December 2, 2022
From the Principal's Desk
Hello, Theuerkauf Families!
Parent-Teacher Conferences are important as we partner up to support our students’ growth and development. If you have not already done so, please schedule your Virtual or in Person Parent-Teacher Conference with your child's teacher. The scheduling window is still open.
All parents received a Sign-up Genius scheduling link via email from your child’s teacher. Conferences are scheduled for the week of December 5-9, 2022, and school will end at 12:10 pm every day next week. You will be able to select from available time slots between 12:30 pm and 4:00 pm, each day of conference week. If none of these times work for you, please be sure to contact your child’s teacher directly.
If you have technical issues, please call the office or email Principal Williams directly at [email protected]. For all other questions, please contact Mary Calon at [email protected] or Sherri Minor at [email protected]. You can also call us in the school office at (650) 903-6925.
As always, thank you for your partnership! Together, we make a difference.
Yours in service,
Michelle Williams, Principal
Important Dates
Thursday, December 1~ Parent University - Effective Parent Teacher Communication, 6-7pm (Zoom)
Friday, December 9~ Principal’s Coffee 5:00-6:00 pm (Zoom)
Friday, December 9~ PTA Fundraiser for the Library at Books Inc. (6-9pm)
Monday, December 5-9~ Conference Week- Minimum Day Dismissal 12:10 pm each day
Thursday, December 22-31~ Holiday Break - No School
Monday, January 2-8~ Holiday Recess - No School
Monday, January 9~ Teacher Service Day - No School
Tuesday, January 10~ Students Return to School
Monday, January 16~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
School News
Celebrating All of Our Hard Working CHEETAHS!
Last week, students worked very diligently to do their absolute best work on the iReady Reading and Math assessments. We are proud of you, Cheetahs, for reaching toward the personal goals you have set for yourself on these assessments. We recognize that many of our students have already reached their personal growth goals for the year, and many more are well on their way to doing so. All students continue to work toward their personal annual growth goals and beyond, reaching toward their stretch goals. Students will have another opportunity to show their growth on the spring iReady assessments, in February. Keep up the hard work, Cheetahs! You are destined for greatness, and you take one step toward excellence every single day.
Parent University: Bridging Home & School Communication
Thank you to everyone who attended the Theuerkauf Parent University extension event last night. It was a pleasure to get to share ideas and to hear from you during this meeting. For those who were unable to attend, here are the slides that were presented during the meeting, in English and in Spanish (recording). We look forward to welcoming everyone for our next Theuerkauf Parent University session in January when we will focus on creating greater inclusivity at our school. There will be food, raffle prizes, childcare, and more. More details and specifics to come soon!
Theuerkauf Cheetah: Logo Refresh
There isn't a single Theuerkauf student or staff member, whether present or former, who doesn't recognize and celebrate our long cherished mascot, the Cheetah! Even so, you may have noticed that our beloved Cheetah picture itself might need a little updating and TLC, to raise the quality of the image. Over the next several weeks, you will receive some logo refresh ideas to weigh in on and provide your input on the best version of our Cheetah moving forward. The goal will be to capture a version of our Cheetah that continues to embody the Theuerkauf spirit and all that we hold dear. Please look for these ideas to come your way next week. Go Cheetahs!!!
Library Corner
December 9, 2022 from 6-9 pm at Books Inc, Mountain View
Do all your holiday and winter break book/gift buying at Books Inc on Friday, December 9th and Books Inc will donate a portion of all sales that night to the library.
Booksellers and your friendly Theuerkauf librarian will be there to help you with book recommendations for all ages.
Snacks and beverages will be served.
Support the Theuerkauf Library and check some holiday items off your to-do list. Want to volunteer? Sign up to help by emailing [email protected].
PTA News
Walk-A-Thon Highlights! The PTA is truly thankful for all the hard work everyone put into this event! We were able to raise $14,400 as of now and there are still some donations coming in. Our goal was 15,000 and it looks like we are well on our way. Also, congratulations to ROOM 16 for having the most donations (participation in regards to how many students turned in donation envelopes, not the actual amount.). Room 16 has a fun surprise coming their way!
