Preschool Principal Newsletter

February 2025

Dear MVSD Preschool Families and Community,

I hope that all preschool families and staff had a wonderful winter break. A year ago, one of my new year's professional resolutions was to enhance our home-preschool connections and overall communication plan. I am happy to share with our families and staff the progress we have made in these areas so far:

• We acquired our own Preschool Programs Website.
• Parent Square is our new district-wide parent/family communication platform.
• We translate Preschool Flyers into four main languages.
• We have instituted a weekly Preschool Spirit Day on Fridays.
• We have increased Themed Spirit Days to raise Attendance Awareness.
• We are increasing the numbers of parents acquiring the Parent Square App through our "Parent Square Preschool Challenge."

My 2025 New Year's professional resolution is to increase access for preschool families to high quality workshops and to identify creative ways to increase parent participation in the classrooms and in training opportunities to support learning at home. I encourage our preschool families to consider adding onto their 2025 New Year resolutions the following:

1) Fostering the Love of Reading at home by reading to their children every day

2) Modeling counting all sorts of things at home to show their children that Math is Everywhere

3) Identify positive qualities in your young children and use Affirmations to foster a high self-esteem in them.

I continue to be grateful for our families and staff who take the time to read this third preschool newsletter of the year. On behalf of our Preschool Programs staff, I wish you a Wonderful Winter Season and an upcoming Spectacular Spring Season!

Respectfully,

Glenda Giron, Principal of Preschool Programs

An important component of our Head Start and Early Head Start programs focuses on supporting our teachers, students, and families in areas related to social-emotional development, behavioral supports, and students with special needs. Meet our Mental Health and Disabilities preschool team composed of David Avalos -Preschool Psychologist, Estephany Casarrubias - Mental Health Consultant, Claudia Casillas -Manager overseeing Mental Health and Disabilities Service Areas, and Tommy Velasquez-Manager supporting Mental Health Services. They work together to support students through our internal referral system and with Multidisciplinary Team Meetings (MDTs) to address student behavioral and developmental concerns. Ms. Casarrubias addresses related supports for families at home while Mr. Avalos addresses related supports for students in the classroom.

In addition, our State Preschool Inclusion program at Maxson is supported through Kalyn Sakamoto and Leslie Chavez, Preschool Intensive Needs Teachers. Speech supports are provided by a dedicated team of all Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) districtwide, with Ms. Maritza Duniya, SLP, leading the process of Head Start speech referrals. We are also supported by our school district's preschool diagnostic team composed mainly of Leah Barragan -Preschool Psychologist, and Sarah Guzman and Vilma Barrales, Preschool Intensive Needs Teachers.

On January 21st, 2025, the Los Angeles County Office of Education presented the 11th Annual Golden Apple Award to one of our outstanding preschool teachers, Elsa Guerrero.

For over 18 years Mrs.Guerrero has worked at various Head Start sites and currently she is assigned to the Cogswell full-day program. As a Head Start Teacher, Mrs. Guerrero provides a rich active environment for her students and families. She is truly committed to supporting all students at all levels of development, exemplifying a Multi-tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework in her classroom. She has also embraced and excelled in all CLASS elements by implementing these strategies into her daily instruction.

Above all state and federal mandates, classroom instructional practices, and her overall preschool knowledge base, what truly paints a picture of Mrs. Guerrero’s imprint in the preschool world is the feedback we formally and informally get from families. Parents and families that have been part of her classroom year after year, often stop by to say hello and to thank her for not only preparing young children for elementary years of education but also for inspiring families to be the best that they can be for themselves first so they can in turn be the best for their children.

Congratulations, Mrs. Guerrero, for this outstanding accomplishment!

Since our kickoff Preschool Attendance Rally on October 18, 2024, we have been individually recognizing preschool students for their monthly attendance as follows:

Gold Level Certificate = 0 absences

Silver Level Certificate = 1 absence

Bronze Level Certificate = 2 absences

To raise awareness about the importance of school attendance, we hold one special Spirit Day per month. In November the theme was "Wear Fall Colors Day." In December it was "Winter Wear Day," and in January it was "Super Hero Day."

Our second Preschool Attendance Rally took place on January 23 at the Children's Center (pictured below). Parents who attended the rally received a Free-Dress Day pass and a surprise super hero soft toy for their preschool child. Congratulations to the Top Winning Classes with the most students receiving Attendance Certificates in the month of December 2024 (pictured below).

SAVE THE DATE - Our last Preschool Attendance Rally of the year is set for Thursday, May 22nd, 2025. We hope that all preschool parents can join us!

