The Dolphin Whistle

Promotion Planning for Our 5th Graders

We need 5th grade parents to help with planning a wonderful send-off for our fifth graders. Please contact Mrs. Introcaso or Mrs. Johnson to help. We need parent power for this special event!

Summer School Enrollment

Don’t miss this opportunity to help your children overcome their learning loss during the pandemic. We have summer school right here at the Castro/Mistal campuses, that includes breakfast, lunch and even child care until 5 pm. Invitations were sent out before our last break and only those students who met certain criteria were invited. Check your email and register now before the sessions are full. If you need help, please contact the Castro office.

Attendance Communication

Thanks to the parents who are calling in their children’s absences before school starts. You can call in at any time and leave a voice message for our clerk, Mrs. Navarro at jnavarro@mvwsd.org. This is a safety issue. If your children aren’t at school, we need to know that they are home with you and safe. Please work with us on this.

Sincerely,

Dr. Judy Crates

As our community is still reeling from the recent student tragedy, many of us are asking the question of “how can we make school commutes safer for our students?” The Mountain View Whisman School District is looking to focus and record these organic conversations in an online exchange of ideas, with the goal of involving all of the organizations and people who have a role in making our community safer.

On April 20, please look in your email for a link to a ThoughtExchange about safety. Middle school students will also be participating. Your participation is confidential. Please share and come back often to rate new ideas until the exchange closes on May 4.

Date and Time: April 27, 2022, 5:30pm Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu042722

Nervous about middle school? We get it! Change can be daunting, but it can also lead to amazing new experiences. Join us to learn how to support your children as they prepare for the next stage in their academic and social lives. We will feature a panel of staff and students from Crittenden and Graham who will offer lots of wisdom and details about grades six, seven, and eight. See you there!

To submit your questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions.

It's time for our annual celebration of former English Learner students who have successfully reclassified as English Proficient this school year! We are extremely proud of all the students as well as all of the families, teachers, and school staff who have supported them along the way. Families of newly reclassified students should have received email invitations and formal paper invitations this week to the event to take place at Crittenden the evening of April 28. If you have any questions, or believe you should have received an invitation but didn't, please contact your child's school or Leticia Corcoran at lcorcoran@mvwsd.org or (650) 526-3500 x1121. Congratulations!

Both outdoor and indoor masking is strongly recommended (but no longer required) for students and staff in our schools and offices. However, there are times that masks are still very highly recommended.

This April, we herald in Autism Acceptance Month and celebrate our neurodiverse community. MVWSD is a district that aims to provide an identity-affirming, empowering space for all of our students. We strive to challenge biases and champion change that makes our world more equitable, accessible, and just. Check out this month's infographic for ideas and resources to spark a conversation about autism acceptance and about the gifts our neurodiverse people bring to our community. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

Everyone has upsetting thoughts from time to time, which can make us feel angry, sad, or frustrated. This is normal! It is often our emotions that drive these upsetting thoughts, not the facts of the situation. By catching our upsetting thoughts, checking the facts, and changing our thoughts based on those facts, we can start to have more helpful thoughts and improve our mood.

Watch this video and learn more about how to change upsetting thoughts to be more helpful.

To change your upsetting thoughts:

1. Catch it. When you feel upset, pause and ask yourself, “What words or phrases are running through my mind right now?”

2. Check it. Consider whether the thought you are having is helpful or not.

3. Change it. If you are having an unhelpful thought, consider other ways of looking at the situation. Reframe your thought to one that is more helpful.

Join the MV Police Activities League on Friday, April 22 from 4 pm to 7:30 pm at Rengstorff Park for a family night of fun promoting health and mental wellness for youth of all ages. The event is free for local Mountain View youth and families. A picnic dinner will be provided!

Día de los Niños/Día de los libros (Day of the Children/Day of the Books) will be celebrated with a performance from Raices de Mexico, a Mexican folkloric dance company that will perform regional dances from Mexico, on Saturday, April 30 from 11-11:45 a.m. in Pioneer Park. The event is open to all ages, and no registration is required. Click here for more information.

Registration is open for MVLA’s Speech and Debate Summer Camp, which is being held at Mountain View High School from June 20–24 and June 27–July 1 for students entering grades 3-9. The camp is taught by the team’s varsity level debaters and speakers, and there are options for focusing on general speaking skills or preparation for competition. Free and discounted options are available for families with need. For more information and digital registration: mvlasdcamp.org. For paper registration options, scholarships, and questions: contact julieherman@mvlasdb.org or (925) 315-5514.

Register for the upcoming free webinar and Facebook Live event: Suicide Prevention 101 for Parents: Recognizing Signs and What to Do in English on April 20, 2022 from 5 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. This free webinar will provide information about suicide prevention for parents, including warning signs for suicide, how to have a conversation with their teen, actions to take if their teen is having a suicidal thoughts, and resources. The webinar is provided in partnership with the California Department of Education, the California Mental Health Services Authority, the Directing Change Program, and Teen Line. English meeting zoom information is here.