Principal’s Message: 

 

Dear Imai Families,

 

Next week three of us are heading to the Disney Hotel to receive the Distinguished Schools Award and we wanted to share with you the pictures we submitted for the ceremony. We are proud of our students and staff for their hard work and dedication. 

 

 

Kindness Week- February 13-17

Simple act of kindness challenge

 

We want to hear from you! LCAP survey

The District is beginning its annual process of updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). This input collected will guide the update of our District plan for the 2023-24 school year. Look for a meeting at your school to learn more about the LCAP process.

 

We want to hear from parents, staff members and students (grade 4-8)!  Before Feb. 17, please click on your unique survey link sent to your email. Your responses are confidential. Students in grades 4-8 and staff members will also be taking the LCAP survey.

 

More information found here: https://www.mvwsd.org/LCAP

Upcoming events: 

02/10 Principal’s Coffee (MUR) from 8:30-9:30 AM 

Topics: LCAP Survey Presentation and CA Dashboard and time for Q&A

Have a wonderful rest of the week.

 

Arline Siam

Principal

Upcoming Events

 

February

9-SSC at 4pm

10- Principal’s Coffee at 8:30 am 

13-16- Walden West Camp (5th Grade)

17- End of Trimester (Minimum Day)

20-24- Winter Break (No School)

 

March

10-Principal’s Coffee at 8:30 am 

10- Report Cards Sent Home

13- Teacher Service Day (No School)

16- SSC at 3:30pm

18- 2nd Annual "Walk on the Wild Side" Walkathon

 

 

 

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:

 

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 6:00 p.m. 

Some of the meeting topics include:          

• Outdoor Learning and Greening Project at Jose Antonio Vargas Elementary School
• Transportation Study Report
• Resolution: Climate Change and Green Schoolyards

 

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

 

Parents: We need to hear from you before Feb. 10 about your child’s enrollment in MVWSD for next year

For CURRENTLY enrolled students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Before Feb. 10, parents must log on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to enroll their children for next year. Look for an email in your inbox with directions.

 

Important: 

• Choice school parents: If you have incoming Kindergarteners and would like them to participate in the 2023-24 Choice School lottery, you must submit their enrollment application during Open Enrollment (before February 10.)
• Incoming middle school parents: Students currently in grades 5-7 will not be able to select their elective classes for next year until parents confirm their enrollment through the PowerSchool Parent Portal. 

If you have difficulty signing in to PowerSchool, please contact your school office. For more information, call 650-526-3500 or go to https://www.mvwsd.org/register.

 

In case you missed it: Incoming 6th grade information night for parents

If you will have a 6th-grader next year, please check these links for the 6th Grade Information Night materials shared at the January 23 meeting. 

Crittenden Middle School

Graham Middle School

 

We want to hear from you! LCAP survey responses due Feb. 17

Have you clicked on the link in your inbox to complete the LCAP survey? We need to hear from every family in the district as part of the annual process of updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Your input will guide the update of our District plan for the 2023-24 school year.  Your responses are confidential. More information found here: https://www.mvwsd.org/LCAP

 

February Better Together Infographic 

In February, we honor Black History Month. As educators and parents, we can help our young people imagine a world where they are active participants in the dismantling of racist and oppressive forces. We can help them imagine a future where we are all #BetterTogether. Please see the attached flyers or visit http://mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.

 

Bond Oversight committee seeks community representatives

The District is seeking qualified persons to serve on the Bond Oversight Committee for the District's Measure T Bond Program.

 

Representatives monitor, provide oversight and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District, including an annual report to the Board regarding the actual uses of such funds.

 

Applications can be mailed to: Mountain View Whisman School District, Attn: Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, 1400 Montecito Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043 or emailed to [email protected].

 

Link to Application: Bond Oversight Committee

 

Questions? Please call Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, at 650-526-3500.

 

Auction Items needed for the MVEF Gala

The annual MVEF Gala raises $85-100k in support of Art, Music, hands-on Science, and reduced class sizes in MVWSD. Auction item donations are a great way to support our programs! Successful past auction donations include: 

• Vacation home timeshares
• Private, themed parties at the donor's home
• Bottles of wine for the "wine wall"
• Professional services
• Event tickets

To learn more about donating to the MVEF Gala Auction, email [email protected].

Gala ticket information is coming soon. 

 

InPlay: Find camps and afterschool activities

February break and spring break are just weeks away. Even summer break is just around the corner. Looking for activities or camps for your children? InPlay offers a free searchable program guide for parents, with filters for age, location, price (including free or reduced cost), and more. To find programs local to Mountain View, head to: https://www.inplay.org/r/mountain-view. Available programs include those that serve students with special needs or English learners.

 

February 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

 

We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children: Try a Sensory Diet

 

Parent Chat

February 14, 10 am                                          

Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child?  Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. Every second Tuesday of the month at 10 am on Google Meet. Meeting is for 1 hour only due to Google Meet limitations. Contact [email protected] for invite.

