Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

This Friday, November 4 marks the end of the trimester. It is a minimum day and students will be dismissed at 11:55am. You will be receiving your child's report card on Friday, November 18th. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's grades, as always, please arrange to talk with the teacher, so the teacher can give you more details. We provide interpretation services when requested.

 

As Friday marks the end of our trimester, it also offers a time for us to reflect and celebrate the learning, hard work, and accomplishments of our students over the last trimester. As a district, we have worked to revise our LCAP and identifying key strategies for supporting students. Likewise, as a school we have been working hard to develop our Single Plan for School Achievement (SPSA). If you would like to view a draft of our SPSA click here. I am thankful for our community and the hardworking staff that has made this possible. 

 

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

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Events Calendar

 

November

 

December

 

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

• Golden Ticket Winners

• Parent Teacher Conferences

• United Against Hate Week

• Winter Clothes Donations

• Parent University: Effective Parent/Teacher Communication

• Principal’s Virtual Office Hours

Flyers:

• November Lunch Menu - Here

 

District News:

• The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. 

• Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Nov. 4

• MVHS Marching Band Performance

• Cafecito con el Superintendente

• MVLA Parent Ed: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: In Our Families, Our Friendships, and Our Community

• Available now: Updated COVID boosters for ages 5+

• Drafts available: Single Plan for Student Achievement

• Health and Wellness: Parenting Tip

• The View Teen Center - Flyer

• The MVEF Phonathon is coming up... Save a call by donating today!

PTA News:

• Fall Festival 11/17, 3:30-5:30pm

• Donation request

• Kontella

• Spirit Wear

• Website

 

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Golden Ticket Winners 10/27/2022
Sabrina A.        RM: 1           Abigail K.      RM: 10
Griselda O.      RM: 2           Israel R.         RM: 11
Lily P.              RM: 3           Kimberly V.   RM: 13
Reya F.             RM: 4           Hana U.         RM: 13
Katherine D.    RM: 5           Aaron V.        RM: 14
Perla G.            RM: 6           Hanna L.       RM: 15
Anita S.            RM: 8           Ana C.           RM: 17
Shesia G.          RM: 9          Selena V.        RM: 17
                                              Mr. Dechter   RM: 11

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School News

Parent Teacher Conferences

Please mark your calendars, we will have a week of minimum days, December 5-9, 2022.  These minimum days will allow us to hold Parent Teacher Conferences.  Parent-Teacher Conferences are important as we partner up to support our students’ growth and development. 

 

United Against Hate Week

We are excited to join MVWSD schools in participating in United Against Hate Week. United Against Hate Week was founded in 2017. For more information, click here. At Vargas, we will use this week to help us celebrate, embrace, honor our differences. Teachers and students will be engaging in activities that allow them to identify their own cultural identity and provide a representation using flags. On Thursday, November 17, will also have a Read Around the World Event. Readers from our community will read books written in other languages, and students will ask questions about the reader’s experience. 

 

(Repeat) Winter Clothes Donations

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 them anymore, please bring them to the Vargas office and we will find them a good home.  Baby and adult clothes are also needed.

 

Clean and gently used clothes only, please.  Nothing with stains or permanent damage.   We will donate these items to families in need in our community.  We will be collecting donations until Friday, November 4, 2022.  Thank you!

 

(Repeat) Parent University: Effective Parent/Teacher Communication

As part of our plan to support our students both inside and outside the classroom, we will be holding a series of Parent University Extension courses to supplement MVWSD’s existing Parent University program.  Our first planned event will be on Effective Parent/Teacher Communication.

Registration Link: November 10, 2022 at 6:00PM   

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. Vern Taylor, principal from Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary School, will provide helpful feedback on how to approach difficult topics when talking to your child’s teacher or office staff, and on how to prepare for our parent/teacher conferences. Parents will also learn how to navigate the PowerSchool parent portal and how to read and understand the iReady report and the school report cards.

(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

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Nov. 3 at 6 p.m. 

Some of the meeting topics include:

* Safety Update and Emergency Service Providers Overview

* Enrollment Update

* CAASPP Assessment Data 

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

Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Nov. 4

Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Nov. 4 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC11422.

