Principal’s Message:
Dear Golden Owls,
In Observance Of Thanksgiving Break, There Is No School On Wednesday November 27, Thursday November 28 And Friday November 29.
We would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! We hope you will be able to spend time with your loved ones and share all you have to be thankful for. We are thankful for you and the special gifts of time, generosity, and good cheer you bring.
November’s Asset of the Month: Positive Cultural Identity
This time for family and friends provides a wonderful opportunity for all of us to build positive cultural identity.
Positive identity brings self-assurance, a sense of belonging, a positive view of personal future, and better success in school.
Developing a positive cultural identity—a critical element of personal identity—can be difficult
for young people, especially if they are bridging more than one culture. The way that youth are treated in regard to their ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender directly affects their ability to develop a positive personal identity. As adults, it’s critical that we model recognition, understanding, and celebration of all cultural identities.
Sharing and celebrating different cultural identities increases self-esteem and promotes
cultural competence among all young people.
The following discussion topics* can help families talk about cultural identity:
- What is our cultural background?
- What do you value about our culture?
- What would like other people to know about our culture?
- Who do you know from a different culture? In what ways are your cultures similar and different?
- How can you share your cultural differences in a positive, non-evaluative way?
This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org and was*Adapted from the Canadian Child Care Federation’s “Supporting Our Children’s Social Well-Being…It’s a Team Effort!” workshop.
We appreciate you for supporting our school and students,
Mr. Taylor
Events Calendar
- 11/20/19 - SSC Meeting, 5:00pm - 6:00pm - Conference Room
- 11/22/19 - Principal’s Coffee, 8:10am - 9:10am - MUR
- 11/22/19 - Kinder Field Trip
- 11/25/19 - PTA General Meeting, 8:15am -9:15am - MUR
- 11/27 - 11/29 - Thanksgiving Recess, No School
- 12/5/19 - ELAC Meeting, 6:00 - 7:00pm - MUR
- 12/11/19 - Kinder Field Trip
- 12/11/19 - Incoming Kinder Info Night, 6:00pm - 7:00pm, MUR
- 12/12/19 - Incoming Kinder School Tours, 9:00am - 10:00am
- 12/20/19 - Principal’s Coffee, 8:10am - 9:10am - MUR
- 12/23/19 - 01/03/2020 - December Recess/Break
- 01/06/2020 - Teacher Service Day, No School
- 01/07/2020 - Students Return to School
In this Newsletter
School News
- Golden Ticket Winners
- Read-A-thon News
- Winter Clothes Donation
- iReady Testing
- Return Report Card Envelope
District News
- Parcel Tax Oversight Committee Seeks Community Representatives
- School meetings coming up. Open Enrollment for new MVWSD students starts Jan. 13
PTA News
- Amazon Shopping
- Konstella
- Amazon
Golden Ticket Winners - Week 11/18
Amir RM: 3
Juliette RM: 1
Prisha RM: 5
Anna RM: 6
Jackson RM: 8
Teo RM: 9
Ian RM: 10
Jazmin S RM: 19
Nathan RM: 20
Alex RM: 21
Read-A-thon News
Read-A-thon was a GREAT success! From special guest readers to the thousands of minutes the Golden Owls read, it was a truly special event for our school! Now it is time to CELEBRATE and redeem those reward coupons! Here is a list of the dates the rewards will take place on:
- Movie - Thursday, November 21st - after school from dismissal to 2:15. Please pick your student up promptly at 2:15. A permission slip and lunch selection will be coming home to students who have earned this reward.
- Pizza - Thursday, November 21st - after school from dismissal to 2:15. Students who have earned the pizza reward can enjoy their Pizza lunch during this time.
- Extra Recess - Grade 1st through 4th - Thursday, November 21st students will enjoy an extra 10 minutes of recess!
- Extra Recess - Kinder - Monday, November 25th - Kindergartners will enjoy and extra 10 minutes of recess!
- Lunch with Principal - Monday, November 25th - Students who have earned this reward will be bringing home a lunch order form to select their lunch to eat with Principal Taylor.
Winter Clothes donation (we'll collect clothes until Monday, December 2)
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 anymore, please bring to the Vargas office and we will find them a good home. Baby and adult clothes also in need.
Clean clothes please. Nothing with stains or permanent damage. We will donate these items to families in need in our community. Thank you.
iReady Testing
iReady testing window will open on Monday, December 2nd. Please ensure your child gets plenty of sleep and is ready for testing.
Report Card Envelope
Please remember to return your report card envelope to the office or teacher if you haven't done so. Thank you to all that have turned them in.
Vargas PTA
Amazon Shopping
Shopping through Amazon? Switch over to the Vargas PTA Amazon Smile portal, and your purchases can support the school. It’s the same Amazon you know and love, but the company donates a percent of the qualifying purchases you make to the school PTA, which funds field trips, enrichment programs, and school activities.
Bookmark and use:
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/90-1257353
Konstella
Please sign up for Konstella at www.Konstella.com. This is the main parent-communication tool for the whole school.
Amazon
If you shop through Amazon, please shop through the Amazon Smile portal for Vargas: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/90-1257353 A percentage of sales through this link goes back to the school.
District News
Parcel Tax Oversight Committee Seeks Community Representatives
The Mountain View Whisman School District is seeking Mountain View residents to serve on a committee of community leaders : Parcel Tax Oversight Committee.
Representatives monitor, provide oversight and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District, and include an annual report to the Board regarding the actual uses of such funds.
Applications are due December 9, 2019. Applications can be mailed to Mountain View Whisman School District, Attn: Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, 1400 Montecito Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043, or faxed to 650-964-8907. Applications are available online at http://www.mvwsd.org/about/committees
Questions? Please call Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, at 650-526-3500 or email [email protected]
School meetings coming up. Open Enrollment for new MVWSD students starts Jan. 13
For NEW students: Open Enrollment is from January 13-February 7 online. You can register your child for the 2020-21 school year when online registration opens on January 13 here: www.mvwsd.org/register
For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment in January 13 - February 7.
District new student information night, covering the registration process, is on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. (Spanish) and 7 p.m. (English) at Castro Elementary School, 500 Toft St.
School kindergarten information nights are at 6 p.m. on Dec. 11 for all elementary schools. Please click here for a list of these events.
If your child turns 5 years old between September 2 – December 2 of the current school year, he/she may qualify for transitional kindergarten. TK info night is December 5 at 5:00 PM at Theuerkauf Elementary.
You may click here to confirm your child’s school of residence.
For more information, call 650-526-3500 or go to www.mvwsd.org/register.
There are a variety of school and program information nights and tours in December at the elementary schools. These nights are good opportunities for new families and for those transitioning to new neighborhood schools to learn about a particular school or program, including choice schools. Please click here for a list of these events.
Flyers
MVWSD Open Enrollment
Write a Letter to Santa - 12/6/19
Breakfast with Santa - 12/7/19
Tree Lighting Celebration - 12/9/19
Jingle Ball - 12/14/19