Wise Word, 01/13/2021

Principal’s Message:

Dear Golden Owls,

We will not have school Monday, January 18, 2021 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King is one of the most visible leaders of the civil rights movement, and his legacy still lives on today. Please find some time to talk with your child about why we are celebrating Dr. King and his work in furthering Civil Rights and equality for all. While I know these conversations may not be the most comfortable to lead, it is important that we start these conversations early. Reading a book about the Civil Rights Movement or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr is one of the easiest  ways to start the conversation. 


As always, please stay safe during this long weekend.


In Partnership,


Principal  Taylor


Events Calendar

  • 1/13 - Principal Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 1/13 - Cafecito with the Superintendent, 5:30pm -  Register here

  • 11/18 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School

  • 1/20 - Principal Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 1/21 - MVWSD Board of Trustee Meeting, 6pm - 10pm 

  • 1/27 - Principal Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 1/27 - Kate Kinsella's Virtual Presentation, 6pm - 7pm Register Here

  • 1/29 - Principal’s Coffee (Virtual), 4pm 

  • 2/3 - Principal Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 2/3 - SSC Meeting, 5:30pm - 6:30pm 

  • 2/4 - MVWSD Board of Trustee Meeting, 6pm - 10pm 

  • 2/5 - ELAC Meeting, 4:00pm 

  • 2/10 - Principal Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 2/12 - End of 2nd Trimester - Minimum Day

  • 2/15 - 2/19 - Winter Break - No School 

  • 2/24 - Principal Virtual Office Hours, 4pm - 5pm Register Here

  • 2/24 - SSC Meeting - 5:30pm - 6:30pm 

  • 2/26 - Principal’s Coffee (Virtual), 4pm 


In this Newsletter

School News

  • Golden Ticket Winners 

  • Material / Art Supply Pick-up - Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade

  • eBooks at Vargas

  • CSMA Newsletter and CSMA Virtual Art Club 

  • Register now! Parent workshop:  How to Build Academic Language with Kate Kinsella 

  • Principal Virtual Office Hours 

  • Powering Down Chromebooks

  • Technology Support 

District News

  • Cafecito with the Superintendent on Jan. 13 - Register here

  • January CAC Events

  • Info meeting next week: MVWSD’s award-winning Preschool - Flyer

  • MVLA Speakers series presents “Middle School Matters” with Phyllis Fagell - Flyer

  • Enrollment for 2021-22 for *NEW* students is open now

  • MV Library presents: Raising Kindness and Awareness in Children - Flyer 

  • Parent University: Adolescent Drug Use, including the impact of the current pandemic.

  • Parenting in a pandemic: Free 6th district PTA speaker series

  • Parent University: Digging Deeper into Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home 

  • Fifth Grade Parents: Middle school info night on Jan. 28

  • Afterschool activities and programs (including free) are on InPlay


PTA News

  • Announcement

  • Spirit Wear!

  • Amazon


Golden Ticket Winners - Week  1/11/2020
Andrew C         RM: 1             Declan D           RM: 11
Ethan L            RM: 2             Shinee P            RM: 12
Nivaan S          RM: 3             Brandon H        RM: 14
David C            RM: 4             Jazmin V           RM: 15
Violet W          RM: 5              Ian L                  RM: 16 
William L        RM: 8             Fiona L               RM: 17      
Gia R                RM: 10           Ms. June             Office
You can stop by the office to pick up your prize! You may stop by on Monday or Wednesday from 11:30am to 2:00pm.

Material/Art Supply Pick-up: Kinder, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th grade

Material distribution on Thursday, January 14th and Friday, January 15th from 8am to 2pm. Please come at any time during the allotted time on either Thursday or Friday to pick up your child's materials.

Please write your child’s first and last name, room number, and grade level on a piece of paper and place it on your passenger window. Please drive up to the MUR; a staff member will greet you with a mask and gloves, and place the items in your trunk.


eBooks at Vargas

A message from our librarian Ms. O:

 

I am excited to announce that Vargas Library now has ebooks available  for your students to read!  Here are the instructions about how to look at them and check them out… or you can view my video here

 

How to Check Out Vargas eBooks!

