Quetzal News
Gabriela Mistral's News December 16, 2020
Ms. O's Message
“None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging someone’s help is a big part of understanding the importance of saying thank you.” – Harvey Mackay
Dear Quetzal Team,
Today, I am very grateful for our students, our teachers and staff, our community, our PTA and MVEF, and for this first semester at Mistral. I wanted to thank our students for their hard work and their resilience during distance learning, our teachers for their dedication and commitment to education; our staff for their support to make this educational experience easier; our parents and community for trusting us and enduring difficult times; our PTA and MVEF, for making education fun and interesting; and all of you who made my first semester at MVWSD and Gabriela Mistral joyful and exciting! As we finish the last week of school in 2020, I want to thank you for your warm welcome and making me feel at home. I also want to wish you safe, fun, and peaceful holidays. Please take care of yourself and make sure you practice the three Ws:
Wash your hands
Watch your distance
Wear a mask
You should’ve received a Sign Up Genius invitation to schedule your Parent-Teacher conference on the week of January 11-15. Please make sure you sign up, so that you can have the opportunity to talk to your child’s teacher and learn about his/her progress during this semester. During conference week, we will follow a minimum day schedule. Students will be dismissed at 11:50pm. Our winter break starts tomorrow, December 18, and we will resume classes on January 5, 2021. Our teachers and staff will have a professional development day on January 4. Let me know if you have any questions.
Stay Safe and healthy during the holidays,
Ms. Olaciregui
Principal
Upcoming Events
December 17, 2020
- 3rd Gr Premio Quetzal
December 18, 2020
- Spirit Day - Pijama Day
- K-5th Gr Premio Quetzal
December 21 - January 4th, 2021
- Holiday Break - NO SCHOOL
January 11th - January 15th, 2021
- Minimum Day all week
- Parent Teacher Conference Week
January 18, 2021
- MLK - NO SCHOOL
January 19, 2021
- K-5th Gr Coffee/Tea with Ms. O 6:00pm-7:00pm(register here)
January 20, 2021
- PTA General Meeting 6:00pm - 7:00pm
January 22, 2021
- Spirit Day - College Day
January 27, 2021
- K-2nd Gr parent workshop 6:00pm - 7:00pm
January 28, 2021
- ELAC Meeting 5:00pm - 6:00pm
- SSC Meeting 6:00pm - 7:00pm
January 29, 2021
- 3rd-5th Gr parent workshop 6:00pm - 7:00pm
District News
Free children’s meals continue during the holidays
MVWSD free meals for children are available during the holidays. Meals will be available the weeks of December 21 and 28 at the Gabriela Mistral Elementary (505 Escuela Ave) location only on Monday and Tuesday from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. On Monday, bags of Monday's and Tuesday's breakfasts and lunches are available. On Tuesday, meal bags for Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday are available. Regular meal service resumes on the week of Jan 4. Please note that facemasks are required when approaching the meal distribution area, and recipients must maintain 6-foot social distancing while waiting for meals.
Better Together: Together we can appreciate our abilities
In December, we are celebrating Abilities Awareness Month. To honor our commitments in moving towards equity and inclusion, help us bring the voices of people with diverse abilities into your classroom or homes, and create a learning environment that rejects ableism. From lessons on art, activism and physical disabilities to education about new developments in Universal Design, these resources will help you and your children embrace diverse abilities and understand the injustices people with disabilities often encounter. Together, we can appreciate our abilities and celebrate our common humanity. See the attached graphics or view them on https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogethermvwsd
Tester and Interpreter/Translator positions available
Looking for a part-time job with a positive social impact? MVWSD is now hiring organized and friendly individuals to administer English Language proficiency assessments to the district’s K-8 English language learners. To find out more, click here: https://www.edjoin.org/Home/DistrictJobPosting/1310195
Can you speak or write in a language other than English? MVWSD is always looking for qualified interpreters and translators. If you enjoy helping families and children and are fluent in English and one of the languages below, click on https://www.mvwsd.org/jobs and then click on “Support Staff - Hourly”. We are currently looking for the following languages: Arabic, Cantonese, Farsi, French, German, Korean, Mandarin, Tagalog, Vietnamese.
MVWSD’s award-winning Preschool
Is now enrolling for full-day and part-day for the 2021-22 school year. Information meetings will be held in January. Please see the attached flyer or https://www.mvwsd.org/preschool for more information.
Recording: Virtual i-Ready parent workshop
Are you curious about the i-Ready platform and how you can support your student at home? Please view this recording of the session that provides parents with an overview of i-Ready and answers their frequently asked questions about how i-Ready elevates instruction. https://vimeo.com/490839110
TK and choice schools’ meetings coming up. Open Enrollment for all MVWSD students starts in January
School and District information meetings are coming up in December. Please visit www.mvwsd.org/register for a list of these events and for login information.
If your child turns 5 years old between September 2 – December 2, 2021, he/she may qualify for transitional kindergarten. TK info night is December 16 at 5:00 p.m online.
