Quetzal News
Gabriela Mistral's News November 10, 2020
Ms. O's Message
Dear Quetzal families,
I hope you are enjoying the change of weather. I certainly love this time of the year, and it was great to finally see the well needed rain on Sunday.
At Mistral, we are starting a monthly Spirit Day with our students. This would help us lift up our "spirits" while in distance learning. We will start with a "crazy hair" day for our students on Friday, November 20th. It would be great that they take a picture and upload it to a Padlet that will be shared by teachers next week.
We will also continue rewarding our students this year with THE Quetzal awards every month. Please remind your child that teachers will be rewarding two or three students who have been examples of being respectful, responsible, making good choices, and being a good citizen.
Rhythm and Moves will provide PE to students at each elementary school, and they will have the opportunity to sign up for 4-week physical education sessions that include 4-50 minute, *in-person* activity classes facilitated by a credentialed Rhythm and Moves teacher. The classes focus on the fundamentals of movement and are based on the SHAPE National Standards for physical education.
I hope you enjoy your well deserved rest and let’s all thank and honor our Veterans tomorrow. And, remember that when given the choice between being right and being kind, choose kindness!
Have a great rest of your week!
Ms. Olaciregui
Principal
Upcoming Events
- Veterans Day: NO SCHOOL
November 12, 2020
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Parent workshop (Zoom link)
November 20, 2020
- Spirit day - Crazy Hair Day
- Report Cards sent home (electronically)
November 25 - 27, 2020
- Thanksgiving Break: NO SCHOOL
December 1, 2020
- 5:30pm: District New Student Info Night (Zoom Link)
December 9, 2020
- 6:00pm: District Kinder Info Night
December 15, 2020
- 6:00pm: Mistral Kinder Info Night (Register here)
December 21 - January 4th, 2021
- Holiday Break - NO SCHOOL
District News
It's already November and the holiday season is upon us. Traditionally, elementary school students learn about a peaceful feast held in 1621 by the Pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians, who helped teach them to survive in a perilous new world. To promote both critical thinking and the disruption of falsehoods favoring a colonialist-dominant narrative, we must engage with primary sources and counternarratives to grapple with the mythologies of the first Thanksgiving. This month, the BetterTogether calendar encourages all of us to acknowledge our shared history and its truths, starting with the contributions of those Indigenous to North America. To see more, click on the attached flyer (Spanish included) or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.
Parent University: Supporting Math at Home during Distance Learning and Beyond
Join us on Wednesday, November 18th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for our next Parent University event: Supporting Math at Home during Distance Learning and Beyond.
MVWSD Landels Elementary Principal Heidi Galassi will share several resourceful strategies for supporting math learning and achievement at home:Are you confused about which math program to use at home?
Learn how to boost math achievement K-8th
Support your child at home with math homework
Learn new ways to enrich and deepen math concepts
Get your child ready for Algebra
Spanish interpretation is provided. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvdOqorTgtGtXg5trN1qiFh5EefCHgIAm1
School meetings coming up in December. 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.
District new student information night, covering the registration process, is on December 1 at 5:30 p.m. (in both English and Spanish) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/info.
School kindergarten/new student information nights are online on December 9 at 6:00 p.m. for all elementary schools, and include choice school 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:
Gabriela Mistral: Dual Spanish/English Immersion: December 15 at 6 pm
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
Your Donations Matter! Please Give Now For This School Year!
MVEF funds important programs including weekly art and music classes at every elementary school with CSMA, NGSS aligned science through Living Classrooms, environmental science lessons through Environmental Volunteers, STEAM teacher professional development, instrument repair and purchase, middle school science equipment and electives, wellness and more! This important programming is made possible through the generosity of parents like you! Thank you for your support! Make a donation at https://www.mvef.org/donateMVLA: “How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men”
The MVLA Speakers Series presents: Michael Reichert on “How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men” on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online
Michael Reichert, Ph.D., is a clinical and research psychologist who has worked with children in a variety of contexts for over 30 years. Challenging conventional ideas of how boys learn and grow, Dr. Reichert’s research underscores the importance of a relational approach in raising and educating boys to nurture their strength and resilience. Offering a timely consideration of how boyhood has undergone an historic shift, Dr. Reichert will focus on helping parents, teachers, and boys themselves adapt, especially as we face today’s unprecedented challenges.
Dr. Reichert will also comment on our current situation with distance learning and its impact on boys.
Audience: Parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors of young boys and teens
Register: To register for this free event go to https://mvla2020-21-michaelreichert.eventbrite.com
Books: https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780593189085MVLA Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Weekend - Virtual Run / Walk
See the attached flyers for registration information.
MVLA holiday tree lot
MVLA is holding its annual holiday tree lot this year. See the attached flyer for information.
November 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
We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children may have during distance learning: Try a Sensory Diet
November 12, 7-8:30 pm - Rethinking Adulthood: A Neurodiverse Trajectory What does it mean to be an adult? How is the transition to adulthood addressed in neurodiverse populations? Neurodivergent educator Amy Faigin will explore the social and emotional elements of this transition and how we can better support our students and children through this process. REEL and the Palo Alto CAC are proud to co-host this event for parents and educators. ZOOM info sent the day before the event; please RSVP at https://tinyurl.com/RethinkingAdulthood
November 16, 7:30 pm - Decoding Dyslexia meeting on Zoom. Parent check-in and resource share. Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYofu-tpj0iEtJ9ua2d8NB_o1Agb12_T0AB