Quetzal News
Gabriela Mistral's News August 25, 2021
From Principal Olaciregui's Desk
Dear Quetzal Families,
Our community is a great example of the real meaning of “We are better together!”. Thank you, parent volunteers, for all of your help and support during our arrival and dismissal process. A few tips for a safer and smoother arrival (tips from a parent volunteer who has been here for a long time):
Have your child be dressed and ready when you see the cross guard
Have your child be ready to unbuckle once you are in the drop off lane
Say goodbye to your child before the car door is open
Make sure your child exits the right side of the car
Please remember that dismissal on Thursdays is at 12:10pm. School grounds will be closed to the public until 4pm, as any other school day. Parents and community members are not allowed on campus until that time. In addition to keeping our students safe, we must remember that our preschool students are still in class.
Gabriela Mistral is forming its School Site Council for the 2021-2022 school year. It will consist of three staff members and three parents. The School Site Council is very important as it is responsible for developing the school goals and budget with the Principal. The School Site Council (SSC) works with the Principal to provide guidance and oversight on the goals in the Gabriela Mistral's Site Plan. If you are interested in running to be a member for our SSC, please complete this form.
In the urgency of keeping everyone safe and healthy, I want to share with you our guidance when your child is sick:
Stay home if you feel sick
Get tested when you are experiencing these symptoms (covid related)
Fever
New loss of smell and taste
Difficulty breathing
Get tested or get a doctor’s note if you are experiencing these symptoms:
Chills
Shortness of breath
Nausea or vomiting
Cough
Body aches
Sore throat
Diarrhea
Fatigue
Headaches
Congestion or runny nose
- Your decision matters, so please help us keep our children and community safe! Help us keep our schools open!
As we continue working on our growth mindsets, let’s remember Winston Churchill's famous quote, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunities in every difficulty.”
Have a safe and great weekend!
Claudia Olaciregui, Principal
Picture Day - Friday, September 3, 2021
Picture day is coming. Please check your child's backpack for ordering information. If you'd like to purchase online please use the information below on Lifetouch.com
School Name: Gabriela Mistral Elementary School
Picture Day Date: Friday, September 3
Picture Day ID: EVTQCN6V2
Up Coming Events
August 31, 2021
- SSC Meeting (6:00pm-7:00pm) Link
September 3, 2021
- Fall Picture Day
September 6, 2021
- NO SCHOOL - Labor day
September 9, 2021
- ELAC Meeting (6:00pm-7:00pm)
District News
Special Board Meeting Preview: August 26
The Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Thursday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. The Board will be discussing air quality guidelines and COVID safety and testing protocol. For agendas and meeting information: http://mvw.sd/agenda. The meeting is also streamed on https://www.youtube.com/mvwsd.
COVID Safety:
We have been working hard to address the details of student and staff COVID testing and quarantine procedures. While we are still working out some of the details, please visit this webpage for the latest information on quarantines and testing. For all of our COVID resources, please visit mvwsd.org/returntolearn.
Air Quality:
The 2021 wildfire season is upon us; a situation that we are all too familiar with, unfortunately. This year with COVID, the impact of poor air quality is even greater. While we understand that there are multiple online tools to measure air quality (Breezo, Purple Air, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, etc.), MVWSD uses the EPA’s AQI monitoring tools at AirNow.gov. Please click here to learn more: mvwsd.org
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Aug. 27 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/B0bfHParent University: Mental Health: Care and Support
Date: September 1, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu090121
Join us to learn about mental health care and support. We will share a wide range of information from basic wellness to seeking mental health treatment. Presenters include representatives from MVWSD, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health, and local agencies or organizations.
To submit questions prior to the event, please click here. We will do our best to address your question during the session.Parent University MVWSD Orientation: Recording Available
In case you missed it, Parent University’s first event, "MVWSD District Orientation: What you need to know to be informed and connected this school year," is available for viewing. This talk covered resources available to families through the district and your individual school. Recordings are here: https://vimeo.com/588962500 (English) and https://vimeo.com/589005046 (Spanish). For a list of this year’s Parent U dates and past recordings, head to mvwsd.org/parentu.Positions available with MVWSD: apply today!
