April 29, 2021

April 29, 2021

Hello, Cheetah families! 

It has been another wonderful week at Theuerkauf! I want to remind you that school pictures have arrived for those who participated in picture day recently. Please check your child’s backpack for these photos of the proofs/packages. You can still place an order online if you so desire. For students learning on campus, the packets are available for pickup from the front desk between the hours of 8am and 4pm. If you are a zoomie, your child’s teacher will send the pictures home with the next materials distribution. Due to timing this year, we will not be doing retakes. 

We are meeting and working with our teachers and PTA members regarding the logistics for our Fifth Grade Promotion.  Please be on the lookout for emails from your child’s teacher with all of the information soon. Our promotion will not be an in person event, but we will have a scheduled photo ceremony with a keepsake photo, a promotion video, and a couple of additional surprises in store.

I also want to remind you that this Friday, we will hold our next Cool Cats ceremony, focusing on our core value of COURAGE! We will recognize and celebrate a few students by name, and we will recognize and celebrate ALL students, parents, and staff members in general for showing such amazing courage throughout this very trying year. We hope you can attend virtually! Please see below for the times.

 

As always, thank you for your partnership! Together, we make a difference. 

 

Yours in service,

Michelle Williams, Principal

Wednesday, April 28 - Materials distribution for Kinder & TK, 1-3pm

Thursday, April 29, 5:30 - 7:00 - English Learner Reclassification Ceremony at Crittenden Middle School

Friday, April 30 - Cool Cats Assembly & Spirit Day - Dress in cheetah print!

  • 4th and 5th graders: 8:45-9:15am (link to join)

  • 2nd and 3rd graders: 10:30-11am (3rd recess will shift to 9:15-9:35am) (link to join)

  • TK, Kinder, and 1st graders: 1:00-1:30pm (link to join)

Wednesday, May 5 - Materials distribution for grades 1 and 5 (1-3pm)

Wednesday, May 19 - SSC Meeting 5:00-6:00 p.m (Zoom)

Thursday, May 20 - Principal’s Coffee with Dr. Rudolph, Superintendent (Zoom registration)

9:00-10:00 a.m 

Friday, May 28- End of 3rd Trimester- Minimum Day

Monday, May 31- Memorial Day- No School

Tuesday, June 1- SSC Meeting 5:00-6:00 p.m (Zoom)

Friday, June 4- Last Day of School- Minimum Day

Reclassification of Students

Theuerkauf Elementary and our district are SO excited to celebrate our English Learners who have reclassified to the status of FULL English proficiency this school year! English Learners who are reclassifying have demonstrated proficiency in Reading, Writing, Listening, and Speaking in English. To celebrate this accomplishment, there will be an outdoor, socially-distanced drive-through at the Crittenden Middlefield Road parking lot on Thursday, April 29, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Way to go, Theo, Adam, Asvitha, Ian, and Angelize! We are so very proud of you, Cheetahs!!!

 

Social and Emotional Support for Your Child

Did you know that at Theuerkauf, we are fortunate to have many ways to provide social and emotional support to our students? Currently, many of our students and families receive social and emotional support and/or counseling from CHAC or Uplift. We also have two dedicated staff members who work with students to ensure that they are connected to the resources and support that they might need on any given day. Whether your child is struggling to keep going in the online environment or experiencing other personal struggles, please reach out to Ms. Lisset Tellez to learn more about the supports that are available to our students at Theuerkauf.
 

Classroom Spotlight - Mrs. Casey Cissna

Each week, we showcase and celebrate the wonderful things going on in one of our Theuerkauf classes. This week, we would like to showcase what is happening in Mrs. Casey Cissna's STEAM classes! We asked Mrs. Casey 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?

We are in the process of starting a series of live guest speakers hosting virtual field trips! We will be working with Hidden Villa, Grassroots Ecology, California Academy of Science, the Sacramento Natural History Museum, Canopy, the Oakland Zoo, The DeAnza Planetarium, and more! Students are in for a very special final month of STEAM! 

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

 I always tell my students, "Where you plant seeds of kindness, a garden will grow". It is always about TRYING in STEAM, and bringing a positive attitude. I am always so proud of my "banana slugs" when they are trying their best! 

What makes your students special?

Every single student at Theuerkauf has a beautiful wealth of knowledge that they bring to the STEAM Lab. I am constantly amazed with how much our students know about the natural world and how much they want to explore it! 

 

Where did you attend college?

My undergraduate was at University of California, Santa Cruz as an Environmental Studies Major; I received my Master of Arts in Teaching at Santa Clara University as a SEMILLA Fellow.

 

What do you like to do in your free time?

My absolute favorite thing to do is to play with my cats and decorate. 

Can you share a fun fact about yourself that people may not know?

1. I just got married to my eighth grade sweetheart in March!

2. I absolutely love suspense novels. 

 

Theuerkauf Food Drive & Pantry

We want to thank you again for donating items to the Theuerkauf food pantry! We are still working to gather more items for families during this trying time. If you happen to have any of the following non-expired items in your pantry, or if you have time to add a couple of things to your weekly shopping list, please know that whatever you share will be so gratefully received by  families in need. Please click here to see a suggested list of items to donate. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your generosity!

