Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

This week our students are joining in celebrating United Against Hate Week with All MVWSD as well as many cities and towns across California. A full list of participating cities can be found here. As part of the United Against Hate Week, our students will be engaging in several activities that continue our #BetterTogether theme of community. At Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary, we are a diverse community and this week, we want to celebrate with each other. Several grade-levels will be hosting potlucks that allow our families to share their culture with each other.  On Friday, our students will be learning about a variety of different cultures through our Around the World in 80 Minutes Activity. Thank you to Ms. Kim and Mrs. Hamor-Harris for your hard work in organizing this event and also extend special thanks to all of our parent volunteers for participating and sharing with our students. 

This is also an apt time to announce that Jose Antonio Vargas has achieved No Place for Hate© designation for the 2023-2024 school year!  We will be making our announcements to the students tomorrow, and hanging our banner when we get back from the Thanksgiving Break!

Other News:

Community Input on Additional Arts and Music Funds

California schools will now get additional funding for arts and music each year. Our school will soon have an additional annual budget to spend on arts and music programs in addition to what we already offer. We need your ideas! 

 

1. Please click here for a brief survey about potential future arts programming. (The students and staff will be given similar surveys at school). This survey will be open until December 15.

2. Come and hear more about Prop 28 and give input on this topic at these upcoming meetings:

• Prop 28 Arts and Music Input Meeting, 11/20/24 4:00PM Zoom

• ELAC Meeting, 12/3/2024 8:10 Vargas MUR

Your input is valued and an important part of our process. To learn more about Proposition 28, click here.

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

---

Events Calendar

November

 

December

 

January 2025

 

---

In this Newsletter

School News:

Golden Ticket Winners November 7

Attendance

i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments

Student vision and hearing screenings coming up

Ability Awareness Week - Volunteers Needed

 

Flyers:

2024 -2025 School Year Calendar - Here

November Menu - Here

District News:

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, November 21. 

Parent University Speaker Series: Understanding Your Child’s Score Reports

MVWSD Preschool is enrolling now

Join MVEF at the Mountain View Tree Lighting Celebration!

Attention, GOOGLERS! 

 

PTA News:

Upcoming Dates

See’s Candies Fundraiser (ONLINE) - Nov 4 - Dec 6

Message for Google Employees- Google’s Holiday Giving  (Nov 11-22)

Books Inc and Blue Line Pizza Fundraiser - Thursday December 5th

Winter Holiday Fair - Thurs, Dec 12 (5-7pm)

Hope’s Corner Toy Donation

Winter Afterschool Enrichment Classes (Starting January 2025)

Website

 

Community Partners

Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024

MVHS Spartan Turkey Trot - Flyer

MVHS Tree Lot - Flyer

---

School News

 

Golden Ticket Winners November 13, 2024

Alexandra M.    RM: 2         Bianca F.        RM: 11  

Oliver W.          RM: 3         Shedia G.        RM: 12

Daniel Q.          RM: 4         Michael L.      RM: 13

Abel C.             RM: 5        Penny R.          RM: 14 

Davi D.             RM: 6        Ishkirat S.        RM: 16 

Faith T.             RM: 8        Aaron C           RM: 17 

Aya S.               RM: 9        Miranda M.      RM: 18 

Zella Y.             RM: 10      Mr. Damion     Office

                                            Mr. Phan          P.E

 

Attendance

As we near the Holiday breaks, I want to remind families of the importance of students being at school every day. Chronic absenteeism has a lasting impact on a student’s academic, social and emotional development. We know there are many reasons students may need to miss school, but we ask that you plan your vacations so that you do not need to miss school. Thank you for prioritizing your child’s attendance.

 

i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments

Students will take the i-Ready Math and Reading Diagnostic 2 during the week of December  2 - Dec 6. i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading.  

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.

Student vision and hearing screenings coming up

MVWSD conducts hearing and vision screenings of all students in kindergarten, second-, fifth- and eighth-grade, as California State Law mandates. These screenings will take place at Vargas on December 10th & 11th.

 

Parents will be notified in writing if children fail a screening. Parents who do not want their child screened for either vision and/or hearing should send a letter to their child's school each school year indicating that their child is to be excluded, and vision and/or hearing results will need to be provided from their physician.

 

If you have any concerns about your child’s vision or hearing please contact your school nurse. Questions about the screenings should be directed to the Health Services office at 650-526-3500 ext. 1050.

Ability Awareness Week - Volunteers Needed

More details n the flyer below:

__________________________________________________________________

 

District News

 

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, November 21. Closed session will begin at 4:30 p.m., and open/public session begins at 6 p.m.

 

Some of the topics include:

• Outdoor Learning Areas Designs

• First Interim Budget Report

• Staff Housing Documents

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

 

Parent University Speaker Series: Understanding Your Child’s Score Reports

Date and Time: December 3, 2024, 5:30-7pm  Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu120324r

 

Understanding your child’s district and state test scores is a key part of building a foundation of excellence. Join Swati Dagar, our Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment as she discusses how to (i) access and interpret score reports and (ii) use the information to engage in a productive partnership with your child’s teacher(s).

 

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

 

MVWSD Preschool is enrolling now

MVWSD’s award-winning preschool has openings in its part-day afternoon session (12:00 - 3:00 pm) at Theuerkauf. Families can get an application at mvwsd.org/preschool, stop by the preschool office (1850 Latham St.) or call 650-526-3560.

