Principal’s Message: 

Quote of the week

“We must find time to stop and thank the people that make a difference in our lives”

-John F. Kennedy

Dear Huff Families,

This week we are going to be working on an art project to thank the dedicated healthcare workers at El Camino Hospital. We are decorating hearts and creating banners to decorate the hallways at EL Camino and would like to encourage all of our students to participate. 

Activity (due February 5th)

1. Stop by the office to pick up a heart or print it at home.
2. Use watercolors, markers or color pencils to decorate it. 
3. Write a thank you message on it. 
4. Bring it to the office before the deadline.
5. Email me if you have any questions. 

LCAP Survey 

The District is beginning its annual process of writing the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Your input from the survey will guide the development of our District’s three-year plan that will correspond with the first three years of the District’s new Strategic Plan 2027. These documents are the blueprints that guide all of the District’s work for the benefit of our students.

 

We want to hear from you: Please click here -  http://mvw.sd/ParentLCAP - to give input through February 12 in a survey. We recognize that the wording of some of these questions might seem a little awkward because we are in a pandemic, distance-learning year. Please answer as fully as you can based on the experiences you've had this school year. If you would like a paper copy, please contact the office at 650-526-3490

If you haven’t filled out the returning student survey, please make sure you do it ASAP. The information helps us determine staffing for next year. https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ (here’s the link to  get started)

Have a wonderful week! Stay safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Arline Siam

Upcoming event

01/27/2021 Parent Workshop: How to build academic language with Kate Kinsella –6:00–7:00 PM  Register: http://mvw.sd/kate 

Upcoming Events

 

February

*5 Principal’s Coffee- 5pm

*12: End of 2nd trimester - minimum day-

*15 - 19: Winter Break - 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:

Better Together: Poverty in America Awareness

January is Poverty in America Awareness Month and in the time of Covid-19 and the economic fallout, talking about issues surrounding poverty has never been more important. Words matter and our students know more than we often give them credit for. Talking about poverty with kids is not only possible, it's important. Explore the resources provided in this infographic (attached or viewable at https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD) to find an approach to talking about poverty that is most appropriate for your student(s). Ultimately, your conversations should reinforce that when it comes to making a difference in the world and caring for others in our community, we are #BetterTogether. 

 

Fifth Grade Parents: Middle school info night on Jan. 28

Crittenden and Graham both will be welcoming 5th grade families to an Incoming 6th Grade Information Night on Thursday, January 28 at 5 p.m. held on Zoom. Each site will host its own information night, and parents will receive an email from their students' assigned school with meeting login information.

This is a great opportunity to learn about our Middle Schools’ academics, a chance to meet our staff, and learn about the exciting opportunities your incoming sixth-grader will have at Crittenden or Graham.

Please contact Crittenden ((650) 903-6945) or Graham Middle School ((650) 526-3570) if you have any questions.

Afterschool activities and programs (including free) are on InPlay

Even during COVID, there are fun and educational afterschool programs for kids happening now. Spring break camps are coming up, too. MVWSD partners with the non-profit InPlay to help you find the perfect fit for your child and for your family. Hundreds of programs, including those that are FREE and reduced cost, are nearby and online and can be found through this free, searchable website. Check out http://MV.inplay.org

 

Parent University: Digging Deeper into Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home 

Join us on Tuesday, January 26th, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for “Digging Deeper into Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home (K-5 Families)” 

Members of MVWSD Instructional Team will share takeaway strategies to support your child's reading comprehension, connections, and applications at home. 

• Wondering how to support your child with their Reading grade level standards and curriculum? 
• What questions should I ask to build my child's reading comprehension?
• What does standard progression look like over grade level spans?  
• Takeaways to support your child who is reading above grade level 
• Learn new ways to enrich, deepen, and create a joy for reading

Zoom Registration: http://mvw.sd/MlaSK

In order to make this interactive webinar most meaningful for you, please send your questions beforehand to Interim Director, Swati Dagar via this Google Form  by Friday, January 15th. 

Spanish interpretation will be provided. 

Link to flyer is here. 

Register now! Parent workshop:  How to Build Academic Language with Kate Kinsella 

Virtual presentation on January 27 at 6:00 pm

Hosted by Huff, Landels and Jose Antonio Vargas elementary schools

Register: http://mvw.sd/kate

Presenter Kate Kinsella, Ed.D. will talk about: 

• After school conversation tips to use with children to encourage thoughtful responses

• Strategies to help increase students' academic language and listening skills

 

Kate Kinsella, Ed.D., is a teacher educator at San Francisco State University and a highly sought after speaker and consultant to school districts throughout the United States regarding development of academic language and literacy across the K-12 subject areas. Her 25-year teaching career focus has been equipping children from diverse backgrounds with the communication, reading, and writing skills to be career and college ready. 

