Dear Quetzal Families,

This week has been selected as Great Kindness Challenge Week. Kindness is a very important value that all of us need to practice on a daily basis. Wouldn't we have a different world if all of us just decided to be kind? Let's commit ourselves to make an act of kindness a day. Simple things like acknowledging something nice to a friend or member of your family goes a long way. Roy T. Bennet says, "Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness of people."

We want to hear from you! LCAP survey coming soon! Our district is beginning its annual process of updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). The input collected is very important, and it will guide the update of our District plan for the 2023-24 school year. Please join our meetings to learn more about the LCAP process, as well as a survey about the plans' goals. An email with a link to the survey will come to your inbox on Jan. 30. More information found here: https://www.mvwsd.org/lcap. I will be presenting LCAP information and our dashboard on the following dates:

• ELAC Meeting 5:00- 6:00pm (Zoom) - Tuesday, February 14

• Cafecito con Ms. O. 5:00-6:00pm (Zoom) - Wednesday, February 15

• SSC Meeting 5:00-6:00pm ​​(Zoom) - Thursday, February 16

The Mistral Read-a-thon starts on January 30th! Students can earn prizes by tracking their reading over two weeks.

How to participate:

• Check your child’s backpack for an instruction sheet and a tracking sheet. Students will also receive their Readathon bookmark and Mad Libs in English and Spanish as giveaways.
• Gather some good books to read. Need some ideas? Click here for some suggestions, including booklists for English and Spanish-language books.
• Starting Monday, January 30, encourage your child to read daily in English and Spanish, and track the minutes read using the tracking sheet. Let students add their initials each day and sign off on their hard work!
• Friday, Feb. 3 is Readathon spirit day! Share your Mistral reading spirit tomorrow as students are invited to dress like their favorite literary characters!

Full instructions can be found here: https://mistral-pta.org/readathon.

Have a great weekend!

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

Time: 5:30pm

Registration Link: https://mvw.sd/pu020723

January 25

• Mistral PTA General Meeting @ 6pm

January 26

• 5th grade Science Camp informational night

• Mistral Parent U - Soul Shoppe @ 6pm

• Spirit Day - Dress Like A Book Character

• End Trimester 2 - Friday Minimum Day Dismissal at 12:10

• Winter Break - No School

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 6:00 p.m.

Some of the meeting topics include:

• 2023-2024 Governor's Budget

• Local Control Accountability Plan Timeline Spring 2023

• MVWSD Results for the California Dashboard

• Resolution: Climate Change and Green Schoolyards

For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.

Returning students: Enrollment in MVWSD for next year

MVWSD enrollment for next fall for returning students is open.

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 dated 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.

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

Earned Income Tax Credit Information Act Communication

Based on your annual earnings, you may be eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit from the Federal Government (Federal EITC). The Federal EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The Federal EITC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. In most cases, Federal EITC payments will not be used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, low-income housing, or most Temporary Assistance For Needy Families payments. Even if you do not owe federal taxes, you must file a federal tax return to receive the Federal EITC. Be sure to fill out the Federal EITC form in the Federal Income Tax Return Booklet. For information regarding your eligibility to receive the Federal EITC, including information on how to obtain the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 797 or any other necessary forms and instructions, contact the IRS by calling 1-800-829-3676 or through its website at www.irs.gov.

You may also be eligible to receive the California Earned Income Tax Credit (California EITC) starting with the calendar year 2015 tax year. The California EITC is a refundable state income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The California EITC is treated in the same manner as the Federal EITC and generally will not be used to determine eligibility for welfare benefits under California law. To claim the California EITC, even if you do not owe California taxes, you must file a California income tax return and complete and attach the California EITC Form (FTB 3514). For information on the availability of the credit eligibility requirements and how to obtain the necessary California forms and get help filing, contact the Franchise Tax Board at 1-800-852-5711 or through its website at www.ftb.ca.gov.

MVEF needs your help!

MVEF has raised $885,000 towards the goal of $1,200,000! As MVEF annual funding continues to grow, we will be able to fund additional programs in MVWSD schools. In order to keep growing, we need more volunteers to help us spread the word about "why MVEF." We will soon be coordinating a training and development program for our volunteers, so if you're interested please contact us soon. Volunteer opportunities include:

- Additional school "influencers" at every school site

- Volunteers to donate Gala auction items

- Volunteers to help with check-in and other tasks at the Gala

- Governing board members

To learn more about these opportunities, please email dena@mvef.org.