 

  1. Go to Clever

  2. Click on MVWSD Library 

  3. Click on Vargas Elementary School

  4. Click “Log In “ (top right corner)

  5. Sign in with Google (blue bar on the left side)

  6. Click “See All” to see more books


CSMA Newsletter and CSMA Virtual Art Club

This Art Newsletter is to let families know what is happening in their child's Art classes (complete with a few lesson links), and a letter regarding art supplies and spaces.


CSMA will be offering virtual art clubs starting in January, registration opens on January 4th, please do not try to sign-up before. 


CSMA will host 2 different sessions: 


  • Kinder to 2nd grade - please click here for more information


  • 3rd to 5th grade - please click here for more information


Register now! Parent workshop:  How to Build Academic Language with Kate Kinsella 

Virtual presentation on January 27 at 6:00 pm

Hosted by Huff, Landels and Jose Antonio Vargas elementary schools

Register: http://mvw.sd/kate


Presenter Kate Kinsella, Ed.D. will talk about: 

  • After school conversation tips to use with children to encourage thoughtful responses

  • Strategies to help increase students' academic language and listening skills

 

Kate Kinsella, Ed.D., is a teacher educator at San Francisco State University and a highly sought after speaker and consultant to school districts throughout the United States regarding development of academic language and literacy across the K-12 subject areas. Her 25-year teaching career focus has been equipping children from diverse backgrounds with the communication, reading, and writing skills to be career and college ready. 

 

For more information, please visit http://drkatekinsella.com/about-us/


Principal Virtual Office Hour  

Please drop in my Principal Hours today to ask your questions. Register Here. (Translation is available)


Powering Down Chromebooks Daily

Reminder to please power down your child's chromebooks daily. Powering down Chromebooks daily or every other day helps the system update and run smoother. Please remember to close all tabs then shut down. 


Technology Support:

If you are having problems with the chromebook you can contact: [email protected] to create a ServiceNow ticket or call the Tech Department at

(650) 526-3252.

 


District News

Cafecito with the Superintendent on Jan. 13 - Register here

Join us for an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Wednesday, Jan 13 at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom. Translation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting here: http://mvw.sd/SdbBp.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.


January CAC Events

Happy New Year! SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. We are ALL having learning challenges right now, and CAC and LCC are here to help. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org


We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children may have during distance learning: Try a Sensory Diet


February 1, 9 am- General Parent/Community Meeting with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:00 am for LCC and 9:30 am for CAC. We will be planning for the year, discussing upcoming programs and discussing distance learning and learning challenges. For our agenda, please join our Google group, https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. For the Zoom link for this meeting, email [email protected] or sign up on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/general-cac-meeting-tickets-135550478129


Info meeting next week: MVWSD’s award-winning Preschool - Flyer

Is now enrolling for full-day and part-day for the 2021-22 school year. Join us for an informational meeting online on January 14 @ 3:00 pm at http://mvw.sd/preschool2. Please see the attached flyer or https://www.mvwsd.org/preschool for more information. 


MVLA Speakers series presents “Middle School Matters” with Phyllis Fagell - Flyer

Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online 


Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Professional School Counselor Phyllis Fagell helps parents use the middle school years as a low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they’ll need to thrive now and in the future, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, acting as their own advocates, and more. To answer parents’ most common questions and struggles with middle school-aged children, she combines her professional and personal expertise with stories and advice from prominent psychologists, doctors, parents, educators, school professionals, and middle schoolers themselves.


Audience:  Parents of kids grades 4 - 8

Register:  To register for this free event at https://mvla2020-21-phyllisfagell.eventbrite.com

Books:   https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780738235080


Enrollment for 2021-22 for *NEW* students is open now

For NEW students:  Open Enrollment is now through Feb. 5, 2021 online. You can register your child for the 2021-22 school year here:  www.mvwsd.org/register


For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 18- 22. Please look for an email from Student Services with a request to log on to the Powerschool Parent Portal: https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/. Please note: School offices will be closed on Jan. 18 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Enrollment support for returning parents will be available beginning Jan. 19.


