Wise Word, 12/15/2021

Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

As this year comes to a close at the end of this month, I am sure we are all looking forward to what 2022 brings us. We will be closed for Holiday Recess from December 20th to January 3rd.  Teachers will be spending January 3rd participating in professional development and planning. We will be welcoming our students back to school when we resume on January 4th. 


As we get ready for  2022, here are a few things I want to highlight:

 

COVID safety over winter break

We strongly encourage families to get tested after the holidays and before returning to school after the holiday, especially if you are traveling.  Even as children 5-11 are now starting to get vaccinated, it is still important that we stay vigilant with safety precautions, particularly in light of the variant, Omicron.

  • Test for COVID before and after holiday traveling and/or gatherings. https://covid19.sccgov.org/covid-19-testing

  • Due to low supplies of test kits, MVWSD cannot provide rapid antigen tests to families. Instead, we are planning a community testing event on Dec. 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the District Office, 1400 Montecito Ave. Look for more details by email. 

  • Please vaccinate all eligible members of your household, especially if you are traveling and/or gathering with family and friends. http://sccfreevax.org/ 

  • Continue to wear a mask

 

Attendance is important: Parent notifications ramp up in January

Research shows that school attendance is a strong indicator of success. It's about students learning what they need to know, belonging to the school community, and being part of the team that is preparing them with good habits for high school.


Regular school attendance is required by the state law, and is included in the District’s Local Control Accountability plan (LCAP) and reported in the California School Dashboard. State law requires MVWSD to notify parents whose students are truant or chronically absent. 


What’s an Excused vs. Not Excused absence? Illness (including quarantining due to COVID), doctor’s appointments, bereavement, and certain religious exercises are excused absences. Please see MVWSD board policy for the full list. All other reasons are not considered excused.


Are Vacations / Travel Excused? Unfortunately, family vacation or travel is not excused – even when you inform your teacher or the office. This comes as a surprise for parents. We appreciate you letting us know so that you will not receive a call from the auto-dialer asking you to verify the absence.


When do parents get truancy letters? California law requires MVWSD to notify parents of truancy. Any three unexcused absences and/ or tardies over 30 minutes means a child is truant. 


Letters: beginning in January, MVWSD will send letters to parents of any student who is truant. These letters inform parents when students have had three or more unexcused absences and inform families of next steps and any resources or procedures in place to help their family get their child to school regularly.


Calls: In January, MVWSD schools will also begin using an automated system to notify parents when a student is absent from school. This automated call will alert a parent that a student has been marked absent.  This is important for the safety of your child and for our attendance accounting.  Please ensure we have the reason for your child’s absence. 


It’s possible that you might receive a call after you have notified the office of the absence. We apologize for any inconvenience that this additional call may cause. This process helps us to maintain a safe school environment and support your child and family. Thank you for your support.

 

Last day for OKtoReopen screener is Friday

With student vaccination rates increasing for our younger students, on-campus COVID testing and increased awareness in our community about Covid symptoms and protocols, there is no longer need for the OKtoReopen screener. Starting after break when students return on the morning of January 4 , you will no longer receive an email or text message from OKtoReopen. Thank you for your consistent use of the screener in the past months.

 

In Partnership,

 

Principal Vern Taylor


Events Calendar

  • December

15th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here

17th - Principal’s Coffee, 8:30am - 9:30am - Register Here

20th - 31st - Holiday Break - No School

 

  • January

3rd - Teacher-in-service Day - No school

4th - Students return to school

5th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - Register Here

6th - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00pm - 10:00pm 

7th  - Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - 4:30pm - 

10th - 14th - Parent / Teacher Conferences, Minimum day week dismissal at 11:55am

12th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - 

12th - SSC Meeting - Virtual, 5:00pm - 6:30pm 

17th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day Holiday - No School 

19th - Principal Office Hours - Virtual, 4:00pm - 5:00pm - 

20th - MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting, 6:00pm - 10:00pm 

21st - Superintendent Community Check-in, 3:30pm - 4:30pm -

 


In this Newsletter

School News:

  • Golden Ticket Winners

  • December Celebrations

  • Parent-Teacher Conferences

  • CHAC Resources and Events 

  • Lost and Found Items

  • Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

  • Water Fountain

  • Coach’s Corner - NewsELA

  • Please upload your child’s completed vaccine card

District News:

