Principal’s Message:
Hello Golden Owls,
Everyone has been working extremely hard this year, and we are now in the final stretch before the end of the school year. Please remember that we do not have school next week because Mountain View Whisman School District is on spring break from April 8-12. Please enjoy your much deserved Spring Break. Please take some time to unwind, disconnect, and take care of yourself.
A few important reminders:
Lawrence Hall of Science
This Thursday, April 4, 2024 The PTA is bringing the Lawrence Hall of Science to Vargas for a "Build, Engineer, and Invent!" festival.
There will be two identical sessions to accommodate the entire Vargas community. To run this festival, we need help!! Each session will require 14 adult volunteers to facilitate stations. Please sign up here to volunteer for one or both sessions.
First session: 5:00-5:50 pm
Second session: 6:00-6:50pm
International Festival - Thurs 4/18 (5-7pm) AND Jose Antonio Vargas
Our 2nd annual International Festival is coming up. This is one of our biggest events of the year, where we invite our incredibly diverse community to share their culture. If you are interested in signing up to represent a country, please sign up here!
Additionally, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, filmmaker, Tony-nominated producer and the namesake of our school, Jose Antonio Vargas, will be joining us at the international festival. He and his former teacher, Mrs. Denny will also have a discussion, question and answer section afterwards. I can’t wait to see Owl of you there!
CAASPP Testing (Grades 3-5)
Once returning from Spring Break, our 5th-grade students will test science on April 16-19. All of our 3–5 Students will test in ELA on April 23-26, and Math on April 30-May 2. Students will test before AM recess. Please avoid scheduling appointments during these times. As we prepare for testing, I wanted to share some ways in which you can support your child to be as best prepared for the assessments. Below are some tips you may find useful to help prepare your child for the CAASPP assessments:
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Explain to your child that it is important to do his/her best.
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Provide positive reinforcement and encourage your child each day.
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Keep the test in perspective. We want students to do their best, but please make sure they understand that it is only one test. Remind them that if they are doing their best, you are proud.
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Make sure your child gets an ample, normal amount of sleep the night before the test
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Make sure to arrive on time each day.
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Eat a nice, healthy breakfast.
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Keep a positive attitude about testing around your child. Remind them that this is a time to show what they know.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
April
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3rd
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Hidden Villa Field Trip
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4th
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Lawrence Hall of Science Festival, 5-7pm
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8th - 12th
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Spring Break - No School
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18th
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International Festival, 5-7pm
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18th
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
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25th
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Reclassification Ceremony, Crittenden MS
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26th
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Principal's Coffee, MUR 8:00am - 9:00am
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May
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2nd
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
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8th
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5th Grade CSMA Music Instrument Concert, 11am
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10th
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4th Grade Poetry, MUR - 9am
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16th
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
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21st
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CSMA Music in Action Concert - MUR, 11am
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22nd
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Walt Disney Family Museum Field Trip
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24th
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End of Trimester - Minimum Day
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24th
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Principal's Coffee, MUR 8:00am - 9:00am
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27th
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Memorial Holiday - No School
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29th
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Walk to Whisman Park
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30th
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Mission San Jose Field Trip
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30th
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm - Agenda
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31st
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Last Day of School - Minimum Day
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31st
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Last Day of School Ice Cream Social
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In this Newsletter
School News:
Golden Ticket Winners
Summer Reading Books Needed!
Flyers:
School Year Calendar 2024-2025 Here
April Menu Here
District News:
Better Together: April
MVWSD Child Nutrition Focus Group
SCCOE: Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival - Flyer
MVWSD Preschool Program: Apply now for August
The View Teen Center: April - Volante
City of MV: Earth and Arbor Day Photography Contest
21st Annual MVWSD Interscholastic Chess Tournament
InPlay: Find camps and afterschool activities
Survey: City of Mountain View wants to know about your journey to school
MVEF: Support the Arts & Be Wowed!
MVEF: Gala Auction
PTA News:
Lawrence Hall of Science Festival - Thurs 4/4 evening
International Festival - Thurs 4/18 (5-7pm)
MVWSD Interscholastic Chess Tournament - Sun 4/21
STEM+ Families Take-Home STEM Kits
Square One Art Fundraiser
Spring Afterschool Enrichment Classes - starts now!
