MVLA Magazine
August 2024
Dear MVLA Community,
I am honored to introduce myself as the new Mountain View Los Altos High School District superintendent. While I have only been here for six weeks, I have learned quickly that the MVLA community is truly exceptional, with a deep commitment to our schools, staff, and students. I am excited to become a part of this remarkable culture.
My career in education has been driven by a strong belief in every student's potential. I understand the importance of fostering a supportive learning environment. I am eager to work with students, parents, teachers, and community members to build on our district's successes and tackle any challenges we face.
Having spent my entire career as a teacher, coach, and high school administrator, I have been inspired by watching teenagers develop into confident, creative, and compassionate young adults ready to lead our future.
Returning to the South Bay is a deeply personal journey for me. I grew up in Santa Clara, and my family has a rich history in education—my father was a teacher and football coach, and my mother was an elementary school secretary. I have fond memories of Mountain View and Los Altos schools, from cheering at games with my father to later competing as a high school athlete.
I am eager to meet all of you and learn more about our community's unique strengths and needs. Please don't hesitate to introduce yourselves to me when you see me on your campus.
Sincerely,
Eric Volta
Superintendent
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES
MVHS STUDENT AWARDED COLLEGE-SPONSORED MERIT SCHOLARSHIP
Each year, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation announces the awards of corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarships, National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, and college-sponsored Merit Scholarships. The final group of college-sponsored scholarships is always announced in July.
This July, MVHS senior Tim J. Van Antwerpen was awarded a National Merit Purdue University Scholarship; he plans to study engineering. Tim was one of 15,000 high school Merit Scholar finalists, competing for one of approximately 3,700 merit scholarships financed by colleges and universities. These scholarships provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study. Congratulations, Tim!
MVHS JUNIOR WINS AT INTERNATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITION
MVLA students don't slow down over the summer! MVHS Junior Erica Yamashina Enrile won first prize for her piano performance of Andante and Rondo Capriccioso, Op. 14, at the Charleston International Music Competition, which showcases musical talent from around the world.
Erica has been playing piano since she was five. You can view a recording of her award-winning performance here. Outside of music, Erica is also an award-winning fencer and has fenced at the Junior Olympics four times
DISTRICT NEWS
WELCOME TO THE 2024-2025 SCHOOL YEAR
Welcome back MVLA! We're excited to begin the 2024-2025 school year with you. Some key dates to note:
- August 29, 2024 - Back to School Night at Los Altos High School and Mountain View High School
- September 5, 2024 - Back to School Night at Alta Vista High School
- November 25 - 29, 2024 - Thanksgiving Break
- December 23, 2024 - January 3, 2025 - School Holiday Break
- April 7 - 11, 2025 - Spring Recess
- June 6, 2025 - Senior Graduation
Be sure and check out our Frequently Asked Questions for the new year. And if you want to start planning ahead for next year, here is the 2025-2026 calendar!
MVLA Adult School is welcoming fall with exciting NEW opportunities for English Language Learners in our community.
Medical Terminology for Advanced ESL helps prepare English Language Learners for entry into healthcare training programs such as Certified Nursing Assistant, Home Health Aide, Eye Care Technician, Medical Office Assistant, and more. Students who complete this course will be eligible for tuition-free entry into one of our Healthcare Certificate programs and a paid externship opportunity.
Advanced ESL Writing and Word Processing course is designed to equip students with the skills they need for success in business office skills training. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be eligible for tuition-free entry into one of our medical office or business programs. They can also earn college credit, giving them a head start in their careers.
Whether your goal is academic, personal, or professional, let MVLA Adult School help you in your journey toward self-improvement and success. You can view the Fall 2024 Course Catalog here and learn about registration here.
CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION
This year, CTE will offer two new pathways. Digital Communications is a branch of the Arts Media and Entertainment Sector that falls under the Production and Managerial Arts pathway. This pathway can lead to career opportunities in journalism, broadcasting, and communications. MVHS will offer Digital Communications I, II, and III, with an option for Dual Enrollment in several courses, while LAHS will offer Digital Communications I and II.
We are also growing our Dual Enrollment Program. This past school year, we offered over 29 Dual Enrollment opportunities to students across MVLA, with an increase of 19 courses since 2022. For 2024-2025, we will continue expanding and hope to offer over 30 Dual Enrollment opportunities. Students who complete the CTE Commercial Art Dual Enrollment Pathway at MVHS will be eligible to receive a Certificate of Achievement in Graphic Design from Foothill College upon graduation.
