Principal’s Message:
Hello Golden Owls,
Please mark in your calendar that we will have a week of minimum days, October 21- 25, 2024. 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. To sign up for a 30-minute conference time, your teacher will email you a calendar link. You will be able to select from available time slots between 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm, each day of conference week. If none of these times work for you, please be sure to contact your child’s teacher, directly. The scheduling window will open on 10/04/24 at 3:30 pm when you will receive an email link from your child’s teacher.
If you have technical issues, please email Principal Taylor directly at [email protected]. For all other questions, please contact our front office staff: Mrs. Bea at [email protected], Ms. Antunez [email protected], or Ms. Silvia [email protected]. You can also call us in the school office at (650) 903-6952.
Step-by-Step Guide to Scheduling Your Appointment
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Click on the Appointment Page Link provided by your teacher via email on 10/04/24.
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Click on the open appointment time slot that works best for you. Open appointment time slots will be white/gray in color.
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A scheduling window will open. Please type or in person. If you would like the assistance of a translator, please indicate this by typing the language you require in the “Description” box.
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Your teacher will email you the video conference link the morning of your Parent-Teacher Conference.
In Partnership,
Principal Vern Taylor
Events Calendar
October
3rd
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Mountain View Library Field Trip
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3rd
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Family Coding Night Sponsored by PTA, MUR
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3rd
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm Agenda
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4th
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Superintendent Community Check In - 3:30pm - Register Here
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7th
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SSC Meeting, 6pm
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10th
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Teacher-In-Service-Day - No School
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11th
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Recess Day - No School
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17th
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Lifetouch Picture Retakes
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17th
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MVWSD Board Meeting, District Office 6pm-10pm
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18th
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Vargas Walk-a-Thon
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21st - 25th
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Parent - Teacher Conference Week - Minimum Days - Dismissal 11:55am
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25th
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Trunk or Treat VA Parking Lot, 6pm
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28
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DELAC Meeting, 5:30pm
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28th - 31st
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Walden West Science Camp
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In this Newsletter
School News:
Golden Ticket Winners
From Our Librarian
No school for students on October 10 and 11
Walkathon- October 18, 2024
Walden West Cabin Leaders
After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @ 12:05pm
Flyers:
2024 -2025 School Year Calendar - Here
October Menu - Here
District News:
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Oct. 4.
MVWSD Seeks Parents & Staff Members for Health & Wellness Committee
Better Together: October
Parent Involvement Board Policy
MVEF has already raised over $300K! Help us reach our $1.2M goal by making your donation today.
PTA News:
Upcoming Events
Scholastic Book Fair, Sept 30th-Oct 4th
Campus Clean-up - Thurs Oct 3rd, 12:30PM
Family Coding Night- Thurs Oct 3rd
Trunk or Treat - Fri Oct 25th
Konstella
Spirit Wear
Website
Community Partners:
YMCA Hiring for MVWSD Afterschool Program - Flyer
Fixit Clinic: Oct. 5
Walden West: Autumn Adventure 2024 - Flyer
School News
Golden Ticket Winners September 26, 2024
Monty K. RM: 1 Miles G. RM: 11
Sebastian P. RM: 2 Oscar M. RM: 13
Naomi S. RM: 3 Joe C. RM: 14
Mathilda L. RM: 4 Kiley A. RM: 15
Armaan V. RM: 5 Jamere J. RM: 16
Walter K. RM: 6 Aaria M. RM: 17
Kai R. RM: 8 Andy T. RM: 17
Johan B. RM: 9 Cj Yadao RM: 18
Chauncey J. RM: 10 Ms. Moore RM: 6
From Our Librarian
Last week our K-2nd grade Golden Owls learned how to draw monsters with Shannon Hale & Le Uyen Pham (Book author visits).
No school for students on October 10 and 11
Thursday, October 10th is a staff development day, which means no school for students but a staff development/work day for teachers, school secretaries and 12-month classified staff.
Friday, October 11th is recess day (no school for students and staff).