Did you know that three times per year all preschool children choose a free picture book that they get to take home? Through our partnership with the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) organization, our programs support the love of reading in all preschool homes. We ask families to create a daily routine at home to read picture books to their children. We also encourage families to start a "home library" for their children.

For our first RIF book distribution our Preschool teachers and staff embraced the unifying theme "Animal Friends in Autumn" to design unique experiences centered around this concept. For instance, some classes crafted animal masks and paraded around the classroom, pretending to forage. Other classrooms went on nature hunts to collect autumn leaves, using them to explore seasonal changes in trees. Others engaged in learning about fall fruits and vegetables by examining pumpkins or participating in a mock farmer’s market. Throughout these events, teachers encouraged parents to assist with material preparation and participate in literacy activities a week before the special RIF event. Many teachers also invited parents and staff, including Preschool Administrators and Office Staff, to read to their classes during these events. One classroom even had a special guest, Shay Murphy, a former professional WNBA player with the Phoenix Mercury! Overall, the first RIF Event was a tremendous success, kicking off the year by offering children exciting opportunities to develop a love for literacy.

For our second RIF book distribution taking place around Dr. Seuss's birthday, the staff has chosen the theme "Read Across America." Read Across America week will be celebrated this year on March 3rd-7th. For our third and last RIF book distribution, the theme will be Spring-related.

At the closing of the last school year, all Mountain View School District teachers received training on Capturing Kids Hearts (CKH), a program designed to foster a positive school culture through strong relationships between teachers and students and their families. In the first few month of the school year, our staff focused on getting to know their students and their families. In January, we instituted the preschool CKH theme "Better Together," which focuses on the power of Teamwork for the adults -staff and families- and the power of Affirmations for our children. This is why we have recently invited all families to participate in our Cup of Affirmation Home-School Connection Activity, in which parents write a powerful affirmation to their preschool child. Thereafter, preschool teachers will use these affirmations to teach students how to express good things about their peers and themselves through positive affirmations.

Through Capturing Kids Hearts, we aim to increase a positive school culture districtwide. In January, we invited all preschool parents to participate in our "Cup of Affirmation" Home-School Connection activity in which parents wrote a positive affirmation for their preschool child and it was shared with their preschool teacher. We now request your valuable feedback on this activity. Please click on the blue button below, to respond.

Thank you for your participation!

In our last newsletter, we shared details about our yearly process to collaboratively create a learning plan to support school readiness goals for our preschool students. We call this learning plan our Focus on Learning (FoL) Plan, which was presented to our Board of Education in October 2024. This year, we have continued our efforts to further align our preschool academic goals with our district's learning priorities in the areas of reading, math, language and social emotional development. The next step was to put our Focus on Learning (FoL) Plan into action by having our teaching staff collaboratively develop instructional agreements to meet the goals set in our FoL Plan. When families visit their child's classrooms or hold conferences and home visits with their child's teacher, they are encouraged to further inquire about the instructional agreements outlined below. To enhance the effectiveness of these instructional agreements, this year all Coffee with the Principal events will include targeted parent training on these goals and how parents can support them at home.

The Coffee with the Preschool Principal events offer hands-on, interactive opportunities for preschool families to learn about what happens in preschool classrooms and how they can incorporate easy games and strategies at home to support key developmental skills related to reading, mathematics and social emotional development. All events take place from 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. at our main Head Start office, located at 2109 Burkett St., El Monte, CA 91732. All topics are directly related to the student academic goals presented in our Focus on Learning Plan. The first two sessions took place on November 20th, 2024 and January 29, 4024 on the topics of "Raising Socially and Emotionally Strong Children" and "The Love of Reading."

This year, we are offering parents the opportunity to join us virtually if they are not able to attend in person. We also offer the option of viewing the recorded session from the comfort of their home at a later time through our Preschool Programs YouTube channel. Families who participate in these sessions receive a free book and a developmental toy/tool aligned to strategies presented during the sessions to be used at home. For attendees who attend at least 3 of the 4 available sessions, they will be invited to participate in the final raffle at the conclusion of our series. Pictured below are some of the sample raffle prizes, which are educational toys that directly support key preschool learning goals.

