Quetzal News
October 4, 2023
From Ms. O's Desk
Dear Quetzal Families,
As we continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we are excited to announce a special poster contest in honor of three influential Hispanic role models: Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huertas, and Sonia Sotomayor. This contest is open to all students who wish to participate, and we encourage everyone to join in this creative celebration of Hispanic heritage.
Poster Contest Details:
- Submission Deadline: October 16, 2023
- Theme: Celebrating Hispanic Role Models
- Participants should create a poster or draw a picture that pays tribute to one or more of these remarkable individuals: Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huertas, and Sonia Sotomayor.
We will be awarding three top winners of posters for each of these activists. The winning entries will be selected based on creativity, originality, and the message conveyed. Prizes will be awarded to the winners, and their posters will be prominently displayed in our school.
We believe that this contest will not only enhance our students' knowledge about Hispanic heritage but also inspire you to learn more about these incredible role models who have made a lasting impact on our world.
Let's come together as a school community to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the rich contributions of these remarkable individuals. We look forward to your active supporting your child at home with the poster contest and prepare them for the Kahoot event! This event will take place during school time, and it's only for students. If you are a school volunteer, and you would like to support us, please email me.
We are also very excited to invite you and your children to our upcoming Math Night event, which will be held on October 10th, 2023, starting at 5:00 PM in the school's cafeteria. Math Night promises to be an evening of fun and learning for both parents and students alike. We will have a variety of interactive math games and activities planned for you and your children. These games are designed to make math enjoyable and help reinforce important mathematical concepts.
In the spirit of the upcoming Halloween season, we will be donating gently used Halloween costumes to those who would want one during our Math Night, so don't forget to join us for this memorable event.
Additionally, we are in need of high school volunteers to serve as cabin leaders at the upcoming Walden West Camp for our 5th graders, scheduled for November 6th through November 9th, 2023. If you know of any responsible and enthusiastic high school students who would be interested in this opportunity, please do not hesitate to let us know. Your referrals would be highly appreciated, and it will be a fantastic chance for these young leaders to gain valuable experience.
Have a great week!
Warmly,
Claudia Olaciregui, Principal
Our Students' Safety is our TOP priority!
October is Safety Month in MVWSD. As you read in Dr. Rudolph’s letter, we want to be ready to act when dangerous situations arise. We have already practiced fire drills and soon will practice an earthquake drill and how to react to a dangerous intruder.
This week and next, our principals, teachers and staff members will be training on the Incident Command System (ICS) and general emergency procedures. The ICS assigns roles to school staff members so that even scary situations can have well-organized responses.
Earthquake drill: After training, we’ll practice what to do during the districtwide earthquake drill to be held on Oct. 19. Click here to view the video that shows how we approach safety and what an earthquake drill looks like.
We talk with students in age-appropriate ways about what they can expect and why we practice emergency responses. For elementary students we say the most important things to remember if an earthquake happens at school are duck, cover and hold if they feel the ground shake. When it stops, go outside to the field. Stay calm with kid voices off so we can follow adult instructions. In an emergency, we will keep them safe at school until their grown ups can pick them up.
Dangerous intruder: Our schools will review what to do in the event of a dangerous intruder or similar event on campus. The dates for each school’s practice will vary depending on scheduling.
Practice at the elementary schools means students will view an age-appropropriate “dangerous intruder” video (which you may preview here) and talk with their teacher. The video and classroom discussion will encourage children to stay calm, follow directions, and listen to trusted adults.
Middle school dangerous intruder practice involves multiple agencies and will be done when we complete the upgrade of our door lock system. I will give you more information closer to our practice date.
For more details about safety at school, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/safety.
CALENDAR
October 10
- Parent U-Math at 5pm
- School Site Council Meeting @ 5pm
- Movie Night in the MUR (All invited): "The Haunted Mansion" PG-13
October 12
- Teacher Service Day-No School
October 13
- No school-Recess Day
- Bookshelf Event @ 3 pm Mistral Campus
- ELAC Meeting @ 4:30pm
DISTRICT NEWS
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Oct. 5 at 6:00 p.m.
Some of the topics include:
Planning for a Possible Parcel Tax Renewal
Update on Measure T Summer Work
Enrollment and Staffing Update
For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Oct. 6
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Oct. 6 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC106. Mark your calendars for all upcoming community check-ins! A list of dates and login information is here.
