Quetzal News
Gabriela Mistral's News March 31, 2021
Ms. O's Message
Dear Quetzal Families,
This week we are working on Compassion as part of our positive Character traits at Mistral. Along with Courtesy, Conscience, Charity, and Courage, Compassion is a positive trait that we would like our students to practice and model throughout their lives. Compassion motivates people to go out of their way to help the physical, mental, or emotional struggles of those around us. The Dalai Lama once said, “Love and Compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity can’t survive.” Let’s share this beautiful quote and idea with our Mistral Quetzales. Our common language will increase the possibilities of our children to practice in their daily lives. Ask your child to come up with compassion examples they have seen or practiced with others at school, at home, and with their community.
Today is the last day of March! This year has been moving way too fast! The month of April gives us the opportunity to learn more about autism, equity, child abuse prevention, and Bilingual/Multilingual Learner Advocacy. What are we doing to participate and get involved in these practices?
I want to thank our PTA for conducting a successful Read-a-thon! We had ⅔ of our students participate for a total of 70,000 minutes read in English and 51,400 minutes read in Spanish. Way to go, Quetzales! Our PTA sent the preliminary results to teachers this week. Information about prizes will be sent out with final results next week. I volunteered to be an active participant of the prizes, and I am looking forward to joining our winners in celebrating their accomplishments.
Thank you for helping us troubleshoot through arrival and dismissal hiccups as we transitioned to our Return to Learn plan. As always, you're a great partner to have in our educational successful journey at Gabriela Mistral.
Stay safe and remember to continue practicing the big three Ws: wear a mask, watch your distance, and wash your hands. Check out the different steps and procedures in the event of a positive case of Covid.
Take care of yourself,
Ms. Olaciregui
Principal
Picture Day - April 7, 2021
REMINDERS/PROCEDURES:
- Students will enter the multi-use room (MUR) wearing a mask, camera ready through the double doors on the fire lane side.
- Students will exit through the front MUR doors and through Gate D
- A single parent or guardian may escort our K-1st grade students into the multi-use room
- 2-5 students must enter on their own.
- Students will wear a mask until they are cleared to remove it by the photographer.
- The enter and exit doors will be clearly marked.
Please use this link to sign up.
District News
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, April 2 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation is provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/vrNfN
Board meeting preview: April 1
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, April 1 at 5:00 p.m. Some of the meeting topics include updates on: the LCAP, 2021-22 school year learning options, Huff renaming, and reports from the Bond Oversight Committee and the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee. Agenda and login information are here. The meeting is also streamed on https://www.youtube.com/mvwsd.
COVID testing available for students and families
Regular, asymptomatic COVID testing for students is not required at this time however, parents may want to have students tested, especially after travel, to ensure that they are not carrying the COVID-19 virus.
Free, asymptomatic testing is available for students and parents at:
* El Camino Hospital or MV Center for Performing Arts. Dates: Ongoing. Schedule through El Camino Health at https://www.elcaminohealth.org/landing/schedule-covid-19-test?s=mapPin.
* Graham and Crittenden Middle Schools. Dates: Tuesday March 30 at Graham MUR; Tuesday, April 20 at Crittenden MUR and Wednesday, April 28 at Graham MUR. You should register here. You also may schedule an appointment by calling 650-940-7022 and use option 4. Please mention you are with the Mountain View Whisman School District when calling.
If your child has symptoms of COVID or has had a known exposure to someone who may have COVID, please contact your child's pediatrician for testing information. If you do not have a health care provider, make a symptomatic testing appointment with a county provider here: https://scl.fulgentgenetics.com/appointment/screen/landing.
Spring Break Travel Advisory
As Spring Break approaches, MVWSD wants to remind our community to take precautions to keep our community safe and our schools open.
Under our current risk tier, the Health Officer’s Mandatory Directive on limiting travel has been lifted. However, the state continues to advise Californians to avoid non-essential travel to any part of California more than 120 miles from one's place of residence, or to other states or countries.
