August 23, 2023

 Principal's Message

 

Dear Cheetah Community,

It was so nice to see so many families on campus at Back To School Night! At Back To School Night, a short video was played with my principal message. This video is uploaded to youtube to allow for easy translation in any language that is best for your family.

Click here for the Principal’s Message from Back To School Night

This video is uploaded to youtube to allow for easy translation in any language that is best for your family. First click, “CC”. Next, click on the gear symbol “Settings”, “Subtitles/CC”,  “Auto translate”,  then pick your preferred language. 

Click here for a step by step video on how to change your Subtitles/CC

 

100 Day Plan

At Back To School Night I mentioned my 100 Day Plan. The goal of these first 100 days as principal is to learn more about Theuerkauf from all stakeholders. My goal is to just listen to everyone willing to talk before problem solving. Here are the questions I will ask: 

What should I know about the community? 

What's working well and should be sustained? 

What needs attention or needs improvement?

Who is someone else I should talk to?

After 100 days I will create a conclusive report of next steps to help move the school forward for the benefit of all students. Please email me at [email protected] if you would like to set up a meeting time. 

 

Teaching the Whole Child 

I also mentioned that I believe in teaching the whole child. To me this means teaching them academically, socially, and emotionally. I have a passion for social emotional learning (SEL) to help students learn developmentally appropriate skills to support their personal development. At Theuerkauf, Project Cornerstone is a program that is already in place put on by the PTA and helps support SEL through carefully picked stories and activities. Another SEL initiative shared by the district is run through our Director of Equity, Megan Pohlman. This year the theme is “Allyship” which we will be connecting to our core values. Our first word of the month is “ally”. You can have a great discussion with your child this month about what ally means to you and your family. At school, we will be discussing three parts to being an ally. Thoughtful allies know when to step back, stand beside, and step up in the service of others.

 

Office Staff

In the spirit of community, I would like to introduce you to our wonderful front office staff! Please give a warm welcome to our new secretary Ms. Gaby Cardiel, our office clerk, Ms. Sherri Minor and Ms. Lisset, our SCEF (School and Community Engagement Facilitator). Please feel free to reach out to any office staff member above for support. They are happy to help!

  Ms. Sherri         Ms.Gaby          Ms. Tellez

     

 

School Site Council Members Needed! 

We currently have two school site council parent members who were voted in last year. We are looking for three more parent members. In this group we work together to develop our Site Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) and corresponding school budget. We meet about 6-8 times throughout the year. We meet more often in the beginning of the school year to discuss our School Site Plan. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested or have any follow up questions. I look forward to many great group discussions. 

Again, it was a pleasure to get to see some of you this week. It is going to be a great year! Remember to reach out if you would like to be part of the School Site Council, or set up a meeting so I can hear from you to support goal making for my 100 day plan!

Warm regards,

Principal Danielle Lyons

  

 

 Important Dates

 

  • Friday, August 25th - Principal/PTA Coffee @ the front gate flagpole - 8:00-8:30 AM (Come for coffee and donuts!)

  • Wednesday, August 30th - SSC Orientation Meeting 5:00-6:00 PM (Zoom)

  • Wednesday, August 30th --5th grade parents- Walden West Parent Orientation- 5:30-6:15 PM (Zoom) 

  • Friday, September 8th-Community Check-in with Dr. Rudolph, 3:30PM - 4:30PM (Register Here)

  • Monday, September 11th- ELAC Meeting 9:00-10:30 AM (Zoom)

  • Tuesday, September 12th- Picture Day

 

 

 School News

 

Bell Schedules and Schools’ Start/End Times

Please click here to view our school’s updated schedule for the 2023-24 school year. Please note that Thursdays end early at all elementary school sites, and last days of trimesters are minimum days during the 2023-24 school year. 

Please click here for the District Calendar At A Glance 

 

Drop Off and Pick-up Procedures:

Morning Drop off - Vehicle Drop

TH School Map Link

  • School starts at 8:15am - Drop off starts no earlier than 8:00am

  • K-2nd grade - drop off using the drive through on San Luis Ave. Please DO NOT park in the drive through. You can park on the street if you are not doing a quick drop off. 

  • 3rd-5th grade - drop off using the drive through parking lot at the front gate. 

  • Adults should stay inside the vehicle. *If a student needs help getting out of a car seat/seat belt, please do so quickly. Have all materials (lunch, backpacks, masks) ready to go for easy drop-off. Two staff members will be at the drop off location to help support line movement to make drop off quicker. 

  • Students need to be dropped off at the curb, not walking through cars to get to the curb.

  • Use a parking spot if you need to come onto campus.

  • Students will walk to the blacktop to play until 8:10am

  • At 8:10am the warning bell will ring. Students will walk to their room number line. 