Parent University Speaker Series Presents
Parenting in the Digital Era - Supporting Dialogue and Strategies for Building Healthy Tech Habits
Date and Time: October 24, 2023, 5:30-7:00 pm Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu102423
One of our favorite nonprofit organizations is back! The staff of My Digital TAT2 will be delivering a workshop that will empower parents with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate the complexities of raising tech-savvy, digitally responsible children. We will address common tech issues such as digital “perfection”, misinformation, and things you might not know about popular apps and platforms.
Parents will gain crucial strategies that will support open dialogue and cultivate healthy tech habits among all family members.
To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your questions during the session.
Protect your family: Dangers of illegally-made synthetic drugs
It's important that you and your children know the dangers of illegally-made synthetic drugs. Synthetic drugs created in illegal labs, like Fentanyl, have ingredients that are impossible to know, and carry a high risk of overdose and death. Some are tasteless and odorless—even small amounts can cause an overdose. ANY pill bought through social media or even from a friend can contain deadly amounts of fentanyl. Learn more at http://mvw.sd/drugs.
BOC & PTOC Seeking Representatives
The District is seeking qualified persons to serve on the Bond Oversight Committee and the Parcel Tax Oversight Committee. Representatives monitor, provide oversight and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District.
Apply at the links below.
BOC: https://ow.ly/HhgA50PQqEs
PTOC: http://mvw.sd/PTOC
Applications can be returned to the district office by mail or emailed to cnavarrete@mvwsd.org.
October CAC and LCC Events
SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email selpa1cacinfo@gmail.com or check out www.selpa1cac.org
The Learning Challenges Committee is looking for members!
Are you interested in helping students with learning challenges? This can include students who receive special education services, students with a 504 plan, or any student with a learning challenge.
The Learning Challenges Committee of the Los Altos Mountain View PTA Council (LCC) helps provide teachers and school staff in Mountain View and Los Altos schools with supplies in their classrooms related to learning challenges. We need a variety of parent and student voices to help us best decide how we can help teachers and students about these issues.
Can you attend 2-3 meetings per year to help make these kinds of decisions with the LCC? Please email selpa1cacinfo@gmail.com. We need more voices to help students with learning challenges. We need you!
We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children: Try a Sensory Diet
Parent Chat
October 10, 10 am
Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child? Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. Every second Tuesday of the month at 10 am on Google Meet. Meeting is for 1 hour only due to Google Meet limitations. Contact trudy.palmer@me.com for invite.
October 11, 7 pm Evening Let’s Talk - IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIodOmhrz8tHNVYUGYMCIHeDa2lL43M-Puz
Missed our Parent Education events last year?
We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including last year’s Inclusive Fun Fair for summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw
MVLA Speaker Series: Julie Lythcott-Haims - How to Raise An Adult
Join MVLA Parent Ed on Tuesday, October 10, 2023 at 7pm (MVHS- Spartan Theater) for Julie Lythcott-Haims’ presentation of “How to Raise an Adult: Break Free of the Overparenting Trap.” In this widely acclaimed talk, Julie draws on her insights as the former dean of freshmen at Stanford as well as her deeply personal journey as a parent to highlight the ways in which overparenting undermines skill development and positive mental health and wellbeing in our children. Listen as she offers practical strategies that allow children to make their own mistakes and develop the resilience, resourcefulness, and inner determination necessary to become healthy, thriving adults. Register for this free event here.
Celebrate Shoreline: Oct. 15th
The City is hosting Celebrate Shoreline, a free event for the community to celebrate Shoreline ’s 40th anniversary. The family-friendly event is taking place 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15 at Shoreline at Mountain View regional park, 3070 N. Shoreline Blvd. The event will feature live music, self-guided tours, carnival games, food, and more! Visit MountainView.gov/CelebrateShoreline for more information.
City of MV Monster Bash
On Saturday, October 28, 2023, Mountain View’s Rengstorff Park will transform into a ghoulish good time for all ages with the return of Monster Bash. From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., community members are encouraged to don their favorite costumes and enjoy a fall festival loaded with a treat trail, spooky games, enchanting performances, a stilt walker, inflatables, creepy, crawly, ooey gooey zone, Dia de Muertos celebration and more. This event is free and open to the public. Visit MountainView.gov/MonsterBash for more information.