Dear Quetzal Families,

I hope you are all off to a wonderful long weekend! As we storm through the month, l wanted to remind you that October is Safety Month in MVWSD. In the event of an emergency, it’s possible that circumstances are not safe enough for us to release students as we typically do at the end of the school day. In an emergency, parents should not rush to school, but instead wait for updates from email, social media and text/phone calls. So we know all students are accounted for, our schools will release students systematically to authorized adults when it’s safe. Please review our parent-student reunification procedures here. At Mistral, we have two off site evacuation locations:

• Parking lot at on W/ El Camino Real (World Market/Diddams)

• Parking lot at 266 Escuela Ave (MV Senior Center)

You can help us by reassuring your child that drills, like the earthquake drill we'll have on Oct. 19, are our way of practicing for an emergency. These things may never happen, but if they do, we’re better protected and are more able to help ourselves and others. Thank you for supporting us and helping us with this important matter!

The City of Mountain View will be restriping street lane lines, legends (words painted on the street like “STOP”), and several crosswalks near schools very soon! They had hoped to complete this work in the summer before school started but unfortunately that was not possible. We are glad this project is scheduled and will happen before the rainy season. Work will begin after drop-off and pause during pick-up time. The schedule is subject to change. The re-striping work can last up to 5 days, in some cases a bit longer, and will likely cause delays for vehicle traffic.

The contractor has scheduled to work on Escuela on 10/23 and Latham on 10/24. However, the schedule is subject to change. The re-striping work can last up to 5 days, in some cases a bit longer. Please drive carefully, or better yet, walk or roll to school in the next few weeks as the City will be doing work on the roads to improve safety and visibility.

Get ready for our amazing Walkathon that will take place on November 3rd, from 12:20 pm to 4pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for our families to walk with our Quetzales. I am looking forward to spending time with you and enjoying this great event hosted by our PTA!

Have a great long weekend!

Warmly,

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

October 13

• Recess Day - No school

• Bookshelf Event @ 3 pm Mistral Campus
  

• ELAC Meeting @ 4:30 pm

November 3

• Quetzal Walkathon @ 12:20pm

October no-school days

Thursday, October 12 is a staff development day, which means no school for students and no work for 10-month classified staff. (Oct. 12 is a staff development/work day for teachers, school secretaries and 12-month classified staff.) Friday, October 13 is a recess day (no school/work for everyone except 12-month employees).

Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement

Each year, our schools create Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs or “site plans”) that guide the work for the coming year. These plans help us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students. In the fall, elected parent representatives from School Site Councils and English Language Advisory Committees work with principals and school staff members to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. Parents and staff members may give feedback through Oct. 26 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.

Parent University Speaker Series Presents

Parenting in the Digital Era - Supporting Dialogue and Strategies for Building Healthy Tech Habits

Date and Time: October 24, 2023, 5:30-7:00 pm Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu102423

One of our favorite nonprofit organizations is back! The staff of My Digital TAT2 will be delivering a workshop that will empower parents with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of raising tech-savvy, digitally responsible children. We will address common tech issues such as digital “perfection”, misinformation, and things you might not know about popular apps and platforms.

Parents will gain crucial strategies that will support open dialogue and cultivate healthy tech habits among all family members.

To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your questions during the session.

MVWSD Preschool Enrollment

MVWSD’s award-winning preschool has a limited number of part-day state preschool spaces still available at Latham. These spaces are free for all 3- and 4-year-olds living within the Castro Elementary School boundary. Families can get an application at mvwsd.org/preschool, stop by the preschool office (1850 Latham St.) or call 650-526-3560.

Protect your family: Dangers of Illegally-Made Synthetic Drugs

It's important that you and your children know the dangers of illegally-made synthetic drugs. Synthetic drugs created in illegal labs, like Fentanyl, have ingredients that are impossible to know, and carry a high risk of overdose and death. Some are tasteless and odorless—even small amounts can cause an overdose. ANY pill bought through social media or even from a friend can contain deadly amounts of fentanyl. Learn more at http://mvw.sd/drugs.

BOC & PTOC Seeking Representatives

The District is seeking qualified persons to serve on the Bond Oversight Committee and the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee. Representatives monitor, provide oversight and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District.

Apply at the links below.

BOC: https://ow.ly/HhgA50PQqEs

PTOC: http://mvw.sd/PTOC

Applications can be returned to the district office by mail or emailed to cnavarrete@mvwsd.org.

Better Together: October

Cultural appreciation is an acknowledgment and celebration of the rich and diverse tapestry of human heritage that exists around the world. Indigenous Peoples' Month, observed in various regions, highlights the unique cultures, traditions, and contributions of indigenous communities. It serves as an opportunity for all of us to learn, respect, and honor the invaluable knowledge, customs, and wisdom that indigenous peoples have preserved for generations. We are #BetterTogetherMVWSD. For more information about Better Together, visit mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD.

MVEF Community Survey

MVEF is seeking input from the community via the annual online survey, which will be open throughout October: http://bit.ly/MVEF-Survey

As a community-funded foundation where over 70% of donations come from families, your input is a very important part of the planning process for future MVEF-funded programs. If donations to MVEF approach the annual goal of $1.2MM by December 31, 2023, MVEF may be able to add additional programs in 2024.

MVEF has raised just shy of $400,000 -- donate today if you haven't already: https://www.mvef.org/donate. THANK YOU MVEF donors and volunteers!

October CAC and LCC Events

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

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!

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

October 11, 7 pm Evening 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/tZIodOmhrz8tHNVYUGYMCIHeDa2lL43M-Puz

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

The View Teen Center: October

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. Drop-in hours are Monday - Friday, 3:15 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 - 6 p.m. (on no school days or minimum days, The View Teen Center is open 1-6 p.m.), and the center features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs in October or visit their webpage for more information.

Celebrate Shoreline: Oct. 15th

The City is hosting Celebrate Shoreline, a free event for the community to celebrate Shoreline ’s 40th anniversary. The family-friendly event is taking place 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 at Shoreline at Mountain View regional park, 3070 N. Shoreline Blvd. The event will feature live music, self-guided tours, carnival games, food, and more! Visit MountainView.gov/CelebrateShoreline for more information.