Quetzal News

Dear Quetzal Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful break. As Associate Superintendent Baur shared with you last week, our community had a great loss of a beloved member of our Mistral family. Eliana Osorio, one of our dedicated Instructional Assistants, passed away recently. Eliana was a kind, caring, and valued member of our community, and her presence will be greatly missed. Her passing has deeply affected many of us, especially those who worked closely with her. I understand that this news must've been difficult to process. Even those who did not know Ms. Osorio personally may feel the impact of this loss, as grief can affect us all in different ways.

To support our community, we have counselors available at Mistral this week to assist students, staff, or families who may need additional support. If you feel your child would benefit from further follow-up, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Here are some resources that may help guide conversations and provide support during this difficult time.

On behalf of our entire Mistral community, we extend our heartfelt condolences to Ms. Osorio’s family and friends. Please join us in keeping them in your thoughts as we navigate this challenging time together.

With deepest sympathy,

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

Resources

When talking to your child:

• Acknowledge the emotional upset.

• Be available to your child. If you don't know the right thing to say, just listen. Acknowledge that we don't always have answers.

• Provide a reassuring environment in which your child feels comfortable expressing his or her thoughts and feelings.

• Encourage your child to share feelings in the way that is most comfortable for him or her. Some people are open about their feelings, while others prefer not to talk about them or may only want to talk to their peers.

• Encourage your child to follow normal routines as much as possible. Offer him or her practical support—like helping with homework and catching up on assignments.

• Useful Grief Insights for Parents - Courtesy of Kara Grief Counseling English Español

If your student needs support:

• Kara Grief Counseling offers services in English and Spanish that supports adults and children experiencing bereavement. Call (650) 321-5272 or visit Kara at kara-grief.org for more info or to request services.

• Allcove in Palo Alto provides services to any youth ages 12-25, regardless of health plan. Call for an appointment: (650) 798 6330 or visit www.allcove.org for more information.

• Bill Wilson Center offers a variety of support services for children, teens, and adults, including those experiencing grief. To learn more, call (408) 850-6145 to reach the Bill Wilson Center intake department.

• If your child needs urgent emotional support, call or text 988 to speak with a trained crisis counselor.

• If your student is in imminent danger or needs immediate medical attention, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

• Pacific Clinics Mobile Crisis Team offers 24-hour intervention to children and teens in the community who are in acute psychological crisis. To access the 24-hour/7 days a week crisis line call 1-408-379-9085 or call toll-free 1-877-41-CRISIS (412-7474).

I am very excited to announce the bookmark winners for 2024-2025!

TK--Camila K.

Kinder--Yvan S.

1st--Luna L.

2nd--Ivanna G.R.

3rd--Itzayana C.

4th--Max L.

5th--Mila H.

January 14

• ELAC/ELPAC meeting @ 5pm in the MUR

January 15

• New Enrollment Registration @ 5:30pm in the MUR

• Martin Luther King Day - No School

• Math Night @ MUR 5 to 6:30pm

• Student Registration Help Night @ CA/MI MUR 5 to 7pm

• Readathon

• Night @ the Library 6 to 7:30pm

• Spirit Day - Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character