Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

Did you  know that Special Education Day is celebrated on December 2 to commemorate the signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act into law on this day in 1975 (IDEA). IDEA granted access to children with special needs to free and quality public education. MVWSD is honoring December as Special Education Awareness Month. At Vargas this week, we want to bring awareness, understanding, and acceptance around students who have disabilities as well as challenge any stereotypes and misconceptions that many of our students with special education needs face.

This week, our school has been engaging in the Abilities Awareness Week program. Abilities Awareness Week is a fun-filled and inspiring program designed to build empathy, understanding, and respect for the challenges of all students. 

• For 1st and 4th graders

  • Grade-specific activities designed to simulate different challenges (e.g. learning disabilities, ADD, physical disabilities, autism…) This will take place this Thursday from 8-12:00 PM.

• For all other grade levels

  • A short talk about the Rainbow of Abilities supported by an age-appropriate book reading and discussion.

In addition to how we are supporting your child at school to learn about neurodiversity, you can get involved in several ways, including:

• Educating yourself and others by learning and sharing your knowledge with friends, families, and colleagues.

• Promoting Inclusive Activities that help to educate and celebrate neurodiversity. 

• Support Neurodiverse Individuals by listening to their experiences, advocating for their needs, and championing policies that support inclusivity.

Thank you for all your support in making sure Vargas is a welcoming community for all! For more resources for parents, you can visit here.  

Additionally, We have our Principal’s Coffee this Friday. During the Principal’s Coffee, I will be presenting our most recent iReady test results. Please feel free to join me Friday December 13, 2024 at 8:10AM in the MUR. 

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

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Events Calendar

December

 

January 2025

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

Golden Ticket Winners

December Celebrations

Community Input on Additional Arts and Music Funds

Gift Cards

 

Flyers:

2024 -2025 School Year Calendar - Here

December Menu - Here

District News:

Open Enrollment for 2025-26 starts in January

Thank you for supporting MVEF! It’s not too late to double your impact! 

 

PTA News:

Upcoming Dates

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

Hope’s Corner Toy Donation

“Mister Lemur” Author Visit - Thurs, Dec 19

Winter Afterschool Enrichment Classes (Starting January 2025)

Website

 

Community Partners:

The View Teen Center: December - Flyer

Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024

MVHS Tree Lot - Flyer

Make a Difference in Your Community: Volunteer with Mentor Tutor Connection!

Spanish Language Civic Leadership Academy - Flyer

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School News

 

Golden Ticket Winners December 5, 2024

Shira W.        RM: 1         Ethan T.        RM: 11  

Taylor X.      RM: 2          Phillip H.      RM: 12

Anish S.        RM: 3         Eshana V.      RM: 13

Theo B.        RM: 4        Fiona L.         RM: 17 

Rachel D.     RM: 5        Aj Y.              RM: 17 

Portia A.      RM: 6        Aubrey V.       RM: 17 

Ari K.          RM: 8        Jessica L.        RM: 17 

Sabrina A.   RM: 9        Bamba C.        RM: 18

Angelo M.   RM: 10 Ms. Kim         RM: 18

 

December Celebrations

Over the months of November and December, many of our classrooms have been engaged in learning about the different traditions that are celebrated by different groups of people across the world. We have a diverse community, and it is great to see all of our students learning about the different holidays and celebrations that exist around this time including, Santa Lucia (December 13), Las Posadas (December 16-24), Christmas (December 25), Hanukkah (December 25),and Kwanzaa (December 26). 

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! 

 

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.

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

Gift Cards

Dear Vargas families,

The holidays are almost here, a time to spend with family and friends, to eat a nice dinner or two, to celebrate in different ways.  But for some of our families in need, this is a difficult and stressful time. We are asking for donations of gift cards (Target or Safeway) to provide to some of our families. Please consider buying a gift card and dropping it off in the Vargas office. We really appreciate our wonderful and generous community! We’ll be collecting gift cards until Tuesday, December 17.

 

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District News

 

Open Enrollment for 2025-26 starts in January

In January, the Mountain View Whisman School District will be opening student enrollment for next fall.

 

For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 21 to February 7.

 

For families enrolling NEW students: Please check www.mvwsd.org/register for details about virtual school information meetings held in January (mvw.sd/Meetings2526), how to locate your neighborhood school, how to explore school options and the four steps to register during the enrollment period held January 21 to February 7. Virtual school information nights will be held on Jan. 14 (neighborhood schools) and Jan. 15 (choice schools). The transitional kindergarten meeting is on Jan. 22.

