Principal’s Message:
Quote of the week
“Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11.”
-President Obama
Dear Imai Families,
This weekend we honor the lives we lost on September 11, 2001and I hope we will never forget the courageous behavior of the first responders. As the details of the disaster dim in our memories, let us never forget the sacrifice of all those brave souls who responded so selflessly in the chaos and destruction.
September 11 (20th Year Anniversary Commemoration)
On Friday, 09/10 we will commemorate the 20th year anniversary of 09/11 with the students starting with a moment of silence and a reflection read over the intercom. We will use the theme of acts of kindness and have age appropriate activities to commemorate this day. Just in case you are wondering, our flag post is broken and we can not fly the flag but we will have a flag on the fence at the front of the school starting on Friday until we get back to school on Monday.
Next Monday we are going to take school pictures. Each class will go in one at a time on a scheduled time to the MUR. All doors will be open and they will be in and out of the MUR quickly. Students will be asked to take off their masks only when it’s their turn and in front of the camera, not while waiting in line. If you brought your child in last year to take their pictures in the library, it will be very similar. Please use the information on the flyer below to place your order.
Have you become a PTA member yet? If you haven't, don't forget to do it. The class with the highest number of members will be awarded a popsicle party. Our PTA does a lot for all of our students and we can’t do it without your support.
SIncerely,
Arline Siam
Principal
Upcoming Events
September
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13 - Click here for link Picture Day - Picture day id: EVTDM3ZXN
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17 - Principal’s Coffee (virtual) at 9am
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23 - SSC (virtual) at 3:15am
October
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11 - NO SCHOOL - Recess day
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12 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Service Day
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22 - Principal’s Coffee at 8:30am
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28 - SSC at 3:15am
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:
Board meeting Preview: Sept. 9
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Sept. 9. Some of the meeting’s topics include updates on:
Agenda and meeting details are here: http://mvw.sd/ZdiNA. The meeting is also streamed on www.youtube.com/mvwsd
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Sept. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/RNm0l
Cafecito con el Superintendente on Sept. 8
Please join us for an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents on Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. Interpretation will be provided.
Please register in advance for this meeting here: http://mvw.sd/FpoWY. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Parent University: Supporting Language Development
Date: Wednesday, September 15th 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.
Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu091521
Consistent development of language (reading, writing, speaking, listening) is one of the keys to a child’s overall academic success. What habits can parents develop to support English language development in the home, especially in a multilingual household? Join two of our district experts, Principal Arline Siam and Instructional Coach Karen Gordon, as they explore this complex topic and offer ideas for families to use daily.
To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
Securly: Keeping students safe on the Internet
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 (www.securly.com/) 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.
Returning District Hotspots
Families, if you still have a district-issued internet hotspot from last year that you are no longer using, please return them to your school’s office. Thank you.
Better Together: Appreciating Differences
This is the first issue of #BetterTogether’s second year in circulation. This past summer, the Tokyo Olympic games had us transfixed. Though there is still a way to go, these past games had the most culturally and racially diverse Team USA in history. Just before the start of the school year, the release of the US Census data also confirmed for all of us that we are one nation, more beautifully diverse than ever. This month, Mountain View Whisman School District is celebrating our diversity with resources for teachers, parents, and community partners to aid in the transmission of our message: our diversity is one of our greatest strengths as a nation, as a city, and as a school district, where all are welcome. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.
Health and Wellness tip: Modeling behavior
As we settle into our back-to-school routine as best as possible, we might be experiencing some challenges at home with unwanted or undesired behaviors. Our partners from Palo Alto University, Dr. Alana Park and Dr. Eduardo Bunge, have provided us with some information to support our parents as the school year progresses. Here is a great tip from our partners at Palo Alto University to promote desired behavior at home:
Modeling refers to teaching by example. Your child will learn by observing your actions and the actions of others. To model desired behaviors:
For example, you could model being kind to others by greeting your neighbors or offering to help other family members around the home. Make sure to keep praising the behaviors that you want to see (“Great job helping your sibling with their homework”).
This tip came directly from the free, online Everyday Parenting program created by parenting expert, Dr. Kazdin. To learn more parenting tips click here.
MVEF: Please Support Our Students!
MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. Help us fund programming for your child and every child in the district! We hope you saw the MVEF brochure (which doubles as a donation envelope) or watched the video during Back to School. Please see the website at mvef.org for more information and to donate online. Use your credit card to pay in monthly installments. Please consider joining our team of volunteers. Email us with any questions at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!