  • Please leave campus immediately after drop off to allow for flow of traffic. You can wave goodbye to your child as they walk through the gate with their teacher. Please do not go through the gate. This will help support campus safety. 

  • At 8:15 AM the final bell will ring, your child needs to report to the main office for a tardy pass. 

TK Families:

Please use the side pedestrian walkway around the school and drop your child off at their back door. The TK teachers and instructional aids will open the back door starting at 8:00am.

 

Pedestrian Drop-Off: 

Drop off time begins 15 minutes before the school day (8:00AM)

We recommend parents/guardians drop off their child(ren) at the main front gate entrance or come in through the back field.

Students will walk to the blacktop in the back of the school. 

**If your child is allowed to walk or bike to and from school, parents MUST email our front office staff giving authorization. Please email our school clerk, Ms. Sherri Minor [email protected]

At 8:15 AM the final bell will ring, your child needs to report to the main office for a tardy pass. 

 

Commuting to school safely

It's critically important for children's safety that you take time now before the start of the school year to plan their route, tune up their wheels and talk with them about road safety. Please see your inbox for a letter this week from Dr. Rudolph that contains resources on our bike safety webpage.

 

Reporting an Absence

Please call the office at 650-903-6925 or email  [email protected]  to report an absence or late arrival.  Provide the following information: date of absence, student’s name, grade and room number, reason for absence, name and relationship of the person reporting the absence.

 

School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form

We will be furnishing all basic school supplies and textbooks for all students. Donations of items and funds for this purpose are appreciated, but not required. For those able to donate, please fill out this form and bring it to the front office, along with your donation, and our front office staff will provide you with a receipt. These donations can also go towards fun events for recess activities or assemblies!

 

School Meals are free

MVWSD will continue to provide free meals to all students as part of California’s universal meal program. Breakfast and lunches are available daily.  Menus and nutritional analysis can be found on https://www.mvwsd.org/nutrition. There will be a vegetarian option each day. Students will get their card at the beginning of the lunch line to scan each time they get a meal. Students may bring their own self-contained lunches if desired.  

 

PTA News

 

PTA: Membership, Meeting and More

As a parent, one of the most direct ways to be involved at Theuerkauf is to support the PTA.  You can become an official member by making a $10 donation here: Click here

Our first PTA association meeting where we will be discussing upcoming school events will be on Tuesday, August 29th at 6:30-7:30 pm on Zoom (with Spanish translation).   We'll discuss the upcoming walkathon and more!  Hope you can make it!

Volunteer at Theuerkauf

Please become an active Theuerkauf community member by volunteering.  There are so many ways you can help out!  Please go to the link below to learn more and let us know your interest:Click here

Sign up on Konstella Now!

Want to know about school events and classroom happenings? Konstella is a free app for web and mobile that allows family members to find and communicate with each other privately and securely. Visit www.konstella.com and click "find your school." In the Note section enter the name of your child's teacher.

Chess Club

Interested in chess club?  If so, please click on the link below to find out more and to enter the chess club:  Click here

 

 District News

Sown to Grow

MVWSD is again partnering with Sown to Grow for the 2023-24 school year for grades K-6. Sown to Grow is a platform designed to promote safe and supportive classrooms. Through student check-ins and reflective activities, students are encouraged to engage in self-awareness, set personal goals, and develop essential social and emotional skills. This data allows teachers, principals, and counselors to proactively reach out to support student needs. For more information, please read the attached letter. Sown to Grow Letter (English)

 

CAASPP scores are now available

CAASPP student (ELA, Math, CAA) score reports (from the Spring tests) were recently released by the state and are now available for parents on the PowerSchool Parent Portal (under “Score Reports” - choose the 2022-23 school year). To learn more about how to understand your child’s CAASPP score report, go to the Starting Smarter website at https://www.ca.startingsmarter.org/.  If you need assistance with logging on to the Powerschool Parent Portal, please contact your student’s school. 

 

School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help you and your school

MVWSD will continue to provide free meals this year to all students as part of California’s universal meal program.

However, parents need to reapply for the Free and Reduced Price Meals program now for this school year. If you think you could qualify (qualifying income levels listed here), we ask you to apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more. Qualifying is one factor in your child’s eligibility for free MVWSD after school care and summer camp.
 

The more applications your school gathers at the start of each school year, the more additional funding it can receive for all kinds of programs. If you are currently out of work, you may qualify and help your school, regardless of your financial situation. Apply at https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ or call your school office.

 

Looking for an afterschool program? Read on to see if your child qualifies for MVWSD+! 

