Quetzal News
Gabriela Mistral's News September 2, 2020
Ms. O's Message
Dear Quetzal Families,
I had a great time at my first Cafecito/Limonada with Ms. O this Monday, and I am looking forward to meeting our Second and Third grade families tonight at 6pm. We will have our Fourth and Fifth grade event next Tuesday, September 8. I hope that you all get to enjoy our first long weekend of the school year and have some time to do fun activities with the family. As for me, I shall enjoy cooking with my nephews, again!
Our iReady window starts tomorrow with our ELA iReady assessment for grades 1-5. Here are some suggestions for your child's best performance during this online assessment:
- Find a quiet place away from distractions
- Use headphones
- Remind them to take their time and not rush through the answers
- Encourage them to do their best
- Remember this is an adaptive assessment, so encourage their independence in completing the evaluation
We received new attendance guidelines from the state, and starting September 8, there will be some changes to how our schools will count and monitor student attendance. Please remember that school attendance during distance learning is mandatory. If your child will be absent, you need to call or email us as soon as possible. If our students are having difficulty with distance learning, internet access, and/or technical difficulties, do not hesitate to reach out. We are here to help. These are the changes on our attendance process:
- Elementary teachers will check in with students at the beginning of the day. Attendance will be taken at the end of the day every day, including Wednesdays.
- Students will no longer get a separate participation grade in Google Classroom. Attendance and participation scores are now combined and can be viewed by parents in Powerschool under “attendance history.”
- If you don’t report your student’s absence, we will be calling to determine the reason for the absence.
Stay healthy and safe!
With Respect,
Claudia Olaciregui
Principal
For more information about attendance, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/attendance
Upcoming Events
September 2, 2020:
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Principal Coffee Second-Third Grade
- https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMrc--pqj8pGNB7JvTFadcgHv0ZWLxmmC3_
September 7, 2020
- NO SCHOOL (LABOR DAY)
September 8, 2020
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Principal Coffee Fourth-Fifth Grade
- https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAkf-isrzIqG9MXYw2_I-bB5C3xFSCYtuPA
September 10, 2020
- 5:00pm - 6:00pm: SSC Meeting
- https://zoom.us/j/92299064841?pwd=QUg1K3FFNHBWZ2RnK0haUlJBYTBwQT09
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: ELAC Meeting
- https://zoom.us/j/91732369728?pwd=LzZUY0xTQmJScVdrYno1eUx4UUZnUT09
District News
Public hearing on Sept. 17: Sufficient instructional materials
A public hearing will be held in order to comply with Ed Code section 60119 on September 17, 2020 to detail the extent to which textbooks and instructional materials were provided to all students, including English Learners.
The definition of “sufficient textbooks or instructional materials” means that each pupil has textbooks or instructional materials, or both to use in class and to take home in each of the following subjects:
• Mathematics
• Science
• History/Social Science
• Language Arts
The public hearing on September 17, 2020 at 7:00pm will be held during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. To view details about accessing the meeting either online or by phone, please click on the September 17 agenda link on this webpage: https://www.mvwsd.org/about/board_of_trustees/board_meetings
Track your student's online activities at home with Securly
MVWSD provides a tool that allows parents to be aware of their students' online activities and to help keep them safe on their school-issued devices. Securly allows you to see what choices your student is making online while at home so that you will be alerted to potential issues and can guide your student. Please note: Securly is for school-issued devices only. Check your email for these weekly reports, and you may also download the Securly app. For more information, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/technology.
Please Support Our Students and Teachers!
MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. We hope you saw the MVEF brochure with your school supplies or watched the video during Back to School. Please see the website at https://www.mvef.org/ for more information and to donate online. Please consider joining our team of volunteers or emailing us with any questions at contact@mvef.org. Thank you for your support!MV Parent U on Sept. 9: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy
Join us on Wednesday, September 9 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for our next Parent University event: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy from Home.
MVWSD Instructional Coaches Karen Gordon and Natalie Gallagher will share several resourceful strategies for supporting reading, writing, listening, and speaking at home during distance learning:
Easy activities to boost your child's reading engagement
Creative ways to encourage and support writing using four text types (expository/informative, narrative, opinion, argumentative)
Fostering listening skills to be able to extract key information
Cultivating speaking skills using academic vocabulary
Tips to prepare your child for ELPAC testing
Parent University videos are now on our website!
Did you miss the latest Parent University event? Do you want to review the materials that were presented? Videos and materials are now in English and Spanish on the Parent University website at http://www.mvwsd.org/parent/parent_university
Latest uploads: Mental Health Resources and Distance Learning Support
Upcoming 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
Our events for September:
September 8, 10 am - 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. Please contact selpa1cacinf@gmail.com for the Zoom link for this meeting.
Also on September 8, 10 am - Parent Chat - Support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. A great place for help and support for challenges with your teens. Please contact trudy.palmer@me.com for Google Meet invite
Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Information Session - September 10th
You can change the life of a student!
Come learn about volunteer opportunities to Mentor high school students and Tutor students in grades K-8 in our Mountain View and Los Altos schools.
Becoming a Mentor or Tutor will add joy to your life and help a student in our local community to a brighter future!
There is no obligation to sign up as a volunteer. You're welcome to just come and learn more about they we do.
Please note: Mentor Tutor programs are currently remote, and they will remain so until students are back in school and the school district permits volunteers in the classroom. All volunteers must be high school graduates.
Date: Thursday, September 10th
Time: 5:00 - 6:00 pm
Location: Online via Zoom (URL provided upon registration)
Register: REGISTER ONLINE
Questions: programs@mentortutorconnection.org
Information: MentorTutorConnection.org