Principal’s Message:

Hello Golden Owls,

There are many important items that I would like to highlight for the rest of  January.

 

First: Enrollment for next fall for all students in the Mountain View Whisman School District will be open next Tuesday. Further details are below. Please remember that both new and returning students need to register for next school year. 

 

If you need in-person help to register your child, Sign up at http://mvw.sd/help and attend any of the help sessions:

Castro Elementary, January 23 @ 5-7 p.m. and January 29 @ 5-7 p.m.

Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary, January 30 @ 5-7 p.m.

Theuerkauf Elementary, February 5 @ 5-7 p.m.

 

Second: Monday January 20 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Please note that we do not have school. 

 

Third: I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday January 23, for our Math Festival. This is an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the joy of math.The mission of Julia Robinson Math Festival (jrmf.org) is to help all students build confidence, joy, and a positive identity around math. The students and their families will explore a variety of fun, hands-on, math puzzles and games.

 

LA fires help, wildfire smoke procedures

Our hearts go out to all of the families, first responders and schools who are profoundly impacted by the devastating fires in Los Angeles. It’s hard to know how to help when there is so much need, but here is a list of ways our families could contribute. Our children also may be affected by the devastation they hear about in LA. Here are tips for parents from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network about talking to children when scary things happen. 

 

If the smoke does drift into our area, MVWSD will enact its plans to keep students and staff safe. Please see https://www.mvwsd.org/airquality for how we track air quality, what instrument we use and why, and what happens when the air is bad. 

In Partnership, 

Principal Vern Taylor

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Events Calendar

January 2025

 

February 2025

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

Golden Ticket Winners

Mountain View’s Bookmobile will resume January 22!

Parent U Extension: Math Festival

Año Nuevo Lunar

MVWSD Student Film Festival - Flyer

 

Flyers:

2024 -2025 School Year Calendar - Here

2025-2026 School Year Calendar - Here

January Menu - Here

District News:

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Jan. 16.

Open Enrollment for 2025-26 starts January 21

MVEF SURVEY 2024-25 - DON’T FORGET TO TAKE OUR SURVEY UNTIL JANUARY 21ST!

MVEF IS SEEKING NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES

 

PTA News:

Next PTA Association Meeting - January 22nd (6:00PM in the Library)

Winter Afterschool Enrichment Classes (Starting January 2025)

 

Community Partners:

City of MV Lunar New Year Celebration - Flyer

The View Teen Center: January

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School News

 

Golden Ticket Winners January 9, 2024

Malik S.         RM: 1         Maya K.        RM: 11  

Charlotte N.   RM: 2         Cataleya H.   RM: 12

Dariya M.      RM: 3         Sahasra D.     RM: 13

Ethan G.        RM: 4         Carlos M.       RM: 14 

Saanvi K.       RM: 5         Lance W.       RM: 15 

Gurjot S.        RM: 6         Noelle R.       RM: 16 

Joel G.           RM: 8         Sophie R.       RM: 17 

Eric M.          RM: 9         Reya F.           RM: 18

Isabel B.        RM: 10       Mrs. Penalosa RM: 5

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Mountain View’s Bookmobile will resume January 22!

Mountain View Public Library’s bookmobile will visit Vargas on Wednesday, January 22, at 2:30pm on the blacktop.  The new bookmobile operates fully on electricity and will be recognizable with the eye-catching City colors and library logos. Come check it out!

Parent U Extension: Math Festival

Thursday, January 23, 2025

6:00-7:30 pm - Vargas MUR

Please join us for our math festival at J.A. Vargas Elementary School. This is an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the joy of math.

The mission of Julia Robinson Math Festival (jrmf.org) is to help all students build confidence, joy, and a positive identity around math. The students and their families will explore a variety of fun, hands-on, math puzzles and games.

 

We will have a food truck selling food starting at 5pm.

 

Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the beginning of a new year on the lunisolar calendar. It is the most important holiday in China, and it is also widely celebrated in South Korea, Vietnam, and countries with a significant overseas Chinese population. While the official dates encompassing the holiday vary by culture, those celebrating consider it the time of the year to reunite with immediate and extended family. This year, the Lunar near will happen on January 29, 2025. Our parents will be hosting a lunch time event on Friday, January 31. If you are interested in helping out please reach out to Ms. Bea at [email protected].

