Quetzal News
Gabriela Mistral's News September 23, 2020
Ms. O's Message
Good afternoon Quetzal Families!
It has been a busy, great week at Mistral’s headquarters! I had the pleasure and opportunity to teach some of our students, and I had a magnificent time! Our students and staff are examples of perseverance, hard work, and dedication!
As our district and school prepares for Stage 3, we want to ask you to take some time and complete the Learning Options Survey sent this past week. If you have not received this survey, please check your Spam folder, and let us know if we need to resend it. The Mistral Team will do the best we can to ensure that we can assign our students to our teachers and be able to support our community’s needs. Please remember that there might be some changes that are out of our control. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. You can refer to our website for more information. We also have a translation to different languages if you click on the translation link at the top right corner. Here is a nice video from CDC about schools reopening.
Our fences are coming up soon, and I wanted to give you an update on the locations at our site. These fences will help us keep our students and staff safe during the school day. Gates will be open and the park will be available to the community after school hours.
I found great resources for parents through Khan Academy. Please visit their website for more information in regards to challenges during distance learning.
This month marks the beginning of a monthly offering towards MVWSD’s equity goals titled Together We Are a Better MVWSD. Each month you will receive an infographic in both English and Spanish that offers educational tools and community guidance inspired by a national diversity calendar. The format of the calendar will remain consistent. The theme is guided by the calendared events that are taking place that month. This guide is optional for parents and teachers alike, though enthusiastically encouraged as we start to move our equity goals forward.
I look forward to our Coffee/Tea with Ms. O next week. Here are the schedules and links to our meetings:
Monday, September 28th: Coffee/Tea Kinder and First
Tuesday, September 29th: Coffee/Tea Second and Third
Wednesday, September 30th: Coffee/Tea Fourth and Fifth
Have a fantastic rest of the week, and remember the words of Pele, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing.”
Stay Healthy and safe,
Claudia Olaciregui
Principal
Upcoming Events
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: General PTA meeting
September 28, 2020
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Coffee/Tea with Ms. O (Kinder & 1st Gr)
September 29, 2020
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Coffee/Tea with Ms. O (2nd & 3rd Gr)
September 30, 2020
- 6:00pm - 7:00pm: Coffee/Tea with Ms. O (4th & 5th Gr)
District News
Cafecito con el Superintendente on Sept. 23
Join us for an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents on Wednesday, Sept. 23, 5:30 p.m. Translation will be provided.
Please register in advance for this meeting here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Strategic Plan Survey is open now
MVWSD is working on a new Strategic Plan. We want to ensure this new six-year Strategic Plan 2027 builds on the strengths and assets of our school system, while addressing the most promising opportunities to enhance our work.
We need your help! Parents, students and staff members will be asked to engage in several steps during the strategic planning process in meetings, focus groups and surveys.
Here is your first opportunity to give input. Please take 10 minutes to respond to this survey by midnight on Sept. 24. https://www.research.net/r/MVWSDStratPlan
The survey is managed by a third-party consultant. All responses will go directly to them and will be anonymous.
Next steps: This information will be used to shape our future strategic direction. In October you will have the opportunity to see your efforts materialize in the resulting strategic plan framework and to provide feedback.
Thank you for taking the time to inform our future.
Planning for school reopening: Learning Options survey
Thank you for supporting your children in “Connected 100% Distance Learning” due to COVID-19. As you know, planning for potential school re-opening has been ongoing since March.
Our tentative plan: MVWSD is considering in-person learning beginning with the first group of our youngest, specific special education students and our at-risk students. However, we will not open schools if the process poses too great a risk to our students’ or employees’ health and safety. 100% Distance Learning will remain an option. Click here to read more about the two options: www.mvwsd.org/academicsduringcovid.
In order to proceed, we want to hear from you. Many of the specifics of what school reopenings will look like in the future depend on our families’ responses. Please complete the updated Stage 3 Learning Options Registration survey (sent to you in email on Sept 18) before Sept. 25. Your survey link is unique to each of your students and can be completed only once.
More information is in Dr. Rudolph’s update to the Board of Trustees on Sept. 17. (The video is posted here . Tune in at timestamp 2:33).
Parent University: Raising Digitally Resilient Children and Teens during Quarantine
Kids are online more than ever in this post-COVID world, with increased use of digital technology for academics, entertainment, and social connection.