Finally, don't forget to complete the MVEF Programs Survey by Jan 31: bit.ly/3XnfMGx

City of Mountain View's Safe Routes Program

The City of Mountain View's Safe Routes program is seeking parents to observe the walking environment around schools with the goal of improving safety. There are several walks scheduled for each school, and parents are encouraged to attend. Please view the upcoming dates and sign up here: https://forms.gle/Jm1CphJ4wp5sP5wc8

February CAC Events and Announcements

The Learning Challenges Committee is looking for members!

Are you interested in helping students with learning challenges? This can include students who receive special education services, students with a 504 plan, or any student with a learning challenge.

The Learning Challenges Committee of the Los Altos Mountain View PTA Council (LCC) helps provide teachers and school staff in Mountain View and Los Altos schools with supplies in their classrooms related to learning challenges. We need a variety of parent and student voices to help us best decide how we can help teachers and students about these issues.

Can you attend 2-3 meetings per year to help make these kinds of decisions with the LCC? Please email selpa1cacinfo@gmail.com

We need more voices to help students with learning challenges. We need you!

February CAC Events

SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. We are ALL having learning challenges right now, and CAC and LCC are here to help. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email selpa1cacinfo@gmail.com or check out www.selpa1cac.org

We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children: Try a Sensory Diet

General Parent/Community Meeting

February 6, 9 am

with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:00 am for LCC and 9:20 am for CAC. We will be planning for the year, discussing upcoming programs and discussing distance learning and learning challenges. For our agenda, please join our Google group, https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAudO2vrjIsHdP4dzX05kdxoMH8eGZm3VWb

Parent Chat

February 14, 10 am

Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child? Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. Every second Tuesday of the month at 10 am on Google Meet. Meeting is for 1 hour only due to Google Meet limitations. Contact trudy.palmer@me.com for invite.

Missed our Parent Education events last year?

We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including last year’s Inclusive Fun Fair for summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw

Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Screen Time

Managing your child’s screen time is beyond a difficult task. Technology overuse is ranked as the No.1 fear parents have for their children, but it shouldn’t be. Effective communication and implementing little changes about technology use and screen time in the household can make a difference and improve the bond with your child.

Here are some changes that can be made:

1. Don’t monitor, mentor! Try to understand the media that your child uses. Know the difference between different social media platforms and different video games. Notice your child’s behavior and emotions when they engage in their screen time. Be a sounding board for your child.

2. Look for the good in your child’s interests. Your child consuming media is not as different as you consuming something on TV. Your child may have built communities and a space for them to express themselves. You may feel distanced from your child, but that’s a normal part of growing up.

3. Work together to make changes as a family. Make sure that the rules created are being followed not only by your child but also by you as well. Some ways you can implement change in the household would be:

1. Banning devices at mealtime

2. Taking phones away at night

3. Imposing more chores; brings a source of self-esteem to get things done and to be valued in the family

4. Introducing new interests; setting a goal during the summer for your child to reduce screen time and to add a new hobby

5. Implementing screen-free whole-family activities such as board games, going on trips, or even a walk to the ice cream shop

6. Ask your child to monitor their mood while playing video games; this can help with developing self-regulation skills

7. Suggest other activities with their interests; For example, if your child likes fantasy video games, suggest that they’ll probably like fantasy books.

Dealing with a child immersed in their screen time is an all-too-common experience for parents. However, if you want your child to engage less in screen time, following through with these changes can make a big difference not only in your child’s life but your life.

To learn more parenting tips click here.

These tips came directly from the free online website NPR: Life Kit.

MV Public Library: Positive Approaches to Managing Challenging Behaviors in Kids

Looking for ways to manage challenging behaviors in your child or teen? Jessika Hurts, Psy.D., Clinical Instructor, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine will offer expert practical advice and answer your questions at this free virtual Mountain View Public Library event on Thursday, February 2 from 7:00pm - 8:00pm. Register in advance here.

The View Teen Center: January Events

The View Teen Center is a free facility in Mountain View (263 Escuela Ave) for all Mountain View and Los Altos 6th - 12th grade students. The center is open Monday through Friday: 3:30 - 7 p.m. and Saturday: 1 - 6 p.m, and features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! January Teen Center events include art classes, cooking classes, and an iPhone Photography workshop. See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs or visit their webpage for more information.

Silicon Valley Reads Program

Silicon Valley Reads is a community engagement program that features books and an annual theme to bring people together by providing more than 100 free, public events each year in February and March. Events for all ages include author talks, book clubs, art/music events, community activities, arts and crafts, movies, and creative events or activities based on the theme each year. For more information and event details, visit siliconvalleyreads.org/home/Pages/default.aspx.