Dear Quetzal Families,

Valentine's day is a day in the year when we celebrate and acknowledge our friends and loved ones. Wouldn't it be great that we did that EVERY? Showing our love with kindness and caring on our regular basis can make this world a better place to live. Some cultures call Valentine's Day also Saint Valentine's Day. This name comes from a Christian celebration of one martyr, Saint Valentines. Later folk traditions turned it into a cultural and commercial celebration of love and caring. I want to take this time to remind you that you are loved, appreciated and part of our Mistral Family. Happy Valentine's Day!

If your child would like to bring something to share with his/her peers, please remember our guidelines:

• Inclusive to the entire class
• Store bought items-No food items from home
• Be mindful for allergens; No nuts or nut product in snacks; Include snacks for students with diabetes
• If there is any food distribution, it will be done at the end of the day
• Encouraged to wear pink or red

Our office team will deliver any items to class for distribution at the end of the day. No food

items will be eaten until after school.

Our winter break is around the corner. Please remember that our last day before the break is on February 17. This is also the end of the trimester, so students will follow Minimum Day dismissal at 12:10 pm. School resumes on 2/27.

If you haven't done so yet, please complete your Returning Student registration as soon as possible. Let us know if you need any assitance.

This is our last week to complete the LCAP survey. We really want to hear from you! You should've received an email with a link to the survey on Jan. 30. More information found here: https://www.mvwsd.org/lcap. I will be presenting LCAP information and our dashboard at our ELAC and SSC meetings next week. Please join us!

Have a great weekend!

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

Time: 5:30pm

Registration Link: https://mvw.sd/pu020723

February 14

• ELAC Meeting @5pm-Link

• School Site Council Meeting @5pm-Link

• End Trimester 2 - Friday Minimum Day Dismissal at 12:10

• Washington & Lincoln's Holiday & Winter Break - No School

• Castro/Mistral Parent Ed. My Digital TAT @ 5pm

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6:00 p.m.

Some of the meeting topics include:

• Outdoor Learning and Greening Project at Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary School

• Transportation Study Report

• Resolution: Climate Change and Green Schoolyards

For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.

Parents: We need to hear from you before Feb. 10 about your child’s enrollment in MVWSD for next year

For CURRENTLY enrolled students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Before Feb. 10, parents must log on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to enroll their children for next year. Look for an email in your inbox with directions.

Important:

• Choice school parents: If you have incoming Kindergarteners and would like them to participate in the 2023-24 Choice School lottery, you must submit their enrollment application during Open Enrollment (before February 10.)

• Incoming middle school parents: Students currently in grades 5-7 will not be able to select their elective classes for next year until parents confirm their enrollment through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

If you have difficulty signing in to PowerSchool, please contact your school office. For more information, call 650-526-3500 or go to https://www.mvwsd.org/register.

In case you missed it: Incoming 6th grade information night for parents

If you will have a 6th-grader next year, please check these links for the 6th Grade Information Night materials shared at the January 23 meeting.

Crittenden Middle School

Graham Middle School

We want to hear from you! LCAP survey responses due Feb. 17

Have you clicked on the link in your inbox to complete the LCAP survey? We need to hear from every family in the district as part of the annual process of updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Your input will guide the update of our District plan for the 2023-24 school year. Your responses are confidential. More information found here: https://www.mvwsd.org/LCAP

February Better Together Infographic

In February, we honor Black History Month. As educators and parents, we can help our young people imagine a world where they are active participants in the dismantling of racist and oppressive forces. We can help them imagine a future where we are all #BetterTogether. Please see the attached flyers or visit http://mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

Bond Oversight Committee Seeks Community Representatives

The District is seeking qualified persons to serve on the Bond Oversight Committee for the District's Measure T Bond Program.

Representatives monitor, provide oversight and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District, including an annual report to the Board regarding the actual uses of such funds.

Applications can be mailed to: Mountain View Whisman School District, Attn: Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, 1400 Montecito Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 or emailed to cnavarrete@mvwsd.org.