Join My Digital TAT2 for a highly engaging and informative webinar at the MVWSD Parent University event on Wednesday, October 7th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Hear how young people are affected by the latest news, trends, and data from the world of technology. Get tips and strategies for how to teach responsibility and balanced and healthy use of the internet and social media.
Click here to register for this event on Zoom.
Recommended for all adults who support youth and want to learn thoughtful and supportive ways to navigate media with children. For more information about My Digital TAT2 and their mission, please visit: www.mydigitaltat2.org
Together We Are a Better MVWSD: Hispanic Heritage Month (Flyers attached)
We are excited to announce that this month marks the beginning of a monthly offering towards MVWSD’s equity goals titled Together We Are a Better MVWSD. Each month you will receive an infographic in both English and Spanish that offers educational tools and community guidance inspired by a national diversity calendar. This month is National Hispanic Heritage Month.
You’ll see:
Lessons provided by grade level that are designed to be used by teachers to enhance work they are doing in the classroom.
Activities provided to parents, which are meant to help bridge the gap between lessons at school and conversations at home.
Organization spotlights to help us engage with our community and learn more about organizations doing equity work.
Children’s books by authors who have either the lived experience or scholarly background to contextualize this topic for children and adolescents.
Please see mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD
Distance Learning Tip:
What’s the easiest way to help my child upload pictures of student work?
First, create a child’s folder in a parent’s Google Drive (only has to be done once. Requires parent to have a gmail account.)
-download google drive app on smartphone
-create a folder with child's name (ie "Emma’s Schoolwork”)
-share the folder with child’s school email address. (Note: Students in grades TK-5 will not get an email notification of this share. The child does not have to access his/her email account. The folder automatically will appear in student’s “shared with me” folder on their Drive after parent “shares” with the student’s email address.)
After that set up, its as easy as this:
-open google drive app
-open the shared folder
-push + button and select “use camera” to take picture (this uploads it automatically)
-child now has the pic on his/her school drive in the parent/child shared folder (under "shared with me" in child’s drive). They can also upload these images to other programs, such as SeeSaw.
Online Parenting Toolkit: Making Life with Kids Easier!*
It’s difficult to be a parent right now. Everyday Parenting is a free, online program that aims to make your typical day in the home easier. In this program, you will be given tools for improving your child’s behavior, increasing your child’s compliance with your requests, and strengthening your relationship with your child.
Please click here to access the FREE program: https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-parenting?utm_source=YALE&utm_medium=institutions&utm_campaign=202004-Group-EP-Graham-Middle-School
*While we believe it can be helpful to families, this resource is not directly affiliated with MVWSD.The free meal program has been extended! (flyers attached) During Distance Learning, free meals are again available to all children in the Mountain View Whisman School District age 18 and younger. No IDs required. Locations: All schools, except Stevenson (pickup for Stevenson is at Theuerkauf). Times: 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at the elementary schools. 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the middle schools. Walk, drive or roll up to grab a free meal and go! Parents should continue to go here https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ to apply for free or reduced price meal benefits through the National Lunch Program, if needed.
The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series presents: Jeff Selingo on "Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside the College Admissions Process" on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online | Zoom
Join us for an insightful evening with journalist and higher education expert Jeff Selingo, as he dispels entrenched notions about the college admissions process.
While many have long believed that college admissions decisions are driven largely by merit, Jeff presents a more complicated truth. Embedded in three distinctly different admissions offices — a selective private university, a leading liberal arts college, and a flagship public campus — Jeff closely observed college admission officers as they made their often agonizing and sometimes life-changing decisions.
Based on a year of reading applications and sitting through committee meetings where up and down votes were taken, Jeff reveals what really matters to the gatekeepers and how their ultimate decisions are often based on a college’s priorities. Following interviews with students, testing agencies, marketers, and ranking organizations, Jeff also shares practical advice and helpful strategies for navigating the confusing, chaotic, and often-times stressful college application process.
Audience: High school parents and students; teachers and counselors
Register: To register for this free event, go to https://mvla2020-21-jeffselingo.eventbrite.com
Book: Jeff's new book, Who Gets In and Why, will be released Sept. 15th and is available with free shipping from Books, Inc. Jeff is generously offering our community a 30% discount + free shipping for pre-orders made directly through him. If interested, use code MVLA30.
Event Login: We will send the Zoom link via Eventbrite email, Thursday afternoon, October 1st.
If you have not used Zoom before, please make sure to allow a few extra minutes before the event to download the free Zoom app.
Sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.