Quetzal News

September 18, 2024

From Ms. O's Desk

Dear Mistral Families,

As we enter this exciting time of the year, I am thrilled to share that our school is proudly celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15th to October 15th. This month is dedicated to recognizing and honoring the contributions, cultures, and histories of Hispanic and Latinx Americans. It’s a time to reflect on the rich cultural heritage of over 62 million individuals in the United States, and to celebrate the diversity that makes our community vibrant and strong.

At Gabriela Mistral Elementary, we value diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. These principles are at the heart of our mission to foster a welcoming environment where all students feel valued and supported. To further celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, we are hosting a Hispanic Heritage Door Decorating Contest and invite all parents to participate! Let’s work together to make this a fun and memorable activity for our students. If you are interested in helping your child’s class decorate their door, please sign up on Konstella or email us directly. The class with the best-decorated door will win an Ice Cone and Popcorn party at the end of the month!

Additionally, we are excited to announce that the voting results are in for our ELAC Secretary, and we would like to congratulate Kate Trujillo for being elected! Kate will join our English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). We want to thank all who ran for office. Your participation is essential, and we look forward to seeing everyone at our upcoming meetings.

As we look ahead, please note that Conference Week is coming up from October 21st to 25th. During this week, we will follow a minimum day schedule, so please plan accordingly. Be on the lookout for an invitation from your child’s teacher to sign up for a conference time. We are aiming for 100% participation from our families, and we can’t wait to celebrate with each class that achieves this goal!

Lastly, a reminder that Picture Day is just around the corner on October 2nd. Mark your calendars and help your child dress their best! We are also looking for parent volunteers to assist on Picture Day. If you’re available, please reach out to us.

Thank you for your continued support, and have a wonderful rest of your week!

Warm regards,

Claudia Olaciregui, Principal

PTA News

PTA General Assembly

Wednesday, September 25, 7pm

Via Zoom

As a Mistral parent, you are invited to the PTA General Meeting on Wednesday 25th September at 7pm. Come and hear all about the Mistral PTA , the different things we fund for the school, the plans we have for this year and how you can get involved.

Calendar

September 21

Health Fair 9 - 3 @ CA/MI Campus

September 27

Spirit Day - Crazy Hair

October 2

Student Lifetouch Picture Day

October 10

Teacher Service Day - No school

October 11

Recess Day - No School

October 21-25

Conference Week-Minimum Day Schedule

DISTRICT NEWS

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Sept. 19 at 6 p.m.

Some of the topics include:

Shoreline Update
Resolution Recognizing National Hispanic Heritage Month
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
Greening Initiative Update
Equity Scorecard Update
i-Ready Diagnostic Assessment Data Overview

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

Parent University: The Science of Reading, Part 2

Date and Time: September 24, 2024, 5:30-7:00pm Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu092424r

In this second part of a two-part series, we will briefly recap part one and continue to learn more about the Science of Reading, particularly the importance of background knowledge and vocabulary for reading comprehension. We will discuss what that means for your child at school, and how you can support them at home. If you missed part one (in which we discussed phonics and word reading), you can watch or listen to the recording at mvwsd.org/parentu

About the speaker: Dr. Cyndee Nguyen is MVWSD’s Director of Early Literacy. She leads district efforts to ensure that all students, especially those of early elementary age, develop into capable and confident readers. Previously, Dr. Nguyen was a teacher and the principal of Bubb Elementary School.

To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session. Can’t make it this time? No problem - we always post the recordings a few days later at mvwsd.org/parentu

Share your ideas about social-emotional learning (SEL) for our students

Parents and staff members, please take a moment to complete a quick survey about social emotional learning by Sept. 30. Your thoughts will provide valuable insights into students' emotional well-being and development. Your feedback will help MVWSD and the SEL Curriculum Committee as they work to select curriculum and activities for students to better support students' social and emotional needs. Additionally, your ideas will be included in plans for how school counselors can support students. Click here for the SEL stakeholder survey .

Join us on our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Journey

We are seeking applicants to join the MVWSD 2024-2025 SEL Curriculum Adoption Committee, where our focus will be Social Emotional Learning curriculum adoption. If you are interested in being a part of this moment in our SEL journey, please complete this application by September 20, 2024. Even if you might be unsure about participation, we encourage you to apply. By applying to the committee you will learn more about the commitment that will be asked of participants.