Want to make a difference in the lives of students and their families? MVWSD is looking for talented individuals to join our team! See below for available positions and application links:
Instructional assistants: http://mvw.sd/AiVGD
At Risk Supervisors: http://mvw.sd/XCMHv
Substitutes for clerical staff: http://mvw.sd/ZC4Sv
Food Service: http://mvw.sd/YIW55District seeking Parcel Tax Oversight Committee (PTOC) member
MVWSD is seeking a Parcel Tax Oversight Committee (PTOC) member. Selected representatives monitor, provide oversight, and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District, including an annual report to the Board regarding the actual uses of such funds. The PTOC is composed of representatives from the local community, including the business community, District homeowners, parents or guardians of a student in the District, or the community at large.
Applications are available for download at http://mvw.sd/PTOC. Applications can be mailed to: Mountain View Whisman School District, Attn: Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, 1400 Montecito Ave., Mountain View 94043, faxed to 650-964-8907 or emailed to rwestover@mvwsd.org.
Apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD and qualify for benefits (Flyers attached to email on 8/13)
Please apply, whether you need it or not. It helps your school get more money for student programs!
Apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family. This Free and Reduced Price Meals benefit is not limited to meals only. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more. Students who qualify for free and/or reduced-price meals may be eligible for P-EBT cards. 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 that help children at your school. 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.
MVEF: Please Support Our Students!
MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. Help us fund programming for your child and every child in the district! We hope you saw the MVEF brochure (which doubles as a donation envelope) or watched the video during Back to School. Please see the website at mvef.org for more information and to donate online. Use your credit card to pay in monthly installments. Please consider joining our team of volunteers. Email us with any questions at contact@mvef.org. Thank you for your support!
Intro to SELPA1CAC and upcoming events
The Special Education Local Plan Area 1 Community Advisory Committee (SELPA1CAC) is made up of parent volunteers, special education staff, and community members and offers resources available to help families of students with learning challenges. Click for more information on what the SELPA1CAC provides, “Let’s Talk”, an IEP/504 troubleshooting support group, and “Parent Chat,” a support group of parents of teens with mental health challenges. For more information, head to https://www.facebook.com/selpa1cac or www.selpa1cac.org.
Upcoming Events for the SELPA1CAC:
General CAC Parent/Community meetings
All are welcome. Monthly updates from Special Ed. Directors & Staff, to plan programs and parent education.
Aug 30th at 4pm, Oct 4th at 9am, Nov 1st at 4pm, Dec 6th at 9am, Feb 7th at 4pm, Mar 7 at 9am, May 2nd at 4pm
Parent Education Talks
SMART Goals – Creating and Troubleshooting IEP Goals that Work. IEP Goals are written in very specific language and it can be difficult to see how the goals relate to concrete skills and goals for your child. Learn more about SMART Goals and how they work with Professor Anne Spillane of Brandman University.
Tuesday, October 19th at 7pm on Zoom
Let’s Talk, IEP/504 Support Group on Zoom
A chance to ask questions and share ideas, resources, and support with other parents of students with IEPs, 504s, learning differences, mental health challenges, etc. All are welcome; participants must respect confidentiality.
Sept 21st at 10am, Oct 13th at 7pm, Nov 16th at 10am, Dec 8th at 7pm, Jan 11th at 10am
Parent Chat, Support for Parents of Teens with Mental Health Challenges
Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child? Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges.
Second Tuesday of every month, 10-11am on Google Meet
Volunteer Community Navigator Training with Community Services Agency (CSA) (Flyers attached to email on 8/13)
Interested in helping others in the community navigate the Community Services Agency’s (CSA) programs and resources? Join CSA for Volunteer Community Navigator Training on Zoom from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 16th (every 3rd Thursday of the month). Please register at 650.669.9551. For more information, contact Sandra Luna, Community Resource Coordinator, at sluna@csacares.org.
Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Information Session - Thursday, September 9th
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 what we do.
All volunteers must be high school graduates.
Date: Thursday, September 9th
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Location: Online via Zoom (URL provided upon registration)
Register: REGISTER ONLINE
Questions: programs@mentortutorconnection.org
Information: MentorTutorConnection.org