If you travel, please test. COVID-19 testing is not required for students, however it's recommended for people who travel. Free testing for students and families is available through El Camino Health at https://www.elcaminohealth.org/landing/schedule-covid-19-test?s=mapPin. The CDC advises that individuals get tested with a viral test 3-5 days after travel. Make your appointment now for after you return.
Resilience Pause Series starts March 29
The 30-minute, online Community Resiliency Model Resilience Pause sessions for adults (parents and staff members) are scheduled during this transition in our school year to assist participants with building resilience throughout return to in-person instruction. Participants can learn strategies on Mondays and build habits towards resilience during the week. These sessions are designed to teach life-long habits that help us to self-regulate during stressful moments.
March 29, 4pm: Tracking Sensations
April 5, 4pm: Grounding
April 19, 4pm: Resourcing
April 26, 4pm: “Help Now!” A Reactive Strategy
Sessions can be drop-in or attended in a series. To join: http://mvw.sd/HAjbz
OKtoReopen health screener pro tips
OKtoReopen is the daily health screener for in person students to complete each day before they arrive on campus. Here are a few tips to make the process even easier:
You don’t have to wait until you get the message
Reminders are sent each day that the student is expected on campus. If parents have already completed the survey before the first reminder is scheduled to be sent they don't receive a reminder.
Parents can always complete the screener earlier than the reminder by using a previous email or going to oktoreopen.com on a browser they previously have used.
You can complete the screener for multiple students
You can complete the survey for more than one child in the same window by clicking through the names at the top right drop-down menu. If there is another student in the family you can hit next to complete that survey. When all of the surveys have been completed there is a done button.
Make sure your survey is submitted
For families with just one student you hit submit and then done (students with more than one student click next until all surveys are completed, and then submit). You don't have to click done to complete the survey.
Send the reminder to just your phone instead of both phone/email
Parents can adjust their OKtoReopen settings to receive text or email only by contacting their school office to make the change in Powerschool.
For a closer look on how to use OktoReopen, check out these videos: https://vimeo.com/521538560 (English) and https://vimeo.com/524450668 (Spanish)
Student meals
If your student is returning to campus tomorrow, you might be wondering about lunch. Due to federal funding, MVWSD is able to provide free breakfast, snacks and lunches to students on campus daily. Breakfast and snacks are cold. Lunches will be hot. Students will be able to pick up lunches at their classrooms. Menus and nutritional analysis are posted at https://www.mvwsd.org/nutrition. A count of those taking school lunch will be taken at the beginning of the school day. Students may bring their own self-contained lunches, if desired. MVWSD continues to provide free grab and go meals at each school (Stevenson and Theuerkauf are combined) during lunchtime for students who continue in distance learning and for young children in the community.
Parent University: A Conversation with Haben Girma, the Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
Date and Time: April 8, 2021, 6:00-7:00 p.m. Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/X85Z0
Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer and an advocate for disability justice. She was the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. As a community, we are all tasked with resisting ableism, racism and other forms of oppression. We face the choice to accept oppression or advocate for justice. Come and be inspired by Haben, who has received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks.
President Bill Clinton, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel have all honored Haben. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. Haben believes disability is an opportunity for innovation, and she teaches organizations the importance of choosing inclusion.
To submit questions prior to the event, please click here. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
In case you missed it: Parent University videos and materials are available online
Check out mvwsd.org/parentu for English and Spanish recordings on topics such as wellness, mental health, supporting your child’s literacy and math at home, our special education team, the impact of drugs and other substances on adolescents, and many more.
Join the MVEF Board and make a difference!
The Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF) is seeking new volunteers and board members to join us in supporting its mission to ensure that every child in every school has access to a competitive, comprehensive, and inspiring education.
Board members have the opportunity to make a difference in the experience of every child in the district, gain insight into district programming and planning, and collaborate with other parent leaders in the district. Learn more about MVEF, and its impact on your child’s school day at mvef.org. If interested, please send a message to contact@mvef.org.
