Preschool Principal Newsletter
Principal's Message
Dear MVSD Preschool Families and Community,
I hope that all preschool families and staff had a wonderful winter break. With the start of the 2024 New Year, one of my professional New Year resolutions is to continue enhancing our home-preschool connections and communication in a variety of ways, such as this newsletter. I am grateful that our families and staff take the time to read this third preschool newsletter of the year, and I hope you find it of value to the betterment of our young children and our community at large.
I encourage our preschool families to consider adding onto their New Year resolutions to actively and purposefully participate in their child's education through at-home adult modeling of positive behaviors such as taking turns, sharing, naming feelings, praising one another, and using kind words like "Please" and "Thank you." We are your partners in your young child's healthy overall social-emotional development as our preschool teachers conduct weekly mini-lessons that can easily be practiced and reinforced at home. In this preschool newsletter, you will find more information about this important topic.
On behalf of our Preschool Programs staff, I wish you all a beautiful upcoming Spring Season!
Respectfully,
Glenda Giron, Principal of Preschool Programs
How We Support Preschool Children's Social-Emotional Development
In the next few months, our students will be introduced to how they can make and keep friendships and how they can use problem-solving skills to resolve conflict (See Unit 4 lessons below). To close the year, they will review important skills learned that can help them successfully transition into Kindergarten/ Transitional Kindergarten (see Unit 5 lessons below). Please check with your child's teacher if you have additional questions about our Second Step curriculum or how you can best support the social-emotional development of your young children.
Abriendo Puertas Parent Workshops
This is the first year that we offer Abriendo Puertas to our families in our preschool programs. This program focuses on the belief that parents are the most powerful people in the life of a child and having an informed, active, and engaged parent is one of life's greatest advantages. Parents and family members who attend this 10-week program will learn about 0-5 brain development, how to enrich your child's social-emotional development, and how to promote literacy, mathematics, language, and healthy nutrition through home activities. These classes are presented by our Mental Health Consultant, Ana Sanchez Marroquin, every Thursday at 9:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Classes started on January 17 and will end on March 28; however, it is not too late to enroll and you do not need to attend all sessions. If interested in enrolling, please call us at our main office at (626)652-4250.
- February 7 - Head Start Home Visit Day 2 (for all 10-month Head Start/State Preschool programs)
- February 12 - Lincoln's Birthday Holiday - Schools and District Offices closed
- February 14 - Coffee with the Preschool Principal Event
- February 19 - Washington's Birthday - Schools and District Offices closed
- February 21 - Virtual Mental Health Workshop, 6 pm, Bullying
- February 23 - Head Start Policy Committee Meeting
- March 4 - Staff Development Day - Student Free Day
- March 5-8 - Read Across America Week
- March 8 - CPAC Meeting , 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
- March 20 - Virtual Mental Health Workshop, 6 pm, Dangers of Unmonitored Internet Access
- March 28 - Head Start Policy Committee Meeting
- March 29 - Local Holiday - Schools and District Offices closed
- April 1 - April 5 - Spring Break - Schools Closed
- April 17 - Virtual Mental Health Workshop, 6 pm, LGBTQ+
- April 18 -- Head Start Policy Committee Meeting
- April 19 - CPAC Meeting, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
California State Treasurer, Fiona Ma, CPA Visits MVSD
We were proud to welcome California State Treasurer, Fiona Ma, CPA, to the District on January 11, 2024 for a presentation on the fiscal challenges facing MVSD and school districts throughout the state, as well as a tour of two of our schools, providing a glimpse of the dynamic teaching and learning that takes place each day for Mountain View’s 4,590 students.