SAVE THE DATE for the remaining Coffee with the Principal events of this year

• March 5, 2025 - Math is Everywhere at the adjusted time of 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. and right after the culmination of our Abriendo Puertas Parent Workshop
• May 7, 2025 - The Glows and Grows of 2024-2025 in Preschool at 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m

The Coffee with the Principal Event #1 on the topic "Raising Socially and Emotionally Strong Children" is now available in a recoded video on our YouTube Preschool Channel on this link: https://youtu.be/rXgbTeF-ADY. If you complete a simple post-training questionnaire on this link https://forms.gle/kfERqHffebQkjqhVA, you can receive a take-home social-emotional gift until supplies run out.

When asked about one thing that attending families had learned from the workshop that they could apply at home, here are some of the responded we received:

• "Teach my child to love challenge, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning."
• "One thing I might apply is to foster self esteem. It is important that as growing kids they also develop their self esteem to help them achieve their goals and not be scared to keep trying."
• "Giving my daughter choices and being able to understand her decisions. Making sure her grit is applied to all her academics and choices."

This is the second year that our Family and Community Engagement department will be offering an amazing Parent Curriculum Series in English and Spanish called Abriendo Puertas (Opening Doors) for our preschool families. This workshop is designed for parents of children 0-5 years, and it is grounded in research, reflects parent input, and uses the “popular education” approach to engage parents through culturally relevant activities. It 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 5-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 will be presented by our Family Services Worker (FSW) Team, once per week from 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m, starting Thursday, January 30th and every Wednesday thereafter until March 5th, 2025. No prior enrollment is needed, so you just need to show up. There is no requirement that you must attend all sessions; however, we encourage you to do so since we will cover ten important topics in those five weeks. We offer babysitting, snacks, and raffle prizes, and on the last session, March 5th, 2025, we will hold a Parent Graduation Celebration. Please call us at our main office at (626)652-4250, if you have any questions.

Every Friday is Preschool Spirit Day in all of our preschool classrooms. If you have not already earned this beautiful free shirt, be sure to check with your assigned Family Service Worker to see if you have met all the health requirements to earn one for your preschool child. Dream big to meet your preschool child's health goals in three specific ways:

1. complete up-to-date physical exam that includes a lead value,
2. all required immunizations up-to-date, and
3. current dental exam

Hurry! It is never too late to put a smile on your child's face every Friday as they wear our very own Preschool Spirit Shirt.

Family-School Communication is key to a successful year for our preschool students. Ms. Giron continues to send a weekly Sunday message to all families on key events and activities in your home language (English, Spanish, Vietnamese, or Chinese) through Parent Square. If you are not receiving this Sunday message, please contact our Preschool Programs main office at (626) 652-4250.

Please keep your contact information updated with us to stay informed of all important preschool messages. If you need to update your phone or email address, please call your assigned Family Service Worker (FSW) for support. Also, please download the Parent Square App onto your phone so you can sign up and start receiving up-to-date, timely communication from your classroom teacher and all program staff.

We have a challenge for our preschool families: Get the Parent Square App and sign up with your phone or email on file. The Parent Square App allows families to receive timely and relevant communication from your child's teacher and our preschool program support staff and the Principal. Our preschool children's safety is of utmost importance to us, so help us keep you informed through the Parent Square App. For this Preschool Challenge, The first 5 classes that achieve 100% in having registered for the Parent Square App to receive direct communication from your preschool teacher, will be winners of a learning gift to every single child in that class. Although this ​Preschool Challenge was initially set to end Jan 31, 2025, we will extend this challenge until we secure the first five classes with 100% Parent Square App enrollment. So hurry up and sign up to help your child's class be a winner!

In addition to connecting with us in person or by phone, we encourage you to connect with our programs via Facebook page, our new website, and through Parent Square, a safe and secure platform for all school-to-home communication. Here are two QR codes you can use to get the Parent Square App and activate your Parent Square account.

It is very important that you provide us with your updated contact information (email and phone number) so you will not miss important family-school communication messages. Please contact your assigned Family Service Worker directly or our Preschool Programs main office at (626) 652-4250 to update your email and cell phone number, as needed.

• February 13 - HS 10-Month Program Spring Home Visit Day 2 Non-Pupil Day
  
• February 17 - Presidents Day
• February 20 - Policy Committee Meeting 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., Children's Center
• February 19 - Preschool Abriendo Puertas Parent Class 8:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
• February 26 - Preschool Abriendo Puertas Parent Class 8:30 a.m. -10:30 a.m.
• March 5 - Preschool Abriendo Puertas Parent Class 8:30 a.m. -9:30 a.m
• March 5 - Coffee with the Preschool Principal 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
• March 19 - Preschool Parent Symposium 9:00 - 10:30 a.m., Family Center

Dear Mountain View School District Community,

Since our last Principal’s Newsletter in November, I hope you all had a restful and enjoyable Winter Break and a strong start to the New Year this past January. I want to start with thanking the Mountain View community for the incredible resilience our school communities have demonstrated. The start of the year has not been without hardship, particularly with the impact of recent fires. However, through it all, our students, families, and staff have come together to support one another, reinforcing the strength and unity that define Mountain View School District.

