From the Principal's Desk
Hello Cheetah Families,
We are getting so close to our holiday break! I know there is a sense of excitement in the air. To punctuate our transition to the break, we will hold a special celebratory Cool Cats assembly on Friday of next week. Please see the School News section for details. We hope to see everyone there!
Additionally, please join us on Tuesday, Dec. 14 for coffee with our Superintendent, Dr. Ayindé Rudolph, at 9:00 am! Register in advance at http://mvw.sd/THcoffee. Spanish interpretation will be available. See you there!
Finally, please mark your calendars that we will have a week of minimum days, January 10-14, 2022. Parent-Teacher (Student) Conferences present a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, strengths and needs, and work with your teacher to help your child have a successful academic experience. Conference week is scheduled for January 10-14, 2022. Every day that week is a minimum day for students, with dismissal at 12:10pm each day.
In order to help inform conversations between teachers and parents, Parent-Teacher Conference week in January is a mid-year checkpoint on student growth and progress. These past several months, your child’s teacher has had the opportunity to get to know your child academically as well as socially-emotionally. Your child’s teacher now has multiple data points available to share for better understanding of your child's strengths and needs.
Prior to conferences, you can access your child’s iReady Diagnostic 2 reports starting December 17, 2021 on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Steps for accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports are here.
When thinking about your child’s conference, you could consider:
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What successes have you noticed your child has experienced this year?
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What concerns or issues is your child experiencing with school?
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Do you have any specific questions or topics you’d like to discuss?
To help you prepare for conferences, please join us for the MV Parent U session, “Effective Parent-Teacher Communication” at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 5 on Zoom at http://mvw.sd/pu010522.
Your child’s teacher will be sending you information detailing the process for virtual conference sign-ups via Sign-up Genius or Google Calendar. Please contact our school office if you have any trouble accessing iReady reports or have any questions for conferences.
Together, we make a difference!
Yours in service,
Michelle Williams, Principal
Important Dates
Tuesday, December 14 - Coffee with the Superintendent (Zoom)
Friday, December 17 - Cool Cats Assembly
December 20-31- Holiday Break - No School
Monday, January 3 - Teacher Service Day - No School
Tuesday, January 4 - Students return to school
Mon-Fri, January 10-14 - Parent-Teacher Conferences
***Wednesdays Open Office Hours with the Principal 4:00-5:00pm (use this link)***
School News
Traffic Improvements at Drop-off and Pick-up Times
We want to express our sincerest gratitude for your efforts in improving the safety of our students during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. Thank you for slowing down to a crawl, watching for children, and following the signs that are posted.
Just as a point of clarification, some have asked about the intent of the cones next to the MUR on San Pierre. These are meant to keep cars from double parking in this area, and to keep the traffic moving smoothly. The yellow curb in front of the MUR is a drop-off area only, and cars should not be parked here for any amount of time. Please do feel free to drive through this area as you drop off your child.
As a reminder, please continue to cross at the corners only. We want your child to arrive safely at school.
December Cool Cats Assembly: Celebrating Integrity!
We will be holding special Cool Cats assemblies next Friday, December 17th. Throughout November and December, students have been learning about integrity and what it means to do the right thing, even and especially when no one is watching. Please join us for your child's assembly to hear about what they've been learning and to celebrate some of our Cheetahs who have shown exceptional integrity over the past couple of months. Here are the assembly times for each grade level group:
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TK and Kindergarten: 12-12:30pm (Zoom)
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1st and 2nd grades: 9-9:45am (Zoom)
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3rd, 4th, and 5th grades: 10:50-11:50am (Zoom)
Library Wish List
Do you support literacy? Would you like to give back to our very own school library? If so, please take a look at our library wish list! Ms. Bhajaria has put together a short list of items that would bolster our collections and delight our students.
Toy Drive
We are collecting new, unwrapped toys for children (ages 3-14) until Thursday, December 13th. If you would like to donate, there will be a collection box in the school office through next Thursday.
Canned Food Drive
Our Expect Respect kids are hosting a canned food drive for an organization in our community over the next two weeks. Every classroom will collect canned goods through the end of next week. If you would like to donate, please send your child to school with your contribution. Each class is collecting canned goods. The class with the most canned foods will get a class prize, in addition to feeling great about helping the community..