After the presentation, the guests, including El Monte Mayor, Jessica Ancona, Mayor Pro Tem, Dr. Julia Ruedas and Councilmember, Marisol Cortez, South El Monte Mayor, Gloria Olmos, Karla Cardenas, Representative for Senator Susan Rubio, as well as Board of Education members and Trustees from El Monte Union High School District, El Monte City School District and Rio Hondo College and Theresa Dryfuss, former President of Rio Hondo College boarded one of the District’s electric school buses to tour Miramonte Elementary to see the Robotics and Studio Arts programs, the Think Together Program, Home Field Advantage Soccer and other sports and recreation programs offered after school. The group then traveled to Parkview School where they observed the After School Mandarin Enrichment Program, the City of El Monte’s Parks and Recreation basketball and cheerleading programs, as well as Think Together’s after school offerings. Students and staff from both schools welcomed the distinguished visitors with enthusiastic cheers and were proud to highlight their programs and greatly represented the exceptional students, teachers, support staff and dynamic after school programs we have throughout MVSD.
We appreciate Fiona Ma joining us to learn a little about our school district and some areas of priority and challenges we face as we work to inspire our students and community. We thank her for giving us her gift of time and continuing to demonstrate her passion for education and the wellbeing of Californians overall.
State Treasurer, Fiona Ma, El Monte Mayor, Jessica Ancona and South El Monte Mayor, Gloria Olmos are welcomed to Miramonte School.
Students in the Think Together afterschool program share the math work they are working on with State Treasurer, Fiona Ma.
Disney Imagination Campus Field Trips Underway
As one of four school districts in Los Angeles County selected as a Disney Imagination Campus, our fifth and eighth grade students began their field trips to the Disney Parks the week of January 22 for the exceptional STEAM experience. The Imagination Campus sessions are three-hour, hands-on, collaborative learning experiences that promote creative thinking, problem-solving, and the communication of ideas and address several, key State Standards in the arts, humanities, science, and technology. The unique curriculum and learning environment fosters creative thinking, fearless exploration and, Disney magic with the mission to provide students with the tools they need to express themselves creatively and academically and to prepare them for real-world challenges.
Our fifth graders are participating in Technology of Disneyland Parks, working with Disney Imagineers, learning about theme park design. Eighth graders are taking part in Physics of Disney Parks at Disney’s California Adventure Park, learning how the laws of physics are applied to every element of the theme park experience. Along with the three-hour workshops, students get a full-day pass to explore the theme parks.
Thanks to funding from an Arts Block Grant, MVSD will be part of this wonderful program through the 2025-2026 school year.
Facilities Upgrades
Over winter break our Maintenance and Operations Team was busy with facilities upgrades at our schools. Restroom remodels and cafeteria flooring was the focus. Nonskid vinyl flooring installation was completed in multipurpose room/auditoriums at a few schools. The new flooring provides students with a safe, inviting area to learn and enjoy various activities. Restroom remodeling included new flooring, paint, toilets, sinks, and stalls. Grounds crews performed athletic field renovations at Twin Lakes and Maxson schools and completed tree trimming at several sites. Additionally, new rooftop HVAC units were installed at a few schools, and each school and district property received a new digital marquee that will be used to promote school programs and share important information and events. Continued upgrades to flooring and restrooms throughout the District will be ongoing throughout the school year.
Community Schools Update
Currently, all of our schools are hard at work on completing the applications for the Community Schools Implementation Grant. At our last Community School Advisory Board Meeting, on Wednesday, January 17th, our advisory teams which consisted of a parent, Classified CSEA Member, Certificated MVTA Member, and the Principal, met to collaborate around the Community Schools Framework. Additional groups that participated in this collaborative process were the Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and Community Partners that addressed our whole groups to provide input for the grants. We also had members of our District Steering Committee present to support the work.
In addition, at the last Board Meeting, the Board of Education recognized the value of the California Community Schools Partnership Program Framework, which includes a commitment to shared decision-making and participatory practices and adopted the Shared Leadership Resolution on the Community Schools Model of School Improvement to support the implementation of the Community Schools Grants.
Mountain View community partners look forward to continuing the collaborative practices and shared leadership in completing the application process and submitting the Community School Implementation Grants to support all members of the community.
