 

Griselda O.       RM: 9         Eva G.             RM: 18

Angelo M.        RM: 10       Ms. Ragas       RM: 3

    

After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @ 12:05pm

Next Thursday, we will be hosting a Halloween parade after school. For those wishing to participate, we will be meeting on the blacktop after dismissal. For those who have students in Right at School and YMCA, they will also be able to join. Can’t wait to see OWL of you! If you are planning to attend the Parade and are driving, please plan to park your car off campus. 

We understand that there is limited parking in the neighborhood, but the parking lot at the Google Preschool recently has free spaces to park. Our fifth graders will be returning from Science Camp on Thursday, so it is very important that you do not park or leave your car unattended as we will need to have the loading area clear.  

 

Please note: Our school does not have any school-wide event that asks students to wear costumes during the day of 10/31; however, if students want to wear costumes for the day of Halloween, they can. We are asking, as is standard, not to wear masks or overly gruesome or violent attire. We are also asking that students not bring any accessories that would distract from regular classroom instruction.

 

End of trimester and Report Cards

Next Friday, November 1 marks the end of the trimester. It is a minimum day and students will be dismissed at 11:55am. You will be receiving your child's report card on Friday, November 15th. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's grades, as always, please arrange to talk with the teacher, so the teacher can give you more details. We provide interpretation services when requested.

 

Happy Diwali (Shubh Diwali)! 

Diwali (dih-WAH-Lee), festival of lights, is celebrated worldwide by over 800 million people!  Diwali is a festival that Sikhs, Hindu's, Jain's and some Buddhists celebrate for different reasons. For more information about how each religion celebrates, please check here. Diwali also marks the Hindu New Year. 

One of our parents, Harshal Varangaonkar, wanted to share information to help educate others about how Hindus celebrate. For Hindus, Diwali signifies the victory of light (good) over darkness (evil). Diwali also marks the Hindu New Year.

Diwali occurs on the lunar calendar and is a five-day festival in October or November. The main celebration occurs on the third day (the day of the new moon) which is on November 1st this year. Many homes and businesses in India offer prayers to Goddess Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. During the festival, we clean our house and wear new clothes to begin the year fresh. Friends and family get together to celebrate and exchange gifts, delicious food and dessert. Homes are decorated with rangolis and diyas outside to invite Lakshmi into their house for prosperity. Diyas are oil lamps made from clay with a cotton wick dipped in oil. Rangoli is an art form used to create beautiful patterns using colored powder, rice, flour or flower petals. Fun Fact: Lakshmi has an owl named Uluka, that she uses as a mode of transportation.

Elections: Maintaining positive school climate

On Nov. 5, voters will cast their ballots in a variety of local, state, and federal elections. At times, the rhetoric around these campaigns has become intense and often divisive, and we know that the debates around many of today’s issues can quickly get emotional.

We encourage all members of our school district community to remain respectful and empathetic in our interactions with others. The focus for all of us is on maintaining a safe, supportive, and welcoming learning environment.

We are fortunate that our school district community is made up of people who truly care about, include and support one another.

We emphasize with children that:

• School remains a welcome, safe space for all students (resource: MVWSD diversity is our strength)

• We are focusing on “community” this year through our Better Together program. Community means ensuring that all members of MVWSD feel valued, supported, and connected to one another in an often divided world.

• School is a safe space for talking about feelings with trusted adults, including counselors, teachers, principals, etc.

Education and safety are our top priorities, and we are here foremost to serve students. It is our responsibility to maintain a positive and safe climate learning environment. All school employees will continue to work to provide a positive school climate and a space for respectful exchange of ideas that is mindful of diverse perspectives. Additionally, parents/guardians are key partners for helping to engage students in thoughtful and civil discourse. 

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for your support and partnership.

Winter Clothes Donations

It's finally time to get the warm clothes out of the closet!  If you find items that are too small for your kids, or you just don't want them anymore, please bring them to the Vargas office and we will find them a good home.  Baby and adult clothes are also needed.

Clean and gently used clothes only, please.  Nothing with stains or permanent damage.   We will donate these items to families in need in our community.  We will be collecting donations until Friday, November 15, 2024.  Thank you!

 

United Against Hate Week (November 18-22)

We are excited to join MVWSD schools in participating in United Against Hate Week once again. United Against Hate Week was founded in 2017. For more information about the purpose and origins of United Against Hate week, you can click here. 