MV Library presents: Raising Kindness and Awareness in Children - Flyer 

Wednesday, January 20, 7 pm - 8 pm. Learn about fostering “kindness activism” in your children. Aila Malik, author, parent activist, social justice warrior, and kindness advocate will present practical ideas and engaging perspectives on activating humility, empathy, action, and togetherness within your family. Free. Flyers attached. Registration is required. https://mountainview.libcal.com/


Parent University: Adolescent Drug Use, including the impact of the current pandemic 

Join us on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M. for our next Parent University event: Adolescent Drug Use, including the impact of the current pandemic. While this event is geared toward parents of children ages 10 to 18, all are welcome.

 

The presenter, Alum Rock Counseling Center (ARCC), has been in place for 46 years in the Bay Area and addresses the academic, social and mental health needs of the at-risk youth and families.  This important workshop will include such topics as:

 

  • Overview of trending substances used by youth (vaping, marijuana, alcohol, opioids, etc.)

  • Signs and symptoms

  • Why teens are using and the impact of COVID-19

  • How families can discuss substance use and support their children

  • Alternatives for substance use and ideas for prevention

  • Resources

 

Spanish interpretation will be provided.

Register here: http://mvw.sd/Jan20


Parenting in a pandemic: Free 6th district PTA speaker series

Thursday, January 21, 2021, 7pm, “Navigating School During Uncertain Times” with Challenge Success - Laura Easley.  For other offerings in January and February, please see the attached flyer. Cost: free. For more information and to reserve your seat visit https://capta6.org/parenting-in-a-pandemic/


Parent University: Digging Deeper into Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home 

Join us on Tuesday, January 26th, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for “Digging Deeper into Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home (K-5 Families)” 


Members of MVWSD Instructional Team will share takeaway strategies to support your child's reading comprehension, connections, and applications at home. 

  • Wondering how to support your child with their Reading grade level standards and curriculum? 

  • What questions should I ask to build my child's reading comprehension?

  • What does standard progression look like over grade level spans?  

  • Takeaways to support your child who is reading above grade level 

  • Learn new ways to enrich, deepen, and create a joy for reading


Zoom Registration: http://mvw.sd/MlaSK


In order to make this interactive webinar most meaningful for you, please send your questions beforehand to Interim Director, Swati Dagar via this Google Form  by Friday, January 15th. 

Spanish interpretation will be provided. 

Link to flyer is here

Fifth Grade Parents: Middle school info night on Jan. 28

Crittenden and Graham both will be welcoming 5th grade families to an Incoming 6th Grade Information Night on Thursday, January 28 at 5 p.m. held on Zoom. Each site will host its own information night, and parents will receive an email from their students' assigned school with meeting login information.


This is a great opportunity to learn about our Middle Schools’ academics, a chance to meet our staff, and learn about the exciting opportunities your incoming sixth-grader will have at Crittenden or Graham.


Please contact Crittenden ((650) 903-6945) or Graham Middle School ((650) 526-3570) if you have any questions.


Afterschool activities and programs (including free) are on InPlay

Even during COVID, there are fun and educational afterschool programs for kids happening now. Spring break camps are coming up, too. MVWSD partners with the non-profit InPlay to help you find the perfect fit for your child and for your family. Hundreds of programs, including those that are FREE and reduced cost, are nearby and online and can be found through this free, searchable website. Check out http://MV.inplay.org


Vargas PTA

Announcement

Parents! It's that time of year again to search for new officers for the PTA Executive Board! If you are looking to take on a more active role and have more say about what happens at JA Vargas next year, this is for you! No experience is necessary, we will help you! It is a great way to meet other families within the school community as well as take on an active role in your child's education! There are several positions on the board that need to be filled for next year! We have a few returning parents but several "retiring" parents and without YOU there simply won't be a JA Vargas PTA! 

If you have any interest, please complete this formhttps://forms.gle/nQfpsMCv2y5BUBSG8 and the PTA will be in touch to discuss how best you can help!  


Spirit Wear!  

It’s getting cold out there, so don’t forget to grab your JA Vargas sweatshirts and baseball tee’s!  Click HERE to shop the JA Vargas Store.  Order by Wednesday night and do curbside pick up Friday.  (Address for pick up will be sent after you complete your order.)


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.
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