Quote of the week:

“Accept both compliments and criticism. It takes both sun and rain for a flower to grow.”

-author unknown 

Principal’s Message: 

Dear Huff families,

Yesterday was our first day of i-ready testing for English Language Arts for grades 1-5. There were glitches along the way but we persevered and are ready to finish it on Thursday.  Thank you for allowing your child to show us how much they know and not helping them as they are taking the assessment.  Next week, we will continue with math. Once again we ask that your child use their school assigned chromebook during the assessment.

Tips for taking the online assessment:

1. Find a quiet place away from distractions.

2. Use headphones

3. Remind them to take their time and not rush through the answers.

4. Remind them to do their best.

New attendance guidelines

Due to new state guidance, beginning Sept 8, there will be some changes to how our school is required to count and monitor student attendance.

It’s important to know that school attendance during distance learning is mandatory. If your student will be absent, please report it by calling or emailing us as soon as possible. If your child is having difficulty with distance learning, please let us know. We want to help.

Changes to attendance monitoring beginning Sept 8:

• Elementary teachers will check in with students at the beginning of the day. Attendance will be taken at the end of the day every day, including Wednesdays. For middle school students, attendance is taken every period of the day, including Wednesdays.

• Students will no longer get a separate participation grade in Google Classroom. Attendance and participation scores are now combined and can be viewed by parents in Powerschool under “attendance history.”

• If you don’t report your student’s absence, your school will be calling you to determine the reason for the absence.

For more information about attendance, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/attendance

We have a three day weekend coming up, a break well deserved by all. It is a good time to play a new indoor game or go on a walk (if the air quality allows). As for me, I will be moving my son back to Stanford for his last year and even though he will continue with his classes online, he will be able to use the studios for his art classes. 

I have rescheduled my principal’s coffee from September 4 to September 11  from 5-6PM. Hope you can join me. 

Please register here (you don’t need to register again if you were already registered)

Sincerely,

Arline Siam

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While MVWSD is distance learning due to COVID-19, we are providing meals to students.

Free and reduced price meals (grab and go during MVWSD Distance Learning) are available at school sites for students who have renewed their applications for 2020-21 for free and reduced price meals and the National School Lunch program. Full price meals will be available for students who have paid in advance online or have sent a check (including child’s school, child’s name, grade, teacher) to Food Service, Crittenden Middle School, 1701 Rock St., Mountain View, CA 94043.

 

Free or reduced price meal benefit status from last year can be used to pay for lunches until Sept. 30. We can assist new applicants in applying for free or reduced price meal benefits through the National Lunch Program and can process applications quickly.  The 2020-21 online application deadline is September 21, 2020.  No citizenship information is collected during the application process. Just as in the past, you will need to reapply annually. Please let School and Community Engagement facilitator Taraneh Ahmadi ([email protected]) know if you need assistance.

 

On Saturdays, community agency Hope's Corner serves a free breakfast and bag lunch  (8-10 a.m.). 748 Mercy St, Mountain View.

Upcoming Events

September

-7: Labor Day - No School

-11: Principal’s Virtual Coffee (New Date)  5pm Please register 

-17: PTA General Association Mtg (Virtual) 7pm

-30: School Site Council (SSC)  3pm

-30: ELAC 5:30pm

October

-2: Principal’s Virtual Coffee 5pm

-12: Recess Day - No School

-28: School Site Council (SSC)  3pm

-28: ELAC 5:30pm

Reporting Absences

If you are reporting a student's absence, please email [email protected] or call the attendance line at (650)526-3490 ext 3080.

Reminder: Please include your student's name, your student's room or teacher, the reason for absence, the date of absence(s) and the relationship of the person leaving the message. Thank you from the office staff!

District News:

Please Support Our Students and Teachers!

MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. We hope you saw the MVEF brochure with your school supplies or watched the video during Back to School. Please see the website at https://www.mvef.org/ for more information and to donate online. Please consider joining our team of volunteers or emailing us with any questions at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!