 

Palo Alto CAC Resource Fair for Summer Camps and Afterschool Activities

Tue, Feb 28th 6-8 pm 

Focus will be on hosting providers serving Palo Alto, Mountain View and Los Altos.

Place: JLS middle school cafetorium in person only

 

Coming up in March!

General meeting on March 6 and we are happy to announce:

Behavioral Panel of Experts - Challenging Behaviors and Strategies at different ages

Presented by SELPA 1 CAC / Palo Alto CAC

Wednesday March 22, 7 pm on Zoom

Does your child have behavioral challenges at school and at home?

Behavior is communication. Join the CAC and expert panelists from CAPTAIN and PENT for a presentation on strategies to help with behaviors at different ages. Although CAPTAIN is focused on those students with autism spectrum concerns, these insights are suitable for all students. Have a specific question - submit your question ahead of time to our panel here: Questions for the Panel

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkduCurTorHNSOp-szKwNTJdpzNXprqunq

           

Missed our Parent Education events last year?

We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including last year’s Inclusive Fun Fair for summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw

 

Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Shaping

We all tend to avoid tasks that we do not enjoy. Unfortunately, many of the tasks that we ask of our kids, such as working on homework or doing chores, are not enjoyable. Shaping can help make some of these tasks more manageable.

 

Shaping involves rewarding small behaviors that build toward the final behavior you wish to see. To do this:

Try this with a few tasks that your child has struggled to complete. For example, you could try praising your child for working on their homework for 10 minutes, then 20 minutes, and so on. You could also try rewarding your child for completing one step of their chores, then two steps, and so on. With practice and patience, those unenjoyable tasks will become easier and easier to complete. 

 

These tips came directly from the free, online Everyday Parenting program created by parenting expert, Dr. Kazdin.

 

To learn more parenting tips click here. 

 

These tips came directly from the free online website NPR: Life Kit.

 

MVLA Parent Math Night

MVLA will be hosting their Math Night for parents on February 16, 2023 from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM. Staff will share information about the high school math pathways and math preparation for college and beyond, in addition to the computer science and engineering pathways. Register for the webinar here.

 

City of MV Parent’s Night Out: Feb. 11

The City of Mountain View is hosting a Parent’s Night Out on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM at the Mountain View Community Center. Need a night off? Drop your kids off and treat yourself to a parent's night out. You can feel good leaving your child in a safe, fun environment complete with games, art projects, pizza, and a big-screen movie. Register here.

 

The View Teen Center: February Events 

The View Teen Center is a free facility in Mountain View (263 Escuela Ave) for all Mountain View and Los Altos 6th - 12th grade students. The center is open Monday through Friday: 3:30 - 7 p.m. and Saturday: 1 - 6 p.m, and features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, outdoor area, and much more! February Teen Center events include Winter Break drop in hours (February 21-24, 1:00 - 6:00 p.m) and field trips, including an Ice Skating & In-N-Out Trip and a Bike To Boba. See attached flyer for details about upcoming events and programs or visit their webpage for more information.

 

MVLA Parent Ed: Live Longer, Happier, and Healthier with the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness 

Join MVLA Parent Ed on February 28 at 7:00 PM in the LAHS Eagle Theater for an evening with Dr. Kelli Harding  – author of The Rabbit Effect – as she discusses ways for school communities to help foster cultures of kindness and positive social connection. Groundbreaking new research shows that love, friendship, community, life’s purpose, and our environment can have a greater impact on our health than anything that happens in the doctor’s office. Harding presents a new model for you to take charge of your health. Register here for this free event.

 

 

 

PTA NEWS

 

Imai Parents, we need your help!  The PTA Nominating Committee has been diligently trying to fill the PTA Board and volunteer roles for next school year. We have a few roles that must be filled in order to have a functioning PTA, but all roles are crucial to maintaining the high quality programs our school has been offering our kids.  Most roles require a minimal time commitment and this is a great way to meet other Imai families and grow our community. We encourage you to consider taking a more active role here at school. We are happy to provide you with more details on all open roles. As of now, we are looking to fill the following Board roles: Executive VP, Secretary, VP Volunteers, and Communications. Plus, we need volunteer leads for organizing the Auction, Yearbook, and Book Fair. You have an amazing support group of volunteers to help you in these roles.  Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions and lend your support.

 

 

2nd Annual "Walk on the Wild Side" Walkathon - Saturday March 18th (Save the date)

 

Yearbook Information 2023

Yearbook Contest Information

If you haven’t purchased your yearbooks yet, do so now! Click here:

Please upload your photos in our Amy Imai Google Drive:

 

Yearbook’s Team is now looking for volunteers for each classroom! Please reach out to [email protected] to join the Team. This is a very creative and fun experience! Join now!

 

 

 

Attachments:

MVLA Speaker Series 2022 - 2023

BetterTogetherFebruary

February 23 CAC Events

Math Night Flyer 2023 (MVLA)

Parents Night Out Flyer 

TeenCenterFeb