Dear Quetzal Families,

Isn't it incredible that tomorrow is the end of our second trimester? Please remember that we have Minimum Day schedule. As you know, we start our winter break tomorrow. School resumes on 2/27. It is important that you use the Covid test we sent home on sunday, February 26, to ensure that your child is healthy and can come back to school.

I hope you take this time to relax and enjoy the time with your children. This is also a good time to remind our students about the President's Day. Here are some facts you can share with your family:

• President's Day is a federal observed holiday also known as President Washington's Birthday.
• This holiday helps us reflect on the founding of our nation, its value, and the Washington's Farewell Address.
• This holiday is always celebrated on the third Monday of February.
• It became a legal holiday under President Rutherford B. Hayes in 1879.

This is our last day 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!

I hope you have a wonderful week off. Stay safe and have fun. Remember to pay it forward with kindness!

Have a great winter break!

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

February 17

• 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

Minimum Day Friday and Winter Break

Just a reminder that Friday, Feb. 17 marks the end of Trimester 2 and is a minimum day. There is no school next week (Feb 20-24) for winter break. Have a safe and restful break and we'll see you back at school on Monday, Feb. 27th!

Don’t Forget to Give Your Student the Free COVID Test on Feb. 26

MVWSD is providing 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 administer the test to your student on Sunday, Feb. 26 before returning to school on Monday, Feb. 27. 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.

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.

Early Bird pricing for MVEF Gala tickets is available until 3/12/2023

Buy tickets, donate items, and sponsor the Gala today by visiting the MVEF Gala page: https://www.mvef.org/2023gala

With approximately 150 in-person attendees and a goal to raise $100k, the MVEF Gala is an opportunity for residents, district parents, business leaders and community members to come together in support of our local public schools. Last year MVEF successfully took the bold step to extend its funding beyond art, music, science, and sports to include adding opportunities for differentiation in the classroom by reducing class sizes in ELA. This year we hope to raise a total of $1.2MM through the MVWSD community’s enthusiastic participation, allowing us to continue funding the new teaching positions, the existing MVEF-funded programs, and consider funding additional programs in the future.

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.

Living Classroom: Docents Needed!

Do you enjoy spending time with kids and being outdoors? Volunteer with us to teach fun, engaging STEM-based lessons in your local school! Living Classroom teaches science by using our school gardens as our classroom. No prior teaching experience is necessary. Bring a friend and join the fun!

Come to our training sessions from 9am-12pm in Heritage Park, 771 Rengstorff Ave. in Mountain View:

March 6, 2023 (Kinder & 1st Grade Lessons)

March 20, 2023 (2nd & 3rd Grade Lessons)

March 27, 2023 (3rd, 4th, & 5th Grade Lessons)

For more information, visit www.living-classroom.org or contact susanh@living-classroom.org.

Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Change Upsetting Thoughts

Everyone has upsetting thoughts from time to time, which can make us feel angry, sad, or frustrated. This is normal! It is often our emotions that drive these upsetting thoughts, not the facts of the situation. By catching our upsetting thoughts, checking the facts, and changing our thoughts based on those facts, we can start to have more helpful thoughts and improve our mood.

Watch this video and learn more about how to change upsetting thoughts to be more helpful.

To change your upsetting thoughts:

1. Catch it. When you feel upset, pause and ask yourself, “What words or phrases are running through my mind right now?”

2. Check it. Consider whether the thought you are having is helpful or not.

3. Change it. If you are having an unhelpful thought, consider other ways of looking at the situation. Reframe your thought to one that is more helpful.

Catching, checking, and changing your thoughts takes practice. By noticing your unhelpful thoughts and reframing them based on facts, you can improve your mood.

City of Mountain View Summer Camp Fair

The City of Mountain View will be hosting a Summer Camp Fair on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 9 - 11 a.m. at the Mountain View Community Center 201 S. Rengstorff Ave. Join us to explore summer camp offerings, discuss swim lesson levels and meet summer camp staff. If you have any questions, please visit MountainView.Gov/Register. Resident registration for camps begins March 4 at 9 a.m. Non-resident registration begins March 13 at 8:30 a.m.

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.