December Spirit Days!
This is just a reminder that our Expect Respect students have worked together to plan a few exciting Spirit Days for the month of December. Last Friday's spirit day went well!! We were so excited to see so many students participating in Sports Day. There were Sharks, Niners, Giants, and Warriors everywhere! Congratulations to Ms. Kepp's class for having the most participants. Please feel free to send your child to school dressed to participate in these themes, if you would like! As always, please be sure that your child does follow our school dress code policy.
Next Spirit Days:
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Friday, 12/10: TWIN DAY//CHEETAH DAY - dress like a friend and/or dress up in your favorite Cheetah clothing!
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Friday, 12/17: PAJAMA DAY - wear school-appropriate pajamas (and regular shoes, please--no slippers)
Reposted: Water Fountain
The water fountain in front of the MUR is now available for students to refill their water bottles. Please send your student to school with a water bottle so that they can refill it whenever they finish their supply of water.
Reposted: Reporting absences
We need all students with us in class every single day. If you do need to report an absence, call the office at (650) 903-6925, or email [email protected]. Provide the following information: date of absence, student’s name, room number, reason for absence, and name and relationship of the person reporting the absence. It is very important, for safety reasons, that we know the specific reason why a student is not present at school. Unless there is an emergency or illness, we truly need to see every child in school each and every day. We have a lot of ground to recover in making up for last year's learning loss, and every day truly matters in this endeavor.
Reposted: PowerSchool Uploads - Test Results, Vaccination Updates
Parents can now upload to PowerSchool the important COVID documents that will help expedite students’ return to school after a COVID exposure. Please take a moment now to upload your documentation. After logging in to https://ps.mvwsd.org/public, parents will be able to click on the “COVID reporting” icon to upload:
1. Students’ proof of COVID vaccination
2. Past positive COVID test. Here’s how to upload.
Please call our office (650) 903-6925 if you have trouble accessing PowerSchool.
Reposted: Lost and Found Clothing and Accessories
Is your child missing a sweater, jacket, hat, or other items? If so, please stop by the front gate during morning or afternoon pick-up. There are many water bottles, warm coats, adorable sweaters, and other items, as well. We'd like to help you to recover your child's items. CHAC Family Resource
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PTA News
Reminder: Family Baking Basket Drawing on December 16th
Check out this month's Family Baking Basket - perfect for the upcoming December holidays!
Drawing tickets are available until Monday, December the 13th and the drawing will happen Thursday, December 16th!
The PTA would like to hear from you!
Please complete this short survey and let us know your thoughts!
The first 20 respondents will receive a Theuerkauf Spirit Item, so make sure you fill it in quickly.
District News
Board meeting Preview: Dec. 9
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. Some of the meeting’s topics include:
For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday: Dec. 10
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Dec. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/Q0Faw. To plan ahead, please see this webpage for upcoming meeting dates. In case you miss it, a video recording will be posted on this webpage.
COVID-19 vaccine at Theuerkauf MUR on Dec. 8
MVWSD is partnering with the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department to bring a vaccine clinic to MVWSD. When you and your children are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it protects your family, your friends, our school, and the whole community.
FREE to all students ages 5 and older and their family members at:
Where: Theuerkauf MUR
Date: Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Time: 3:00pm - 7:00pm
Pfizer boosters and second shots will be available for those who are eligible. Parents or guardians must give their consent for a child to get the vaccine, and should be present. All students and their families are welcome regardless of immigration status. You do not need health insurance. Nurses will be available to answer your questions. The County will have staff who can speak to you in both Spanish and English.
More information and the vaccine registration form can be accessed on https://www.theuerkauf.mvwsd.org. For questions about the vaccine clinic, contact (408) 970-2000. For more locations to get vaccinated, visit sccfreevax.org.
Please share your thoughts: Parent engagement ThoughtExchange
As part of its Strategic Plan 2027, the Mountain View Whisman School District is looking for ways to improve its parent education programming and communication strategies. Parents: On Friday, please look in your email for a link to an online exchange of ideas. We are listening for your ideas about how you want your school to communicate with you, interact with you and support you with information to help your children in school. Your participation is confidential. Please share and come back often to rate new ideas until the exchange closes on Dec 19.