Walkathon- October 18, 2024
Our school Walkathon is coming up on October 18 - one of our biggest events of the year! This year our theme is "Walk on the Wild Side"! Students will have a chance to walk in the Walkathon with their classes before regular dismissal on Friday - Kinders will participate after their dismissal with their adult or afterschool program. The Walkathon opens to families after dismissal, and will go until 6pm. The Walkathon aims to get students moving in a fun-filled family event with prizes, music, food trucks, and more. Our goal is to walk over 5000 laps and raise $30,000! It is the PTA’s main fundraiser of the year, and funds will go to the PTA budget for after-school enrichment, assemblies, classroom supplies, community events, and much more.
There are several important steps for your child to participate in the Walkathon:
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You must complete a Walkathon permission form for your child (students can NOT be left unattended after school dismissal - they must be with a responsible adult or their after school program).
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Please set up your student's fundraising page, then share it with family and friends!
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If you haven't already completed the PTA Participation waiver this year, please do so!
Come to the Walkathon on October 18th from dismissal until 6pm! If you are able, please also sign up for a volunteer shift during the event - it's a fun way to contribute to and get to know our school community!
You'll get a flyer soon in your child's Friday folder, or check out the Walkathon website for more details. If you have any questions about the event, you can reach out to the Walkathon Chair at [email protected]
Walden West Cabin Leaders
Attention Vargas Families! Our 5th grade students will be attending Science Camp at Walden West on October 28-October 31, 2024. In order to make this a successful trip, Walden West is in need of Cabin leaders who are High school Sophomores and older, up to 22 years old. These students will live with and help supervise our students during their trip.
Walden West supports high school student’s academic engagement, builds their leadership skills, and adds to their portfolios for future career/college. Students earn up to 100 hours of service learning serving as cabin leaders and enrich their current science knowledge in our field classes. Training and support is provided throughout the week. Per the SCCOE, all volunteers are required to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and will be required to present a negative COVID test on their first day. Click here to apply as a cabin leader for Jose Antonio Vargas.
After school Halloween Parade 10/31 @ 12:05pm
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.
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District News
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Oct. 3 at 6 p.m.
Some of the topics include:
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Resolution in Support of LGBTQ+ History Month
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2024-2025 Budget Considerations and Update
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Mathematics Programming and Curriculum Adoption Process
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Budget Advisory Committee Process Status Update
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Vendor Approval Process
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Board Goals Update
For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Oct. 4.
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Oct. 4 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC104
MVWSD Seeks Parents & Staff Members for Health & Wellness Committee
The Health & Wellness Committee is looking for parents and staff members for the 2024-25 school year! This committee aligns District efforts to support student wellness through health education, physical education and activity, health services, nutrition services, psychological and counseling services, and through promoting a safe and healthy school environment.
The Health and Wellness Committee will meet three times during the school year on Zoom, with the first meeting tentatively scheduled for November.
If you have experience, knowledge, or interest, please complete an application at: http://mvw.sd/health by October 11. If you have any questions, please contact Brian White, Health & Wellness Coordinator at [email protected].
Better Together: October
Families come in all shapes and sizes, each one a unique community bound by love, support, and shared experiences. This month #BetterTogether presents the topic “A family is a community”. October is also LGBTQ+ History Month. As we celebrate both of these together, we are reminded of the countless families that have fought for recognition and acceptance, paving the way for a more inclusive understanding of what family means. From single-parent households to multigenerational homes, from same-sex couples to chosen families within the LGBTQ+ community, each family contributes its own special thread to the vibrant tapestry of our society. For more information about Better Together, visit mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.
Parent Involvement Board Policy
Families, thank you for your engagement and involvement with our schools. Our sustained partnership is a big part of our continuous improvement as a district. Per California Department of Education guidelines, here for your review is the most recently updated version of our Board Policy on Parent Involvement. Any questions should be directed to Geoff Chang, Director of Federal, State, and Strategic Programs ([email protected]).
MVEF has already raised over $300K! Help us reach our $1.2M goal by making your donation today.
Thanks to the incredible support of new and returning donors, corporate matching, and grants, MVEF has secured over 25% of this year’s $1.2M goal. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has contributed! As MVWSD prepares next year’s budget, hitting our fundraising target early gives us the confidence to maintain current programs and possibly introduce new initiatives.
