January 11, 2023
From the Principal's Desk
Happy New Year, Cheetah families!
I hope your 2023 is off to a great start so far and that you have been able to stay safe and warm during these very wet winter days. School is back in session this week, and it has been truly wonderful to see all of our students' bright and shining faces again. We've missed everyone! If you haven't had the chance yet, please feel free to email a picture or two of your adventures at home or elsewhere over the holiday break to [email protected]. I will be sharing these with the school in a brief video during our morning meeting on Friday. Additionally, if your child participated in Kindness or Academic challenges over the break, they can share their pictures or activity logs with their teachers.
Core Value for January: Perseverance!
As students settle back into the routines of school, we continue to focus on our core values that build strong character. This month's core value is perseverance. Students are learning about what it means to persevere and never give up on what is important. Students will set both academic and personal goals for themselves in 2023. Please encourage your child to talk with you about their goals and what it means to persevere. They will be able to share their iReady math and reading goals with you soon. We are proud of our Cheetahs, and we continue to celebrate their successes both in character growth and academic growth each and every day.
As always, thank you for your partnership! Together, we make a difference.
Warmly,
Michelle Williams, Principal
Important Dates
Wednesday, January 11, 6:30 pm ~ New Parents' Informational Night (Zoom)
Monday, January 16~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School
Tuesday, January 17~ SSC Meeting 5:30-6:30 pm (Zoom)
Thursday, January 19, 6:30 pm ~ 2023-24 New Transitional Kinder Information Night (Zoom)
Wednesday, January 24, 6:00pm - PTA Meeting (more info to come next week)
Thursday, January 26 ~ Principal's Coffee, 5-6pm (Zoom)
Friday, January 27~ ELAC Meeting 9:00-10:30 am (Zoom)
Friday, February 3~ Friendship Dance (PTA sponsored - more info to come next week)
School News
Library Corner
Thank you for your support of the library this year. Our fundraiser at Books Inc in December was wildly successful and we raised over $1,100 to buy books at our local Books Inc. There are so many new books to put on the shelves in 2023. Thank you to Theuerkauf PTA for helping with the shopping night!
You can see which new books are in the library this week on Destiny Discover. You can also find new resources and lists as they are added.
Please remember to bring in all library books this week. Students will not be able to check out new books until they have returned any overdue books.
Please contact Mrs. Baikie if you'd like to volunteer in the library by emailing her at [email protected] to help process new books. This involves stickering, covering, and shelving books.
If you would like to donate to the library, please review our wish lists on Amazon or Bookshop.org.
Happy Reading!
District News
Upcoming dates to note:
Don’t forget to give your student the free COVID test on Jan. 16
MVWSD provided at-home COVID-19 testing kits for free to families and staff members so that you may test before returning to campus after the winter break. Please use one to test your student on Monday, Jan. 16 before returning to school on Tuesday, Jan. 17 (after the Martin Luther King Jr holiday). Please see this letter for what to do after testing. Thank you for participating in these measures to help ensure all of our students and staff stay healthy.
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 6:00 p.m.
Some of the meeting topics include:
For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Jan. 13
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC113
Cafecito with the Superintendent
Wednesday, Jan. 11, 5:30 – 6 pm
This is an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents. Translation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting by clicking here: http://mvw.sd/C111
For parents of new students and incoming kinders: There are important new student registration meetings coming up.
Your neighborhood school: Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 pm. Click here for each school’s meeting link: http://mvw.sd/meetings.
MVWSD choice schools: Thursday, Jan. 12. Gabriela Mistral Elementary at 5:30 p.m. and Stevenson Elementary at 6:30 p.m. Click here for each school’s meeting link: http://mvw.sd/meetings. There are also in-person school exploration events: Wednesday, January 18 from 1:30 - 4 pm at Theuerkauf for parents of Theuerkauf Transitional Kinders, Preschool and for the public. Wednesday, January 25 from 2- 4 pm at Castro Elementary for parents of Latham Preschool and for the public.