A student qualifies for the free MVWSD+ afterschool program if one or both of the following conditions are true:

  • The student is an English Learner (EL). EL status is established via the results of the Initial ELPAC exam, which is being administered to certain students in August and September. Results are usually available within two weeks of the completion of testing. If you have questions about the Initial ELPAC exam, please contact Leticia Corcoran at[email protected].

  • The student qualifies for free or reduced price lunches based on federal income guidelines. At this time, lunch for all children is free, but this may not always be the case. To fill out the application for free or reduced lunch, please go to ezmealapp.com. Qualifying students’ data is collected at the state level and usually appears in the district’s data system within two weeks. If you have questions, please contact your school office.

Soon after a student’s EL or Free/Reduced Lunch Status changes to indicate he/she qualifies for MVWSD+, you will receive an email from the MVWSD+ Team inviting your child to enroll.

For questions or troubleshooting, please reach out to [email protected] or Jennifer Nunez at (650) 526-3500 x1061.

 

MVWSD seeking District Equity Advisory Committee members

MVWSD is continuing our work by engaging meaningfully with the community on issues of equity through the District Equity Advisory Committee (DEAC). The goal of the DEAC is to provide feedback to the Superintendent on how to support MVWSD towards achieving its goals of becoming a more equitable and inclusive school district.

We are seeking a combination of district-level leaders, principals, teachers, staff members, and parent participants who represent the interests of both elementary and middle schools. Committee members will be expected to attend and participate virtually in meetings held monthly (on average) online in the evening hours. 

If you’re interested in participating, please complete the application here. 

 

Volunteer with MVEF!
MVEF needs 1-3 additional volunteers at each school in MVWSD. MVEF school representatives help the families at their school understand what MVEF is and why it exists so that they are inspired to donate and spread the word about the impact of MVEF funding. MVEF also needs volunteers to help with planning our annual Gala and other community events. To learn more, visit: https://www.mvef.org/volunteer

 

August/September CAC and LCC Events 

SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. We are ALL having learning challenges right now, and CAC and LCC are here to help. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org

We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children: Try a Sensory Diet

 

General Parent/Community Meeting 

August 28, 9 am 

with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:00 am for LCC and 9:15  am for CAC. We will be planning for the year, discussing upcoming programs and having a question period for administrators. For our agenda, please join our Google group,https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvd-qorDwsH9UXSPmOtja90uQqRnD9kef3

 

Parent Chat

September 12, 10 am                 

Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child?  Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. Every second Tuesday of the month at 10 am on Google Meet. Meeting is for 1 hour only due to Google Meet limitations. Contact [email protected] for invite.

 

September 13, 10 am Morning Let’s Talk  - 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/tZModeirqToiHdQpAOpxx4g3NaLHuElaLtJs

        

Missed our Parent Education events last year?

We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including last year’s Inclusive Fun Fair for 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

 

Living Classroom seeking Docents! 

Do you enjoy spending time with kids and being outdoors? Volunteer with Living Classroom to teach fun, engaging STEM-based lessons in your local MVWSD school! No prior teaching experience is necessary. For more information on our volunteer program, please visit: https://www.living-classroom.org/get-involved.html or email [email protected]

 

Hazardous Household Waste Drop Off event on Aug 26

The City will be hosting a Hazardous Household Waste Drop Off event on Aug 26, 2023. It is a free event for residents of Santa Clara County to safely dispose of unwanted household hazardous wastes, including paint, batteries, electronics, auto fluids, pesticides, garden chemicals, propane tanks, fluorescent and LED lightbulbs, household cleaners and more. See the attached flyer.

 

Housing and Eviction Help Center 

The City of Mountain View's Rent Stabilization Program runs the Housing and Eviction Help Center (HEHC) at the MV Public Library to provide housing-related support to the community, including information about housing programs and legal resources. These services are available on 1st and 3rd Thursdays (walk-ins welcome or virtually at mountainview.gov/housinghelpclinics) from 6 - 8 p.m. For more information, see flyers attached or visit mountainview.gov/evictionprevention.

 

SCCOE Family Engagement Symposium 2023: Sept. 9

Join SCCOE’s upcoming free Family Engagement Symposium “Belonging Begins with Me” on Saturday, Sept 9, 2023. Workshops include Family Writing Activity - Writing Your Belonging Story, Establishing Your Financial Roots, How to Raise and Nurture an Antiracist Family, and more! Register here: https://sccoe.to/PEPBelongingSept9.

 

MVEF News

1) MVEF donations reach every student at every school in MVWSD by providing art, music, science, and English teachers plus funding for sports, clubs, and performing arts.

2) Donate to MVEF and the PTA/PACT! Volunteer with both, too!

3) Make your MVEF donation before December 31. 

4) Visit mvef.org to learn more.

 

Flyers

 
 

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