Lunchtime Chess on Wednesdays
Vargas Night @ SJ Earthquakes vs LAFC 5/4
PTA Open Board Positions for 2023-2024
Golden Ticket Winners March 28 , 2024
Noah N. RM: 1 Santiago A. RM: 10
Abel C. RM: 2 Anita S. RM: 11
Dani Y. RM: 3 Rohan O. RM: 13
Valla A. RM: 4 Darin C. RM: 14
Ava P. RM: 5 Kevin G. RM: 15
Melissa V. RM: 6 Anika J. RM: 16
Alexa G. RM: 8 Francisco S. RM: 17
Theodore F. RM: 9 Ellie K. RM: 18
Mrs. Harris RM: 14
Summer Reading Books Needed! We all know how important reading is to academic success. It is especially important for all of our students to keep up their reading over the summer. Do you have books that your family has outgrown and that you can donate to other families at Vargas for summer reading? Please bring them to Ms. Bea in the office. She will make sure that they find a good home for the summer. All levels of books are needed. We’ll be collecting books until Friday, May 10th. Thank you for your generosity.
DISTRICT NEWS
Better Together: April
In April, MVWSD is recognizing National Volunteer Month and the #BetterTogether monthly theme of advocacy. This presents our district with an opportunity to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of volunteers in our community but also an opportunity to highlight the significance of advocacy in supporting volunteer efforts. Through advocacy, volunteers can advocate for causes they are passionate about, promote volunteerism within their communities, and advocate for systemic changes that create a more inclusive environment for all. By recognizing the importance of advocacy within the context of National Volunteer Month, we empower volunteers to not only lend their time and skills but also to be agents of change in building a better, more equitable society. We are #BetterTogetherMVWSD. For more information about Better Together, visit mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD.
MVWSD Child Nutrition Focus Group
MVWSD's Child Nutrition Services Department is seeking parents and staff members to join a focus group to discuss menus, meal service, etc. in an informal focus group setting. We will hold a meeting in April. Please enter your information here to express your interest. Questions may be directed to Food Service Director Debbie Austin at [email protected].
SCCOE: Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival - Flyer
Santa Clara County Office of Education invites you to the first ever county-wide Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival on Saturday, April 20, 2024, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m taking place at the Ridder Park Office, 1290 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95131. Students in grades TK-8 can discover the fun and joy in mathematics by playing games, and solving puzzles with family and friends! We are also looking for volunteers to help with the festival. Parents, educators, high school students and anyone in the community are welcome! Community service hours are available upon request. For registration, volunteer sign-up & more information, please visit https://sccoe.to/2024JRMF.
MVWSD Preschool Program: Apply now for August
Explore our flexible, low-cost and convenient options for all families in our high-quality preschool program. *New this year* Lower tuition and an 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. class, in addition to extended/full-day class until 3 p.m. and part-day (3 hour) classes.
Our preschool offers age-appropriate early math, language, literacy and science inquiry instruction, as well as social-emotional development. Children who will be 3- or 4-years old are eligible (Minimum age: 3 years old by December 2, 2024. Maximum age: 5 years old on or before Sept. 1, 2024.)
Preschool is currently located near Castro/Mistral Elementary Schools (1850 Latham St.) and Theuerkauf Elementary (1625 San Luis Ave.)
All 3- and 4-year-olds residing in the Castro School boundaries are eligible for FREE, part-day state preschool at Latham.
For more info go to www.mvwsd.org/preschool or call 650-526-3560.
The View Teen Center: April - Volante
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. Drop-in hours are Monday - Friday, 3:15 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 - 6 p.m. (April Adjusted Hours, Open 1-6 p.m.: Spring Break Apr. 8-12), and the center features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! See attached flier for details about upcoming events and programs in April or visit their webpage for more information.
City of MV: Earth and Arbor Day Photography Contest
The City of Mountain View has launched a photography contest for its first joint Earth and
Arbor Day Celebration! The Mountain View Earth and Arbor Day Photo Contest is open to all
Mountain View community member amateur photographers, with three age categories: K-8, High School, and 18+. Entries are due by 5 p.m. on April 10, 2024. This year’s theme is “Rooted in Our Environment.” We encourage images that depict the beauty, biodiversity, and resilience of the environment in and around our City. Click here to learn more and submit your photo.
21st Annual MVWSD Interscholastic Chess Tournament
The 21st Annual MVWSD Interscholastic Chess Tournament, sponsored by your PTAs, will be hosted by Landels Elementary on Sunday, April 21st, from 10:00 am to 5:00pm. Students from all MVWSD schools are welcome to join and enjoy an afternoon of friendly competition and camaraderie! The registration form and instructions can be found at tinyurl.com/mvwsdchess, and the deadline for registration is April 20. Any questions can be sent to Jonas Klittmark, tournament director, at [email protected].
InPlay: Find camps and afterschool activities
Spring break and summer vacation are just around the corner. Looking for activities or camps for your children? InPlay offers a free searchable program guide for parents, with filters for age, location, price (including free or reduced cost), and more. To find programs local to Mountain View, head to: https://www.inplay.org/r/mountain-view. Available programs include those that serve students with special needs or English learners.
