The Dolphin Whistle

Dear Castro Families,

I'm a mother, grandmother and the school “parent” for our students. In each of these roles I’m at a loss for words to express my sadness and dismay about the recent school shootings in Texas. Whether we are born and raised in this country or are immigrants, we all want the same for our children and grandchildren - happiness, security, and hope. We truly mourn the loss of children and teachers and we ask ourselves: How can these things continue to happen? It’s even more difficult to respond to children’s questions. There simply is no logic, nor are there simple answers. We all need to reflect on how to change this violence. These incidents reinforce the need for all of us to be vigilant about mental health issues in those around us and to assure that everyone feels connected and has a sense of community.

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Important Notices and Dates

1. All Kindergarten, first and second grade Chromebooks must be returned tomorrow, Friday, May 27. Headphones and chargers also need to be returned.

2. Grades 3 and 4 Chromebooks due Tuesday, May 31, with headphones and chargers.

3. I hope you read the Summer Learning letter I sent earlier today. Next week you will receive a paper copy of the Summer Learning Log. Here is the link to the summer log. It is also on the MVWSD website. Take a look at the Summer Learning Menu

Parents can access their children’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score via their Powerschool Parent Portal on June 3 at 3:00 pm. Parents will have access to three reports for their child - For Families Report, Common Core State Standards Report (CCSS), and the Diagnostic Growth Report. Here’s how to access PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports. Please contact your child’s school office if you have any trouble accessing reports.

Approximately 3,000 students enrolled in academic support this year beyond the regular school day using an array of tutoring models. Our schools partnered with 8 agencies/programs to serve our students’ needs as part of the Learning Recovery Plan. For those of you who had students participate in the program, please tell us about your experience by completing the Tutoring Survey in your inbox before May 25. Thank you!

Recordings of the last Parent University event of the year, “Preparing for High School,” are available if you missed the presentation: English (https://vimeo.com/709681000) and Spanish (https://vimeo.com/709929410). Find recordings of past Parent U presentations at https://www.mvwsd.org/parentu.

The District is finalizing its draft of the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). This is the District’s three-year plan that corresponds with the first three years of the District’s new Strategic Plan 2027. These documents are the blueprints that guide all of the District’s work for the benefit of our students.

Stakeholders are now welcome to comment on the draft LCAP plan. You may read the presentation and supporting materials at mvwsd.org/lcap and make comments before May 25. Stakeholders may also attend the public hearing during the Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday, June 2 at 6 p.m. on Zoom (the link is: mvwsd.org/trustees).

The Food and Drug Administration last week authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. The County-operated vaccination site at the Mountain View Community Center has been extended to Saturday, May 28. Parents can make a vaccine appointment for their children at https://covid19.sccgov.org/covid-19-vaccine-information.

Community Services Agency (CSA) provides safety-net services to the most vulnerable members of the Mountain View/Los Altos community. They offer emergency rental assistance, short-term hotel stays, car repairs, senior case management, a food pantry, and many other essential services. In order to support the community, CSA holds events like the upcoming Back-to-School Program on July 29 and 30, when parents and children from the Mountain View Whisman School District who are in need can get gift cards to buy school supplies for the 2022-23 school year. If you are interested in learning more about the Back-to-School Program and how you can help, click here. If you are in need of services, contact CSA at 650-968-0836.

Due to increased support from our donors, MVEF has nearly met the stretch goal to raise an additional $300,000 to hire two additional English Language Arts teachers next year, one at each of the MVWSD middle schools. We are happy to announce that MVEF has committed the funds to the District so they can hire the ELA teachers. We are so grateful for the support we have received, and are looking forward to seeing the benefits of smaller class sizes to our students’ education next year!