Join MVEF at the Mountain View Tree Lighting Celebration!

Monday, December 9, 2024 5:30 - 8:00 PM Mountain View City Hall

Celebrate the season with MVEF at this festive community event in downtown Mountain View! Enjoy live performances, multicultural tributes, free refreshments, crafts, games, train rides, the dazzling tree lighting, and even a visit from Santa - all free for everyone!

Visit MVEF in the crafts area:

Kids can decorate holiday cards to take home and contribute to a collaborative community canvas painting themed “DREAM”.

Bring your friends, meet fellow parents and students, and spread the holiday cheer as we build connections in our vibrant community!

Also, Save the Date for Giving Tuesday Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Giving Tuesday is a perfect opportunity to support the education of every child in the Mountain View Whisman School District. Mark your calendar and help us make a difference!

Attention, GOOGLERS! 

It's Giving Day Season, a perfect time and opportunity to consider including MVEF!

With Google’s upcoming end-of-year Benevity campaign, Google employees can donate an additional $400 to the non-profit of their choice using the special Google voucher between November 11 - 22. Please consider donating to MVEF and encourage your Google co-workers to support local public education by donating their voucher also to MVEF! Thank you in advance for your support! Learn more about MVEF here.

 

Also, have you used your corporate matching programs to double your impact? Check whether your company offers corporate matching! Just click here and follow your employer's instructions.  

 

---

PTA News

 

Upcoming Dates:

• See’s Candies Fundraiser (Nov 4 - Dec 6)

• Books Inc Shop Night & Dine out on Castro St - Dec 5

• Winter Holiday Fair - December 12th

See’s Candies Fundraiser (ONLINE) - Nov 4 - Dec 6

• Order gifts for the holidays through our See's Candies online shop. Your order will be delivered directly to you. Gift cards eligible for fundraiser.

• To order, simply go to our online store: https://tinyurl.com/JAVSees2024

 

Message for Google Employees- Google’s Holiday Giving  (Nov 11-22)

Googlers: Consider donating to the Jose Antonio Vargas PTA during Google's Holiday Giving Campaign from November 11th to 22nd. During this time, employees receive a $400 credit in Benevity (google.benevity.org) to donate to a charity of their choice. Your PTA contributions will fund student programs this winter such as in-school assemblies, classroom supplies, and field trips. Thank you in advance for your support! Email [email protected] with any questions.

 

Books Inc and Blue Line Pizza Fundraiser - Thursday December 5th 

Come get your Holiday Shopping done early AND support the Vargas PTA at Books Inc (317 Castro Street). Join us downtown to shop after our Family Literacy Night on Thursday, December 5 between 6 and 9 PM. The more we spend, the more comes back to our school for assemblies and staff appreciation.  Ask your teachers what books they would like to add to their class library too. 

Additionally, dine at Blue Line Pizza (146 Castro Street) between 11:30AM-8:30PM on the same day, and they will donate 15% of sales back to our PTA. Only applies to in-person dining and takeout; DoorDash, happy hour discounts, promotions and beverages not included in the donation.

Winter Holiday Fair - Thurs, Dec 12 (5-7pm)

Mark your calendars for our first ever Vargas Winter Holiday Fair, happening Dec 12 (5-7pm) in the MUR, hosted by the PTA.

Students and families can sell their homemade crafts, art, jewelry, tasty treats, and more (perfect for last minute holiday gifts). In addition to the fair, there will be a photo station, crafts, games, and prize drawings for all. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to earn some extra money for the holiday season, while trying to run their own business.

To be a vendor, please sign up for a table by December 6th at the latest, using our online form: https://forms.gle/Y2ZauxPrZJ77KTJPA or through the paper sign-up sheet in the office. There will be a small fee for reserving a table. Vendors are encouraged to price their items less than $10, as most shoppers will be elementary school students and their families, paying with cash.

Please reach out to [email protected] if you would like to volunteer to help us plan this event or if you have any questions about being a vendor. 

Hope’s Corner Toy Donation

We are grateful for this community and want to continue the tradition of spreading holiday cheer. As the end of 2024 quickly approaches, we hope you can support Hope's Corner by donating new toys or warm clothing/supplies.  Please look out for Hope Corner's bins outside the front office Dec 4-12.

Winter Afterschool Enrichment Classes (Starting January 2025)

To see a sneak peek of what’s to come in the Winter session, visit our updated Afterschool Enrichment Classes page on our website: https://www.javargaspta.org/winter-after-school-programs

• New in the Winter session: Amusement Park Engineering with Snapology, an Art Class, and Creative Writing class.

• Follow the website for updates.

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]

 

---

From Our Community Partners

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

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/.

MVHS Tree Lot - Flyer

MVHS Sports Boosters will be opening up the Annual Spartans Tree Lot on Friday, November 29 at 10 AM for the 2024 season at the Mountain View High School Stadium (3535 Truman Ave.). Spartans Tree Lot offers premium, top-quality trees ranging in size from 3 feet to 12+ feet, holiday decorations, and supplies. In person and online delivery options are available. All proceeds benefit Mountain View High School Athletics. For more information, head to SpartansTreeLot.com.