CONSTRUCTION AND FACILITIES UPDATE
MOUNTAIN VIEW HIGH SCHOOL
MVHS saw the completion of the renovation and modernization of the 500 wing. This included new roofing, windows, window coverings, lighting, doors, and door locks. Part of this project converted room 517 into a new permanent home for the dance program! The district also completed a small, non-Measure E project to install safety netting at the softball field. The district is starting on the classroom expansion and modernization projects for the 100 and 200 wings this school year.
LOS ALTOS HIGH SCHOOL
LAHS saw the renovation and modernization of the 400 and 500 wings completed. Like Mountain View HS, this work included new roofing, windows, window coverings, lighting, and door locks. The 500-wing addition of two classrooms and an athletic director's office is wrapping up here at the end of the summer. Construction fencing now surrounds the 200 and 300 wings as the district focuses on renovating and modernizing those classrooms this school year.
Modernizing the 500 wing at MVHS included new roofing, windows, doors, and door locks.
New safety netting is up at the MVHS softball field; the baseball fields have new bleachers.
Upgrades to LAHS' 500 wing include adding two new PE classrooms, an athletic director's office, and improvements to the path of travel.
FOUNDATION UPDATE
MVLA PARENT SPEAKER SERIES FOR 2024- 2025
The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series is thrilled to unveil our speaker line-up for the 2024-25 school year! Local and nationally recognized experts will lead parents in conversations about wide-ranging topics.
First up - Peggy Orenstein, with her presentation "Let’s Talk About Sex: How a New Generation Navigates Hookups, Porn, Love & Consent." It will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. at the LAHS Eagle Theatre.
In this talk, Orenstein combines her research with the voices of both boys and girls (as well as those between or beyond genders) to discuss the impact on high school and college students’ sexual scripts of mainstream media, social media, and porn; hookup culture; changing expectations around consent; the politics of sexual pleasure; the diversity of sexual orientations; and gendered power dynamics.
BOARD UPDATE
The Board of Trustees held its first regular meeting of the year on August 12. Agenda highlights included:
- Introduction of the newest student trustees, Arathi Naga from Los Altos High School, and Christophe Bouteille from Mountain View High School (see photo)
- A first reading of an Amended Joint Powers Agreement with the Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC)
- A presentation on Summer School 2024
- A public hearing related to textbook and instructional materials requests for the 2024-2025 school year; an annual review to determine the sufficiency of textbooks and confirm that every student has a textbook in every class that requires such books
- Resolution authorizing the issuance of Tax Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs)
A recording of the meeting is available here. The next regular Board meeting will be held on Monday, August 26. The final agenda and associated meeting documents will be available here.
GALLERY
How is this for a warm Spartan welcome? Kudos to our Spartan Start leaders for their efforts to ensure an excellent year for incoming freshmen!
It was also a whole house of freshmen at LAHS, with plenty of Eagle Spirit to go around. Welcome, Class of 2028 - we can't wait to start the year with you!
Student leaders from MVHS and LAHS welcomed all district staff back warmly on August 7th, the day they returned for district in-service. Team MVLA is so ready to roll!!
MVLA Adult School's CNA Summer Cohort was completed on August 8. This was our largest graduating cohort to date, with 19 students. The CNA Program's pass rates for the 24-25 school year are 94% for Skills and 93% for Written. 100% of the Medical Records Specialist Program students also graduated.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District is always looking for talented people to join its team.
We are currently recruiting for several exciting positions in our Adult School. We also have several coaching positions open, including varsity football, wrestling, JV cross country, girls varsity flag football, competitive cheer, and JV water polo. We're also recruiting for a temporary College and Career Center counselor position.
Ready for a career change? Explore the potential for growth and development on our Current Openings page or at https://www.edjoin.org/MVLA. We offer a supportive environment where you can learn, grow, and make a difference in the lives of our students.
.
DATEBOOK
August 26, 2024
Regular Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
All agenda items will be posted here.
August 29, 2024
Back to School Night at Los Altos High School and Mountain View High School
September 5, 2024
Back to School Night at Alta Vista High School
September 9, 2024
Regular Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
All agenda items will be posted here.
September 17, 2024
MVLA Parent Speaker Series
LAHS Eagle Theatre - 7:00 p.m.
September 23, 2024
Regular Board Meeting - 7:00 p.m.
All agenda items will be posted here.
Additional important dates are available on our campus calendars: Los Altos HS | Mountain View HS | Alta Vista HS | Adult School
Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District
Email: mvlahsd@mvla.net
Website: www.mvla.net
Location: 1299 Bryant Avenue, Mountain View, CA, USA
Phone: (650) 940-4650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mvlahsd
Twitter: @MVLAHSD
Communications for the MVLA High School District