IMPORTANT DATES
12/20 to 12/31 December Break--No School
1/3 Teacher Professional Development Day--No School
1/10 to 1/14 Parent Teacher Conferences--Minimum Day ALL WEEK
1/17 MLK Day--No School for Students
2/1 to 2/28 Black History Month
2/18 End of Trimester 2–Minimum Day
2/21 to 2/25 Winter Break--No School ALL WEEK
DISTRICT NEWS
COVID safety over winter break
We strongly encourage families to get tested after the holidays and before returning to school after the holiday, especially if you are traveling. Even as children 5-11 are now starting to get vaccinated, it is still important that we stay vigilant with safety precautions, particularly in light of the variant, Omicron.
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Test for COVID before and after holiday traveling and/or gatherings. https://covid19.sccgov.org/covid-19-testing
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Due to low supplies of test kits, MVWSD cannot provide rapid antigen tests to families. Instead, we are planning a community testing event on Dec. 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the District Office, 1400 Montecito Ave. Look for more details by email.
Last day for OKtoReopen screener is Friday
With student vaccination rates increasing for our younger students, on-campus COVID testing and increased awareness in our community about Covid symptoms and protocols, there is no longer need for the OKtoReopen screener. Starting after break when students return on the morning of January 4 , you will no longer receive an email or text message from OKtoReopen. Thank you for your consistent use of the screener in the past months.
Attendance is important: Parent notifications ramp up in January
Research shows that school attendance is a strong indicator of success. It's about students learning what they need to know, belonging to the school community, and being part of the team that is preparing them with good habits for high school.
Regular school attendance is required by the state law, and is included in the District’s Local Control Accountability plan (LCAP) and reported in the California School Dashboard. State law requires MVWSD to notify parents whose students are truant or chronically absent.
What’s an Excused vs. Not Excused absence? Illness (including quarantining due to COVID), doctor’s appointments, bereavement, and certain religious exercises are excused absences. Please see MVWSD board policy for the full list. All other reasons are not considered excused.
Are Vacations / Travel Excused? Unfortunately, family vacation or travel is not excused – even when you inform your teacher or the office. This comes as a surprise for parents. We appreciate you letting us know so that you will not receive a call from the auto-dialer asking you to verify the absence.
When do parents get truancy letters? California law requires MVWSD to notify parents of truancy. Any three unexcused absences and/ or tardies over 30 minutes means a child is truant.
Letters: beginning in January, MVWSD will send letters to parents of any student who is truant. These letters inform parents when students have had three or more unexcused absences and inform families of next steps and any resources or procedures in place to help their family get their child to school regularly.
Calls: In January, MVWSD schools will also begin using an automated system to notify parents when a student is absent from school. This automated call will alert a parent that a student has been marked absent. This is important for the safety of your child and for our attendance accounting. Please ensure we have the reason for your child’s absence.
It’s possible that you might receive a call after you have notified the office of the absence. We apologize for any inconvenience that this additional call may cause. This process helps us to maintain a safe school environment and support your child and family. Thank you for your support.
Parent-Teacher Conferences are Jan. 10-14. Minimum day for students. Sign up for conferences!
Parent-Teacher (Student) Conferences present a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, strengths and needs, and work with your teacher to help your child have a successful academic experience. Conference week is scheduled for January 10-14, 2022. Every day that week is a minimum day for students.
“Parent University: Effective Parent-Teacher Communication & Tips for Conference Week”
Date: January 5, 2022, 5:30-7:00pm Registration Link: http://mvw.sd/pu010522
Please join us for a thorough discussion on effective communication between home and school and tips on how to have a successful parent-teacher conference. A panel of parents, principals and teachers from Elementary School and Middle School will provide helpful feedback on how to approach difficult topics when talking to your child’s teacher or office staff. Parents will also learn how to read and understand the school report cards.
To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
Upcoming i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments
i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading. Teachers use this information to support instruction in core subjects for every student.
Elementary school families can access their child’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score via their Powerschool Parent Portal starting December 17, 2021. Parents will have access to three reports for their child - For Families Report, Common Core State Standards Report (CCSS), and the Diagnostic Growth Report. Here’s how to access PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports.