Your Donations to MVEF at Work!
MVEF is proud to fund both (New!) sessions of the Rhythm and Moves Optional fitness classes at the elementary schools. We are also funding CSMA music and art, TechSmart, Living Classroom, and environmental education programs at the elementary level.
MVEF funds the Middle School Elective wheel including apps, music books, art supplies, robotics and TechSmart at both of the middle schools.
Thank you to all our Mountain View Educational Foundation donors for your support during this school year of remote learning! If you haven't donated yet this year, there is still time to donate to support the MVWSD schools right now. https://www.mvef.org/donate
CAC Parent Education Event - Mental Health for the Whole Family - with Thierry Kolpin, Ph.D Wednesday. March 31, 7PM - 8:30 PM.
Join us for a much needed discussion of mental health and mindfulness for the whole family. After the year we’ve all experienced, we all need to learn techniques to evaluate and improve our mental health and that of our families. Professor Thierry Kolpin of Brandman University will discuss the challenges we are facing and how every member of the family can improve their mental health. Special attention will be paid to the additional challenges in families of students with learning challenges. Prof. Kolpin is an Assoc. Professor at Brandman University and specializes in school counseling and mindfulness in counseling. Email selpa1cacinfo@gmail.com for the link to the event.
*presentation at event will be recorded and available at www.selpa1cac.org, Q&A will not be recorded to protect personal information
MVLA Parent Speaker Series, “The Power of Showing Up: What Kids Really Need from Adults,” April 22 from 7:00 - 9:00pm
MVLA will be hosting their last Parent Speaker Series event for the season, “The Power of Showing Up: What Kids Really Need from Adults,” on Thursday, April 22 from 7:00 - 9:00pm with Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, a psychotherapist and best-selling author.
Parents worry. It’s what we do. Reassuringly, the latest brain and attachment research is clear on how best to make a difference in our child’s life over the long run: we simply need to show up. Offering plenty of warmth and humor, Dr. Bryson will explore what showing up means, sharing stories and simple strategies for honoring the Four S’s - helping kids feel secure, seen, soothed, and safe. She'll discuss practical advice for supporting anxious kids, hitting the reset button on parenting, and creating a safe harbor at home for children of all ages. Registration for this free event can be found at: https://mvla2020-21-tinapaynebryson.eventbrite.com.
Virtual Earth Day Events with the City of Mountain View
We know that Earth Day (4/22) is looking a little different this year, so it’s going virtual here at the City of Mountain View! We’re holding two contests with multiple gift card prizes (a short video competition and a student poster contest), all centered around creativity and how you restore the Earth in your own way. For both contests, the deadline for entries is Monday, April 16th, 2021 no later than 5pm. Submissions can be made at: this link; see attached flyers for more information.
Additionally, please join us on Thursday, April 22nd from 6pm-8:30pm for our Virtual Earth Day Event! We’ll be having speakers from the Planet Bee Foundation, Acterra, Recology, and Cool Block. Community members will also be giving 5-minute ‘micro talks’ about how they’re “Restoring the Earth.” And finally, we’ll be announcing the winners of the video and poster contests live during the event. Please visit this link for details.
PTA News
Mistral PTA is looking for fresh leadership
for the 2021-22 school year!
We need program volunteers and a President.
All positions on the PTA executive board are filled with returning members, except President. Please consider joining this experienced team! Our school and community require parent involvement to be great. For more information about this opportunity visit https://mistral-pta.org.
Questions? Contact Dara Tynefield dtynefield@gmail.com
While this last year has been different, next Fall will need the same parent participation we have had in the past to make our school successful and our community thrive! If the president job isn’t your thing, but you are interested in helping, there will be many ways (big and small) to be involved. Even if you have no idea what you need to do, we are here to help! Volunteer today to make sure all our PTA programs can happen.