Quetzal News
Gabriela Mistral's News September 8, 2021
From Principal Olaciregui's Desk
Dear Quetzal Families,
Gratitude is a wonderful virtue to have. We cannot request gratitude, we can’t demand it, and we can’t force people to be grateful. Some philosophers think of it as a virtue, because it is also a choice. We choose gratitude over resentment, we choose gratitude over thinking about what could be better. Cicero, a philosopher, shared that "Gratitude is not only the greatest of the virtues but the parent of all others." I invite us all to wake up every morning and be grateful for life, health, a home, a school to attend, meals we have throughout the day, our families, our friends...so much to be thankful for. Let’s take some time to model for our students how to show gratitude in every breath we take! As we continue to work on responsibility this month, let’s include in our responsibilities, a time to be grateful and make the people around us happy and appreciated.
With great sadness, I share with you that our amazing secretary, Daena, will be moving on to a new adventure in her life. Daena has accepted a new job near her new home in Los Baños, and she will be leaving us shortly. I want to thank you for all her hard work and dedication to our community. I wish her well, and I hope that our paths meet in the near future. At this time, I want to welcome three new members of our Mistral Family. Coca Ayala, a school and district experienced secretary, has joined our team this week. I know that her experience and dedication to education will be a great addition to our team! I also want to officially welcome our At Risk Coordinator, Daniela Nagel. Daniela has also experience working with our district in this position, and she will be supporting our students and community. Our new School Community Engagement Facilitator, Yesica Lepe, joined our team on Tuesday, and we are looking forward to an amazing, safe, and fun school year. Please help me welcome this new office team when you see them in our office.
We are having our ELAC meeting tomorrow at 6pm. Please join us and learn about English Learners, ELPAC, and our school site plan tomorrow. I also want to invite you to our first School Site Council meeting next Tuesday, September 14, at 6pm. Please come learn about our budget and share with us your ideas and suggestions for this academic school year.
I’d like to apologize for providing an outdated dress code for our school and district. I want to thank one of our parents who helped me realize I had shared the wrong dress code. Please read the dress code for our school and district, and let me know if you have any questions.
On Friday morning, we are having a reflecting moment at our sites to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the events of 9/11. Our teachers will also provide grade appropriate activities in their classrooms to emphasize kindness, hope, and resilience.
Continue to stay safe and practice acts of kindness as we work together for a better, loving, and clean world.
In partnership,
Claudia Olaciregui,
Principal
Up Coming Events
District News
Board meeting Preview: Sept. 9
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Sept. 9. Some of the meeting’s topics include updates on:
Construction
Monta Loma greenspace project
Student growth
Air quality protocols
Honoring newly tenured teachers
Agenda and meeting details are here: http://mvw.sd/ZdiNA. The meeting is also streamed on www.youtube.com/mvwsd
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/RNm0l
Cafecito con el Superintendente on Sept. 8
Please join us for an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. Interpretation will be provided.
Please register in advance for this meeting here: http://mvw.sd/FpoWY. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Parent University: Supporting Language Development
Date: Wednesday, September 15th 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu091521
Consistent development of language (reading, writing, speaking, listening) is one of the keys to a child’s overall academic success. What skills and habits can parents develop to support English language development in the home, especially in a multilingual household? Join two of our district experts, Principal Arline Siam and Instructional Coach Karen Gordon, as they explore this complex topic and offer ideas for families to use daily.
To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
Securly: Keeping students safe on the Internet
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 (www.securly.com/) 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.
Better Together: Appreciating Differences
This is the first issue of #BetterTogether’s second year in circulation. This past summer, the Tokyo Olympic games had us transfixed. Though there is still a way to go, these past games had the most culturally and racially diverse Team USA in history. Just before the start of the school year, the release of the US Census data also confirmed for all of us that we are one nation, more beautifully diverse than ever. This month, Mountain View Whisman School District is celebrating our diversity with resources for teachers, parents, and community partners to aid in the transmission of our message: our diversity is one of our greatest strengths as a nation, as a city, and as a school district, where all are welcome. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.Health and Wellness tip: Modeling behavior As we settle into our back-to-school routine as best as possible, we might be experiencing some challenges at home with unwanted or undesired behaviors. Our partners from Palo Alto University, Dr. Alana Park and Dr. Eduardo Bunge, have provided us with some information to support our parents as the school year progresses. Here is a great tip from our partners at Palo Alto University to promote desired behavior at home: Modeling refers to teaching by example. Your child will learn by observing your actions and the actions of others. To model desired behaviors: For example, you could model being kind to others by greeting your neighbors or offering to help other family members around the home. Make sure to keep praising the behaviors that you want to see (“Great job helping your sibling with their homework”). This tip came directly from the free, online Everyday Parenting program created by parenting expert, Dr. Kazdin. To learn more parenting tips click here.
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!Register for 2021-22 Parent U Events
InPlay: Afterschool activities
Looking for afterschool activities for your student? InPlay offers a free searchable program guide for parents, with filters for age, location, price (including free or reduced cost), and more. To find programs local to Mountain View, head to: https://www.inplay.org/r/mountain-view. Available programs include those that serve students with special needs or English learners.Local Covid Vaccine Clinic: Sep. 3rd- Gift cards for first doses!
Santa Clara County is hosting several upcoming Covid-19 vaccination clinics at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula and Saint Athanasius Church in Mountain View (160 N Rengstorff Ave). Vaccinations are free. Gift card incentives will be provided for first doses.
1st/2nd dose on September 25th from 12:30pm to 5:30pm. (This is a 1st dose clinic for Saint Athanasius Church Second Harvest Food Distribution Event, those who received a vaccine on 9/3 can get their second dose on 9/25.)
2nd dose October 16th from 12:30pm to 5:30pm. (This is a clinic for those who received a first dose on 9/25)
For more information about COVID vaccinations in the area, please visit https://vax.sccgov.org/
Mayor for a Day contest with City of Mountain View
Do you have an elementary or middle school-aged student who would like to be the mayor of Mountain View (at least, for one day in October)? The Mayor for a Day contest is an exciting opportunity for kids to learn about local government and civic issues.
Students are invited to write up to a 500-word essay about what Mountain View would be like if they were mayor for a day. Mountain View’s mayor will select the two winners, who will each present their essay at a City Council meeting in October.
For more details, including contest rules and how to submit your entry, visit MountainView.gov/MayorforaDay. All entries are due by Friday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m.
Discovery Education Hands-On STEM event: Tuesday, Sep. 21
You're invited to Discovery Education’s upcoming Hands-On STEM event on Tuesday, September 21 at 10:00 a.m. PST! This action-packed virtual session empowers the next generation of STEM Solution seekers, equipping them with the skills they need to take on some of the planet's greatest sustainability challenges.
Join host Brandon Okpalobi, President of Siyanse, a STEM organization helping kids to create, think, and innovate. During each Hands-On STEM, Brandon will identify a local or global issue, explore why it's happening, introduce interesting people who are working to find solutions, and inspire your students to uncover their own potential with exciting hands-on STEM activities.
Register at: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/info/hands-on-stem-9-21-21/. If you have any questions about this event, reach out to Nina Sclafani at NSclafani@discoveryed.com.