Cheetah Chatter, Aug.21, 2019

Important Dates

Thursday, August 22 ~Back to School Night for TK Only, 6:00 - 7:00PM in Library

Childcare is available on site for the duration of the Back to School Night 

 

Monday-Friday, August 19 - 23 ~ MInimum Days for TK Only, Dismissal at 12:30 

Friday, August 23 ~ Principal’s Coffee, 8:50AM in Library  

Wednesday, August 28 ~ Back to School Night for K-5, 6:00 - 7:30PM (Minimum Day for all students - TK-5th grade), dismissal at 12:30 PM

Childcare is available on site for the duration of the Back to School Night

Monday, September 2 ~ Labor Day~ No School

Wednesday, September 4 ~ Picture Day 

 

** Thursdays are minimum days for all students. Dismissal is at 12:30 p.m. 

Message from Principal Dagar 

Welcome Back to School,Theuerkauf Cheetahs

The excitement of the beginning of the new school year is like none other. We love welcoming our students and hearing their summer stories. I’m thrilled to be a part of a fantastic team of teachers, staff, parents, and students. We are a family away from our personal families. The staff and I appreciate your partnership and support in ensuring we are able to maximize each students’ educational experience and personal development.

We are excited to announce that all our students this year will get to experience STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math – through a lab experience. You read that right – we have a full time STEAM teacher on our staff who will be providing our students with amazing science and engineering embedded lab experiences in our Science lab. Each student in Kindergarten through 5th grade will visit the Science Lab twice a week for hands-on scientific learning embedding the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). We are currently in the process of setting up our Science Lab and can’t wait to get this opportunity for students in just a few more weeks. Our Transitional Kindergarten (TK) students will be doing STEAM projects in their own classrooms.

Please join me in welcoming our new staff members – Ms. Brooke O’Brien – 4th grade teacher, and Ms. Brittney O’Brien – STEAM teacher. Yes, that is right, both Ms. O’Brien’s are sisters and they are twins! We also have a new Instructional Coach, Mrs. Natalie Gallagher, who is on site every other day. Mrs. Gallagher is the shared instructional coach for our school and for Castro Elementary. They are all uber excited to be a part of Team Theuerkauf and seamlessly fit into our school culture.

Your partnership and support are quintessential in ensuring that we maximize each of our students’ educational journey. We encourage positive home-school partnership and this year, we will have a room parent for each classroom who will work closely with the teacher in planning classroom events, help the teacher coordinate parent communication for various events, field trips, classroom parties, etc. Your child’s teacher will be reaching out for help in this regard.

Our talented staff brings a diverse set of educational experiences to address a variety of student learning styles. Please join us for the opportunity to meet the teachers at our Back to School Night(s):

Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Back to School Night only – Thursday, August 22, 6:00 – 7:00 PM in the Library.

Kindergarten – 5th Grade Back to School Night – Wednesday, August 28, 6:00-7:30 PM.

Back to School Night is an opportunity to visit your child’s classroom, learn about the grade level curriculum, specials, grade level expectations, etc. Students are not allowed at Back to School Night but we have child care available on site for the duration of Back to School Night for a nominal fee. 

I have a background in Human Resources in my past life (before being an educator) and I enjoy connecting with people. There is so much we learn from every conversation and I appreciate the feedback so we continue to improve as a system. Please join me for Principal’s Coffee and Conversation on Friday, August 23, 8:50 AM in the library. 

At Theuerkauf, we not only provide an educational environment that engages students in meaningful work to develop their academic skills, but also provides care, commitment and enthusiasm to address each child’s social, and emotional needs. We believe in developing responsible, kind, and compassionate citizens of the global economy.

The staff and I are excited to kick off another wonderful school year in partnership with you.

Upward and Beyond!

 

Sincerely,

Ms. Swati Dagar

Principal- Theuerkauf Elementary

School News

Coffee and Conversations with Principal (Principal’s Coffee),  August 23

Please join Ms. Dagar this Friday, August 23, at 8:50AM in the Library for our first Principal's Coffee.  This is a great opportunity to meet with Principal Dagar, other parents, and get to know how our school year will look like. This is also an opportunity for questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you at the coffee!  

 

Core Values at Theuerkauf

Theuerkauf Elementary has four core values - Respect, Responsibility, Courage, and Integrity. We recognize positive behavior with our Cool Cat Certificates and Cool Cat tickets. Cool Cat Certificates are awarded when a student exemplifies one of the four core values: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, and Courage. Students may receive a Cool Cat ticket any time a teacher or staff member notices one of these expectations being displayed by a student. At the end of each month, two students from each class will be recognized at our Cool Cat Assembly for being exemplary in the focus value for the month. For the month of August-September, our school is focusing on students showing respect to all those around them at home and at school. 

 

Student Drop Off and Pick Up

Please use only the front parking lot by the school office to drop off and pick up your student by car. The yellow zone on San Luis Street needs to be clear for our school buses.  For the safety of our staff and students, the back parking lot is used only for staff parking. Please do not park in the drive through and leave your car unattended as you go to drop or pick up your child. This causes a backup of cars in the drive through. Thank you.

 

If Your Child is Absent

Please call the attendance line at (650) 903-6925. If the office staff does not answer you will be prompted to press 2 and leave a message. Please provide your child’s name and reason for absence.