Survey: City of Mountain View wants to know about your journey to school
Next week, schools throughout Mountain View and Los Altos are participating in the City of Mountain View Safe Route to Schools (SRTS) evaluation project by collecting in-school and in-home information on how students travel to and from school. Students will take a brief survey about their commutes to school during the week of April 1. Parent participation is essential in helping the City of Mountain View develop plans to enhance safety and promote responsible travel behavior for both adults and children on our city streets. The City invites you to take part by completing a brief survey to help us understand your household’s perspective on the journey to school. This survey linked here will be open until April 25, 2024.
MVEF: Support the Arts & Be Wowed!
Calling all music lovers! Mark your calendars for the MVEF Gala on April 27, a night celebrating the incredible talents of our middle school musicians and vocalists. Witness their hard work and dedication on stage while supporting vital arts programs in our schools. Get your tickets now! https://paybee.io/@mvef@14
MVEF: Gala Auction
Attending the Gala is a great way to connect with members of the Mountain View community who strongly support public education through their leadership and philanthropy. Gala Event attendees can participate in the Live Auction! But whether or not you attend the Gala, there is something for everyone (and anyone can bid) in the online auction! There will also be a Raffle, participants need not be present to win. Learn all about the Gala here https://www.mvef.org/2024gala
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PTA News
Lawrence Hall of Science Festival - Thurs 4/4 evening
The PTA is bringing the Lawrence Hall of Science to Vargas for a "Build, Engineer, and Invent!" festival. There will be two identical sessions to accommodate the entire Vargas community. To run this festival, we need help!! Each session will require 14 adult volunteers to facilitate stations. Please sign up here to volunteer for one or both sessions.
First session: 5:00-5:50 pm
Second session: 6:00-6:50pm
International Festival - Thurs 4/18 (5-7pm)
Our 2nd annual International Festival is coming up. This is one of our biggest events of the year, where we invite our incredibly diverse community to share their culture. If you are interested in signing up to represent a country, please sign up here!
MVWSD Interscholastic Chess Tournament - Sun 4/21
The 21st Annual MVWSD Interscholastic Chess Tournament, sponsored by the MV PTAs, will be hosted by Landels Elementary on Sunday, April 21st, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Students from all MVWSD schools are welcome to join and enjoy some friendly competition and camaraderie! The registration form and instructions can be found at tinyurl.com/mvwsdchess, and the deadline for registration is April 20. Any questions can be sent to Jonas Klittmark, tournament director, at [email protected].
STEM+ Families Take-Home STEM Kits
Later this week, the PTA will distribute take-home STEM kits for every student. Each kit contains materials and instructions for five activities which students can do over Spring Break. The STEM kits are made possible through a grant from the National PTA's STEM+ Families Science Festival program, sponsored by Bayer Fund.
Square One Art Fundraiser
Your students will be bringing home a catalog for Square1 Art this week. This past month, Ms. June helped the students create a piece of artwork that was submitted to Square1 Art. They take your child's artwork and transfer it to gift items like coffee mugs, key chains etc…These are great gifts for mothers day and family members!
To view the catalog online, simply search for your child's art using Art Search, and enter state, school name, and your student's name. Your student's art and code will appear, and you may order! **New this year, free shipping on all orders!
If you would like to upload additional art and make an order? Use the online Art Upload
Order deadline: 4/19/2023
Spring Afterschool Enrichment Classes - starts now!
Many of our Spring after school classes begin this week! Visit our website for details; here is a snippet of what’s available, be sure to check it out! We have something for each class (K-5).
As a reminder, limited scholarships are available. Classes that don’t meet enrollment requirements are subject to cancellation. If you would like your child to join a class, we would encourage you to sign up this week to not lose the opportunity for the last trimester.
Lunchtime Chess on Wednesdays
The PTA is bringing Bay Area Chess to Vargas to provide a free lunchtime chess club, for students at all levels, starting on March 6 for 10 weeks. Players of all levels are welcome!
Vargas Night @ SJ Earthquakes vs LAFC 5/4
Join your fellow Vargas families and watch the SJ Earthquakes take on LAFC at Levis’ Stadium.
For each ticket purchased through this link, a small portion will go back to our school, so enjoy a fun night out while giving back to your school!
PTA Open Board Positions for 2023-2024
In March we will hold our election for PTA board members for next school year. The main position that we need to fill for next year is the Treasurer. The treasurer attends PTA meetings, prepares financial reports, issues checks and updates budgets. There is no accounting or financial experience required as there is good training and support available. The main strengths would be being organized and being able to commit to 6-8 hours per month.
We are also looking for a Parliamentarian and a Historian. A link to PTA positions and descriptions can be found here: Current PTA role descriptions 23/24
If you are interested or would like to hear more about any of these positions you can talk to anyone on the nominating committee (Franziska Romanovsky, SE Hayes, Jennifer Chan, Kevin Morrison, Shannon Lundin) or email [email protected]