MVLA Magazine
February 2023
Dear MVLA Community,
Welcome to the latest edition of our MVLA newsletter! Our goal is to inform you about the latest happenings in our district and to provide you with information about the innovative practices we have implemented to help our students achieve academic excellence and be college and career ready.
In this edition, you will read about the exciting new programs we have introduced in our classrooms, including project-based learning, technology integration, and hands-on STEM activities. We believe that these innovative practices will enhance our students' learning experiences and prepare them for success in the 21st-century workforce.
In addition, we are proud to report that our students continue to perform exceptionally well on a range of academic assessments and that our graduates are well-prepared for success in college and their future careers. Our commitment to academic excellence is unwavering, and we are dedicated to ensuring that our students receive a high-quality education that will prepare them for success in the future.
We hope that you will find this edition of the newsletter informative and inspiring and that you will join us in our efforts to provide our students with the best possible education. If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Sincerely,
Dr. Nellie Meyer
MVLAHSD Superintendent
AWARDS & ACCOLADES
MVLA Adult School Student of the Month, Isabel Ortiz, enrolled in Adult School to study ESL and found a supportive team ready to help her with her English and career needs. Learn more about Isabel and her love for learning here.
CONGRATULATIONS NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FINALISTS
Thirty-seven MVLA students advanced to finalist status in the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's (NMSC) National Merit Scholarship 2023 competition, allowing them to advance to a pool of approximately 7,250 students receiving approximately $28 million in National Merit Scholarship awards, including corporate- and college-sponsored scholarships. All students reaching the finalist standing receive a Certificate of Merit.
LAHS Student Finalists
Shreya Anand, Nicolas E. Bird von Eyben, Calum J. Brydon, Alex L. Chang, Dominic Chang,
Jack S. Chang, Alexandra K. Chatwin, Nicole L. Collart, Danielle E. Gillai, Nathaniel Joffe, Manasvini Kothari, Maxwell Lee, Austin Liu, Sreyan Sarkar, Ethan V. Schein, Sarah J. Su, Katherine Y. Wang, Miyu Yamane, Michael Young, Victoria Yu, Maya J. Yung, Anna Zhang, Roy C. Zhou
MVHS Student Finaliists
Aaron Becker, Maxwell G. Bellew, Saarang Bondalapati, Kyle S. Thong, Hannah K. Meng, Eric R. Mohageg, Toki Morimoto, Jayant J. Patil, Billy M. Peir, Sandra C. Ravishankar, Aditya Seth, Veena Sumedh, Valerie M. Whitfield, Ahana Wokhlu
EDUCATIONAL ISSUES
It took nine months for TikTok to reach 100 million active users. It took two weeks for ChatGPT to reach that same benchmark (Source: Similar Web, Sensor Tower, Instagram, UBS.) This new wave of artificial intelligence can be a tool that assists us as we work to close achievement gaps, work creatively, and transform our practice. It also has the potential to mask student skills if misused. We want to hear from you about what you'd like to see so we can best support your efforts. Please take this ThoughtExchange, give us your thoughts, and help us rank our priorities.
BOARD UPDATE
BOARD MEETING UPDATE
At its February 13th regular meeting, the Board heard presentations by site administrators from Alta Vista High School, and Adult Education. If you missed the meeting, the session recording may be viewed here.
FOUNDATION UPDATE
Our annual Countdown to College event will be held Tuesday, March 28, 2023, from 6:00 - 8:15 p.m. via Zoom. The event features over a dozen sessions that will allow you and your family to explore the possibilities of your student’s postsecondary path. Students and parents are invited to tune in to learn about college applications, scholarships, essays, community colleges, international universities, and more. Most of the sessions will be live and will feature time for questions and answers. Don't miss the MVLA Student Voices Panel, where you will get advice from current seniors and alums.
The Countdown to College website provides links to all sessions, and the CCC YouTube Channel has recordings of past presentations for you to explore.