 

Click here to learn about which program is right for your young learner: mvwsd.org/kinderready

 

Please check www.mvwsd.org/register for how to locate your neighborhood school, how to explore school options and the four steps to register.

 

Thank you for supporting MVEF! It’s not too late to double your impact! 

Help us further unlock $35,000 for MVWSD students by December 31st. Every dollar donated will be matched, including employer giving, donor-advised funds, and stock gifts.

Your tax-deductible donation funds essential programs like arts, music, science, and smaller middle school classes. Donate here to make a difference today!

Save the Date: Virtual Meet & Greets in January 2025

MVEF is hosting two 45 mins. Zoom "Meet & Greets" in January 2025 to give community members the opportunity to learn more about MVEF, meet our Board members and School Representatives, ask questions, and connect with us. We also want to learn from you and listen to your questions, concerns, etc.

• Wednesday, January 22, 2025 | 12:00-12:45 pm | Please register here.

• Monday, January 27, 2025 | 07:00-07:45 pm | Please register here.

Don’t miss this chance to engage with us!

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PTA News

 

Upcoming Dates:

• Winter Holiday Fair - December 12th

• Hope’s Corner Toy Donation - ends Dec 12th

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

Our Vargas Winter Holiday Fair is happening soon– Dec 12th from 5-7pm in the MUR, hosted by the PTA! We have 22 student and family vendors signed up, selling homemade crafts, ornaments, food items, tasty treats, and more (perfect for last minute holiday gifts). Please bring small bills to support our student entrepreneurs! In addition to the fair, there will be a photo station, crafts, games, and prize drawings throughout the night. We hope to see you there!

We could use a few more volunteers to help run concessions and other activities throughout the night– please sign up on Konstella for a one hour shift if you are available.

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.

“Mister Lemur” Author Visit - Thurs, Dec 19

Author Mister Lemur (aka Jen Hartvickson, founder of Adventures in Writing), will be coming to Vargas next Thursday, December 19th, for a PTA-sponsored assembly. Mister Lemur will be using stories and songs, to bring the writing process to life, as she walks students through writing, drawing, editing and printing books. She will also be participating in an optional book-signing session during recess for books that are pre-ordered. You can visit the following link for details on how to pre-order a copy of her book.

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]

 

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From Our Community Partners

 

The View Teen Center: December - Flyer

The View Teen Center is a free facility in Mountain View (263 Escuela Ave) for all Mountain View and Los Altos 6th - 12th grade students. Drop-in hours are Monday - Friday, 3:15 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 - 6 p.m. (Closed: Dec. 24 - Jan. 1. Extended hours: Monday, Dec. 23, 1-6 p.m.), and the center features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, and outdoor area. December events include holiday themed activities, cooking classes, crafts, and much more. For more information, 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

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 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.

Make a Difference in Your Community: Volunteer with Mentor Tutor Connection!

Are you passionate about helping students succeed? Mentor Tutor Connection is urgently seeking dedicated volunteers to mentor high school students or tutor K-8 students in math, writing, or reading at local public schools in Los Altos and Mountain View.

 

Why Volunteer with MTC?

• Make a Lasting Impact: Help underserved students reach their full potential, both academically and personally.

• Support Future Leaders: Mentoring high school students or tutoring younger students can help them navigate challenges and build confidence.

• Join a Community of Like-minded Volunteers: Connect with other compassionate individuals and gain a deeper sense of purpose by helping others.

Get Involved: Join us for a Volunteer Information Session on January 10th at 12pm via Zoom. During this session, you’ll learn about our programs, hear from current volunteers, and have the chance to ask questions. 

 

To register for our Volunteer Information Session or to learn more about MTC, please email [email protected] or visit mentortutorconnection.org.

Spanish Language Civic Leadership Academy - Flyer

The City of Mountain View will host a Spanish Language Civic Leadership Academy, meeting weekly on Wednesdays, 5:30–8:30 p.m., from March 26 to June 11, 2025. This free 10-week program helps participants learn about local government, develop leadership, public speaking, and critical thinking skills, and understand the role residents play in civic engagement. Graduates become City Ambassadors, fostering community involvement and preparing for roles on advisory groups and committees. Applicants must be Mountain View residents, 18 years or older. Registration closes March 7, 2025. For more information, see the attached flyer or visit MountainView.gov/MEP.