I also reiterate as in messages past that many in our community are facing uncertainty and fear due to the ongoing rhetoric and actions surrounding immigration enforcement. Please know that Mountain View School District remains steadfast in our commitment to providing Safe Schools for All Students and Families. This commitment was reaffirmed by our Board of Education in December 2024 through the resolution emphasizing our unwavering support for every student and family in our district.

As part of this commitment, we encourage you to visit our newly launched Immigration and Family Resources page, where you will find valuable information and support. Additionally, we invite you to attend our upcoming FREE Immigration Law Clinic on Wednesday, February 19th, which will be available both in person and virtually.

At Mountain View School District, we believe that every student deserves to learn in a safe and supportive environment. Our MVSD families are a huge part of making that a reality. Thank you for being part of a community that stands together for the success and well-being of our students.

Sincerely,
Raymond Andry, Ed.D.
Superintendent

Do you or someone you know have legal questions? If so, you are invited to attend and sign-up for a 1:1 consultation.

FREE Immigration Law Clinic:

🗓️ Wed, February 19, 2025

⌛ 5:00 - 7:30 p.m.

-

🙋🏼 In Person:

Payne Elementary School

2850 Mountain View Road, El Monte, CA 91732

🅿️ FREE Parking: Off of Mountain View Rd. & Cogswell Rd.

-

📲 Virtually:

Via Zoom (use this link or SCAN QR Code)

https://mtviewschools.zoom.us/j/83474884388

Meeting ID: 834 7488 4388

In light of recent reports of immigration enforcement activities in California, many families may be experiencing uncertainty and fear.

To further support our families, the District has launched a dedicated webpage with valuable resources, including contact information, proactive guidance, and important updates. Please visit our Immigration and Family Resources webpage for details.

As a District that deeply values diversity and the strength that comes from our shared experiences, we firmly believe that our differences are what make our community unique, resilient, and beautiful. During these challenging times, we want to reassure all students, families, teachers, and staff that we are united in our support for one another.

To ensure the safety and well-being of our community, the District leadership team has reviewed current laws and model practice responses to immigration-related issues. This effort aligns with California State Law, specifically AB 699—the Safe Schools for Immigrant Students Act, which:

• Prohibits the collection of immigration status information.

• Requires policies to prevent immigration enforcement on school campuses.

• Forbids discrimination based on immigration status.

We also remain devoted to our Board’s Resolution, which is committed to the Education of All Children and Making All Campuses a Safe Zone for Students and Families Threatened by Immigration Enforcement.

If U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or law enforcement were to visit a Mountain View School District campus, students, parents, teachers, and staff are to direct them immediately to the school administrator or a designated responder without granting them access to our school campus.

Our employees have been explicitly instructed not to share any information about students, families, or staff unless authorized by the legal counsel through the Superintendent’s Office or Designee. This policy serves to protect the privacy and safety of everyone in our school community.

YOU can shape the future of our MVSD Schools

Mountain View School District parents and guardians are invited to submit their survey responses to our Community Schools Assets & Needs Survey from now until February 15, 2025.

Our District families' participation in this survey is part of the California Community Schools Implementation Grants that MVSD was awarded in May of 2024.

Our students stand to benefit from the transformational educational outcomes of Community Schools through the establishment of the whole child and family and community connections at each of our school sites.

In January, we announced that the Intra-District Permit application window for the 2025-2026 school year is now open through Thursday, February 27, 2025.

GREAT NEWS! Students who already have an intra-district permit on file WILL NOT need to renew it on an annual basis.

Who does this apply to?

Families newly requesting their students attend a non-resident school within MVSD will need to submit an intra-district permit application on the District website. Read more on our Parent Square post here.

Mountain View School District continues to foster a culture of health, safety, and well-being for students, staff and families. We’re pleased to offer free mental-health resources through Hazel Health and Care Solace.

Together, we can support every student’s journey to wellness. For more information, reach out to your school or visit our website.

Many of our students and families may have noticed the addition of solar panels at several of our campuses. We are excited to provide an update, as construction on ALL solar panel projects is expected to be completed by this summer 2025.