DISTRICT NEWS
MVLA CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PATHWAY
Career and Technical Education - or CTE - has taken off in MVLA High School District! We are excited to announce that we are in the process of adding eight new CTE pathways. A CTE pathway is a sequence of two robust classes in a CA-identified industry sector that emphasize real-world applicable job-ready skills and community partnerships.
These pathways are available to all students starting with the 2023 school year and are all taught by a CTE-certified master teacher who has direct industry experience in the relevant field of study.
Los Altos High School will be adding two new pathways, allowing students to select from cutting-edge programs in robotics, product design and innovation, culinary arts, software and systems development, or engineering technology.
Mountain View High School will be boosting its pathways from one to seven. Students can now select from engineering technology, software and systems development, games and simulation, mental and behavioral health, architectural design, business and finance, and commercial arts.
Freestyle Academy of Arts and Technology will offer four additional pathways in the field of Arts Media and Entertainment.
Learn more at our new website link on our MVLA homepage or contact CTE Program Specialist Amber Woodward. Thanks to the MVLA Foundation for funding this important position.
FOOD SERVICES...YOU SAID IT! WE LISTENED.
As students are staying on campus more and more, it is not only more significant to consider our lunch offerings, but it is an excellent opportunity to socialize, meet with clubs, and partake in healthy, fresh meals. In input-seeking visits to classrooms, our students have had many encouraging suggestions about our menu for lunch. Our new Director, Bryan Barnhard, presented his improvements at the January board meeting, and he has gone to the students to share new meal ideas and samples.
Our hard-working Food services has a team of 14 people that serve approximately 2,750 meals a day across the district! You will find the menu below with vegetarian options daily.
We offer an assortment of 13 items daily:
Static Items: Salad with Chicken, Garden Salad, Turkey Sandwich, Chicken Sandwich, Spicy Chicken Sandwich, Burger, Bean and Cheese Burrito, Chicken Burrito, Cheese Pizza
Rotational Items: Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, Sesame Noodle Salad, BBQ Chicken Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, Pepperoni Pizza, BBQ Riblet Sandwich, Pupusa, Empanada
New/upcoming menu items include:
Entree Bowls (Rotation on Weds/Fri): Teriyaki Chicken, Orange Chicken, Fajita Bowl, Pasta with Meat Sauce, BBQ Bowl, Sweet, and Sour Chicken, Soup (Rotation on Thursdays during winter): Chicken Noodles, Minestrone, Potato, Italian Wedding
COLLEGE AND CAREER
Now that the second semester is well underway, the College & Career Centers (C.C.C.s) are buzzing with activities for all students. Their most significant focus at this time of year is supporting seniors in their final months of high school and beginning the first meetings with juniors. CCC highlights include:
Juniors received information about the college application process in their English or Social Studies classes at each site.
During Tutorial/A.C.T., juniors received support for college list building, college essay brainstorming, and writing for U.C.s and the Common App.
Seniors received information about financial aid requirements and deadlines.
Local scholarship season has kicked off, and seniors are applying for many opportunities.
The AVID senior cohort received personalized support to apply for these scholarships from the CCC.
Community college enrollment workshops started for seniors hosted by representatives from DeAnza and Foothill Colleges.
9th-11th graders received support for planning summer opportunities, including camps, research, volunteering, and employment.
And don't forget the Countdown to College event will be on March 28th from 6:00 - 8:15 p.m. via Zoom.
DATEBOOK
March 13, 2023
Regular Meeting of the Board of Education
Meeting materials will be posted here.
March 20, 2023
Recess Day
March 27, 2023
Regular Meeting of the Board of Education
Meeting materials will be posted here.
April 10-14, 2023
Spring Break (no school)
Academic School Year Calendars
Additional important dates are available on our campus calendars: Los Altos HS | Mountain View HS | Alta Vista HS | Adult School
GALLERY
Huge congratulations to the MVHS Varsity Boys Soccer team and Coach Jim McGuirk for defeating Alisal 1-0 to earn the program's first-ever Central Coast Section (CCS) Open Division Championship, topping approximately 150 schools in the CCS!