Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

Each year, elementary schools create a Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) that guides our work for the upcoming year. Over the past two months, elected parent representatives from our School Site Council (SSC), and English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) have worked in partnership with our school staff members to provide input. This input and feedback is used to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. This plan helps us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students based on various data points. A school’s SPSA establishes goals and outlines each school’s plan for achieving its goals. The SPSA aligns with both the District's Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and Strategic Plan. These plans outline the goals and actions for the entire district.

 

To learn more about the overarching goals and efforts that will be included in this year’s Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary School’s SPSA, please join me on zoom at tonight’s SSC meeting. We start at 5:00pm. Register here

 

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

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Events Calendar

October

 

November

 

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

• Golden Ticket Winners

• Family Science Night

• PTA Membership Drive - Video

• Student vision and hearing screenings set for Oct. 11th

• Upcoming October no-school days

• After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @2:45pm

• 5th graders Science Camp - We need your help!

• Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

Flyers:

• October Lunch Menu - Here

 

District News:

• Board meeting: Oct. 6

• Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Oct. 7

• Attendance Awareness Month: September

• The View Teen Center - Flyer

• County MedAssist Program - Flyer

• EZMealApp: Future benefits could include after school care!

• MVEF wants to hear student stories!

PTA News:

• Membership Drive 10/3-10/21

• Scholastic Book Fair (10/3-10/7)

• Amici’s Fundraiser 10/18, 11:30-9pm

• Donation request 

• Kontella

• Spirit Wear

• Website

 

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Golden Ticket Winners 9/29/2022
Inara D.           RM: 1        Max(Pedro) L.     RM: 10
Jooahn L.        RM: 2         Adam M.             RM: 11
Ari K.              RM: 3        Jeremy C.            RM: 13
Enrique M.      RM: 3        Isabella P.            RM: 14
Theodore F.     RM: 4        Gia R.                  RM: 15
Eva G.             RM: 5        Anastasiia L.        RM: 16
Matthew P.      RM: 6        Sophie Z.             RM: 17
Cataleya H.     RM: 9        Mrs. Dux             RM: 1

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School News

 

Family Science Night

We are currently planning a Science Night for Thursday, October 6th from 5:30-6:30 pm. Students and families that attend will receive and build a Kiwi Kit together. Alternatively, if you are not able to attend or if you do not feel comfortable attending an in-person event, your child will receive a Kiwi kit, and we will send video instructions facilitated by our STEAM teachers, Mrs. Bisbee and Mrs. Butchko.

 

PTA Membership Drive 10/3-10/21

Please take a moment to view the following Membership video created by our PTA here.

Support your students’ classrooms and school community by joining the Vargas PTA.  Our membership drive will start Monday, October 3 and end Friday, October 21.  Memberships cost $11 and help pay for community engagement events, after school classes, assemblies, author visits, field trips, teacher reimbursements for classroom enrichment, Ms. Bea’s scholarship program, and teacher appreciation.  This year we hope to raise $150 per student through membership and donations in order to make all these wonderful programs and events possible for your students to enjoy.  Classrooms that reach 75% membership participation will get a popsicle party and 2 people who register through October 21 will be entered in a raffle to win a $10 voucher for spirit wear.  Thank you for supporting your school!

 

Please join and make a contribution: https://jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta

Or visit our website to download a membership form, make a donation or find out about corporate matching https://www.javargaspta.org/joindonate

 

For PTA membership fee sponsorship please contact Mr. Taylor or Ms. Beatriz Claas.

 

Student vision and hearing screenings set for Oct. 11th

Each fall, 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 on Oct. 11th for our Vargas students.

 

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 our school 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 our school nurse. Questions about the screenings should be directed to the Health Services office at 650-526-3500 ext. 1050.

 

Upcoming October no-school days

Friday, October 14 is a recess day (no school for students and staff). Thursday, October 13 is a staff development day, which means no school for students and no work for 10-month classified staff. Oct 13 is a staff development/work day for teachers, school secretaries and 12-month classified staff.

 

After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @2:45pm

This year, we will be hosting a Halloween parade after school. For those wishing to participate, we will be meeting on the blacktop after dismissal.  For those who have students in Right at School and YMCA, they will also be able to join.  Can’t wait to see OWL of you!

 

Please note: Our school does not have any school-wide event that asks students to wear costumes during the day of 10/31; however, if students want to wear costumes for the day of Halloween, they can. We are asking, as is standard, not to wear masks or overly gruesome or violent attire. We are also asking that students not bring any accessories that would distract from regular classroom instruction.

5th grade Science camp- We need your help!

Science camp is a very fun and educational experience for our 5th graders. It’s a week to learn not only about science, but also to learn independence, responsibility, leadership, friendship and so much more.  Our students are excited to go to science camp, but we know that this can be stressful for some parents both emotionally and financially.  Please help us to make sure that all of  our students have what they need to have a great time at science camp.  If you can, please donate any of the following items. Items can be new or used (clean and ready to be used). Drop off your donation in the office

 

Sleeping bags

Warm blankets

Sets of twin sheets

Warm jackets size 10-12 or 14

Medium suitcase/duffle bag to carry the clothes

 

If you have any question or if your 5th grader needs any of these items, please contact Ms. Bea at [email protected]

(Repeat) Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

I will again be hosting Principal Office Hours virtually on Wednesdays 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. 

