Quetzal News
January 12, 2023
From Ms. O's Desk
Dear Quetzal Families,
Happy new year to ALL! I hope that you had a wonderful break, and I wish you and your families a blessed, healthy, and amazing 2023!
Our value for this month is courage. We tend to think that courage is only for superheroes in movies, but all of us have been courageous many times in our lives. Having courage to face difficulties is not always easy, and sometimes not visible. We sometimes can't see other person's struggles and the courage it takes them to overcome it. Help us model for our students situations where we are courageous when facing adversity. It is sometimes as easy as sharing a story or situation you went through in times that required you to be courageous. Nelson Mandela once said, "I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
As we get ready for a long weekend, let's reflect on a very courageous man: Reverend Martin Luther King. Did you know that Martin Luther Kings...
- His birth name was Michael?
- He entered college at the age of 15?
- He received his Doctorate in Systematic Theology?
- His "I Have a Dream" speech was not his first at the Lincoln Memorial?
- He was imprisoned nearly 30 times?
- He narrowly escaped an assassination attempt a decade before his death?
- His last public speech foretold his death?
I invite you to take time this weekend to remember MLK and share with our students how his courage changed history. He clearly was a courageous man who led the movement to end segregation and counter prejudice in the United States through peaceful protest.
Have a wonderful long weekend!
Claudia Olaciregui, Principal
DISTRICT NEWS
Don’t forget to give your student the free COVID test on Jan. 16
MVWSD provided 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 use one to test your student on Monday, Jan. 16 before returning to school on Tuesday, Jan. 17 (after the Martin Luther King Jr holiday). 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.
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 6:00 p.m.
Some of the meeting topics include:
Review of conceptual designs for greening and outdoor learning at Vargas Elementary School
i-Ready- CAASPP Correlation and Diagnostic 2 Assessment Results
For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Jan. 13
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC113
Cafecito con el Superintendente on Wednesday Jan. 11, 5:30 - 6pm
This is an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents. Translation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting by clicking here: http://mvw.sd/C111
Returning students: Enrollment in MVWSD for next year
MVWSD enrollment for next fall for returning students will open soon.
For CURRENTLY enrolled students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Starting Jan. 24, parents can log on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to enroll their children for next year. Look for an email in your inbox on Jan. 24. If you have difficulty signing in to PowerSchool, please contact your school office. For more information, call 650-526-3500 or go to https://www.mvwsd.org/register.
For parents of new students and incoming kinders: There are important new student registration meetings coming up.
Your neighborhood school: Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 pm. Click here for each school’s meeting link: http://mvw.sd/meetings.
MVWSD choice schools: Thursday, Jan. 12. Gabriela Mistral Elementary at 5:30 p.m. and Stevenson Elementary at 6:30 p.m. Click here for each school’s meeting link: http://mvw.sd/meetings. There are also in-person school exploration events: Wednesday, January 18 from 1:30 - 4 pm at Theuerkauf for parents of Theuerkauf Transitional Kinders, Preschool and for the public. Wednesday, January 25 from 2- 4 pm at Castro Elementary for parents of Latham Preschool and for the public.
Here’s how you can be ready for the meetings
➤ First, check your residency to determine your neighborhood school: https://www.mvwsd.org/residency
➤ Learn about choice schools and neighborhood schools at https://www.mvwsd.org/register
➤ Click here https://vimeo.com/777468041 for a video about how the choice school lottery process works. (Spanish video: https://vimeo.com/781925589).
➤ Click on this video for Day in the Life of a Kinder: https://vimeo.com/765116449 (Spanish video is here: https://vimeo.com/775870587)
Is your student too young for kindergarten?
Click here to learn about the right program for your young learner: https://www.mvwsd.org/kinderready
➤ The information meeting for transitional kindergarten is January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/TK119
➤ The preschool informational meeting is January 19 at 3:30 pm (English) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK119 and February 1 at 3:30 pm (Spanish) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK21.
Student registration starts soon!
Open enrollment for all students (including returning students) for the fall starts on Jan. 24. Click on https://www.mvwsd.org/register for all of the details.
Parent University: Living Our New “Normal”: Tips for Families on How to Thrive Post-Pandemic
Date and Time: Feb. 7, 2023 5:30pm Registration Link: https://mvw.sd/pu020723
The last three years have been difficult on parents and children. How do we keep going and continue to show up to support our families?
Together, we will be able to:
Identify what the “New Normal” means to us.
Learn tips and strategies to manage stress and navigate our “New Normal”
Commit to take one action to address a personal goal
MVEF January Updates
Thanks to the generous support of MVEF donors and volunteers, MVEF achieved the incremental goal to raise $800k by Jan 1, 2023! This achievement represents almost 70% of this year's annual goal of $1,200,000 raised during the first half of the fiscal year. Thank you MVEF donors and volunteers for your tireless support of MVEF and Mountain View Whisman School District!
SAVE THE DATE for the MVEF Gala: MVEF will hold its Annual Fundraising Gala benefiting the current school year on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The MVEF Gala is an opportunity for residents, district parents, business leaders and community members to come together to support local schools. This year’s event will include dinner, fundraising activities (including a raffle and silent auction), and dancing (subject to county health guidelines). More details about the Gala will be shared soon.
Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session
Come learn about volunteering as a Mentor or Tutor! Help a local student to a brighter future. VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION - January 19, 12:00-1:00 pm, El Camino YMCA, 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View. To register go to www.mentortutorconnection.org/events - or email programs@mentortutorconnection.org.
Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Belly Breathing
Our mood is influenced by physical sensations in our body. When we feel stressed, we tend to take quick and shallow breaths. By taking slow and deep breaths, we can signal our body to relax.
Watch this video to learn more about how belly breathing can help your child (or you) feel more relaxed.
To belly breathe:
Choose a comfortable position, such as sitting on a chair or laying on your back.
Place one hand on your belly.
Take a deep breath in through your nose while you count to four. As you breathe in, your belly should rise.
Hold your breath while you count to five.
Breathe out through your mouth while you count to six. As you breathe out, your belly should flatten.
You may need to repeat these steps for 5-10 minutes before you start to feel relaxed. By practicing these steps, you can learn to relax after stressful situations.
MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series: Raising Body Positive Youth on Jan. 19
Join MVLA Parent Ed on Thursday, Jan. 19 from 7pm - 9pm (LAHS Eagle Theater) for an evening with Wendy Sterling, Shelley Aggarwal, and Signe Darpinian – co-authors of No Weigh! and Raising Body Positive Teens – as they discuss how to raise confident eaters, in a home free of judgment. Wendy, Shelley, and Signe will discuss down-to-earth ways parents can help their kids take proactive actions in promoting a friendship with food, and preventative actions to minimize the risk factors for the development of eating disorders, particularly when early signs of disordered eating, excessive exercise, or body dissatisfaction have been noticed. Click here to register for the event.
