Dear Quetzal Families,

We officially start Hispanic Heritage Month tomorrow. I want to wish our families from Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Chile a happy Independence Day! In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, I will like to start this week honoring Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez was born in Arizona to a Mexican American family. He grew up around the people he later helped through his civil activism and leadership. He founded the National Farmers Workers Association with Dolores Huerta. This organization later became the United Farm Workers Labor Union. His leadership and activism won victories that helped pay and improve the working conditions for farm workers in the late 1960's. He committed to the tactics of nonviolent resistance practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King. I am very excited to continue sharing great Hispanic models and leaders for our students this month. Please take some time to talk at home about these important people who made a difference in history.

Guess what? WAT is back! I am happy to share with you that we will have an in person Walkathon this year on November 4th after school. Look out for more information coming up soon. We gave a great group of organizers, but we still need volunteers. Please join our amazing team and be part of this wonderful event.

As we know, we share campus with two of our sister sites, Castro and Latham. Some of our students have been riding their bikes and scooters when they enter campus. Please remind our students to always wear a helmet and walk your bike and scooter when on school grounds.

Pokemon cards and toys are not allowed on campus. Please check your child's backpack and remind them that these items will be confiscated if they are being used at school. Parents can pick up toys and cards at the end of the week at our main office if they have been confiscated from students.

In the effort of focusing on our students' academic excellence and multilingualism, it is important that we continue to work as a team and design amazing learning opportunities at Mistral. Please join our SSC (School Site Council team), so that you can learn, participate, and engage in the decision making at our school. We are currently looking for one more member of our community to participate in this stakeholder group. Please complete this form by next Monday, September 19, 2022, if you are interesting in this position. Let me know if you have any questions.

Stay safe and have a great rest of the week!

*Follow us in social media: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

In partnership,

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

September 24

• Health Fair CA/MI Campus @ 1pm

• School Site Council Meeting @ 6pm

• ELAC Meeting @ 6pm

Attendance Awareness Month: September

Why is it important that students are in school regularly? Research shows that school attendance is a strong indicator of success. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit early so they learn that going to school on time, every day, is important. Regular school attendance is required by state law. State law requires MVWSD to notify parents whose students are truant or chronically absent. The state, county, and district are monitoring attendance, both excused and unexcused absences because the goal is for healthy students to be in school as often as possible. Our schools’ goals are a 97% attendance rate.

Now hiring: Interpreters and Translators

Are you bilingual/biliterate and looking for a way to support our families and students? MVWSD is hiring support staff to serve as interpreters and translators for multiple languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and others. Apply now at mvwsd.org/jobs.

Family Health and Wellness Fair: Sept 24

There will be a free Family Health and Wellness Fair hosted by Assembly member Marc Berman and in partnership with El Camino Health and MVWSD on Saturday, Sept. 24 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Mistral and Mariano Castro Elementary School (500 Toft St).

Come for free screenings and vaccines, free school supplies, backpacks, kid’s masks, diapers, period products, bike repair and healthy snacks.

Available:

* Kids’ health screenings: dental, vision, heart, mental health, and nutrition screenings

* Free school supplies and backpacks

* Healthy snacks

* Fun activities for kids

* COVID-19 vaccines and boosters

* Hands-on science with NASA

* COVID-19 test kits

* Fire and garbage trucks up close

* Art projects

* Bike raffle and repair

* Casework services

For more information, please call (650) 324-0224 or visit http://ASMDC.ORG/CP-FHWF.

MVWSD Seeks Parents & Staff Members for Health and Wellness Committee

MVWSD is seeking parents and staff to lend their perspective and expertise to benefit students by serving on the Health and Wellness Committee.

The Health and Wellness Committee aligns District efforts to support student wellness through health education, physical education and activity, health services, nutrition services, psychological and counseling services, and a safe and healthy school environment.

Interested applicants should have experience, knowledge, or interest in the topics described above. In addition to last year’s members, we are seeking at least 1 parent and 1 certificated staff member per school and 3 representatives from community-based organizations. The committee may include up to 30 participants.

The time commitment is approximately four meetings during the school year, beginning in October. Meetings will take place on Zoom.

Applications are due by Friday, September 16, and may be found at this link: http://mvw.sd/health. Please direct any questions to Brian White, Coordinator for Health and Wellness.

Why does MVWSD rely on MVEF donations for supplemental funding?

This year, MVEF funding is reducing English Language Arts middle school class sizes; providing art, music, and life science enrichment; and more! Why does MVWSD rely on MVEF for this? MVWSD is “community funded” (also known as “basic aid district”), which means that budget growth relies almost entirely on increased assessed value of the property tax base within the district. California’s Prop 13 limits the growth in assessed property values, which effectively throttles budget growth that could fund supplemental public education programs. However, MVWSD works closely with MVEF so that additional enrichment is still possible for our students. To learn more, click here. To make a donation, click here.

Searching for Volunteers to Serve City of MV Community

Recruitment is open for upcoming vacancies on several City board, commissions and committees that weigh in on a wide range of matters. If you have an interest or background in the City’s downtown interests, environmental planning process, library, parks and recreation, performing arts, inclusive community relations or bike and pedestrian concerns, we welcome you to apply to serve on one of these bodies. Find more information and the application form at MountainView.gov/Advisors. Questions can be directed to the City Clerk’s Office at city.clerk@mountainview.gov or 650-903-6304. The deadline to apply is Sept. 29 at 5 p.m.

Elevate MV: Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program

Applications open September 16th for the Mountain View Elevate MV pilot program, which will give direct cash payments of $500 per month to 166 randomly selected eligible extremely low income Mountain View residents. The pilot program sets itself apart from other direct relief programs by providing unrestricted financial assistance to the most vulnerable in our community. This pilot program will be a part of a national research study conducted by the University of Pennsylvania Center for Guaranteed Income Research. For eligibility requirements and details about the program, including how to receive assistance with the application, click here.