Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving break. Words cannot express how thankful I am to have such a wonderful community of staff, students, and families. Each day I come to work is a joy because I am surrounded by such a wonderful community. Thank you all for your partnership, and I look forward to our continued journey together!

As the winter holidays approach, we want to remind you that students will continue important lessons, and it is important that they attend school each day so they don’t miss out. This is also an exciting time with school performances and other fun activities that you don’t want your child to miss out on. Make sure that they are at school every day so they can take part.

We know many families enjoy traveling during the holiday break. As a reminder, the winter break is December 23 - January 6. Please ensure you do not take your child out of school before that time. Please ensure they are back at school on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. 

Reminder This Thursday, we have our Supporting Early Literacy at Home Part 2 - Thursday, December 5, 2024 6:00-7:00 pm Vargas MUR

•  Please join us for an evening to learn more about the Science of Reading and ways that you can support your child with learning. We will review the main principles of the Science of Reading, understand the importance of language development for reading comprehension, see how students develop language through Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA), and practice strategies for developing language at home.

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

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Events Calendar

December

 

January 2025

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

Golden Ticket Winners November 22

December Celebrations

Community Input on Additional Arts and Music Funds

Gift Cards

Attendance

i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments

Student vision and hearing screenings coming up

Ability Awareness Week - Volunteers Needed

 

Flyers:

2024 -2025 School Year Calendar - Here

December Menu - Here

District News:

MVWSD Preschool is enrolling now

Join MVEF at the Mountain View Tree Lighting Celebration!

Help MVEF unlock $34,000 for the education of all MVWSD students!

 

PTA News:

Upcoming Dates

See’s Candies Fundraiser (ONLINE) - Nov 4 - Dec 6

Books Inc and Blue Line Pizza Fundraiser - Thursday December 5th

Winter Holiday Fair - Thurs, Dec 12 (5-7pm)

Hope’s Corner Toy Donation

Winter Afterschool Enrichment Classes (Starting January 2025)

Website

 

Community Partners:

Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024

MVHS Tree Lot - Flyer

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School News

 

Golden Ticket Winners November 22, 2024

Penny Y.          RM: 1         Sara Q.        RM: 12  

Idris M.            RM: 2        Ricky W.     RM: 13

Alexander D.   RM: 3         Jazmin R.    RM: 15

Mj Y.                RM: 4        Josh J.          RM: 16 

Olivia B.          RM: 5        German L.    RM: 17 

Julia W.            RM: 6        Anne D         RM: 17 

Amber K.         RM: 8        Levi J.         RM: 18 

Melissa V.        RM: 9        Ms. Suryan  RM: 2

Makayla D       RM: 10     Ms. Marwa  RM: 9

Christopher G  RM: 11

 

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), Hanukkah (December 25),and Kwanzaa (December 26). 

Community Input on Additional Arts and Music Funds

California schools will now get additional funding for arts and music each year. Our school will soon have an additional annual budget to spend on arts and music programs in addition to what we already offer. We need your ideas! 

 

Please click here for a brief survey about potential future arts programming. (The students and staff will be given similar surveys at school). This survey will be open until December 15.

Your input is valued and an important part of our process. To learn more about Proposition 28, click here.

Gift Cards

Dear Vargas families,

The holidays are almost here, a time to spend with family and friends, to eat a nice dinner or two, to celebrate in different ways.  But for some of our families in need, this is a difficult and stressful time. We are asking for donations of gift cards (Target or Safeway) to provide to some of our families. Please consider buying a gift card and dropping it off in the Vargas office. We really appreciate our wonderful and generous community! We’ll be collecting gift cards until Tuesday, December 17.

 

Attendance

As we near the Holiday breaks, I want to remind families of the importance of students being at school every day. Chronic absenteeism has a lasting impact on a student’s academic, social and emotional development. We know there are many reasons students may need to miss school, but we ask that you plan your vacations so that you do not need to miss school. Thank you for prioritizing your child’s attendance.

 

i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments

Students will take the i-Ready Math and Reading Diagnostic 2 during the week of December  2 - Dec 6. i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading.  

Families, Below are some tips you may find useful to help prepare your child for the diagnostic assessment:

• Explain to your child that it is important to do his/her best.

• Remind your children to work out their problems and pace themselves

• Make sure that your child is well-rested and has breakfast the day of the assessment.

• Please make sure to encourage your child.

  • This is a diagnostic test that covers information that may be beyond their current level. Please reassure them that they should try their best even through difficult questions.

Student vision and hearing screenings coming up

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 at Vargas on December 10th & 11th.

 

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 their child's school each school year 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 your school nurse. Questions about the screenings should be directed to the Health Services office at 650-526-3500 ext. 1050.

Ability Awareness Week - Volunteers Needed

More details n the flyer below:

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District News

 

MVWSD Preschool is enrolling now

MVWSD’s award-winning preschool has openings in its part-day afternoon session (12:00 - 3:00 pm) at Theuerkauf. Families can get an application at mvwsd.org/preschool, stop by the preschool office (1850 Latham St.) or call 650-526-3560.

 

Join MVEF at the Mountain View Tree Lighting Celebration!

