Here are some highlights from the final school week of 2024:
1) A few more grades had their quarter-long Inquiry Arc Expositions/Exhibitions. Kinder was around Light and had 7th and 8th grade buddies as an audience and support. 4th graders presented to each other about Historical Indigenous tribes of California. A 5th grade class around VolumeVille (Volume in Math and Green Thinking Cities). Simultaneously, we had several grade levels begin new inquiry arcs!
2) Our Grades 4-8 School Musical (Disney's Descendants) kicked off with their beginning rehearsals.
3) We had our staff professional development kickoff on Monday, January 6th. Covering a variety of topics that would have huge reflective, and action-packed impact on our students and families for months and even years to come. See a picture of our exciting agenda from that day!
4) Our PTO board had their monthly meeting, excitedly planning details for programs and events for the second half of the school year, including our upcoming General Parent PTO meeting and Chili Cook-Off Bingo Night coming up on Monday, January 13th.
5) Our 5th grade parents gathered online to learn about the Outdoor Science School coming up the week of March 31st. We had many in attendance.
6) The Monte Vista Grades 6-8 Girls and Boys Basketball teams kicked off with their second games of the season, facing Los Arboles Middle School. While our Girls and our 8th grade boys had very competitive and strong games (with some closing in on score moments), our 7th grade boys were able to secure their undefeated record for the season. Everyone played so well and grew so much!
7) We kicked of our morning meetings with our January character trait of Growth Mindset and sharing goals for the school year. This happened in many classrooms as well--many resetting their classroom norms and expectations as well as thinking ahead about a few goals for each student.
8) Our Soul Patrol students (grades 4-7) met for their bi-monthly check-in, reviewing Playworks games, celebrations and challenges, and goals for the new 2025 calendar year in their work on the playground.
9) (See picture at top right). Mrs. Larson led a small, but powerful Saturday Morning Family YouthTruth Survey data analysis breakfast session with some parents of our school. We will have another session one January morning in the future after morning dropoff and another one in February in the evening on Zoom/online.
10) We ended the week with a big party of 50 students who received a Positive Office Referral in November or December. They had Smart Slice Pizza, Kettle Corn, and organic fruit juice while watching a very fun movie during lunchtime. Their pictures are in the picture gallery at the top of this newsletter.
And this is just a fraction of the many celebrations across campus!
Percentage of students present on first few days of 2025. We were in the green and almost at 97% which is the gold bar. Kudos everyone!
Staff reflects/shares out on their Quarter 2 Assessment Data Cycle results and Prepares for Quarter 3 Cycle
Staff reflects/shares out on their Quarter 2 Assessment Data Cycle results and Prepares for Quarter 3 Cycle
Staff reflects/shares out on their Quarter 2 Assessment Data Cycle results and Prepares for Quarter 3 Cycle
Staff digs deep in YouthTruth Surveys Data Analysis (themes, qualitative and quantitative, with next steps)
Staff digs deep in YouthTruth Surveys Data Analysis (themes, qualitative and quantitative, with next steps)
Staff digs deep in YouthTruth Surveys Data Analysis (themes, qualitative and quantitative, with next steps)
Staff digs deep in YouthTruth Surveys Data Analysis (themes, qualitative and quantitative, with next steps)
Staff digs deep in YouthTruth Surveys Data Analysis (themes, qualitative and quantitative, with next steps)
Staff returns from lunch with investigation and reflecting forward on Inquiry-Based Teaching at Monte Vista in 2025
Staff returns from lunch with investigation and reflecting forward on Inquiry-Based Teaching at Monte Vista in 2025
Staff returns from lunch with investigation and reflecting forward on Inquiry-Based Teaching at Monte Vista in 2025
Staff breaks out into small groups to dig deeper with Active Engagement Strategies related to our Problem of Practice (Success Criteria small group breakout pictured)
Staff breaks out into small groups to dig deeper with Active Engagement Strategies related to our Problem of Practice (Hands-On learning small group breakout pictured)
Grades 7 and 8 engage in Goal Setting Activity with Growth Mindset character trait during their morning meetings
Grades 7 and 8 engage in Goal Setting Activity with Growth Mindset character trait during their morning meetings
Grades 7 and 8 engage in Goal Setting Activity with Growth Mindset character trait during their morning meetings
Dr. Ashby and Mrs. Larson lead Goal Setting Activity with Growth Mindset character trait during Grades 7 and 8 morning meetings (similar for Grades 6 and Grades K-5 morning meetings too)
7th grade morning meeting--Ms. Taylor spins the reward wheel on students who used digital hall bathroom pass correctly on first day of school
5th grade class digs into Multiple Digit Number Multiplication (anchor chart pictured with different strategies from Ready Math)
Kindergarten and 8th grade buddies engage in Kinder's Light Inquiry Arc Exposition/Showcase stations
Kindergarten and 8th grade buddies engage in Kinder's Light Inquiry Arc Exposition/Showcase stations
Kindergarten and 8th grade buddies engage in Kinder's Light Inquiry Arc Exposition/Showcase stations
Kindergarten and 8th grade buddies engage in Kinder's Light Inquiry Arc Exposition/Showcase stations
Kindergarten and 8th grade buddies engage in Kinder's Light Inquiry Arc Exposition/Showcase stations
Kindergarten and 7th grade buddies engage in Kinder's Light Inquiry Arc Exposition/Showcase stations
4th grade presents to peers their Quarter 2 Inquiry Arc Exposition Slide Deck Presentations on Historical Indigenous Tribes of California
4th grade presents to peers their Quarter 2 Inquiry Arc Exposition Slide Deck Presentations on Historical Indigenous Tribes of California
4th grade presents to peers their Quarter 2 Inquiry Arc Exposition Slide Deck Presentations on Historical Indigenous Tribes of California
4th grade presents to peers their Quarter 2 Inquiry Arc Exposition Slide Deck Presentations on Historical Indigenous Tribes of California
4th grade presents to peers their Quarter 2 Inquiry Arc Exposition Slide Deck Presentations on Historical Indigenous Tribes of California
Monte Vista Grades 7th Grade Boys Junior Varsity Basketball Team Game Playing Los Arboles Middle School
Monte Vista Grades 7th Grade Boys Junior Varsity Basketball Team Game Playing Los Arboles Middle School