Our focus theme this school year is community. In August and September we focus on the school and classroom community. In October, our focus is family and home community. In November we will focus on Cultural diversity in Communities. For United Against Hate Week, Vargas will incorporate those themes throughout the week. Grade-Levels will participate in activities that ask students to share aspects of their home community (food, traditions, language, stories) with their school community. As we do this we hope that we can see the diversity in our community and honor our similarities and differences. School-Wide, we hope to bring in families to share their culture and read- aloud to our students in various languages. Parents please be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities for that week. 

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District News

 

Better Together: November & December

As we enter the vibrant months of November and December, our school community embarks on a meaningful journey exploring the rich tapestry of cultures that make our community unique and special. During these months, we focus on three important themes that help us understand and celebrate our differences while building stronger connections with each other: Celebrating diverse communities while acknowledging Native American Heritage Month and Special Education Awareness Month. Through these themes, we'll discover that our differences aren't just something to accept – they're something to celebrate. Together, we'll learn how understanding and appreciating each other's unique qualities makes our entire community better. For more information about Better Together, visit mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD.

 

Members needed: MVWSD Child Nutrition Focus Group

MVWSD's Child Nutrition Services Department is seeking parents and staff members to join a series of thoughtful discussions about food nutrition and delivery throughout our school district. This volunteer commitment is expected to be approximately 15 hours throughout the 2024-2025 school year. Please enter your information here to express your interest. Questions may be directed to Food Service Director Debbie Austin at [email protected]. 

 

Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement

Each year, our schools create Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs or “site plans”) that guide the work for the coming year. These plans help us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students. In the fall, elected parent representatives from School Site Councils and English Language Advisory Committees work with principals and school staff members to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. Parents and staff members may give feedback through Nov. 15 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.

 

Parenting Tweens & Teens in the Digital Era - Supporting Dialogue and Strategies for Building Healthy Tech Habits - Flyer

Date and Time: November 19, 5:30-7:00 p.m.     Registration: mvw.sd/pu111924r

My Digital TAT2 returns to Parent University with updated topics! This workshop will empower parents with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of raising tech-savvy, digitally responsible children. We will address common tech issues such as texting dilemmas, online friendship drama, and the “Sephora Kids” phenomenon. You’ll also learn a helpful strategy called The Digital Loop that can help you and your family build awareness around each person’s tech use. 

To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your questions during the session.

 

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 once monthly (on average) online during the 2024-25 school year in the evening hours. 

 

If you’re interested in participating, please click here to apply.

 

MVEF has reached its second milestone - $400k! Make your donation soon to achieve the goal of $1.2M

Thanks to the generosity of new donors, repeat donors, corporate matching, and grants, MVEF has already raised 1/3 of this year’s $1.2M funding goal. Thank you to all who have donated so far and a special thanks to the "Nusimow Family Giving Fund" for the generous donation of $50k. 

It’s a fast start on a big climb: MVWSD will soon begin planning for next year’s budget. When MVEF is on pace to meet the funding goal early in the school year, it gives confidence that we can continue funding the current priorities and potentially add new ones to next year’s budget.

 

Consider donating today - it's tax-deductible! Every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Setting up monthly installments is easy, just select "recurring donation" here. Learn more about ways to give here. Ever considered donating stocks? Learn more about it here. 

 

The MVEF Textathon and Phonathon are just around the corner! Help us skip the call or text by donating today.

In early November and December, MVEF volunteers will be reaching out to MVWSD families who haven't yet donated, to remind them how crucial their contributions are. Each year, these donations help sustain essential programs for all MVWSD students, such as art, music, and environmental science in elementary schools, and smaller class sizes, sports coaches, referees, transportation to games, and extracurricular activities in middle schools.

Around 80% of MVEF's funding comes from generous families like yours. Every donation, no matter the amount, helps enrich education for every student. Make a difference today by visiting mvef.org/donate. Remember donations are tax-deductible! Thank you for your ongoing support of MVEF!

 

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PTA News

 

Upcoming Dates:

• Thursday, Nov 7th (12:30PM) - Campus Clean-up

• Wednesday, Nov 20th - PTA Association Meeting (8:30AM on Zoom) - details to come

Campus Clean-up - Thurs Nov 7th, 12:30PM

Join us on the first Thursday of each month for a quick 30-minute clean-up session to help keep our school looking its best. We'll meet at 12:30 pm near the school garden – trash grabbers provided! Our first clean-up, kicks off Thursday, November 7th.