Become an MVEF donor or renew your support for this school year by clicking here. You can even set up a monthly recurring donation. Every gift counts towards funding essential programs like art, music, environmental science, athletics, clubs, and smaller class sizes - both now and for the future!
PTA News
Upcoming Events (see below for details)
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Mon Sept 30 - Fri Oct 4: Scholastic Book Fair
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Thurs, Oct 3: Family Coding Night
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Friday, Oct 18: Walkathon - Save the date to join our main fundraiser of the year!
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Friday, Oct 25: Trunk or Treat
Scholastic Book Fair, Sept 30th-Oct 4th
Our Book Fair is happening this week, every day, until Friday, October 4th! Our Book Fair is a great opportunity to support our kids' love for reading and earn rewards for our school. If you would like to volunteer for a book fair shift, please sign up on Konstella.
You can learn more about the event, browse books and already order online via https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/javargas
Thank you for your support, and we look forward to seeing you at the Book Fair!
Campus Clean-up - Thurs Oct 3rd, 12:30PM
Join us on the first Thursday of each month for a quick 30-minute clean-up session to help keep our school looking its best. We'll meet at 12:30 pm near the school garden – trash grabbers provided! Our first clean-up, kicks off Thursday, October 3rd.
Family Coding Night- Thurs Oct 3rd
The PTA will be sponsoring a Family Coding Night, run by Code for Fun. There will be two sessions in the MUR; students are invited to join with their families at the following times:
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5:00-6:00pm - Kinder, 1st, 2nd grade families
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6:16-7:15pm - 3rd, 4th, 5th grade families
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Important: Students must bring their chromebooks to use for coding.
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If you would like to volunteer during either session to help students as needed, sign-up on Konstella.
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Email [email protected] with any questions
Trunk or Treat - Fri Oct 25th
We are just one month away from our first-ever Vargas Trunk or Treat, from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Vargas parking lot. What exactly is Trunk or Treat? Trunk-or-treating is an alternative to trick-or-treating, in which parents and guardians gather their vehicles in one spot, typically a parking lot, open and decorate their trunks and give out candy as children walk from car to car. It is a great opportunity to get the Vargas community together and have a night of fun. We will have games and other fun activities. Here are some ideas. You can also buy kits on Amazon that make the process easier. The link to sign up to help or decorate a car also includes pictures from Theuerkauf Elementary’s inaugural event last year. Come join us for this fun evening! Email [email protected] with any questions.
Konstella
Want to hear about the school-wide events planned by the PTA? Konstella is a free app/website– you do not have to be a member to join. 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.
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.
Kimberly Cheng, and the Executive Board
[email protected]
From Our Community Partners
YMCA Hiring for MVWSD Afterschool Program - Flyer
The YMCA is looking for enthusiastic individuals to support the MVWSD Afterschool Program. If you're passionate about working with students and creating fun, engaging afterschool experiences, this is a great opportunity! Apply today and make a difference in our school community: ymcasv.org/jobs.
Fixit Clinic: Oct. 5
Join us at the upcoming Fixit Clinic! Fixit Clinics are made possible through a partnership between the City of Mountain View and the Santa Clara County Recycling and Waste Reduction Commission. This free community-based workshop is staffed by volunteer Fixit Coaches that will collaborate and help you learn how to repair your broken items.
Saturday, October 5
11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Maker Nexus, 1330 Orleans Drive, Sunnyvale
Bring your electronic gadgets, appliances, computers, toys, sewing machines, bicycles, fabric items, and more for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. Register for the October 5th Fixit Clinic using this form.
Walden West: Autumn Adventure 2024 - Flyer
Join the entire Walden West Community for an Autumn Adventure in the woods on Saturday, October 12 from 9am - 12 pm at Walden West! It is a great way for families to see Walden West if they have not been to science camp yet or to revisit their favorite spots if they have already attended. It will be fun for all ages with hiking, nature activities, garden time, food, music, and more! For tickets and ways to be involved, visit https://givebutter.com/wwf-autumn-adventure.