 

Library Corner

Hello Cheetahs!  I am excited to announce our Reading Extravaganza! The contest will run from April 26-May 7. Grade level classes will compete against each other for a class popsicle party. The three classes that make up the grades 4-5 teaching team will have a 3-way competition. The number of pages students read in each class will determine the winners. Ask your teacher for the reading logs. 

Get ready for our next author visit: author and illustrator Remy Lai! She will be sharing her new graphic novel, Pawcasso, on Tuesday, May 4th at 1PM with grades 3-5. View the flyer here. You can purchase Remy Lai’s books from Hicklebee's, by going to their website.

   

Highlighted Book:You may recall that we were fortunate enough to have a poet do an author visit for MVWSD a few months ago. That poet was Charles Waters. To close out poetry month, I’d like to share this book by him. Poetry can make us laugh, cry, ponder, and can even teach us new things about the world. Can I Touch Your Hair? Poems of Race, Mistakes, and Friendship, is a timely book of poems that does all of the above. Co-written by Charles Waters and Irene Latham, this book examines different experiences around race, hair and even clothes. This video shows Mr. Waters reciting a few of the poems.   

  

For more poetry, go to our library home page to find ebooks on the subject.  Happy reading!--Mrs. B. 

 

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.

 

Parent Resource:

A dedicated team from Los Altos High School has been working on an informational blog called "Up to Date." Their mission is to make useful information accessible to all members of the Bay Area community. The students write stories centered around life skills, current events, and coronavirus updates. They hope to support students and their families as we all navigate the uncertain times of the pandemic and beyond. Please check out their website to enjoy this resource. 

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5th Grade Promotion

The PTA is currently brainstorming activities for the promotion of our 5th graders - we are planning to send them off in style with a few surprises, all socially distanced of course. 

If you have any ideas or would like to help, please send us a note at [email protected].

 

Cheetah Gear

We are ordering more Cheetah Gear - both your favorites and potentially a few new items. 

If you are interested to purchase or have ideas for an item we should look into, please send an email to [email protected].

 

Teacher Appreciation

We are working full steam on little surprises for our teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Please don't forget to have your child complete the "My teacher" form and send to [email protected]. You can also pick one up and drop it back off at the school office. Also, if you want to contribute any food or drink items please drop them off at school to the attention of Michelle Munoz. 

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For next year’s 6th, 7th, 8th grade students: Middle School electives selection coming soon

It is the time of year when our incoming middle school students choose their electives for next year. Our middle schools are currently working to provide quality offerings that we hope will pique students’ interests and a great complement to our core academics. We are requesting each child's top 5 interests so that we can provide at least one of his/her top choices.

 

These electives are all subject to staffing, student interest and COVID safety guidance. Your child’s preference will help us plan and schedule courses for next year. If you are choosing the Distance Learning School for your child for next year, please preference electives using the course catalog for the middle school he/she would otherwise attend.

 

Look for an email to parents on April 26 with links to course catalogs and selection directions. All 5th-7th graders will preference their course electives online through Powerschool on April 30-May 7, 2021.

 

Parent University: Preparing for Middle School 

Date: April 28th  Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/XWF1A

Come and learn more on how to support your students as they transition to middle school. We will feature a panel of counselors, teachers and middle school students to answer questions and provide information about middle school.
To submit questions prior to the event, please click here. We will do our best to address your question during the session.

 

In case you missed it: Courageous Conversations about Equity, Anti-Asian Racism and the Model Minority Myth recording available

Last week, Better Together MVWSD hosted The Talk: Courageous Conversations about Equity, Anti-Asian Racism and the Model Minority Myth, a panel discussion with Asian American leaders in our community. Thank you to our incredible panelists for sharing their experiences and perspectives! A recording of this event can be found at:https://vimeo.com/540234012. (Spanish subtitles are available.) Check out https://mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSDfor videos of past events and our monthly infographics.

 

Better Together: Strengthening Communities
This month’s Better Together focus is on civic engagement and getting involved in the community. Please see the attached or https://www.mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD for the infographic, which features activities for the family, engaging books about activism for students, and more!

 

Join the MVEF Board and make a difference!

MVEF is looking for board members! With as little as 5 hours a month, you can support a well-rounded education (arts, science, wellness) for all students in the district. MVEF needs your voice and opinions for living our vision, from promoting MVEF at back to school night, to crafting a survey for our donors. Attend our next meeting or email [email protected] to learn more.

 

May CAC Meeting

May 3, 9:30 am- General Parent/Community Meeting with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:10 am for LCC and 9:30 am for CAC. We will be voting on officers for next year, discussing the SELPA Local Plan and planning for next years events and programs. For our agenda, please join our Google group, https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. For the Zoom link for this meeting, email [email protected]

 

MVLA Speech & Debate Summer Camp 

The Mountain View - Los Altos High Schools Speech and Debate Team is holding our annual summer camp from June 14–18 and June 21–25! The camp will be completely virtual, and students will learn about fundamental concepts in speech and debate in order to help them become more persuasive speakers and stronger critical thinkers. Additionally, we’re offering three different courses to accommodate for different skill levels and allow students to build off of their existing knowledge. For more information about pricing and registration, visit our website at mvlasdcamp.org.

 

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MVLA Speech & Debate 

 

Theuerkauf Elementary, Mountain View Whisman School District,

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

 
 
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