 

For more information, please visit http://drkatekinsella.com/about-us/

 

 MVEF News: Virtual Gala Planning Has Begun

Save the date - March 6, 2021!

We wish we could be together with you! Nonetheless, the MVEF gala committee is hard at work ensuring that our Virtual Gala on March 6th will be a fun evening even in the midst of Covid19 concerns. Stay tuned for details!

MV Library Valentine’s Celebration

The Mountain View Public Library and CHAC Family Resource Center are sponsoring a free Valentine’s Celebration for families with young children on Friday, February 12, on Zoom. Please see the attached flyer for details and registration.

February CAC Events

Happy New Year! 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 may have during distance learning: Try a Sensory Diet

February 1, 9 am- General Parent/Community Meeting with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:00 am for LCC and 9:30 am for CAC. We will be planning for the year, discussing upcoming programs and discussing distance learning and learning challenges. For our agenda, please join our Google group, https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. For the Zoom link for this meeting, email [email protected] or sign up on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/general-cac-meeting-tickets-135550478129

If you have a district hotspot that you’re not using anymore...

Please return it to our technology department at our district office. Due to changes in individual circumstances and needs, we need every hotspot for families and students in need. If you have a non-working hotspot, please bring that back as well. Thank you in advance!

The MVLA Speakers Series presents “Raising Antiracist Kids: The Power of Intentional Conversations About Race” with Nicole Lee on Tuesday, Feb 9, 2021 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online 

Raising antiracist kids is imperative in today’s society, yet most of us are not well-equipped for the challenges of talking with our kids about race and racism.  Join us for an engaging discussion with Nicole Lee, diversity, equity, and inclusion expert, as she shares research about the impact of talking - or not talking - to our kids about race and sheds light on common discomforts and misconceptions causing parents and other caregivers to avoid these important conversations.  

Audience:  Parents, caregivers, and educators

Register:  To register for this free event at https://mvla2020-21-nicolelee.eventbrite.com

 

“Keeping the Dream Alive” College and Career Readiness Virtual Event: Feb. 1-Mar. 31

SCCOE’s Parent Engagement Program will present the “Keeping the Dream Alive” College and Career Readiness Virtual Event for 6th – 12th grade students and their parents. From February 1 to March 31, students will be able to access the “Keeping the Dream Alive” website to participate in interactive activities, webinars, and more to learn about college and career options. 

Visit the "Keeping the Dream Alive" event website at parentengagement.sccoe.org for more information and students can currently pre-register at http://bit.ly/KTDARegistration.

Author Talk with Ben Clanton on Feb. 8 

The Mountain View Public Library will be hosting a live Zoom talk with Ben Clanton, author and illustrator of the Narwhal and Jelly books. The event will be held on Monday, February 8, from 4:00-4:30 pm. Register at https://mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.

PTA News:

In Need of Sock Snowmen, Talent Showcase, Class Party 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:

 

• Sock Snowmen
• Snowflakes/Supply Pick-Up at the MUR
• Unity Day
• Author Visits
• Valentine’s Day School Craft
• Talent Showcase

 

Upload photos here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1sHtAxYqeSUzQDhg2T4hWvOgS--31elW3

 

Valentine’s Day class parties are a great time to take photos, too. If you have any photos from class parties (Halloween, December holiday, etc.) please put them in your room folder here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1yR2H2LAdHz1K1LbaNKQUBg7SMTRwIcTt

JOIN OUR YEARBOOK TEAM!

 

Over the next few months we’ll be putting together the Huff yearbook. We’d love it if you can lay out a few pages - especially your child’s class page! The software is pretty easy (we can give you a quick online training session) and of course you can work from home.

 

If you’re interested in helping out, please email Kathleen Mikulis and Dorothy Lin at [email protected].

Attachments:

FREE PHONE SERVICE ENG SPA CHI

CHAC_FRCs_Distribution_flyer_English

CHAC Parent Flyer

*ENG KK presentation flyer 2021

Valentine's Celebration English

-January Equity Calendar 2021 ENG

Keeping The Dream Alive Flyer Orig

Ben Clanton eng and spanish

MVLA Speaker Series_Flyer 5_Nicole Lee