MVHS Marching Band Performance

The Mountain View High School marching band and color guard will be holding a community performance at the Spartan Stadium on Saturday, November 5th at 4:00 p.m. 

Cafecito con el Superintendente

Wednesday, Nov. 9, 5:30 – 6 pm

This is an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents. Translation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting by clicking here: http://mvw.sd/CF11922.

MVLA Parent Ed: Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: In Our Families, Our Friendships, and Our Community

Join us for a discussion with LGBTQ+ author Kristin Russo on Thursday, November 10, 2022 from 7:00 - 9:00 pm (LAHS Eagle Theater) on supporting and mentoring LGBTQ+ young people in families, communities, and at school. During our event, Kristin will walk us through some terms and concepts developed in her book This is a Book for Parents of Gay Kids, and through My Kid is Gay, a first-of-its-kind digital presence, inclusive of videos, advice, and resources, dedicated toward helping parents and allies understand Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual children and teenagers. Register for this free event here.

Thank you to those who attended our recent event, "Friendship in an Age of Loneliness" with Adam "Smiley" Poswolsky.  For those who were unable to attend or would like to view it again, here is the link.

Available now: Updated COVID boosters for ages 5+

The updated COVID-19 booster is now available for everyone ages 5+! #GetBoosted to keep yourself and your family safer with the most protective doses yet. Find updated boosters for ages 5+ at http://www.sccfreevax.org, your pharmacy, or healthcare provider.

Drafts available: Single Plan for Student Achievement

Each year, our schools create Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs or “site plans”) that guide the work for the coming year. These plans help us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students. In the fall, elected parent representatives from School Site Councils and English Language Advisory Committees work with principals and school staff members to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. Parents and staff members may give feedback through Nov. 7 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.

Health and Wellness: Parenting Tip

In honor of National ADHD Awareness Month, we must understand and bond with our children to maintain a close connection with them. However, it may be difficult for us to know the intent behind our hyperactive child’s words and actions. Initially, it may feel like a whirlwind, but we are a part of our child’s treatment. 

Here are some signs that your child may have ADHD: 

1. Inattentiveness. Your child may have trouble listening, paying attention, organizing, and remembering things. They may also be unable to follow directions, get distracted, and have low effort in their schoolwork.

2. Hyperactivity. Your child may constantly be in motion (e.g., fidgeting) and unable to sit still. They may jump, climb, and play when it’s time to be quiet. They may also rush instead of taking their time, making careless mistakes. 

3. Impulsive. Your child may interrupt and yell out. They may do things without thinking and do things they know they shouldn’t do (i.e., lacking self-control and losing their temper). They may also struggle with sharing, taking turns, and waiting. 

These behaviors may seem like the child is “just misbehaving,” leaving us very stressed and frustrated. But identifying the signs of ADHD is the first step to understanding our child. 

These tips came directly from the free, online website of Nemours Children’s Health, reviewed by Dr. Hasan, MD. 

To learn more parenting tips click here. 

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.

Drafts available: Single Plan for Student Achievement

Each year, our schools create Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs or “site plans”) that guide the work for the coming year. These plans help us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students. In the fall, elected parent representatives from School Site Councils and English Language Advisory Committees work with principals and school staff members to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. Parents and staff members may give feedback through Nov. 7 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.

The MVEF Phonathon is coming up... Save a call by donati ng today!

In early December, MVEF volunteers will be reaching out by phone to remind MVWSD families who haven't donated yet how important their donations are to MVWSD students each year, and to ask for donations to support the current year. Will you save us all a call by donating this week?

Most MVEF funding comes from donations from families like yours. Donations of any amount help MVEF enrich education for every MVWSD student. Make a difference, save us all a call, and donate today at mvef.org/donate. Thank you for your support of MVEF in the past, present, and future!

 

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PTA News

 

Fall Festival 11/17, 3:30-5:30pm

Save the date! PTA will be hosting a fall festival for all families on Thursday, November 17th. Stay tuned for more details and volunteer opportunities to be posted on Konstella.

 

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]