The SEL Curriculum Adoption Committee is seeking participants from all members of our District community, however it must be primarily composed of MVWSD teachers. We will meet up to 11 times this school year between October and April, including 3 Saturdays. The objective of this committee is to examine stakeholder input, SEL curriculum options, engage in a curriculum pilot, and make recommendation(s) to the Board of Trustees for adoption. Applying neither commits you, nor guarantees a seat on the committee. Following your application, you will be provided with next steps. Apply here: http://mvw.sd/SELCommittee

Join the MVWSD Budget Advisory Committee (BAC)

Are you passionate about education and financial transparency? Do you want to help the district allocate its resources to ensure the biggest benefit for students? The Mountain View Whisman School District announces the formation of its new Budget Advisory Committee, and we need YOU!

About the BAC: The Budget Advisory Committee (BAC) is an essential advisory group that collaborates with the District to review, analyze, and make recommendations about the budget to the Superintendent. The goal is to ensure that the district’s financial decisions align with the strategic plan and meet the needs of our diverse students, staff, and community.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Review and Analyze: Examine the district’s budget, revenue sources, and expenditures to understand financial trends and projections.
Provide Input: Offer feedback and recommendations on budget priorities, cost-saving measures that minimize the impact on student learning and staff welfare, and revenue enhancement opportunities.
Engage: Serve as a liaison between the district and the broader community, sharing information and gathering input from stakeholders.
Collaborate: Work with other committee members to develop practices that support the district’s educational goals.

Member Makeup: We are seeking a diverse group of members to ensure comprehensive representation across our district, including parents and community members

Meetings: The BAC will meet quarterly, with additional meetings as needed during the budget season.
Outside of meetings: Members may be asked to review data and documents, or participate in community engagement outside of regular BAC meetings
Participation: We ask that members commit to attending at least 75% of meetings and actively participate in discussions and subcommittees.

How to Apply: Complete the online application here by September 23, 2024.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month

September is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Our awareness raises the visibility of mental health and proactive suicide prevention resources in our community. This year's theme is "There is Help. There is Hope." We share a message of hope and healing, and recognize that everyone has a role to play in preventing suicide.

Suicide Prevention is important every day of the year. Suicide Prevention Awareness Month allows us to shine a special, encouraging light on this topic that affects us all & sends a clear, hopeful message that help is available & suicide can be prevented. Resources are available at our Virtual Wellness Center under the Mental Health tab and your child's school. In times of crisis 988 is a nationwide resource that anyone can text or phone to speak with a crisis counselor.

Great news: MVEF has reached its first milestone with $200k in donations this school year!

Thanks to our generous donors, we’re on our way to our $1.2M goal. These funds will benefit every student in our district. MVEF helps reduce ELA middle school class sizes, covers for middle school coaches, referees, and bus transportation to games, and supports art, music, and environmental science enrichment in elementary schools.

MVWSD relies heavily on MVEF donations because state funding is limited by Prop 13, which restricts property tax revenue growth. MVWSD works closely with MVEF so that additional enrichment is still possible for our students. To learn more, click here. To make a donation, click here.

Also, please save the date for our biggest fundraiser - the Spring Gala:
Saturday, April 26th, from 6-10 pm. More details to come.

FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS

Health and Wellness Fair

You are invited to attend the annual Family Health and Wellness Fair on Saturday, September 21, from 1 - 4 p.m. at Mistral Elementary School. The Health Fair is sponsored by Assemblymember Marc Berman's Office in partnership with MVWSD. There will be free groceries and snacks, school supplies and backpacks, diapers, flu shots and much more. Local healthcare professionals will be on-site to offer free health screenings for children and adults. Join in on the family-friendly fun!

City Searching for Volunteers to Serve Community

Recruitment is open for upcoming vacancies on several City boards and committees that weigh in on a wide range of matters. The openings are on the Board of Library Trustees, Environmental Planning, Human Relations, and Parks and Recreation Commissions, and Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory, Downtown, Performing Arts, Senior Advisory, and Visual Arts Committees, and Public Safety Advisory Board. Find more information and the application form at MountainView.gov/Advisors. The link to the application is in each council advisory body webpage. Questions can be directed to the City Clerk’s Office at city.clerk@mountainview.gov or 650-903-6304. The deadline to apply is Nov. 8 at 5 p.m.

Ravenswood Mayview Flu Vaccine Clinics

Free Community Flu Vaccine Clinics are happening from October 5th through December 7th (schedule is below). You do not have to be a patient of Ravenswood Family Health Network to get your flu shot. Any child ages 3 years and older can receive a flu vaccine at any one of our clinics. See attached flyers or visit https://ravenswoodfhn.org/service/flu/ for more information.