The Dolphin Whistle
November 22, 2016 ISSUE 15
REMINDER: No classes Wednesday November 23-Friday November 25
MESSAGE FROM PRINCIPAL LAMBERT
Dear Parents
After this week, there are three weeks of important instruction before the Winter Break. There are fun times too, however please help your child to focus on their learning and to focus on being on time and at school right up to the last day of school on Dec. 15th.
On behalf of Mariano Castro School, I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and hope that you enjoy this break with your family.
Best regards,
Theresa Lambert
Principal Mariano Castro Elementary
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Calendar of Upcoming Events
11/23 - 11/25 Wednesday- Friday NO SCHOOL / Thanksgiving Holiday
11/29 Tuesday - Principal's Coffee 8:00 a.m - 9:00 a.m Staff Lounge
11/30 Wednesday - Children's Discovery Museum 8:30 a.m - 12:55 p.m RM's # 20 & 24
11/30 Wednesday - District Kinder Info Night 7:00 p.m MUR
12/1 Thursday - Parenting 101 workshop - Four Tips for a successful school year
6:30 p.m-8:00 p.m Crittenden Middle school
12/1 Thursday - FEI Classes 6:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m RM's # 20
12/2 Friday - Math Buddies Carnival (BTB) 3:30 p.m - 6:00 p.m MUR
12/6 Tuesday - Castro Kinder info night 6:00 p.m MUR
12/8 Thursday - FEI classes 6:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m room # 20
12/9 Friday - Center of the performing arts 8:30 a.m - 11:45 a.m RM's #15 & 16
12/9 Friday - Spirit wear sale before and after school by room 9
12/13 Tuesday - ELAC meeting 6:00 p.m - 7:30 p.m MUR
12/14 Wednesday - Mountain Vw Public Library Field Trip 8:45 a.m - 10:20 a.m
RM's 20 & 24
12/15 Thursday - FEI 6:00 p.m - 8:00 p.m room # 20
12/15 Thursday - Personal Succes Awards 11:15 a.m MUR
12/16 - 01/03 December break -NO SCHOOL
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FROM THE DISTRICT
BLURB for Newsletters Announcing Parent Access Account Change
There is strong evidence that students do better if their parents check their learning activities and progress, setting students up for success in middle school and beyond. MVWSD provides this ability for parents online through PowerSchool.
Parents: You will soon access your students’ information with your own PowerSchool account, instead of sharing an account with your students. In the next two weeks, you will receive an email containing your web access ID and password for your PowerSchool Parent Access Account with instructions for a creating an account.
Advantages of the Parent Access Account:
● MORE FEATURES on the Parent Portal than if logging in with students' credentials.
● VIEW ALL YOUR STUDENTS IN ONE LOGON. Parent/Guardians will see all their students’ information from one account. Each of your students’ names will appear on a button on the top of the screen. Simply click each button to access information about each student.
● PARENTS DO NOT NEED TO SHARE ONE ACCOUNT. Each Parent/Guardian can have a separate account. Parents no longer have to share accounts with other family members.
● YOU CAN OPT IN TO RECEIVE EMAILS OF YOUR STUDENT’S ATTENDANCE. Parent/Guardians can sign up to automatically receive emails of their students’ attendance on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
● INFOSNAP INSTANT ACCESS Parents can automatically access Infosnap from the Parent Access Account for the annual Student Intent to Return Survey.
● MIDDLE SCHOOL ELECTIVES 5th grade parents can choose their student’s Middle School Electives online via the Parent Portal.
Castro/Mistral construction update
Construction is underway on the site of Castro and Mistral Elementary schools. The District is remodeling classrooms, as well as building new classrooms, a new library and a multi-use room. Throughout the excitement, we know there will be distractions and frustrations. Thank you for your patience and support as we continue to improve facilities for our children.
What's happening now
Construction of the temporary campus portables located on the field side of the site for classrooms, education areas and offices.
Beginning at the end of December
Construction of the new Castro campus officially begins with the removal of the old portables and the demolition of the back wing of classrooms currently housing kindergarten and other classes. The play structures and basketball hoops will also be removed at this time.
You will notice ...
Construction noise, such as the reverse back-up beeping signal from trucks
Increased traffic and vehicle parking in the area
Important
- Construction fencing is for you and your children's safety. Stay clear and play only in the tot lot and in the grass near Latham.
- The Toft Ave parking lot will be closed in December.
Schedules are subject to change. Updates: www.mvwsd.org/MeasureG
School boundaries meeting
The Mountain View Whisman School District is hosting community-wide meetings for residents to provide input on potential school boundary changes that will take effect in the 2019-2020 school year when Slater School opens.
School Boundaries Community Meeting
Monday, Dec. 12
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Join your neighbors at one of these. The discussion at each location will center on the impact that each boundary scenario will have on that school:
Bubb Elementary, 525 Hans Ave.
Castro Elementary, 505 Escuela Ave.
Huff Elementary, 253 Martens Ave.
Landels Elementary, 115 W. Dana St.
Theuerkauf Elementary, 1625 San Luis Ave.
Monta Loma Elementary, 460 Thompson Ave.
Slater Elementary held at German International School of Silicon Valley, 310 Easy St.
To help up with planning, please register for the meeting and location of your choice here.
The process: In December 2015, the Board of Trustees voted to reopen a school in the Slater neighborhood. This, along with other growth factors, will have an impact on enrollment and facilities across the District and necessitate a review as well as realignment of the attendance boundaries.
The Dec. 12 meetings are part of the yearlong process outlined by the Student Attendance Area Task Force (SAATF), a working group of community members, to determine how to adjust school boundaries to accommodate enrollment after Slater School is reopened in 2019.
The timeline: The task force, formed last spring, has been reviewing District demographic data. The group has been working in five separate teams to produce several boundary scenarios. The feedback collected at the community meetings will be considered by the SAATF and presented to the Board of Trustees.
In early spring, the SAATF will work to make necessary adjustments to boundaries, reduce the number of working options, and decide on two recommendations. In mid-March, another night of feedback sessions will be held in the community. On April 4, SAATF will present two boundary scenarios to the Board of Trustees for review, and the Superintendent will make a recommendation to be voted on by the Board on May 4.
For more info, see www.mvwsd.org/boundaries.