For 5th, 6th, and 7th grades: Electives interest survey on Dec. 14
Our middle schools are beginning to develop a list of student elective offerings that are a great complement to our core academics. Our goal is to align electives with students’ interests and teachers’ credentials.
In order to gauge students’ interests, and inform the development of the elective catalog for the next school year, students in grades 5-7 will be asked to complete a survey in class on December 14th. This survey will list some possible elective choice areas for 2022-23 and ask students to indicate their level of interest for each of the choice areas. The purpose of this survey is to gauge student interests. Incoming and current middle school students will not formally request electives until the spring of 2022. Please note that students will not be committed to taking the electives they express an interest in. All elective offerings are subject to student enrollment, interest, staffing, and teacher credentialing at the school site.
For more information on the process, and to view last year’s electives catalogs, please click on www.mvwsd.org/MSelectives.
Upcoming i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments
i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading. Teachers use this information to support instruction in core subjects for every student.
Your child will take the second i-Ready Math and Reading diagnostic assessments during the week of December 6th, 2021. Your child’s school will share their specific schedule.
Elementary school families can access their child’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score via their Powerschool Parent Portal starting December 17, 2021. Parents will have access to three reports for their child - For Families Report, Common Core State Standards Report (CCSS), and the Diagnostic Growth Report. Here’s how to access PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports.
Parents can learn more about the i-Ready platform and how to interpret the various i-Ready reports. Join us for an i-Ready Parent Informational Webinar on December 16th, 2021 at 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Please register in advance via the link: http://mvw.sd/i-ready.
Please contact your child’s school front office if you have any trouble accessing reports.
Please upload your child’s completed vaccine card
Many of our younger students are getting their 2nd COVID vaccine shot this week. When your child's vaccine card has their second shot listed, please upload a copy to Powerschool. Vaccine cards will be referred to in the case of a positive COVID exposure for your student, and MVWSD needs accurate data for decisions about COVID protocols. Click here for a video that shows you how to upload documents: https://vimeo.com/606954357.Thank you in advance for uploading your documents now!
Community engagement: Security cameras
One of the projects identified in MVWSD’s Master Facility Plan and the Measure T Bond was the need for security cameras in public areas at all school sites as a way to increase safety for students and staff members by deterring misconduct and preventing vandalism.
Members of the schools’ communities may engage in a series of feedback meetings through Jan. 2022 before the plan for security cameras is finalized. Principals will gather feedback at regularly scheduled meetings such as Principal’s Coffee, School Site Council, PTA, and ELAC.
Additionally, parents and neighbors may attend community meetings:
Parent University: How to Talk to Our Kids About Race, Racism, and Equity (with Project Cornerstone)
Date: December 8, 2021, 5:30pm-7:00pm Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu120821
Conversations on race, racism, and equity can be uncomfortable. Where do we even start? This presentation will:
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Explore the concept of recognizing our own racial identity. It starts with us.
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Build a shared understanding of key definitions so we can be more informed when we listen, learn, and talk.
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Gain language and tools to hold conversations with our kids.
To submit questions prior to the event, please click here. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
School meetings are coming up. Open Enrollment for all MVWSD students starts in January
For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 24-28.
For NEW students: Open Enrollment is from January 10 through Feb. 4, 2022 online. You can register your child for the 2022-23 school year when online registration opens here: www.mvwsd.org/register
School info meetings: Check www.mvwsd.org/register for a complete list with login information.
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School kindergarten/new student information nights are online on December 7 at 6:00 p.m. for all elementary schools, and include choice school information. Click here for meeting information: http://mvw.sd/schoolinfo
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If your child turns 5 years old between September 2, 2022 – February 2, 2023, he/she may qualify for transitional kindergarten. TK info night is December 14 at 5:00 p.m online at http://mvw.sd/TK1214
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If you are interested in the District's choice schools, information nights are:
Gabriela Mistral: Dual Spanish/English Immersion: December 14 at 6 pm at http://mvw.sd/MI1214
Stevenson: Parent Child Teacher: December 15 at 6 pm at http://mvw.sd/ST1215
Choice schools will also have information at the elementary schools’ info nights (6 p.m. Dec. 7).