If you are interested in the District's choice schools, information nights are:
Stevenson: Parent Child Teacher: December 16 at 6 pm
Choice schools will also have information at the elementary schools’ info nights (6 p.m. Dec. 9).
For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 18- 22.
For NEW students: Open Enrollment is from January 11 through Feb. 5, 2021 online. You can register your child for the 2021-22 school year when online registration opens here: www.mvwsd.org/register
Save the date!
Parent workshop: How to Build Academic Language with Kate Kinsella
Virtual presentation on January 27 at 6:00 pm
Hosted by Huff, Landels and Jose Antonio Vargas elementary schools
Register: http://mvw.sd/kate
Presenter Kate Kinsella, Ed.D. will talk about:
• After school conversation tips to use with children to encourage thoughtful responses
• Strategies to help increase students' academic language and listening skills
Kate Kinsella, Ed.D., is a teacher educator at San Francisco State University and a highly sought after speaker and consultant to school districts throughout the United States regarding development of academic language and literacy across the K-12 subject areas. Her 25-year teaching career focus has been equipping children from diverse backgrounds with the communication, reading, and writing skills to be career and college ready.
For more information, please visit http://drkatekinsella.com/about-us/
CSA food distributions
Community Services Agency (CSA) will have three additional food distributions that families throughout Mountain View are welcome to come and pick up. Please see attached flyers in Spanish and English for details.
Getting Ready for the ELPAC information session: Jan. 12
The English Language Proficiency Assessments for California (ELPAC) is administered every year to our English Learner (EL) students. To learn more about this assessment, the role it plays in the education of every EL, and how to help your child prepare, please join for the following meeting:
January 12
5:00-5:30 in English: https://zoom.us/j/93307939185
5:30-6:00 in Spanish: https://zoom.us/j/93709174683
MVEF news: Double Your Donation with the December Challenge Grant!
Throughout December, every dollar donated will be matched dollar for dollar up to $47,000, through our December Challenge Grant. The December Challenge Grant has been made possible by generous MVEF donors who are challenging you to join them in supporting MVEF. Donate today to get your donation matched by this challenge!
If your company has a matching gift program, you can even triple your impact by donating this month!
Every dollar donated makes a difference and allows the district-wide programs to be funded which is especially important now, during remote learning. It takes donations of every size for us to reach our annual goal of $800,000 together. https://www.mvef.org/donate
CHAC offers free mental health support to parents and students
For parents: CHAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable and accessible mental health services, supports parents in several ways. Please see the attached flyers for more information.
For students: PLUGGED IN - Social and Emotional Learning Skills Programs
CHAC is excited to offer two new Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills Programs to 3rd and 5th grade students. Both programs are a fun and enriching way to help students navigate the unique challenges they face in these extraordinary times.
1. CHAC's Weekly Virtual Group meetings focus on social interaction between participants. Through collaborative lessons and fun activities students will learn emotion regulation skills, problem solving skills as well as healthy coping and self-care skills.
2. CHAC's Independent SEL Curriculum teaches students essential social and emotional learning skills through entertaining video lessons and a variety of fun activities that students complete independently.
The parents who request the PLUGGED IN Independent Curriculum will have it emailed to them immediately.
The parents who would like their child to join a PLUGGED IN virtual group, will be contacted about scheduling options and asked to complete an online permission slip. Groups are expected to start in early January.
Click here to learn more about PLUGGED IN- CHAC’s new SEL Programs: https://www.chacmv.org/social-emotional-learning
Parenting in a pandemic: Free 6th district PTA speaker series
Wednesday, December 16, 7 PM. Teaching self regulation. Inclusion collaborative.
Cost: free. For more information and to reserve your seat visit www.capta6.org/parenting_in_a_pandemic/
MVLA Speakers series presents “Middle School Matters” with Phyllis Fagell
Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Professional School Counselor Phyllis Fagell helps parents use the middle school years as a low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they’ll need to thrive now and in the future, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, acting as their own advocates, and more. To answer parents’ most common questions and struggles with middle school-aged children, she combines her professional and personal expertise with stories and advice from prominent psychologists, doctors, parents, educators, school professionals, and middle schoolers themselves.
Audience: Parents of kids grades 4 - 8
Register: To register for this free event at https://mvla2020-21-phyllisfagell.eventbrite.com
Books: https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780738235080
Video Available!
Michael Reichert – How to Raise a Boy - Event Recording from 11/17/2020
Dr. Reichert has graciously allowed us to share the How to Raise a Boy recording with parents, teachers, and other caretakers of children and teens (K - 12) within our community. The recording will be available until December 17th. The link is https://youtu.be/K7aAVmHSd2Y
Video Available!
Marc Brackett – Permission to Feel - Event Recording from 10/29/2020
Dr. Brackett has graciously allowed us to share the Permission to Feel recording with parents, teachers, and other caretakers of children and teens (K - 12) within our community. The recording will be available through December 10th. The link is https://youtu.be/dyGMXo8iH0s