Register for 2021-22 Parent U Events
Register in advance for this year’s MVWSD Parent University events. For more information about Parent U and event dates, see attached flyers or head to www.mvwsd.org/parentu.
InPlay: Afterschool activities
Looking for afterschool activities for your student? 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.
Local Covid Vaccine Clinic: Sep. 25th- Gift cards for first doses!
Santa Clara County is hosting several upcoming Covid-19 vaccination clinics at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula and Saint Athanasius Church in Mountain View (160 N Rengstorff Ave). Vaccinations are free. Gift card incentives will be provided for first doses.
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1st/2nd dose on September 25th from 12:30pm to 5:30pm. (This is a 1st dose clinic for Saint Athanasius Church Second Harvest Food Distribution Event, those who received a vaccine on 9/3 can get their second dose on 9/25.)
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2nd dose October 16th from 12:30pm to 5:30pm. (This is a clinic for those who received a first dose on 9/25)
For more information about COVID vaccinations in the area, please visit https://vax.sccgov.org/
Mayor for a Day contest with City of Mountain View
Do you have an elementary or middle school-aged student who would like to be the mayor of Mountain View (at least, for one day in October)? The Mayor for a Day contest is an exciting opportunity for kids to learn about local government and civic issues.
Students are invited to write up to a 500-word essay about what Mountain View would be like if they were mayor for a day. Mountain View’s mayor will select the two winners, who will each present their essay at a City Council meeting in October.
For more details, including contest rules and how to submit your entry, visit MountainView.gov/MayorforaDay. All entries are due by Friday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m.
Discovery Education Hands-On STEM event: Tuesday, Sep. 21
You're invited to Discovery Education’s upcoming Hands-On STEM event on Tuesday, September 21 at 10:00 a.m. PST! This action-packed virtual session empowers the next generation of STEM Solution seekers, equipping them with the skills they need to take on some of the planet's greatest sustainability challenges.
Join host Brandon Okpalobi, President of Siyanse, a STEM organization helping kids to create, think, and innovate. During each Hands-On STEM, Brandon will identify a local or global issue, explore why it's happening, introduce interesting people who are working to find solutions, and inspire your students to uncover their own potential with exciting hands-on STEM activities.
Register at: https://www.discoveryeducation.com/info/hands-on-stem-9-21-21/. If you have any questions about this event, reach out to Nina Sclafani at [email protected].
PTA News:
Our annual Popsicle Party Contest is back!
Join Imai PTA by Friday, September 24th... and the classroom with the most memberships wins a popsicle party! Join (and donate) at www.imaipta.org/join. Email [email protected] if you have any questions.
TWO STEPS to Get the Most from Parent Communications on Konsella
1) Make sure you’ve Joined Konstella at www.konstella.com/p/imai
2) Place your students into their classrooms after logging in, click on your name (top left), then ‘your children’ to add or move them.
Complete these steps to access class directories and receive important updates from your room parents, emails from other parents and important updates from Imai PTA! Email [email protected] if you need help or have questions.
Order Yearbooks Before September 30 and Save 10%!
Order now to reserve your 2021-2022 Amy Imai Yearbook at the best price of the year! The books are full of photos from each classroom and all the activities that take place at school throughout the year. You can customize two pages in your student's book for free, with pictures and memories unique to you! Regular price is $25, but you can order now for $22.50. Click here to start your order or visit TreeRing.com/validate and enter our school’s passcode 1015335719921389.
Any questions? Contact our yearbook chairs, Colleen McCloskey or Anastasia Namsaraeva, at [email protected], or visit our yearbook webpage.
In Need of Event Photos for Yearbook
Help us make the yearbook better! We are looking for photos for the yearbook from lots of the recent back to school activities. If you have photos from the following events below, we would love it if you could upload them to our yearbook folders.
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Beautification Day
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Parent Social
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Meet the Teacher
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First Day of School
Please add them to folders in our google drive or to a google photos album.
Attachments:
QuikApps_Parent_Flyer (Eng)
CNP Flyer September Eng
September Equity Calendar 2021 (English)
MVLA Speaker Series 2021 - 2022_Annual Line-up.docx
2021 Mayor for a Day Contest_English
Parent U 2021-22 (English)