Link to Application: Bond Oversight Committee

Questions? Please call Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, at 650-526-3500.

Auction Items needed for the MVEF Gala

The annual MVEF Gala raises $85-100k in support of Art, Music, hands-on Science, and reduced class sizes in MVWSD. Auction item donations are a great way to support our programs! Successful past auction donations include:

• Vacation home timeshares

• Private, themed parties at the donor's home

• Bottles of wine for the "wine wall"

• Professional services

• Event tickets

To learn more about donating to the MVEF Gala Auction, email dena@mvef.org.

Gala ticket information is coming soon.

InPlay: Find Camps and Afterschool Activities

February break and spring break are just weeks away. Even summer break is just around the corner. Looking for activities or camps for your children? InPlay offers a free searchable program guide for parents, with filters for age, location, price (including free or reduced cost), and more. To find programs local to Mountain View, head to: https://www.inplay.org/r/mountain-view. Available programs include those that serve students with special needs or English learners.

February CAC Events

SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. We are ALL having learning challenges right now, and CAC and LCC are here to help. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email selpa1cacinfo@gmail.com or check out www.selpa1cac.org

We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children: Try a Sensory Diet

Parent Chat: February 14, 10 am

Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child? Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. Every second Tuesday of the month at 10 am on Google Meet. Meeting is for 1 hour only due to Google Meet limitations. Contact trudy.palmer@me.com for invite.

Palo Alto CAC Resource Fair for Summer Camps and Afterschool Activities

Tue, Feb 28th 6-8 pm

Focus will be on hosting providers serving Palo Alto, Mountain View and Los Altos.

Place: JLS middle school cafetorium in person only

Coming up in March!

General meeting on March 6 and we are happy to announce:

Behavioral Panel of Experts - Challenging Behaviors and Strategies at different ages

Presented by SELPA 1 CAC / Palo Alto CAC

Wednesday March 22, 7 pm on Zoom

Does your child have behavioral challenges at school and at home?

Behavior is communication. Join the CAC and expert panelists from CAPTAIN and PENT for a presentation on strategies to help with behaviors at different ages. Although CAPTAIN is focused on those students with autism spectrum concerns, these insights are suitable for all students. Have a specific question - submit your question ahead of time to our panel here: Questions for the Panel

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkduCurTorHNSOp-szKwNTJdpzNXprqunq

Missed our Parent Education events last year?

We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including last year’s Inclusive Fun Fair for summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw

Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Shaping

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.

These tips came directly from the free online website NPR: Life Kit.

MVLA Parent Math Night

MVLA will be hosting their Math Night for parents on February 16, 2023 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Staff will share information about the high school math pathways and math preparation for college and beyond, in addition to the computer science and engineering pathways. Register for the webinar here.

City of MV Parent’s Night Out: Feb. 11

The City of Mountain View is hosting a Parent’s Night Out on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM at the Mountain View Community Center. Need a night off? Drop your kids off and treat yourself to a parent's night out. You can feel good leaving your child in a safe, fun environment complete with games, art projects, pizza, and a big-screen movie. Register here.

The View Teen Center: February Events

The View Teen Center is a free facility in Mountain View (263 Escuela Ave) for all Mountain View and Los Altos 6th - 12th grade students. The center is open Monday through Friday: 3:30 - 7 p.m. and Saturday: 1 - 6 p.m, and features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! February Teen Center events include Winter Break drop in hours (February 21-24, 1:00 - 6:00 p.m) and field trips, including an Ice Skating & In-N-Out Trip and a Bike To Boba. See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs or visit their webpage for more information.

MVLA Parent Ed: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness

Join MVLA Parent Ed on February 28 at 7:00 PM in the LAHS Eagle Theater for an evening with Dr. Kelli Harding – author of The Rabbit Effect – as she discusses ways for school communities to help foster cultures of kindness and positive social connection. Groundbreaking new research shows that love, friendship, community, life’s purpose, and our environment can have a greater impact on our health than anything that happens in the doctor’s office. Harding presents a new model for you to take charge of your health. Register here for this free event.