The Dolphin Whistle

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, March 10 at 6 p.m. Some of the meeting’s topics include:

• COVID update

• Summer programming and extended learning

• Learning Recovery Plan update

For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.

Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, March 11 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC311. Please see this webpage for upcoming meeting dates and for video recordings of past meetings. https://www.mvwsd.org/about/communications/news___events/connecting_with_the_community

When women succeed, we all succeed. The same can be said for any of our community members who have felt the sting of marginalization or oppression. On International Women’s Day, let us appreciate all of the women and girls in our lives and the many intersecting identities that make them who they are. Let us never stop fighting for a world that is diverse, equitable, and inclusive. After all, we are #BetterTogether. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

“Pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” is a common phrase used in American political discourse, particularly around self-reliance and emotional resilience. Today’s culture of success was built upon our ideas, beliefs, and values. However, the pandemic and resulting shifts in our daily lives have called us to reflect on our foundational beliefs about the success and emotional resilience of our children. Let's talk about it.

You are cordially invited to MVWSD’s next Roundtable event: “The Talk: The Culture of Success – Our Beliefs About Success and Emotional Resilience” on Wednesday, March 16 from 6:00 – 7:00 pm. Register at: http://mvw.sd/talk316.

Even though the state will be downgrading face-mask requirements to a strong recommendation for indoor areas (with some exceptions) beginning on March 12, our students will still be required to wear masks for the near future. To learn more about the timeline and factors MVWSD is considering to determine when/if we make changes to the mask requirement, please click here.

Our mood is influenced by physical sensations in our body. When we feel stressed, we tend to take quick and shallow breaths. By taking slow and deep breaths, we can signal our body to relax.

Watch this video to learn more about how belly breathing can help your child (or you) feel more relaxed.

To belly breathe:

1. Choose a comfortable position, such as sitting on a chair or laying on your back.

2. Place one hand on your belly.

3. Take a deep breath in through your nose while you count to four. As you breathe in, your belly should rise.

4. Hold your breath while you count to five.

5. Breathe out through your mouth while you count to six. As you breathe out, your belly should flatten.

You may need to repeat these steps for 5-10 minutes before you start to feel relaxed. By practicing these steps, you can learn to relax after stressful situations.

Join MVEF on Saturday, April 23 for a lively evening that includes dinner, fundraising, and trivia in support of our schools. Individual tickets are $125. (Reduced to $110 until March 20!) Join us from home with a single virtual login for trivia plus access to online fundraising for $50. Find more information at https://www.mvef.org/ or https://secure.qgiv.com/event/mvefgala/

SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email selpa1cacinfo@gmail.com or check out www.selpa1cac.org

Parent Education Event - “FINDING SUCCESS WHEN NAVIGATING CHALLENGING CONVERSATIONS" - this is an alternative dispute resolution training with help from the county SELPA

3/16 Wednesday 7:00-8:30 p.m. Register in advance for this meeting: https://sccoe.to/SELPA1CAC_ChallengingConversations. Attendees of this interactive training will be introduced to a prep-sheet that was inspired by the “Getting to Yes” workbook by Roger Fisher and William Ury. This tool has helped many IEP team members have successful meetings by preparing thinking through interests, options and bringing legitimacy to requests. It is the goal of this training that attendees will leave feeling more prepared and confident for the next IEP team meeting. To be facilitated by Purchin Consulting.

3/30 Wednesday 17-8:30 pm Evening Let’s Talk - IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrce6qrz8vGdNbIywjg1vppQq3tHwvruYI

CHAC Family Resources Center is holding a free online Self-Care and Resilience workshop for parents and caregivers on Fridays from March 4th to April 22nd from 1:00-2:00 PM. This course will provide participants guidance and strategies regarding how to guide children to express their feelings in a nonaggressive way, be more resilient, and teach children to build up relationships. To register, contact Lin Xu at lin@chacmv.org or (650) 967-4813.

Join the MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series on Tuesday, March 22nd from 7:00 - 9:00pm for Scott Schimmel’s talk, “Critical Foundations: The questions every kid must answer to build a meaningful life.” In this interactive presentation, you will learn about the critical questions every kid must answer to build the three pillars of a meaningful life- identity, purpose, and belonging, reflect on your parenting style and make adjustments to what your kid(s) need now, and put together an actionable plan to more effectively engage your kids in discussion. Register for this free event.

MVHS Ambassadors have organized an Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk on Friday, March 18th, from 5:30-7:30 pm on the MVHS Track. The walk is inspired by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's Out of the Darkness program, and is being held to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention and to show community solidarity in our goal of becoming more supportive to those struggling with mental health issues. There will be speakers, performances, introductions to partnership agencies, and a lantern-lighting ceremony to close the event. Registration information: url.mvhs.io/outofdarkness.

From March 15-18, Los Altos High School is holding the 37th annual Writers Week event, which brings a diverse and inspiring lineup of writers, poets, and journalists to LAHS English classrooms. This year’s Community Read features New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman in discussion with a panel of LAHS students about his books. This event will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. Please RSVP via this Eventbrite link to be sent the Zoom information prior to the event. Read more about our other Writers Week visiting writers here: 2022 Writers Week.