A few years back, after careful consideration, MVSD determined it was in the District’s best interest to research and implement a solar panels initiative to support the District’s energy efficiency and renewable energy production with the following goals:

1. Achieving energy cost reductions

2. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and

3. Providing educational opportunities and shade structures to students and staff

Through the use of solar panels to generate electricity, MVSD will contribute to sustainable green energy which will lead to substantial cost savings for the District. At the May 5, 2022 board meeting, the power lease agreement estimated that MVSD's solar initiative could result in reduced electrical costs of up to 35% over the 25-year term. Solar installations across ten campuses are expected not only offset those electrical costs but provide shade and rain cover for students. As part of the power lease agreement the installation and maintenance of the solar structures will be the responsibility of Lumince, the installer of the system.

The ten campuses benefiting from solar energy include Baker Elementary, Cogswell Property (housing our Children’s Center and Warehouse), La Primaria Elementary, Maxson Elementary, Miramonte Elementary, Monte Vista School, Parkview School, Payne Elementary, Twin Lakes School, and the Voorhis Property (the future location of the MVSD District Office).

Our Family Center’s Walk-Up Food Pantry is still going strong with five more dates scheduled through April 2025.

Check out all their dates through the 2024-25 school year. Help us spread the word and read more by clicking here.

Interested in volunteering? Volunteers are always needed! If you or someone you know, such a business or community organization are interested in giving back, please call the Family Center at (626) 652-4077.

Year two of the Disney Imagination Campus STEAM field trips kicked-off this January and will continue through March 2025.

Last year, MVSD was one of only four school districts in Los Angeles County to be invited to participate in this outstanding three-year program, exposing our students to innovative and valuable STEAM experience.

During their full-day trip, our MVSD 5th grade students will participate in “Theme Park Design” at Disneyland and our 8th grade students will partake in “The Physics of Roller Coasters” at the neighboring California Adventure.

We want to thank all our amazing parent and family Volunteers as well as our dedicated staff for making this experience a reality for each 5th and 8th grade student in our District!

We are excited to share that several furniture and structural installations have taken place throughout the District to refresh our schools’ indoor and outdoor spaces!

We extend a big thanks to our Maintenance & Operations staff for their hard work and dedication in completing these upgrades over the Thanksgiving and Winter Breaks.

Additionally, we must thank our amazing teachers and staff for the time they spent preparing and setting up their learning spaces before our students returned to class.

We heard that our students returned to school after each break to find their spaces newly refreshed, with new classroom furniture, cafeteria tables and other, providing an inviting and comfortable environment for learning, eating and playing.

We appreciate everyone’s efforts in making these school enhancements possible throughout MVSD.

MVSD joined schools across the nation in highlighting the crucial role of school counselors in U.S. education systems. At Mountain View School District, counselors collaborate to create a comprehensive counseling program that supports students' academic, social-emotional, and career development.

In an interview, Ms. Lira, a Monte Vista School counselor, shared her passion for the profession saying, "I became a counselor because I love working with kids. It's rewarding to watch students progress from setting goals at the beginning of the school year to achieving them. I enjoy measuring their growth throughout this process."

When asked about what makes counseling at Mountain View unique, Ms. Lira emphasized: "I appreciate the strong support our counseling team provides to one another. Mountain View has also given us the opportunity to participate in the Hatching Results program, which has enhanced our knowledge and helped establish a district-wide counseling program."

We are very grateful for the invaluable service our School Counselors and comprehensive student support staff bring to our students everyday!

Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year begins February 19. MVSD is proud to offer excellent full-day Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten programs at our outstanding schools.

Children who will be 5-years-old on or before September 1, 2025, are eligible to register for Kindergarten and children turning 5-years-old between September 2, 2025 and June 2, 2026 are invited to register in Transitional Kindergarten (TK), which is a bridge between preschool and kindergarten and gives young learners a head start, providing them with an opportunity to learn and grow in an environment that is tailored to meet their academic and social needs.

To access the online student enrollment process, click this link https://mountainviewesd.asp.aeries.net/air/.

MOUNTAIN VIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF EDUCATION

Jacqueline Saldaña - President

Adam Carranza - Vice President

Veronica Sifuentes - Clerk

Christian Diaz - Member

Cindy Wu - Member

DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION

Raymond Andry, Ed.D. - Superintendent

Darrin De Knikker, Ed.D. - Associate Superintendent of Business Services and Strategic Planning

Mercedes Gomez, Ed.D. - Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services

Roberto López-Mena - Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources