March 26,2021

 

March 26, 2021

Hello, Theuerkauf Families!

It has been a fantastic week so far, and we are so grateful to our families, our teachers, and our staff for the continued teamwork. We are really looking forward to welcoming the rest of our on-campus learners next week! 3rd through 5th grade parents--I hope you were able to join me for our Principal's Coffee on Thursday, but if not, please do not hesitate to reach out via email if you have a question, concern, or idea about how to make our school even more awesome than it already is. Your voice is valued, and you are appreciated.

We want to remind you that there will be abbreviated Cool Cat assemblies on Friday during the hybrid check-out times (see below for the links and times). Please join us from home or from your phone, if you can! We will keep the gates open for a few extra minutes to provide extra transportation time if you have a child on campus and are watching from home. 

Speaking of awards and recognition--I want to give a HUGE shoutout to our PTA for delivering stadium seats on Thursday for each and every Theuerkauf student! These will be put to very good use as students and staff make the most of our outdoor space during recess, lunch, and other class times. THANK YOU PTA! These will be distributed to our online learners at the next distribution; they will be handed out to our on-campus friends early next week. 

As always, thank you for your partnership in making sure that the physical, academic, social, and emotional needs of our students are met and exceeded. 

 

Together, we make a difference!

 

Sincerely,

Michelle Williams, Principal

Thursday, March 25- Principal’s Coffee 5:00-6:00 pm (Zoom)

Friday, March 26 - Spirit Day & Cool Cats Assembly - dress like your favorite sports player or team member! 

Monday, March 29 - On-campus school begins for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students (drop off time: 8:20-8:35am; pick-up time has changed to 2:35pm for 1st-3rd and 2:55pm for 4th & 5th)

  • Exceptions: Please note that Ms. Stewart's students will come back to campus on TUESDAY, 3/30, and Mr. Torres' students will begin on-campus classes on THURSDAY, 4/1.

Wednesday, March 31 - Last on-campus PE class for cycle 1

Wednesday, April 7- ELAC Meeting 2:00-3:00 pm (Zoom)

April 12-16- Spring Break - No School

Tuesday, April 20- SSC Meeting 5:00-6:00 pm (Zoom)

Picture Day - OPTIONAL

Picture Day will be on Wednesday, April 7th from 1:00pm to 5:00pm in the MUR. Please look for a sign-up sheet soon! Please note Picture Day is OPTIONAL this year, and we will not have a make-up day. This will be the only opportunity for school pictures for the 2020-2021 school year.

 

Classroom Spotlight - Mrs. Tracee Nevarez!

 

      

This week, we are showcasing and celebrating the wonderful things going on in Ms. Tracee Nevarez's 3rd grade class! We asked Tracee a series of questions. Here are her responses!

 

Is there a project, assignment, or moment that you are especially proud of that has taken place this year?

Our class did a novel study.  It was wonderful to see students take their knowledge about parts of a story and put it to practice.  They were able to relate the story to their own life and find deeper meaning within the story.

 

What makes your students special? 

My students are so kind and thoughtful.  We have built a community that is like a family.  Each member helps others when they see a need without being asked.  

 

Where did you go to college?

San Francisco State University for my B.S. and Masters Degree. Chapman University for my Teaching Credential.

 

What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to watch movies, read and travel.

 

Can you share 2 or 3 fun facts about you that people may not know?

I worked my way through college as a hair model for Vidal Sassoon and an aerobic instructor in San Francisco.

 

What advice do you like to give to your students about their education or about life in general?

"You will never fail until you stop trying." We talk about how many times ordinary people had to try before succeeding.  Making mistakes and learning from them show we are growing to be our best selves.

 

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your class, your students, or yourself?

I am very proud of my students.  They have taken a very different learning environment this year and have been successful.  My students have shown a great deal of responsibility, resourcefulness and engagement during class. 

 

School Reopening

As you know, many of our TK - 2nd grade students returned to in-person learning on March 18th. Our 3rd-5th grade students will return on March 29th. If your child will be returning to campus or if they will remain online but have a teacher who is returning to campus, I would like to share a couple of reminders. 

  • Please read our reopening plan and note any questions you might have.

  • Please review our new updated schedule, also listed in the reopening plan. For third graders who are returning to in-person learning, the dismissal time is now 2:35pm. For all students who are 'zoomies' or 'roomies', lunch time will shift on MONDAY, 3/22. You may still pick up lunch for free from the school, but our 4th and 5th grade students will need to pick up lunch from the main office at or after 12:50pm going forward.

  • Please work with your child on wearing their mask for extended periods of time. Doing this together as a family will be very helpful. Start off slowly with 1 hour a day, then 2, then 4, then 6, then all day.  

  • Please also practice what it means to walk at a distance of 6 feet apart, and practice standing 6 feet apart. Most children do not know how to guage this distance without practice and modeling. 

 

Please join me on March 25th at 5pm via Zoom to discuss any questions you may have about reopening or remaining in the 100% distance learning environment. 

 

Library Corner

Welcome back to school Cheetahs! We are happy to have our youngest learners back and look forward to you older students joining us soon.

 

Highlighted Book: March brings us Women’s History Month, a time to reflect upon and be inspired by women who have changed the world in ways large and small. 

         

The Watcher, by Jeanette Winter, is about the life of Jane Goodall, the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees. The book begins with 5 year-old Jane waiting patiently in the corner of the chicken coop, hoping to witness a chicken lay an egg. We are taken through her love of animals as a child in London, through her young adulthood when she first journeys to Africa and observes chimpanzees in the wild. Kids will love this bright, colorful and informative biography that was named Best Book of the Year in 20011 by at least four lists. Here is a video of the book being read aloud. For more information about Jane Goodall and her beloved chimpanzees, kids might like this video from SciShow Kids. In this 5 minute video from CBC Kids News, you can watch footage of Jane with the chimpanzees.

 

Want to learn more about Women’s History Month? Go to our library home page to find ebooks on the subject. 

Don’t forget to check out our new ebooks! They have cool features that allow you to bookmark, highlight, change font size, and most books can even be read to you. I have created a video that shows how to use some of these features and posted it on YouTube.

We still have access to all the ebooks and audiobooks through Santa Clara County Schools Shared Digital Collection. A video showing you how to access these can be found here.

Take care and happy reading! -Mrs. B. 

 

After School Program with Right at School

If you are looking for an after school enrichment program, please click here to read about an on-campus opportunity that is now available for your child.

Re-posted: Social Opportunities: 

  • Participate in CHAC Plugged In Groups!

PLUGGED IN groups focus on social interaction between students, use collaborative lessons and fun activities to teach students about emotion regulation skills, problem solving skills as well as healthy coping and self-care skills. The groups are led by our schools CHAC Counselor and meet once a week for 8 consecutive weeks after school. Click here to sign up. 

  • Thursday Lunch Bunch - Theuerkauf's Got Talent: As we adjust to the reopening of our school, this group has been paused. Most of the students who attended are now attending in-person, so we are exploring additional online social opportunities that might interest students. If you have an idea, please reach out to Ms. Williams to share it!

  • Parents can connect with others through the PTA! Please visit the PTA Facebook site and attend a PTA meeting in order to connect with other Theuerkauf families. The next PTA Association Meeting will be on Wednesday January 27th at 7pm via Google Meet.

  • Other Ideas? Do you have another idea for social time? Please click here to submit your suggestions!

 

Re-posted: Theuerkauf Food Drive & Pantry

Thank you so much to those who have already donated items! This week, we have been able to get these into the hands of a few families who are experiencing difficulties right now. We will continue to accept canned goods, boxed dinners, hygiene items, and other non-perishables throughout the month of February. Please click here to see a suggested list of items to donate. If you would prefer to instead donate grocery gift cards, this would be welcomed as well. THANK YOU SO MUCH to those who have already given. The families receiving this are extremely appreciative.

 

Re-posted: Times are Tough, but support is Available! 

We know that times are tough for everyone during the pandemic, and many families who have not previously needed assistance could use a little support right now. If your family has a need for grocery or hygiene items, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. We will arrange a private pick-up or drop-off to fit your family's needs.

beinschoollogo.png

PTA Association Meeting on March 30th at 6pm

Please join us for our next association meeting on March 30th at 6pm via Google Meet: https://meet.google.com/xai-harv-ost

During this meeting we will be making some decisions on leadership positions within the PTA Team, so please join to discuss and vote. Please email us at [email protected] if you are interested in any position (from president to member at large) or if you want to support the PTA in a different function. 

 

Show Theuerkauf School Spirit on the next Spirit Friday 

Are you new to the Theuerkauf community? Has your student outgrown their favorite Cheetah Shirt? 

We have a number of pieces in inventory and can arrange a delivery or pick-up with you. Take a look at the list of pieces we have ready and email us at [email protected] to let us know if you would like to order any of them!

<img src=

Resilience Pause Series starts March 29

The 30-minute, online Community Resiliency Model Resilience Pause sessions for adults (parents and staff members) are scheduled during this transition in our school year to assist participants with building resilience throughout return to in-person instruction. Participants can learn strategies on Mondays and build habits towards resilience during the week.  These sessions are designed to teach life-long habits that help us to self-regulate during stressful moments.  