 

Walkathon

Thank you Vargas community for showing up for the Walkathon event, it was so great to see the students walking hard to earn their prizes! We are still tabulating prize results, so stay tuned! Thank you to all the families who volunteered their time to make the event a success and a special thank you to the Walkathon Committee (Kate, Amanda, Cindy, Clarissa, Elena, Jessica, Kevin, Kim, Laura, Leela, Robyn, Sandy and Sukie). We are additionally appreciative of the large number of donations from local businesses, who donated money, raffle prizes, and fruit for the course (see list here).

Trunk or Treat 

We had a fantastic turnout for our first ever Vargas Trunk or Treat. Thank you to all the families who decorated their cars and passed out candy, to those who “fed the monster” and donated candy,  and to the planning committee (Saty, Sourobh, Leah, Hazel, Elena, Kim) who helped make this happen. It was so fun, we can’t wait to do it again next year!

Konstella

Want to hear about the school-wide events planned by the PTA? Konstella is a free app/website– you do not have to be a member to join. 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

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.

• Follow JAVargas PTA on facebook for photos of events and updates on future events.

Kimberly Cheng, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]

 

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From Our Community Partners

City of MV: Día de Muertos - Flyer

Join the City of Mountain View to celebrate Día de Muertos at Civic Center Plaza on November 2 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The public is invited to the celebration of memories and a ritual that “encourages remembering over forgetting.”  Learn about these festivities and delight with the ofrendas and altars decorated with Cempasúchitl flowers, or marigolds, papel picado, sugar skulls, and a myriad of colors created and inspired by community members. The event will feature live performances and children’s activities. Learn more at MountainView.gov/Dia-de-Muertos.

Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session - Flyer 

Mentor Tutor Connection is actively recruiting volunteers for our mentoring (high school students) and tutoring (K-8 students) programs located in Los Altos and Mountain View public schools. We will be hosting a Volunteer Information Session on November 13th at 12pm, over Zoom. This is a great opportunity to learn more about our programs and ask any questions. Help shape a brighter future for students in our local community! 

To register for the Volunteer Information Session or to learn more about MTC, please email [email protected] or click here.

Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024

For local coverage of issues related to learning challenges and special education, please check out the Learning Challenges Committee http://learningchallenges.lamvptac.org/

For broader coverage, look into the Northwest SCC SELPA CAC

Northwest Santa Clara County CAC meeting

October 29, 9 am

Register: https://sccoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpfuipqTwiGd2j1kNEBuVtKlTXV4IJn1TB

 

Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group

October 30, 9 am  on Zoom.

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/tZcqcu-vrDsiHdW_I5OTIYOiHcpy1tEmzuta

Who’s Who is Serving Our Little Ones? - Planning and Strategies for Children 3-5

From Department of Developmental Services and Palo Alto CAC

November 14, 6-7 pm on Zoom. Register: http://bit.ly/DDSTraining2

Evening Let’s Talk Parent Support group

November 19, 7 pm  on Zoom.

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/tZMtfu2hrj0pG9zqGFeTzEnqs1U7cVxTcfl-

Learning Challenges Committee Meeting

December 3, 7:30 pm on Zoom

The LCC is working on providing a support group for parents, and planning to create a wish list for teachers throughout Mountain View and Los Altos for classroom supplies to support sensory needs. Would you like to help? Other ideas to support students and families with learning challenges? Join us here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUld-usrj8tEtNskynSpmorDiYZNt9_KAgq

Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group

December 19, 10 am  on Zoom.

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/tZMrduupqD0vEtSpweFX71KvNAcKW8Csy4D3

Missed past Parent Education events?

We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including the recent talk on Assistive Technology, info 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

 

MVHS Spartan Turkey Trot - Flyer

MVHS Sports Boosters is proud to host the 15th Annual Spartan Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning (Thursday, November 28, 2024) at the Mountain View High School Track (3535 Truman Ave, Mountain View, CA). People of all ages are encouraged to participate in the 5k Run & Walk and the Spartan Mile (1-mile). Kids are welcome to participate in the 5k and/or Spartan Mile + the 60/400 yd dash races (aka kids races). All proceeds benefit the MVHS athletics department and supporting teams/clubs. Register at https://www.spartanturkeytrot.com/.