12/7@1-4pm: Theuerkauf PTA is looking for more volunteers! We need your help as we support the CSA with Food Distribution at Castro/Mistral School. If you are interested please email [email protected] by tomorrow, December 2nd!
12/9@6-9pm, Theuerkauf Library Fundraiser @ Books Inc. 317 Castro St, Mountain View, CA 94041. A percentage of your purchase will go to the library! Come do your Christmas shopping, gift wrapping will be available. Also, there will be a wishlist of books for the library, you can also purchase books and donate them to our library. If you are interested in volunteering please email [email protected]
2/3: Save the Date - Friendship Dance: more details to come. We need more volunteers to help in the planning of this fun family event! If you are interested in volunteering please email [email protected]
4/3-4/7: Save the Date - Book Fair! Yes, finally the book fair is coming back. More details to come. We need more volunteers to help in the planning of this event! If you are interested in volunteering please email [email protected]
District News
i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Test Scores
Students will take the i-Ready Math and Reading Diagnostic 2 during the week of November 14 - 18. i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading. Families can access their student’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score through their Powerschool Parent Portal starting December 2, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Reports are available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ under “Parent Reports” for each of your students.
Health and Wellness Parenting Tip
Sometimes kids listen to the instructions — and sometimes they don't. And when they don't, that can be very frustrating for parents. "Special time" gives young children a chance to interact with their parents without the stress of following directions—which strengthens the bond between them. It comes in the form of the acronym P.R.I.D.E.
To learn more parenting tips click here.
Here is the P.R.I.D.E. Acronym:
P (Praise): Use specific praises when playing together. Rather than saying “good job” because kids hear that all the time, use a positive phrase that encourages the behavior you want to see more of. For example, you can say, “I love the way you stack those blocks high.”
R (Reflect): Verbally repeat back some of the words your child says to you. That repetition shows that you’re engaging and listening to your child. For example, if they say, “I’m reading a book!” you can say, “you’re reading a book!”
I (Imitate): Parallel play is essential for the bond between you and your child. For example, if they’re stacking legos, you stack legos. It gives your child a sense of control and relief in a world where children must follow adult demands.
D (Describe): Narrating what your child is doing shows that you are interested and that you are organizing your child’s thoughts and play. For example, if your child picks up a block, you can describe the characteristics of the block, saying, “That’s a red block.”
E (Enthusiasm): Actions like clapping, smiling, high fives, and using positive words while playing with your child show them that you are engaged in what they're doing and strengthen that positive relationship. Saying phrases such as, “That’s great!” and “I had such a fun time!” can make your child happy.
Special time is recommended to be done 1-on-1 for children ages 2 to 7 and can be done for 5-minutes a day, four times a week. Avoid using commands, asking questions, or criticizing during “Special time.”
These tips came directly from the free online website NPR: Life Kit.
County MedAssist Program
The MedAssist Program aims to improve health outcomes and medication adherence for select individuals who reside in Santa Clara County. Qualified patients will receive financial assistance in the form of a grant designed to off-set high out-of-pocket expenses for life-saving medications such as anti-diabetics, asthma inhalers, and/or epinephrine auto-injectors. For more information and application, visit medassist.sccgov.org/
MVHS Spartans Tree Lot
MVHS Sports Boosters will be opening up the Annual Spartans Tree Lot on Friday November 25 at 10 AM for the 2022 season at the Mountain View High School Stadium (3535 Truman Ave.). 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: SpartansTreeLot.com.
Ravenswood Immunization Clinic
The Ravenswood Family Health Network is hosting Immunization and Flu clinics at their Mountain View Location (900 Miramonte Avenue), by appointment only. The Immunization Clinic occurs on Monday afternoons from 1-4 p.m. and has a variety of vaccines available, and the Flu Clinic is held on Monday mornings from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Limit of 2 siblings per parent per visit. Vaccines are free for children with Medi-Cal, HealthyKids, or no health insurance. Call (650) 330-7400 for more information or to set up an appointment.
Attachments
County MedAssist Program
MVHS Spartans Tree Lot
Tree Lighting Event
Immunization Clinic