 

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District News

Board meeting: Oct. 6

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. 

Some of the meeting topics include:

* Equitable Access to Choice Schools 

* Social Emotional Learning and Mental Health 

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

Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Oct. 7

Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Oct. 7 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC107

Attendance Awareness Month: September

My student is in school most of the time, so that’s ok, right?

Most parents are aware of what it means for a child to be truant from school. However, we are required by the state of California to reduce the numbers of students who are “chronically absent.” Students who are chronically absent typically attend school fairly regularly, but miss a few days here and there, which really add up and affect their learning. It's important to know both excused or unexcused absences count toward chronic absenteeism.

The District is required to track this data and report it to the state. MVWSD will contact parents when students reach concerning absence levels. If not remedied, chronically absent students and their families may be referred to the District’s Student Attendance Review Board, in a process similar to how truancy is handled. MVWSD is bound by law to report and handle chronic absences in this manner.

The View Teen Center - 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. The center is open Monday through Friday: 3:30 - 7 p.m. and Saturday: 1 - 6 p.m, and features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs or visit their webpage for more information.

County MedAssist Program - Flyer

The MedAssist Program aims to improve health outcomes and medication adherence for select individuals who reside in Santa Clara County. Qualified patients will receive financial assistance in the form of a grant designed to off-set high out-of-pocket expenses for life-saving medications such as anti-diabetics, asthma inhalers, and/or epinephrine auto-injectors. For more information and application, visit medassist.sccgov.org/.

EZMealApp: Future benefits could include after school care!

Even though all public school meals are currently free in California, applying for free- or reduced-price lunch status by October 1 means potentially more district funding and other benefits for your family. In 2022-23, families who qualify will also be offered free after school childcare and summer programs when they become available. Go to http://secure.ezmealapp.com now to see if you qualify for free- or reduced-price lunch status, and to apply!

MVEF wants to hear student stories!

Conversations with our children about what they are learning and enjoying in school can help them build deeper connections with what they learn at school. Stories about students’ experiences in their MVEF-funded classes and activities can inspire and thank the teachers and providers of the classes, suggest program improvements, or (with parent permission) enhance future MVEF publications. To share discoveries from your conversations with MVWSD students about their MVEF-funded classes, please click here!

MVEF brings Environmental Science, Art and Music to K-5 classrooms several times each month through our partnership with Living Classroom, CSMA, Environmental Volunteers, and MVWSD. In Middle School, an additional MVEF-funded ELA (English) teacher at each middle school facilitates smaller classes as they discuss and write about the material they are reading. MVEF also provides funds for athletics, special clubs, and to supplement music instruction at both middle schools. Over 70% of MVEF contributions come from MVWSD families like yours. To make a donation, click here.

 

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PTA News

 

Membership Drive 10/3-10/21

Support your students’ classrooms and school community by joining the Vargas PTA.  Our membership drive will start Monday, October 3 and end Friday, October 21.  Memberships cost $11 and help pay for community engagement events, after school classes, assemblies, author visits, field trips, teacher reimbursements for classroom enrichment, Ms. Bea’s scholarship program, and teacher appreciation.  This year we hope to raise $150 per student through membership and donations in order to make all these wonderful programs and events possible for your students to enjoy.  Classrooms that reach 75% membership participation will get a popsicle party and 2 people who register through October 21 will be entered in a raffle to win a $10 voucher for spirit wear.  Thank you for supporting your school!

 

Please join and make a contribution: https://jointotem.com/ca/mountain-view/jose-antonio-vargas-pta

Or visit our website to download a membership form, make a donation or find out about corporate matching https://www.javargaspta.org/joindonate

 

For PTA membership fee sponsorship please contact Mr. Taylor or Ms. Beatriz Claas.

 

Scholastic Book Fair (10/3-10/7)

The Scholastic Book Fair will be open until Friday. On Thursday evening the book fair will be open 4:30-5:30, prior to science night.  

 

Amici’s Fundraiser 10/18, 11:30-9pm

On Tuesday, October 18th JA Vargas PTA will be hosting a fundraiser at Amici’s Pizza between 11:30 and 9pm. Dine-in or pickup ONLY. Be sure to mention VARGAS school and Amici’s will generously donate 25% of the Vargas sales back to our PTA.

 

Donation request 

We are looking for an ipad (version 12 or up) or android tablet (version 7 or up) to use at events for gear and concession sales and membership and Konstella sign ups. If anyone has an old tablet they would be willing to donate please contact [email protected]

 

Konstella

Konstella is our main communication tool. The PTA will post information about meetings, events and volunteer opportunities. You will also be able to communicate with other families from your child's classroom.

Use this link to register: https://www.konstella.com/cd/XGJHYL

To Join a Classroom

Web:  Click your name at the top left corner.  Click “Your Children” to add/modify your children.

Mobile App:  Click the Settings icon at the top left corner.  Click “Your Children”. Membership

Spirit Wear 

Mondays are spirit days at JA Vargas, wear green and show your school spirit. Check out our selection of green spirit wear. Place your order online and pick it up on designated days at the office.

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

Website

Find links to membership, Konstella, gear shop and volunteer opportunities on our website.

https://www.javargaspta.org/home

Shannon Lundin, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]