Quote of the week:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
Principal’s Message:
Dear Huff families,
As some of you know this weekend our school was vandalized with racial epithets. The first thing that comes to mind is this should not be happening at our school. Not in our community kind of thing. As parents, we aim to raise our children to be good humans. That usually means ensuring our children follow the golden rule “treat others how you want to be treated.” As parents we work to reinforce this message and believe this message will teach our children to be non-racist. Historically, being not racist is like being “colorblind.” This approach focuses on treating individuals as equally as possible to end discrimination. In theory, this seems to be an acceptable approach. However, the “colorblind” approach is NOT helpful.
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Being colorblind creates a society that denies negative racial experiences, rejects cultural heritage, and invalidates perspectives of people of color that are unique
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The colorblind approach teaches children that race shouldn’t be talked about and make it harder for them to talk to parents about their questions.
So what can we you do instead:
Model the behavior you want to see in your child
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Educate yourself: It is okay not to know it all. It is hard to be a role model if you feel very unformed. There are so many books to read, podcasts to listen to, articles to read, and movies to watch.
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Diversify your social networks: It will be hard to convince your child that people of color are “good” when they are only around people who look like them or see you only around people who look like you. Thus, you may need to look at your social group and attempt to increase your exposure to diverse people.
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Be an advocate: Children and teens understand the general concept that “actions speak louder than words.” Commit to actions.
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Talking to kids about racism (PBS Episode 28 minutes)
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.
Upcoming Events
Huff Renaming: Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC)
We are renaming our school and we need your help. To facilitate the renaming process, we are forming a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) made up of multiple stakeholder groups from our community. To volunteer, please use the link(s) below and submit your information. Unfortunately, not everyone who volunteers will ultimately serve on the CAC, but everyone will be asked to participate at some point throughout the process. The first CAC meeting will convene in mid-November.
Form in English
Form en Espanol
Friday (11/6) is the end of the trimester and a minimum day. Dismissal is at 11:20AM.
Principal’s Coffee (11/9 from 5-6PM) Topic: i-ready data and math games to play at home
Register here
Holidays Around the World through Art (Parent Engagement Event) 11/13 6-7PM
Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Central American Tradition
Register here
Have a wonderful week! Stay safe and healthy.
Sincerely,
Arline Siam
Upcoming Events
November
-6: End of 1st Trimester - Minimum Day-
-9: Principal’s (Virtual) Coffee 5pm Register here
-9: SSC 3pm
-11: Veterans Day -No School
-17: ELAC 5:30 -6:30 pm
-18: PTA General Association Mtg (virtual) 7PM
-25 - 27: Thanksgiving Recess - NO SCHOOL
Chromebooks that are not working
Please take your Chromebooks to the Technology department to the District office. Instead of going in the front door of the district office, go around the back and their door is open. They are working from 8:30am-3:30pm.
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:
In case you missed it: Police Interactions, Race and “The Talk:” Recording
For Black children, the “talk” about how to interact with police is a rite of passage. If you missed it, you can see the recording of panel discussion with parents, the Mountain View Police Department and other leaders about what this means for policing for all of our children and families in our community and schools. The recording is at https://www.mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD.
Parent University: Supporting Math at Home during Distance Learning and Beyond
Join us on Wednesday, November 18th from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for our next Parent University event: Supporting Math at Home during Distance Learning and Beyond.
MVWSD Landels Elementary Principal Heidi Galassi will share several resourceful strategies for supporting math learning and achievement at home:
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Are you confused about which math program to use at home?
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Learn how to boost math achievement K-8th
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Support your child at home with math homework
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Learn new ways to enrich and deepen math concepts
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Get your child ready for Algebra
Spanish interpretation is provided. Register here: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJcvdOqorTgtGtXg5trN1qiFh5EefCHgIAm1
Your Donations Matter! Please Give Now For This School Year!
MVEF funds important programs including weekly art and music classes at every elementary school with CSMA, NGSS aligned science through Living Classrooms, environmental science lessons through Environmental Volunteers, STEAM teacher professional development, instrument repair and purchase, middle school science equipment and electives, wellness and more! This important programming is made possible through the generosity of parents like you! Thank you for your support! Make a donation at https://www.mvef.org/donate
MVLA: “How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men”
The MVLA Speakers Series presents: Michael Reichert on “How to Raise a Boy: The Power of Connection to Build Good Men” on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online
Michael Reichert, Ph.D., is a clinical and research psychologist who has worked with children in a variety of contexts for over 30 years. Challenging conventional ideas of how boys learn and grow, Dr. Reichert’s research underscores the importance of a relational approach in raising and educating boys to nurture their strength and resilience. Offering a timely consideration of how boyhood has undergone an historic shift, Dr. Reichert will focus on helping parents, teachers, and boys themselves adapt, especially as we face today’s unprecedented challenges.
Dr. Reichert will also comment on our current situation with distance learning and its impact on boys.
Audience: Parents, teachers, coaches, and mentors of young boys and teens
Register: To register for this free event go to https://mvla2020-21-michaelreichert.eventbrite.com
Books: https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780593189085
MVLA Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Weekend - Virtual Run / Walk
See the attached flyers for registration information.
PTA News:
HUFF PTA Volunteer Hours Log
Hi Huff Parents!
We appreciate all the support you are providing our school! Please use the link below to log any time (class help etc, not just PTA-related activities) you have volunteered starting July 1, 2020 . Our total hours as a school are submitted to the State PTA at the end of the school year in order to maintain our federal tax exempt status as well as raises awareness to our legislatures. Thanks for all the Huff Love! :)
HUFF PTA Volunteer Hours Log
In Need of Halloween, School Spirit, Crazy Hair Day Photos and More for the Yearbook!
We are depending on parents and teachers more than ever this year to provide photos for the yearbook. Please upload photos from the following events (or any class- or grade-wide events) to the Google Drive folder below:
Upload photos here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1sHtAxYqeSUzQDhg2T4hWvOgS--31elW3
Attachments:
Huff - A4S School Newsletter 2020-21
MVEF_CSMA Art Supplies Guidelines
MVLA Speaker Series_Flyer 3_Michael Reichert
Spartan Turkey Trot Flyer 2020