  • Upcoming i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments

  • MVEF Holiday Zumba Dance Party on 12/19

  • December Better Together Infographic - Flier

  • Parent-Teacher Conferences

  • School meetings are coming up. Open Enrollment for all MVWSD students starts in January

  • “Parent University: Effective Parent-Teacher Communication & Tips for Conference Week”

PTA News:

  • Mendocino Farms Online Fundraiser - Thursday, December 16th, 11:00am-9:00pm

  • Project Cornerstone: Become an ABC Reader

  • Spirit Wear

 


Golden Ticket Winners - Week of 12/13/2021
Alondra L.        RM: 1       Justin W.             RM: 11
Katherine D.     RM: 2       Citlaly A.            RM: 13
Isabella A.        RM: 3        Yusa K.               RM: 14
Kiernan P.        RM: 4         Dj M.                 RM: 15
Morgan W.       RM: 5        Nicolas B.          RM: 16
Julian M.         RM: 8         Khleah A.           RM: 17
Kayli L.           RM: 9         Mr. Maui (Luis) Office

The Vargas Way - Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Be an Upstander.

What are Golden Tickets?

Students earn Golden Tickets from teachers and staff when they are following the Vargas Way. What is 

The Vargas Way? Click here for an in depth view. 

 


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), and Kwanzaa (December 26). 

Last Friday, our Fifth grade and second grade students met together to explore and compare how each of our students celebrate during this time. While many students celebrate the same holidays such as Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years, it was amazing to see how many traditions existed amongst our 5 classrooms.  

I hope you have a wonderful, much needed Winter Break. I can’t wait to see you all in January 2022!  


If you want to know more info about some holidays our students have been learning about, click here to see a presentation prepared by our Kindergarten team.


Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences are important as we partner up to support our students’ growth and development. If you have not already done so, please schedule your Virtual Parent-Teacher Conference with your teacher.  The scheduling window is now open. 


On December 10th, parents received the scheduling link via email from your child’s teacher.  Conferences are scheduled for the week of January 10-14, 2022, that week will be minimum school days ending at 11:55 am.  You will be able to select from available time slots between 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm, each day of conference week.  If none of these times work for you, please be sure to contact your child’s teacher, directly.   


If you have technical issues, please email Principal Taylor directly at [email protected]  For all other questions, please contact Mrs. Evelyn Antunez at [email protected]  or Ms. Silvia McLeyea [email protected].   You can also call us in the school office at (650) 903-6952.


CHAC Resources and Events 

CHAC Family Resource Centers offer a variety of classes and resources for Santa Clara County residents, including music classes for young children, arts enrichment, groups for Spanish-speaking families, parenting courses, and free diapers and other essential items. For more information, see attached flyers or visit https://www.chacmv.org/frcs.

Flier - CHAC Family Resource Centers

Flier - CHAC Diapers, Formula, Wipes 

Flier  - CHAC Tunes on Tuesday 

 

Lost and Found Items

Is your child missing a sweater, jacket, water bottle, lunch box, or other items? If so, please stop by the front gate during morning or afternoon pick-up. 

 

Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

Join me today for our informal Principal Office Hours (virtual) from 4pm -5pm. Feel free to drop in if you have any questions or if you just want to chat. For office hours, there is no formal agenda, it is a time for you to stop in to say hello, and for us to get to know each other better! I look forward to meeting you!

 

Register in advance for this meeting.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

 

Water Fountain

The water fountain in front of the MUR is now available for students to refill their water bottles. Please send your student to school with a water bottle so that they can refill it whenever they finish their supply of water. Please note that students should not drink directly from this fountain.

 

Coach’s Corner - NewsELA

Students are so lucky to have one of the best literacy resources out there! NewsELA energizes readers by providing engaging content in every subject. NewsELA is aligned to national and state standards, and each article follows with comprehension questions for your student. Featuring high-interest articles on everything from fables, DNA testing, Minecraft, global women's rights, endangered species, animal adaptations, and trips to Mars, NewsELA has it all! This program also tracks student progress, provides feedback to teachers, and customizes the student’s reading experience based on the articles they are most interested in! 