Please visit www.mvwsd.org/register for more information.
December Better Together Infographic
December is Universal Human Rights Month, a time for people in the U.S. and around the world to join together and stand up for the rights and dignity of all individuals. December 10, Human Rights Day, is a global holiday that marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948. Together, we can protect the rights of everyone, everywhere. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.
Health and Wellness: Parenting Tip
We all tend to avoid tasks that we do not enjoy. Unfortunately, many of the tasks that we ask of our kids, such as working on homework or doing chores, are not enjoyable. Shaping can help make some of these tasks more manageable.
Shaping involves rewarding small behaviors that build toward the final behavior you wish to see. To do this:
Try this with a few tasks that your child has struggled to complete. For example, you could try praising your child for working on their homework for 10 minutes, then 20 minutes, and so on. You could also try rewarding your child for completing one step of their chores, then two steps, and so on. With practice and patience, those unenjoyable tasks will become easier and easier to complete.
These tips came directly from the free, online Everyday Parenting program created by parenting expert, Dr. Kazdin.
To learn more parenting tips click here.
MVEF Holiday Zumba Dance Party on 12/19
Get ready to have fun and get fit while grooving to some sweet Latin beats! We’re going to shake it up with 90 minutes of Zumba awesomeness on Sunday, December 19th at 3 pm - 4:30 pm at the Mountain View Civic Center Plaza (500 Castro Street). Bring water, comfortable exercise clothes, and all your friends. It is going to be a party!
Suggested donation is $20 per person cash or check payable to the Mountain View Educational Foundation.
December CAC Announcements
SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org
Submit your Winter Talent show video, photo or artwork by December 11 to be a part of our Winter Talent Show! Let’s celebrate the many talents of students with an IEP or 504 plan!
Take a video of yourself or your group showing off your talent and be part of the SE CAC Virtual Winter Talent Show. Sing a song! Make a recipe! Show off a dance! Take a photo of your comic book creation!
Upload your video to this drive: https://tinyurl.com/studentsgottalent or email to [email protected] by December 11 to be included in the Virtual Talent Show
12/8 7 pm Evening 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 here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIoduqgrTotEtJJkVOFqI-vMlPkIyja7Ygg
12/14 10 am - Parent Chat - Support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. A great place for help and support for challenges with your teens. Please contact [email protected] for Google Meet invite.
12/14 7 pm WINTER TALENT SHOW! Let’s get together on Zoom to celebrate our talented community!
Have a wonderful Holiday Season, and next year - tune into our Inclusive Fun Fair Zoom Panel with Summer Camp and Recreation providers for students with learning challenges - including many local camps, clubs and more! Coming up on January 25, 7-8:30 pm on Zoom. Register here:https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdeCprDMoHNQmNm2AxCpcukE3IRu-YdIZ
CHAC Resources and Events
CHAC Family Resource Centers offer a variety of classes and resources for Santa Clara County residents, including music classes for young children, arts enrichment, groups for Spanish-speaking families, parenting courses, and free diapers and other essential items. For more information, see attached flyers or visit https://www.chacmv.org/frcs.
MV Public Library Event: Parenting with an Accent (flyer attached to email on 12/6)
Join the MV Public Library on Wednesday, December 8th from 7:00pm - 8:00pm on Zoom for a discussion with Masha Rumer, local award-winning journalist and author of the new book Parenting with an Accent: How Immigrants Honor Their Heritage, Navigate Setbacks, and Chart New Paths for Their Children. Her research merges real stories and on-the-ground reporting about multicultural parenting. Registration is required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.
MVHS Spartans Tree Lot
MVHS Sports Boosters is hosting the 8th Annual Spartans Tree Lot at Mountain View High School Stadium (3535 Truman Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040). Spartans Tree Lot offers premium, top-quality trees ranging in size from 3 feet to 12+ feet, holiday decorations, and supplies. In person and online delivery options are available. All proceeds benefit Mountain View High School Athletics. For more information, head to: SpartanTreeLot.com.
Attachments
December Equity Calendar
December CAC Announcement
MVHS Tree Lot
CHAC Family Resource
Tunes on Tuesday (CHAC)
Play and Learn (CHAC)
CHAC Distribution