 

MVWSD Student Film Festival - Flyer

K-8 students are invited to participate in the upcoming District Film Festival! The theme is Spotlight on Solutions: explore a problem and highlight a thoughtful solution that inspires change or brings hope. Films should be created on WeVideo, a video editing platform in Clever. Your child may be doing an in-class project, but they are also welcome to complete one at home. Films are due March 7th, check out this flyer for more info!

 

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District News

 

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Jan. 16. Closed session will begin at 4:30 p.m., and open/public session begins at 6 p.m.

 

Some of the topics include:

• Results of the California Dashboard

• i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Report

• Superintendent Search Firms Selection

• 2023-24 Financial Audit Report and Measure T Audit Report

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

 

Open Enrollment for 2025-26 starts January 21

The Mountain View Whisman School District will be opening student enrollment for next fall on January 21.

 

For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 21 to February 7.

 

For families enrolling NEW students: Please check www.mvwsd.org/register for how to locate your neighborhood school, how to explore school options and the four steps to register during the enrollment period held January 21 to February 7. 

 

Transitional Kindergarten Info Meeting: Jan. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Meeting link: http://mvw.sd/TK122. Click here to watch a video about TK and learn about our programs for young learners: mvwsd.org/kinderready 

 

For Fifth-Grade Families: Middle School Info Night on January 22, 2025

Please join us at this fun and informative virtual event. It is an opportunity for you and your fifth-grader to learn about middle school life next year as sixth-graders. You will have the opportunity to hear from our principals, learn about classes, hear tips on how to be successful at middle school and ask any questions you may have. Students are encouraged to attend!

 

Crittenden at 5:30 p.m. Meeting link: http://mvw.sd/CR0122

Graham at 6:30 p.m. Meeting link: http://mvw.sd/GR022

 

MVEF SURVEY 2024-25 - DON’T FORGET TO TAKE OUR SURVEY UNTIL JANUARY 21ST!

Take just 5 minutes to complete the survey here and share your thoughts! 

Do your students benefit from programs like CSMA Art & Music, Living Classroom, environmental science field trips, or middle school clubs and sports? How important are smaller class sizes in middle school to you? How connected do you feel to our community?

Please complete the survey by January 21st to help us plan resources for the 2025-26 school year. The survey is available in both English and Spanish and can only be submitted once per recipient. Thank you for your valuable input!

Your feedback is essential in shaping our MVEF programs and priorities!

SAVE THE DATE: VIRTUAL “MEET & GREETS” WITH MVEF

Want to learn more about MVEF? Join our Board members and School Representatives to learn about MVEF’s role, how it differs from PTAs, Prop 28, and more. Bring your questions!

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 | 12:00-12:45 pm | Please register here.

Monday, January 27, 2025 | 07:00-07:45 pm | Please register here.

MVEF IS SEEKING NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES

Are you passionate about public education, our local community and want to make an impact in our community? Or do you have any recommendations for board members from your community or the district community? 

MVEF is actively recruiting new Board members or School Representatives! Learn more here or email [email protected] for any interest! If you recommend anyone, our recruiting committee will follow up with candidates directly.

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PTA News

 

Next PTA Association Meeting - January 22nd (6:00PM in the Library)

Mark your calendars for the next PTA Association Meeting, which is happening in-person Wednesday, January 22nd, from 6-7pm. All are welcome. Childcare and light snacks will be provided. 

 

Winter Afterschool Enrichment Classes (Starting January 2025)

Most Winter afterschool enrichment classes are starting next week! Visit our website for more information: https://www.javargaspta.org/winter-after-school-programs

• Monday: Basketball, Lando engineering, Amusement Park Engineering (Snapology)

• Tuesday: Creative Coding (Lando), Creative Writing

• Wednesday: Mad Science, Code for Fun

• Thursday: Bay Area Chess, Green Room Musical Theater, Coach Ken Soccer

• Friday: Run for Fun, Star Wars (LEGO Bricktech), Creative Clay Academy

Kimberly Cheng, and the Executive Board 

[email protected]

 

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From Our Community Partners

 

City of MV Lunar New Year Celebration - Flyer

Celebrate the rich traditions of the Lunar New Year on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mountain View Community Center! This multicultural event will showcase traditional performances, hands-on crafts, engaging games, community booths, and a diverse array of delicious offerings from food trucks. Join us for a day of cultural celebration and connection with the community!

 

The View Teen Center: January

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. (Adjusted hours: Jan. 24: 3:15-6 p.m.), and the center features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, and outdoor area. January events include an MLK Day of Service, a book club, cooking classes, crafts, and much more. For more information, click here.