Access NewsELA at home through Clever! For directions on How to Access Clever at home using a browser, Click Here


For directions on How to Access Clever at home using an iPad, ( Click here for Grades K-2) (Click here for Grades 3-8)


Please upload your child’s completed vaccine card

Many of our younger students are getting their 2nd COVID vaccine shot this week. When your child's vaccine card has their second shot listed, please upload a copy to Powerschool. Vaccine cards will be referred to in the case of a positive COVID exposure for your student, and MVWSD needs accurate data for decisions about COVID protocols. Click here for a video that shows you how to upload documents: https://vimeo.com/606954357.Thank you in advance for uploading your documents now!


If you have trouble accessing PowerSchool please call the Vargas office at (650) 903-6952 or email Mrs. Antunez at [email protected] or Ms. Silvia McElyea at [email protected] 


District News

Upcoming i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments

i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading. Teachers use this information to support instruction in core subjects for every student.

Elementary school families can access their child’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score via their Powerschool Parent Portal starting December 17, 2021. Parents will have access to three reports for their child - For Families Report, Common Core State Standards Report (CCSS), and the Diagnostic Growth Report. Here’s how to access PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports

Parents can learn more about the i-Ready platform and how to interpret the various i-Ready reports. Join us for an i-Ready Parent Informational Webinar on December 16th, 2021 at 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Please register in advance via the link: http://mvw.sd/i-ready.


Please contact your child’s school front office if you have any trouble accessing reports. 


MVEF Holiday Zumba Dance Party on 12/19 

Get ready to have fun and get fit while grooving to some sweet Latin beats!  We’re going to shake it up with 90 minutes of Zumba awesomeness on Sunday, December 19th at 3 pm - 4:30 pm at the Mountain View Civic Center Plaza (500 Castro Street). Bring water, comfortable exercise clothes, and all your friends.  It is going to be a party!


Suggested donation is $20 per person cash or check payable to the Mountain View Educational Foundation.


December Better Together Infographic - Flier

December is Universal Human Rights Month, a time for people in the U.S. and around the world to join together and stand up for the rights and dignity of all individuals. December 10, Human Rights Day, is a global holiday that marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948. Together, we can protect the rights of everyone, everywhere. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.


Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences are Jan. 10-14. Minimum day for students. Sign up for conferences!

Parent-Teacher (Student) Conferences present a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, strengths and needs, and work with your teacher to help your child have a successful academic experience. Conference week is scheduled for January 10-14, 2022. Every day that week is a minimum day for students. 


School meetings are coming up. Open Enrollment for all MVWSD students starts in January

For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 24-28.


For NEW students:  Open Enrollment is from January 10 through Feb. 4, 2022 online. You can register your child for the 2022-23 school year when online registration opens here:  www.mvwsd.org/register 


Please visit www.mvwsd.org/register for more information.


“Parent University: Effective Parent-Teacher Communication & Tips for Conference Week”
Date: January 5, 2022, 5:30-7:00pm  Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu010522

Please join us for a thorough discussion on effective communication between home and school and tips on how to have a successful parent-teacher conference. A panel of parents, principals and teachers from Elementary School and Middle School will provide helpful feedback on how to approach difficult topics when talking to your child’s teacher or office staff. Parents will also learn how to read and understand the school report cards. 

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


PTA News

Mendocino Farms Online Fundraiser - Thursday, December 16th, 11:00am-9:00pm

  • Order online and Mendocino Farms will donate 50% of proceeds to our school PTA!

  • Valid only for online orders at http://order.mendocinofarms.com/

  • must enter code JAV12 at checkout page 

  • Catering, 3rd party delivery, call-in, and walk-in orders are not eligible.

  • Pickup, curbside, or delivery from order.mendocinofarms.com are included

Jose Antonio Vargas 12.16.21.pdf

 

Project Cornerstone: Become an ABC Reader

By volunteering just 2 to 3 hours per month, our Asset Building Champions build relationships with young people by reading selected books and leading classroom activities and discussions with a focus on respect, tolerance, peaceful conflict resolution, caring and friendship. Children learn what to do if they encounter bully behaviors and how to become an UPstander. 

For more information, email:  [email protected]

 

Spirit Wear

It’s sweater weather! Check out our selection of long sleeves and hoodies for winter! Also adult and childrens cloth face masks available.  Place your order online and pick it up on designated days at the office.

https://www.javargaspta.org/ja-vargas-store

 

Shannon Lundin, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]


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