MVLA Magazine
December 2020
MVLA Community,
I hope you will be able to enjoy the upcoming winter break. As we approach the winter holiday, I reflect on the strong MVLA community and the spirit of optimism. While 2020 has been a year like no other, the generosity and resilience of our wonderful community has been steadfast.
My thanks to our students, our staff, our families, and our community for working together with us on distance learning and our work on preparing for an eventual reopening. We continue to monitor and adapt to the changes in status and health directives, and we will continue to keep you informed.
As we end 2020, I wish you and yours the happiest of holidays and look forward to seeing you in 2021! As always, I thank you for your partnership with us and your support of our students and community.
Sincerely,
Nellie Meyer
Superintendent
BOARD UPDATE
At the December 14 Board of Education meeting, returning trustees Sanjay Dave and Phil Faillace, were both sworn in for their new terms. We thank both of these board members for their dedication and continued service to the MVLA community. Read more or view meeting video.
All meeting agendas, recordings, and minutes are available online. The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for January 11, via Zoom, starting at 7 p.m.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
Raylynn is the first recipient to receive a direct scholarship from the Los Altos Kiwanis Club intended to support one teacher per year pursuing a teaching certification in serving special needs students and critical learners. Read more.
Justin is in his fourth year on the cross country and track teams, this year serving as one of the team captains. He is a National Honors Society officer and is active in the Associated Student Body.
Justin also volunteers extensively - including for "Friendship Circle," an organization matching special needs students with 'buddy' peers. Read more.
Lauren is part of the basketball team and a hard-working AVID student. This year, Lauren helped develop SLAM magazine, a student-run publication encouraging students to express their creative side through photography, writing, digital art, or social media.
Lauren is on the board of the Desks for Students Club which works to raise money, purchase or build desks to send to students in need around the Bay Area. Read more.
Sarah is a three-sport athlete at Los Altos, playing soccer, field hockey, and running track and field. Additionally, Sarah is a violinist for the chamber orchestra, and a member of National Honors Society.
Outside of school, Sarah is involved in robotics with a community team, and started her own program, Think Big Learning, which creates STEM kits and brings them to local elementary schools. Read more.
Kristin is a student ambassador and holds leadership positions in numerous clubs, including as the PR and Network manager of the Gen She Club - a branch of the non-profit Gen She that focuses on closing the gender gap in entrepreneurship.
Kristin is also an ELD tutor and translator for the ELD advisory class, translating materials and offering academic support. Read more.
DISTRICT NEWS
Our Brown Bag Sessions are a BYOL (bring your own lunch) mid-day information session on a variety of topics related to the reopening of MVLA schools. Upcoming sessions include:
- Thursday, December 17, 2020 – Option B Update
- Wednesday, January 6, 2021 – Wellness, Health & Safety
El Camino Health’s Mountain View hospital continues to offer COVID-19 testing funded by the El Camino Healthcare District for those who live, work or go to school within the District (including most of Mountain View, Los Altos and Los Altos Hills, a large portion of Sunnyvale, and small sections of Cupertino, Santa Clara and Palo Alto). Read more.
Registration for Winter 2021 Career Technical Education classes is open! These include classes for in-demand programs for Certified Nursing Assistant, Medical Assistant, Medical Records Specialist, Medical Office Assistant, General Accounting Clerk, Intermediate Python Programming, and Google Applied Digital Skills.
Due to the extended physical school closure, the MVLA Adult School is only offering online, distance learning classes for the start of Winter 2021, and can only offer online registration for classes. Check out the Winter 2021 Course Catalog here.
Mountain View Los Altos Union High School (MVLA) is inviting local professionals with expertise in architecture, design, robotics, engineering, computer science, and other science and technology areas to serve on an advisory panel to support the development and expansion of the District’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) Academies at Los Altos, Mountain View, and Freestyle Academy.
Advisory board member recruitment is ongoing. Interested candidates are asked to complete a STEAM Academy Industry Panel Interest Form. The time commitment for participants is approximately two hours bimonthly, plus additional online consultation as needed. Read more.
SCHOOL NEWS
Mountain View's singers, dancers, actors and musicians are taking to the virtual stage for winter productions. These include the Dance Spectrum program's annual Winter Showcase, and the Instrumental Music program's annual Winter Concert. Mountain View's choir will have its virtual Holiday Concert this Friday, December 18. The link to the concert is here, and it will go live at 7:00 p.m.
Cathy Humphers Smith, Director and Conductor of the Los Altos Terrible Adult Chamber Orchestra (TACO) approached Freestyle Academy several weeks ago to mix and edit together their Virtual Holiday Concert.
The Freestyle Production Crew put together 11 different productions. Read more.
In the past three years, Los Altos students, teachers, staff, and families have raised over $30,000 annually in donations to Second Harvest for our local families. This year, they exceed their goal, raising more than $15,000.
If you're interested and able to contribute, donate online here. Donations made through December 25 will be matched by Second Harvest's Board of Directors, up to $2 million.
MVLA students taking art classes have worked very hard to express their creativity during these unpredictable times. Student artists who are part of the Los Altos High School National Art Honor Society have organized a unique online art show to celebrate the outstanding work of fellow student artists.
These Honor Society students have spent countless hours this year doing art volunteer projects and workshops to connect with each other and the community.
Grade 11
Painting
Grade 11
Drawing 3
Grade 10
Digital Photography
MVLA HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION
GIVING TUESDAY
With the help of so many, the MVLA High School Foundation surpassed its #GivingTuesday goal and raised $94,100! We would like to thank all of our donors including MVLA families, community members, and LinkedIn for their generosity.
Your donations to the MVLA High School Foundation help sustain the programs and services that empower all our students to thrive and succeed. We still have just under $500,000 to go to fulfill our $2.091 million annual grant to the district. Please donate if you are able. mvlafoundation.org/donate/ Your participation matters and we are grateful to all of our donors.
2020-2021 SPEAKER SERIES
Next up in the MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series is Phyllis Fagell, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Professional School Counselor with her presentation, "Middle School Matters." She will explore, based on her many years working in middle schools (grades 6-8), and that, though the transition from childhood to adolescence can be tough for kids, this time of rapid physical, intellectual, moral, social, and emotional change is a unique opportunity to proactively build character and confidence. Read more.
DATEBOOK
December 17, 2020 - Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Brown Bag Session - Option B Update
December 21, 2020 - January 4, 2021
Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
January 6, 2021 - Noon - 1:00 p.m.
Brown Bag Session - Wellness, Health, and Safety
January 11, 2021
Regular Meeting - Board of Education (Via Teleconference)
January 18, 2021
Martin Luther King Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
January 25, 2021
Regular Meeting - Board of Education (Via Teleconference)
Please also check our 2020-2021 School Year calendar!
ABOUT US
Email: communications@mvla.net
Website: https://www.mvla.net/
Location: 1299 Bryant Avenue, Mountain View, CA, USA
Phone: 650-940-4650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mvlahsd
Twitter: @MVLAHSD