The Dolphin Whistle

Dear Parents,

We are very excited to announce that each child at Castro who does not already have a computer at home will be receiving a refurbished Chromebook to use at home. It is through the generosity of EdOpTech, a non-profit whose mission is to enable equal access to technology, that Castro is able to make this possible.

The opportunity to pick up the refurbished Chromebook is only on Friday, Nov. 22nd from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Castro MUR. Please call the Castro office and ask for Ms. Calderon, Mr. Alcazar, or Ms. Lambert if you have any questions about this opportunity.

Theresa Lambert

Principal Mariano Castro Elementary

Fifth grade students had another great year at science camp. They returned full of excitement about their fun and learning and this opportunity for learning independence! Next up is the annual 4th grade field trip to Sacramento. This trip to the state capital is a one day trip where students go to to the California Museum and the State Capital building on Friday, Dec. 6th. It's a long day, but well worth it as it is an experience that the students will always remember.

Nov.15th - Second Grade Field Trip

Nov. 18th -Third Grade In class presentation Animals and Their Adaptations

Nov. 19th - ELAC Meeting 6:30 p.m. MUR

Nov. 20 - School Site Council Mtg 5:00 p.m. Castro Office

Nov. 22 - Free Chromebook Event 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the MUR

Nov. 26th- Kindergarten Field Trip

Nov. 27th - 29th - Thanksgiving break

MVEF’s Phonathon is just around the corner! Donate today at mvef.org/donate and help MVEF reach its $800,000 goal. Your donation funds art, music, science, athletics and more for your child and every child in the district. On November 13, take a night off from cooking, and head to PIZZA MY HEART, at the corner of El Camino and El Monte (1037 El Monte), in Mountain View from 4pm to 8pm! Mention MVEF and 30% of your bill goes to MVEF!

Eureka Math provides a series of free Parent Tip Sheets at the topic level that include suggested strategies and models, key vocabulary, and tips for how you can support learning at home. Available in English and Spanish for grades K-8. To view those tip sheets, click on https://www.mvwsd.org/academics/teaching_the_standards/eureka_math

To access Eureka math videos, curriculum and homework helpers through a free, sign-in parent dashboard, check out nonprofit GreatMinds at https://greatminds.org/math/parents. To access Common Core standards parent roadmaps for math and language arts by grade, click on Parent Roadmaps - ELA and Parent Roadmap - Math

The time for you to confirm your child’s enrollment for the next school year is coming up. Beginning Jan. 13, parents with students in grades TK-7 will be able to log on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to enroll their children for 2020-21. Current eighth-grade parents should check their mail for Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District registration information.

By mid-November, you will be receiving an email containing your username for your PowerSchool Parent Portal Account with instructions. Many middle school parents currently use PowerSchool Parent Portal for elective selection and grades, assignments and attendance monitoring. Some elementary parents have accounts from past student enrollment processes.

For NEW students: Open Enrollment is from January 13-February 7 online. You can register your child for the 2020-21 school year when online registration opens on January 13 here: www.mvwsd.org/register

For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment in January 13 - February 7.

District new student information night, covering the registration process, is on Tuesday, Dec. 3 at 5:30 p.m. (Spanish) and 7 p.m. (English) at Castro Elementary School, 500 Toft St.

School kindergarten information nights are at 6 p.m. on Dec. 11 for all elementary schools. Please click here for a list of these events.

If your child turns 5 years old between September 2 – December 2 of the current school year, he/she may qualify for transitional kindergarten. TK info night is December 5 at 5:00 PM at Theuerkauf Elementary.

You may click here to confirm your child’s school of residence.

For more information, call 650-526-3500 or go to www.mvwsd.org/register.

There are a variety of school and program information nights and tours in December at the elementary schools. These nights are good opportunities for new families and for those transitioning to new neighborhood schools to learn about a particular school or program, including choice schools. Please click here for a list of these events.

Dr. Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, Professor of Pediatrics at Stanford University, will discusse the harmful impacts vaping has on the minds and bodies of adolescents.

Dr. Halpern-Felsher will provide an overview of current tobacco/nicotine products, including vapes, Juuls and other pod-based systems, which are more commonly used among teens than combustible cigarettes. Drawing upon on-going research, Dr. Halpern-Felsher will address why adolescents are drawn to using these products, dispel common misperceptions held by both adults and teens, and share effective, evidence-based strategies that parents, caregivers, and teachers, can leverage to help prevent and reduce the use of these addictive products.

The talk will be followed by a panel of local administrators and a mental health professional.

To register for this free event, go to https://mvla2019-20-bonniehalpern-felsher.eventbrite.com

Sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.

Nasty will be nice and Mountain View will be ogre-the-moon when Crittenden students present their production of Shrek The Musical JR. on November 15th, 16th, and 17th at 7:00pm and at 2:00pm on November 18th.

This family-friendly musical comedy follows the adventures of Shrek, an ogre who sets off on a quest to save a princess from a dragon. However, it turns out that in order to ultimately succeed, Shrek must battle an even bigger obstacle: learning how to believe in himself and open his heart to others.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for students and children under 12 and can be purchased at the Crittenden Middle School front office or at the door. For more information, contact Leanne Rzepiela at lrzepiela@mvwsd.org.