 

Before School Breakfast 

Breakfast will be served from 7:45-8:15a.m., in Room 20. Students that miss breakfast in the morning can get breakfast during morning recess. To apply for the free or reduce lunch program visit www.ezmealapp.com if you need assistance please contact the office. Otherwise, you can prepay your child’s lunch at www.EZSchoolpay.com or you can pay Mrs. Harris in Room 20.

Visitors and Volunteers

If you are joining us during school hours, welcome! Let us know you are with us. Anyone coming after 8:35 am must check-in at the office and get a visitor’s pass. We are glad you are sharing part of your day with us. Also, we know you are going to try and encourage your children to get out the door with everything they need for the school day in the morning, but on the off chance that something gets left behind, bring the forgotten item to the office. We will get it to the classroom. Parents are not encouraged to drop off items directly to the class. Thanks!

Early Dismissal- Every Thursday

TK-5th grade dismissal is at 12:30pm. After School Dismissal K-5th grade parents please meet your children at the front of the school at dismissal time. TK parents pick up their child from the back gate/ classroom door. 

 

PEN HOUSE (Sunday, September 8, 2019) 

We open our Saratoga campus to families with students attending either Walden West campus to meet the staff and learn about our Outdoor Science School. We host tours of our campus, guided hikes, a BBQ lunch can be purchased and much more.

Welcome, and welcome back! Your PTA Leadership Team is excited for a great school year full of fun events and Theuerkauf Cheetah Pride. We hope you will all become PTA members this year; it is so important to support each other and to continue to build our caring, creative, and diverse community. 

This year Theuerkauf PTA is on a mission to improve how we communicate with all of you. Please help us out by visiting our new website (https://theuerkaufpta.org/) and by liking us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/THPTA). You can always contact us via Facebook or by sending an email to [email protected].

Let's make this a fantastic year!

Michelle Munoz, President

Natalie Pardo de Zela, Treasurer

Megan Stewart, Secretary

 

CAASPP student score reports are in! If your child is currently in grade 4-8, you will be receiving information about how to access your child's English Language Arts and mathematics scores through PowerSchool. Please watch for the message coming to your email with directions and details. 

Food for Thought Truck

MVWSD Food and Nutrition Services is proud to introduce the Food for Thought Truck (flyer attached). This truck was made possible by a grant from Second Harvest Food Bank and Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Throughout the year, your students will interact with the truck for nutritional education, as well as for food service. Please look for us!

 

Meal payments

If your family is experiencing a financial setback, please contact us so we can help.  We can assist you in applying for free or reduced price meal benefits through the National Lunch Program.   The 2019-20 online application deadline is September 20, 2019. No citizenship information is collected during the application process. Just as in the past, you will need to reapply annually.   Please go to the following website to apply online today. http://www.ezmealapp.com (or applications are available at your child’s school office). 

Meal payment:  Full or reduced price meals can be paid online throughout the year at www.EZschoolPay.com.  For 2019-20, full price meals cost $3.50 for lunch and $2.50 for breakfast (reduced price is 40¢ for lunch and 30¢ for breakfast).  You can pay in advance (online, check, or cash) or at the time of purchase. Please call MVWSD Food and Nutrition Services at (650) 903-6965 if you have any questions. 

Lunch menus

Menus are found here: https://www.mvwsd.org/parents/nutrition

District News

MVEF News

MVEF cannot wait to welcome you back at our District’s back to school nights. Look for our brochures at your child’s elementary schools and take a moment to learn how MVEF funds the art and music in your child’s classroom and read about the amazing field trips your 4th and 5th grader will experience.  MVEF also funds science labs and instruments at the elementary schools. At Graham and Crittenden’s back to school night, you can find our brochure in your child’s first period class. Learn how we fund afterschool sports at our middle schools, including transportation, coaches and referees. We also support science labs, electives, musical instruments, and fund an environmental science field trip for every 6th grader. MVEF needs to raise $800,00 this school year. We cannot do it without your donations. Make your tax-deductible donation today at mvef.org/donate

 

5th Grade Instrument Distribution

The Mountain View Whisman School District, with the financial support of the Mountain View Educational Foundation, is proud to provide a weekly visual and performing arts program for all fifth-grade students.  Instruction in both art and music is provided by the Community School of Music and Arts. Starting with the fifth-grade program, students have a choice of art classes, a band instrument, or a string instrument. Students will designate their choice of art or music at the start of school.

Any student who takes band or strings has an option of using his/her own instrument or borrowing an instrument from the Mountain View Whisman School District. If you plan to borrow an instrument for your student’s participation in band this year, please attend these distribution nights to be held at the District Office, 1400 Montecito Ave., Mountain View, CA.  

  • String instruments, violins, violas and cellos will be distributed on Tuesday, August 20th, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

  • Brass and Woodwind instruments including, saxophones, trombones, clarinets, flutes and trumpets will be distributed on Wednesday, August 21st, from 5:00 – 6:30 p.m.

  • Any instrument left from the previous nights will be available for distribution on Monday, August 26th from 5:00-6:30 p.m.

To view the full catalog of instruments, please click here.

Please remember that the District has a limited number of instruments and distribution is done on a first-come, first-served basis.  Also, many instruments come in different sizes so students will be measured to ensure an appropriate fit and a successful learning experience.   Please make sure your child has a second choice just in case.

If you have any questions please contact Raquel Hernandez at [email protected].

Attachments

Food for Thought 

Parent University 

CAASPP Letter 

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