Dear Quetzal Families,

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you who attended our Back-to-School Night. Your presence and engagement reflect the strong partnership between our school and our families, and we are truly thankful for your continued support.

As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering a positive learning environment, we are focusing on two important themes: Growth Mindset and Being an Ally. These concepts are integral to our "Better Together" program, which aims to create a sense of unity and collaboration among our students, staff, and families.

Growth Mindset is a powerful concept that encourages us all to embrace challenges, persist in the face of setbacks, and view effort as a path to mastery. By nurturing a growth mindset in our students, we empower them to develop their abilities and reach their full potential. I want to encourage you to reinforce this mindset at home, celebrating not only achievements but also the journey of learning itself.

Being an Ally is another fundamental aspect of our "Better Together" program. It emphasizes the importance of empathy, understanding, and support for one another. By teaching our students to be allies, we are fostering an inclusive and compassionate community where everyone feels valued and respected. Your partnership in promoting this message at home is invaluable and contributes greatly to our shared goal of creating a positive school culture.

We are thrilled to inform you that we have successfully completed the iReady assessments, gaining insights into our students' academic strengths and areas that need further focus. With this information in mind, we are gearing up to launch our Response to Instruction and STEAM classes next week.

Thank you once again for your presence at Back-to-School Night and for being an integral part of our school family. We are Better Together!

Warm regards,

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

August 28

• Lifetouch Fall Picture Day

• Labor Day - No School

September 6

• School Site Council @ 5pm

September 13

• ELAC Mtg. @ 5pm

• PTA General Meeting @ 6pm

Sown to Grow

MVWSD is again partnering with Sown to Grow for the 2023-24 school year for grades K-6. Sown to Grow is a platform designed to promote safe and supportive classrooms. Through student check-ins and reflective activities, students are encouraged to engage in self-awareness, set personal goals, and develop essential social and emotional skills. This data allows teachers, principals, and counselors to proactively reach out to support student needs. For more information, please read the attached letter. Sown to Grow Letter (English)

CAASPP scores are now available

CAASPP student (ELA, Math, CAA) score reports (from the Spring tests) were recently released by the state and are now available for parents on the PowerSchool Parent Portal (under “Score Reports” - choose the 2022-23 school year). To learn more about how to understand your child’s CAASPP score report, go to the Starting Smarter website at https://www.ca.startingsmarter.org/. If you need assistance with logging on to the Powerschool Parent Portal, please contact your student’s school.

School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals Application to help you and your school

MVWSD will continue to provide free meals this year to all students as part of California’s universal meal program.

However, parents need to reapply for the Free and Reduced Price Meals program now for this school year. If you think you could qualify (qualifying income levels listed here), we ask you to apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more. Qualifying is one factor in your child’s eligibility for free MVWSD after school care and summer camp.

The more applications your school gathers at the start of each school year, the more additional funding it can receive for all kinds of programs. If you are currently out of work, you may qualify and help your school, regardless of your financial situation. Apply at https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ or call your school office.

Looking for an afterschool program? Read on to see if your child qualifies for MVWSD+!

A student qualifies for the free MVWSD+ afterschool program if one or both of the following conditions are true:

• The student is an English Learner (EL). EL status is established via the results of the Initial ELPAC exam, which is being administered to certain students in August and September. Results are usually available within two weeks of the completion of testing. If you have questions about the Initial ELPAC exam, please contact Leticia Corcoran at lcorcoran@mvwsd.org.

• The student qualifies for free or reduced price lunches based on federal income guidelines. At this time, lunch for all children is free, but this may not always be the case. To fill out the application for free or reduced lunch, please go to ezmealapp.com. Qualifying students’ data is collected at the state level and usually appears in the district’s data system within two weeks. If you have questions, please contact your school office.

Soon after a student’s EL or Free/Reduced Lunch Status changes to indicate he/she qualifies for MVWSD+, you will receive an email from the MVWSD+ Team inviting your child to enroll.

For questions or troubleshooting, please reach out to plus@mvwsd.org or Jennifer Nunez at (650) 526-3500 x1061.

MVWSD seeking District Equity Advisory Committee members

MVWSD is continuing our work by engaging meaningfully with the community on issues of equity through the District Equity Advisory Committee (DEAC). The goal of the DEAC is to provide feedback to the Superintendent on how to support MVWSD towards achieving its goals of becoming a more equitable and inclusive school district.

We are seeking a combination of district-level leaders, principals, teachers, staff members, and parent participants who represent the interests of both elementary and middle schools. Committee members will be expected to attend and participate virtually in meetings held monthly (on average) online in the evening hours.

If you’re interested in participating, please complete the application here.

Volunteer with MVEF!
MVEF needs 1-3 additional volunteers at each school in MVWSD. MVEF school representatives help the families at their school understand what MVEF is and why it exists so that they are inspired to donate and spread the word about the impact of MVEF funding. MVEF also needs volunteers to help with planning our annual Gala and other community events. To learn more, visit: https://www.mvef.org/volunteer

August/September CAC and LCC 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

August 28, 9 am

with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:00 am for LCC and 9:15 am for CAC. We will be planning for the year, discussing upcoming programs and having a question period for administrators. For our agenda, please join our Google group, https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEvd-qorDwsH9UXSPmOtja90uQqRnD9kef3

Parent Chat

September 12, 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.

September 13, 10 am Morning Let’s Talk - IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZModeirqToiHdQpAOpxx4g3NaLHuElaLtJs

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

Living Classroom seeking Docents!

Do you enjoy spending time with kids and being outdoors? Volunteer with Living Classroom to teach fun, engaging STEM-based lessons in your local MVWSD school! No prior teaching experience is necessary. To learn more, join us at our upcoming informational meetings: Tuesday, August 29 from 9:15- 10:15am and Wednesday, August 30 from 1:15- 2:15pm at the MVWSD Office, 1400 Montecito Ave, Conference Room C. For more information on our volunteer program, please visit: https://www.living-classroom.org/get-involved.html or email susahh@living-classroom.org.

Hazardous Household Waste Drop Off event on Aug 26

The City will be hosting a Hazardous Household Waste Drop Off event on Aug 26, 2023. It is a free event for residents of Santa Clara County to safely dispose of unwanted household hazardous wastes, including paint, batteries, electronics, auto fluids, pesticides, garden chemicals, propane tanks, fluorescent and LED lightbulbs, household cleaners and more. See the attached flyer.

Housing and Eviction Help Center

The City of Mountain View's Rent Stabilization Program runs the Housing and Eviction Help Center (HEHC) at the MV Public Library to provide housing-related support to the community, including information about housing programs and legal resources. These services are available on 1st and 3rd Thursdays (walk-ins welcome or virtually at mountainview.gov/housinghelpclinics) from 6 - 8 p.m. For more information, see flyers attached or visit mountainview.gov/evictionprevention.

SCCOE Family Engagement Symposium 2023: Sept. 9

Join SCCOE’s upcoming free Family Engagement Symposium “Belonging Begins with Me” on Saturday, Sept 9, 2023. Workshops include Family Writing Activity - Writing Your Belonging Story, Establishing Your Financial Roots, How to Raise and Nurture an Antiracist Family, and more! Register here: https://sccoe.to/PEPBelongingSept9.