Here’s how you can be ready for the meetings
➤ First, check your residency to determine your neighborhood school: https://www.mvwsd.org/residency
➤ Learn about choice schools and neighborhood schools at https://www.mvwsd.org/register
➤ Click here https://vimeo.com/777468041 for a video about how the choice school lottery process works. (Spanish video: https://vimeo.com/781925589).
➤ Click on this video for Day in the Life of a Kinder: https://vimeo.com/765116449 (Spanish video is here: https://vimeo.com/775870587)
Is your student too young for kindergarten?
Click here to learn about the right program for your young learner: https://www.mvwsd.org/kinderready
➤ The information meeting for transitional kindergarten is January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/TK119
➤ The preschool informational meeting is January 19 at 3:30 pm (English) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK119 and February 1 at 3:30 pm (Spanish) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK21.
Student registration starts soon!
Open enrollment for all students (including returning students) for the fall starts on Jan. 24. Click on https://www.mvwsd.org/register for all of the details.
Parent University: Living Our New “Normal”: Tips for Families on How to Thrive Post-Pandemic
Date and Time: Feb. 7, 2023 5:30pm Registration Link: https://mvw.sd/pu020723
The last three years have been difficult on parents and children. How do we keep going and continue to show up to support our families?
Together, we will be able to:
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Identify what the “New Normal” means to us.
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Learn tips and strategies to manage stress and navigate our “New Normal”
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Commit to take one action to address a personal goal
MVEF January Updates
Thanks to the generous support of MVEF donors and volunteers, MVEF achieved the incremental goal to raise $800k by Jan 1, 2023! This achievement represents almost 70% of this year's annual goal of $1,200,000 raised during the first half of the fiscal year. Thank you MVEF donors and volunteers for your tireless support of MVEF and Mountain View Whisman School District!
SAVE THE DATE for the MVEF Gala: MVEF will hold its Annual Fundraising Gala benefiting the current school year on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The MVEF Gala is an opportunity for residents, district parents, business leaders and community members to come together to support local schools. This year’s event will include dinner, fundraising activities (including a raffle and silent auction), and dancing (subject to county health guidelines). More details about the Gala will be shared soon.
Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session
Come learn about volunteering as a Mentor or Tutor! Help a local student to a brighter future. VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION - January 19, 12:00-1:00 pm, El Camino YMCA, 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View. To register go to www.mentortutorconnection.org/events - or email programs@mentortutorconnection.org.
Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Belly Breathing
Our mood is influenced by physical sensations in our body. When we feel stressed, we tend to take quick and shallow breaths. By taking slow and deep breaths, we can signal our body to relax.
Watch this video to learn more about how belly breathing can help your child (or you) feel more relaxed.
To belly breathe:
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Choose a comfortable position, such as sitting on a chair or laying on your back.
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Place one hand on your belly.
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Take a deep breath in through your nose while you count to four. As you breathe in, your belly should rise.
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Hold your breath while you count to five.
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Breathe out through your mouth while you count to six. As you breathe out, your belly should flatten.
You may need to repeat these steps for 5-10 minutes before you start to feel relaxed. By practicing these steps, you can learn to relax after stressful situations.
MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series: Raising Body Positive Youth on Jan. 19
Join MVLA Parent Ed on Thursday, Jan. 19 from 7pm - 9pm (LAHS Eagle Theater) for an evening with Wendy Sterling, Shelley Aggarwal, and Signe Darpinian – co-authors of No Weigh! and Raising Body Positive Teens – as they discuss how to raise confident eaters, in a home free of judgment. Wendy, Shelley, and Signe will discuss down-to-earth ways parents can help their kids take proactive actions in promoting a friendship with food, and preventative actions to minimize the risk factors for the development of eating disorders, particularly when early signs of disordered eating, excessive exercise, or body dissatisfaction have been noticed. Click here to register for the event.
Attachments
Parent University
Mentor Tutor Connection