Monday, December 9, 2024 5:30 - 8:00 PM Mountain View City Hall

Celebrate the season with MVEF at this festive community event in downtown Mountain View! Enjoy live performances, multicultural tributes, free refreshments, crafts, games, train rides, the dazzling tree lighting, and even a visit from Santa - all free for everyone!

Visit MVEF in the crafts area:

Kids can decorate holiday cards to take home and contribute to a collaborative community canvas painting themed “DREAM”.

Bring your friends, meet fellow parents and students, and spread the holiday cheer as we build connections in our vibrant community!

Also, Save the Date for Giving Tuesday Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Giving Tuesday is a perfect opportunity to support the education of every child in the Mountain View Whisman School District. Mark your calendar and help us make a difference!

 

Help MVEF unlock $34,000 for the education of all MVWSD students!

We’re excited to announce a $34,000 Challenge Grant that will double your impact! Every dollar donated to MVEF by December 31, 2024, will be matched dollar-for-dollar, including gifts through employer giving portals, donor-advised funds, and stock donations.

Your donation helps fund essential programs like arts, music, hands-on science, and reduced middle school class sizes. Don’t miss this chance to make your tax-deductible gift go twice as far! Together, we can make a difference! Please donate here. Thank you for your support! Every gift makes a difference!

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PTA News

 

Upcoming Dates:

• See’s Candies Fundraiser (Nov 4 - Dec 6)

• Books Inc Shop Night & Dine out on Castro St - Dec 5

• Winter Holiday Fair - December 12th

See’s Candies Fundraiser (ONLINE) - Nov 4 - Dec 6

• Order gifts for the holidays through our See's Candies online shop. Your order will be delivered directly to you. Gift cards eligible for fundraiser.

• To order, simply go to our online store: https://tinyurl.com/JAVSees2024

 

Books Inc and Blue Line Pizza Fundraiser - Thursday December 5th 

Come get your Holiday Shopping done early AND support the Vargas PTA at Books Inc (317 Castro Street). Join us downtown to shop after our Family Literacy Night on Thursday, December 5 between 6 and 9 PM. The more we spend, the more comes back to our school for assemblies and staff appreciation.  Ask your teachers what books they would like to add to their class library too. 

Additionally, dine at Blue Line Pizza (146 Castro Street) between 11:30AM-8:30PM on the same day, and they will donate 15% of sales back to our PTA. Only applies to in-person dining and takeout; DoorDash, happy hour discounts, promotions and beverages not included in the donation.

Winter Holiday Fair - Thurs, Dec 12 (5-7pm)

Mark your calendars for our first ever Vargas Winter Holiday Fair, happening Dec 12 (5-7pm) in the MUR, hosted by the PTA.

Students and families can sell their homemade crafts, art, jewelry, tasty treats, and more (perfect for last minute holiday gifts). In addition to the fair, there will be a photo station, crafts, games, and prize drawings for all. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to earn some extra money for the holiday season, while trying to run their own business.

To be a vendor, please sign up for a table by December 6th at the latest, using our online form: https://forms.gle/Y2ZauxPrZJ77KTJPA or through the paper sign-up sheet in the office. There will be a small fee for reserving a table. Vendors are encouraged to price their items less than $10, as most shoppers will be elementary school students and their families, paying with cash.

Please reach out to [email protected] if you would like to volunteer to help us plan this event or if you have any questions about being a vendor. 

Hope’s Corner Toy Donation

We are grateful for this community and want to continue the tradition of spreading holiday cheer. As the end of 2024 quickly approaches, we hope you can support Hope's Corner by donating new toys or warm clothing/supplies.  Please look out for Hope Corner's bins outside the front office Dec 4-12.

Winter Afterschool Enrichment Classes (Starting January 2025)

To see a sneak peek of what’s to come in the Winter session, visit our updated Afterschool Enrichment Classes page on our website: https://www.javargaspta.org/winter-after-school-programs

• New in the Winter session: Amusement Park Engineering with Snapology, an Art Class, and Creative Writing class.

• Follow the website for updates.

Website

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

• Follow JAVargas PTA on facebook for photos of events and updates on future events.

Kimberly Cheng, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]

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From Our Community Partners

Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024

For local coverage of issues related to learning challenges and special education, please check out the Learning Challenges Committee http://learningchallenges.lamvptac.org/

For broader coverage, look into the Northwest SCC SELPA CAC

Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group

December 19, 10 am  on Zoom.

IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrduupqD0vEtSpweFX71KvNAcKW8Csy4D3

Missed past Parent Education events?

We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including the recent talk on Assistive Technology, info summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw

 

MVHS Tree Lot - Flyer

MVHS Sports Boosters will be opening up the Annual Spartans Tree Lot on Friday, November 29 at 10 AM for the 2024 season at the Mountain View High School Stadium (3535 Truman Ave.). Spartans Tree Lot offers premium, top-quality trees ranging in size from 3 feet to 12+ feet, holiday decorations, and supplies. In person and online delivery options are available. All proceeds benefit Mountain View High School Athletics. For more information, head to SpartansTreeLot.com.