March 29, 4pm: Tracking Sensations

April 5,  4pm: Grounding 

April 19, 4pm: Resourcing 

April 26, 4pm:  “Help Now!” A Reactive Strategy

Sessions can be drop-in or attended in a series. To join: http://mvw.sd/HAjbz

 

Cafecito: March 24

MVWSD will be hosting an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Wednesday, March 24 at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom. Interpretation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting here: http://mvw.sd/zIHrd.

 

Student meals

If your student is returning to campus tomorrow, you might be wondering about lunch. Due to federal funding, MVWSD is able to provide free breakfast, snacks and lunches to students on campus daily. Breakfast and snacks are cold. Lunches will be hot. Students will be able to pick up lunches at their classrooms. Menus and nutritional analysis are posted at https://www.mvwsd.org/nutrition. A count of those taking school lunch will be taken at the beginning of the school day. Students may bring their own self-contained lunches, if desired. MVWSD continues to provide free grab and go meals at each school (Stevenson and Theuerkauf are combined) during lunchtime for students who continue in distance learning and for young children in the community.
 

In case you missed it: Parent University videos and materials are available online

Check out mvwsd.org/parentu for English and Spanish recordings on topics such as wellness, mental health, supporting your child’s literacy and math at home, our special education team, the impact of drugs and other substances on adolescents, and many more.

 

Registration Open for Afterschool/Care Programs

The District’s partners who provide parent-paid afterschool care and distance learning support are opening registration for the rest of this school year. 

Afterschool care

Right at School has opened registration for their afterschool programs and asynchronous support on Wednesdays. Please follow the links below to access programs for each school site, including asynchronous support on Wednesdays located at Crittenden.

Huff

Bubb

Vargas

Landels

Castro

Mistral

Theuerkauf

Stevenson

Monta Loma

YMCA is also providing aftercare at school sites. Contact [email protected] for more information and availability.

 

Distance Learning Support

Additionally, Right at School will continue to offer distance learning support for families that opt out of in-person learning. Registration can be found at Distance Learning Support.

YMCA will have "Y Learning Labs for Super Scholars"

Locations: Bubb, Monta Loma and Theuerkauf Elementary

Hours of Operation: 7:45am - 5pm, Monday - Friday

Fee: $280 per youth per week ($20 per week non-refundable deposit) 

Sessions: Set in three week sessions. Session 14 is four weeks in length.

Registration: Available online via our website at https://www.ymcasv.org/child-care-camps

Questions: Please email [email protected]

 

MVEF Gala Feedback and Fund a Need

Thank you to the many who joined us at the first ever Virtual Gala Trivia Night. We want to know your thoughts about the event. If you attended the Virtual Gala, please go here and fill out this survey to share your thoughts with us: https://tinyurl.com/MVEFgalasurvey

If you haven't had a chance to donate to Fund a Need, please donate here: https://www.mvef.org/donatetogala. Every gift helps MVEF meet our fundraising goal of $800,000 this school year. If your donation went through, we automatically sent you a receipt, but we are happy to double check your donation status for you.  

 

Women’s History Month 

In the month of March, we are celebrating Women’s History. BetterTogether recognizes the people, movements, and ideas that challenge expectations and gender stereotypes that negatively affect us all. From women’s suffrage to the gender equality movements of modern day, it has become clear that when we all fight gender inequality, we all win. Celebrate this month by having meaningful conversations with your students, your children, and your fellow s(heroes). In addition to the infographic, this month we will also be highlighting amazing women from our organization and learning about the s(heroes) that have inspired their own commitment to gender equality.

For a closer look at this month’s infographic, click on the attached flyers or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

 

CAC Parent Education Event - Mental Health for the Whole Family - with Thierry Kolpin, Ph.D Wednesday. March 31, 7PM - 8:30 PM. 

Join us for a much needed discussion of mental health and mindfulness for the whole family. After the year we’ve all experienced, we all need to learn techniques to evaluate and improve our mental health and that of our families. Professor Thierry Kolpin of Brandman University will discuss the challenges we are facing and how every member of the family can improve their mental health. Special attention will be paid to the additional challenges in families of students with learning challenges. Prof. Kolpin is an Assoc. Professor at Brandman University and specializes in school counseling and mindfulness in counseling. Email [email protected] for the link to the event.

 

*presentation at event will be recorded and available at www.selpa1cac.org, Q&A will not be recorded to protect personal information

<img src=

Women’s History Month 

Picture Day 

 

Theuerkauf Elementary, Mountain View Whisman School District,

1625 San Luis Ave., Mountain View, CA 94043   www.mvwsd.org    650-903-6925

 
Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.