Public hearing on Sept. 17: Sufficient instructional materials

A public hearing will be held in order to comply with Ed Code section 60119 on September 17, 2020 to detail the extent to which text books and instructional materials were provided to all students, including English Learners.

 

The definition of “sufficient textbooks or instructional materials” means that each pupil has textbooks or instructional materials, or both to use in class and to take home in each of the following subjects:

• Mathematics

• Science

• History/Social Science

• Language Arts

The public hearing on September 17, 2020 at 7:00pm will be held during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. To view details about accessing the meeting either online or by phone, please click on the September 17 agenda link on this webpage: https://www.mvwsd.org/about/board_of_trustees/board_meetings

Track your student's online activities at home with Securly

MVWSD provides a tool that allows parents to be aware of their students' online activities and to help keep them safe on their school-issued devices. Securly allows you to see what choices your student is making online while at home so that you will be alerted to potential issues and can guide your student. Please note: Securly is for school-issued devices only. Check your email for these weekly reports, and you may also download the Securly app. For more information, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/technology.

MV Parent U on Sept. 9: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy

Join us on Wednesday, September 9 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for our next Parent University event: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy from Home.

 

MVWSD Instructional Coaches Karen Gordon and Natalie Gallagher will share several resourceful strategies for supporting reading, writing, listening, and speaking at home during distance learning:

• Easy activities to boost your child's reading engagement 

• Creative ways to encourage and support writing using four text types (expository/informative, narrative, opinion, argumentative)

• Fostering listening skills to be able to extract key information

• Cultivating speaking skills using academic vocabulary

• Tips to prepare your child for ELPAC testing

Register here

Parent University videos are now on our website!

Did you miss the latest Parent University event? Do you want to review the materials that were presented? Videos and materials are now in English and Spanish on the Parent University website at http://www.mvwsd.org/parent/parent_university

Latest uploads: Mental Health Resources and Distance Learning Support

Upcoming CAC events

SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. We are ALL having learning challenges right now, and CAC and LCC are here to help. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education

needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org

Our events for September:

September 8, 10 am - 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. Please contact [email protected] for the Zoom link for this meeting.

Also on September 8, 10 am - Parent Chat - Support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. A great place for help and support for challenges with your teens. Please contact [email protected] for Google Meet invite.

Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Information Session - September 10th

You can change the life of a student!

Come learn about volunteer opportunities to Mentor high school students and Tutor students in grades K-8  in our Mountain View and Los Altos schools.

Becoming a Mentor or Tutor will add joy to your life and help a student in our local community to a brighter future!

There is no obligation to sign up as a volunteer.  You're welcome to just come and learn more about they we do.

Please note: Mentor Tutor programs are currently remote and will remain so until students are back in school and the school district permits volunteers in the classroom

All volunteers must be high school graduates.  

  Date:             Thursday, September 10th

      Time:           5:00 - 6:00 pm

        Location:     Online via Zoom (URL provided upon registration)

  Register:       REGISTER ONLINE

     Questions:    [email protected]

Information:  MentorTutorConnection.org

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PTA News:

PTA Membership Drive Magic Show Contest

Huff PTA strives to support and advocate for our children by partnering with staff,families and the wider community to create a safe, healthy and inclusive learning environment where students can excel and feel confident in themselves.

You can join now, here: Huffpta.org/join

 

This year there is an exciting new membership drive contest! The classroom with the most students with at least one family PTA member will win a virtual 30 minute professional magic show party during the school day, coordinated with the classroom teacher.

The contest will run until Sept 30th 2020 with the show in early October.

Please email [email protected] with any questions.

Warmly,

Katie Swirsding and Ann Walsh

 

SUPPORT HUFF WHEN YOU BUY FROM AMAZON! Amazon Smile can return a portion of all your purchases to our school! Visit smile.amazon.com and search “Huff” to find Huff Elementary PTA and make us the beneficiary of your purchases. It’s an easy way to support our teachers and kids!

 

Attachments:

Upcoming CAC events