Parents can learn more about the i-Ready platform and how to interpret the various i-Ready reports. Join us for an i-Ready Parent Informational Webinar on December 16th, 2021 at 6:00 - 7:00 pm. Please register in advance via the link: http://mvw.sd/i-ready.
Please contact your child’s school front office if you have any trouble accessing reports.
Please upload your child’s completed vaccine card
Many of our younger students are getting their 2nd COVID vaccine shot this week. When your child's vaccine card has their second shot listed, please upload a copy to Powerschool. Vaccine cards will be referred to in the case of a positive COVID exposure for your student, and MVWSD needs accurate data for decisions about COVID protocols. Click here for a video that shows you how to upload documents: https://vimeo.com/606954357.Thank you in advance for uploading your documents now!
School meetings are coming up. Open Enrollment for all MVWSD students starts in January
For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 24-28.
For NEW students: Open Enrollment is from January 10 through Feb. 4, 2022 online. You can register your child for the 2022-23 school year when online registration opens here: www.mvwsd.org/register
Please visit www.mvwsd.org/register for more information.
December Better Together Infographic
December is Universal Human Rights Month, a time for people in the U.S. and around the world to join together and stand up for the rights and dignity of all individuals. December 10, Human Rights Day, is a global holiday that marks the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948. Together, we can protect the rights of everyone, everywhere. Please see the graphics attached to this newsletter, or visit https://www.mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.
MVEF Holiday Zumba Dance Party on 12/19
Get ready to have fun and get fit while grooving to some sweet Latin beats! We’re going to shake it up with 90 minutes of Zumba awesomeness on Sunday, December 19th at 3 pm - 4:30 pm at the Mountain View Civic Center Plaza (500 Castro Street). Bring water, comfortable exercise clothes, and all your friends. It is going to be a party!
Suggested donation is $20 per person cash or check payable to the Mountain View Educational Foundation.
CHAC Resources and Events
CHAC Family Resource Centers offer a variety of classes and resources for Santa Clara County residents, including music classes for young children, arts enrichment, groups for Spanish-speaking families, parenting courses, and free diapers and other essential items. For more information, see attached flyers or visit https://www.chacmv.org/frcs.
Work every day at our school: Permanent substitute teachers needed
MVWSD is seeking a long-term substitute teacher to work every day with a variety of classes ** at our school.** Please consider this flexible, fun, dynamic work that has a big impact on our students!
The permanent substitute teacher rate is $220 per day. Please express interest in the “permanent sub” position when the hiring department reaches out. We appreciate your commitment to our students and community, especially in this time of COVID-19.
Requirements to become a substitute teacher:
* A Bachelor’s Degree
* Completion of Basic Skills Requirement
* Substitute teaching permit or a valid California teaching credential.
* Complete required background check. This can be done by appointment in the MVWSD Human Resources Department.
* A negative tuberculosis test
You may apply online: http://mvw.sd/sub. For information, please email Noemi Herrera at [email protected].
PTA NEWS - BubbPTA.org
Thursday Deadline To Turn In Bubb Read-a-thon Reading Logs
Don’t forget to detail your minutes on your Read-a-thon log and submit your form to your classroom teacher by this Thursday. As a reminder, each Bubb Cub can set their own goal for reading activities, including independent reading, listening to a reading (virtual book reading here) and reading together as a family or in class. Any reading activity will count towards your goals! Sponsors and donations through the school’s Read-a-thon Goalstarter website will also continue to be accepted until next Monday, Dec. 20. All funds directly support the school. Special prizes will be awarded for meeting your reading goals, to top readers and classes, and for those who fundraise. And if the whole school if students collectively hit 2,000 hours of reading, Principal Cyndee has promised a bubble party! Regardless, EVERY participant, including non-Bubb siblings, will receive a prize! Please visit the official Bubb Read-a-Thon page for more details.
Holiday Gifts For Our Amazing Teachers & Staff
Need holiday gift ideas for our amazing teachers and staff? Check out the PTA’s Holiday Stars ONLINE! In order to make holiday gifting easier for families, the PTA asks our teachers and staff what makes them happy and what they might need for the classroom. This is a way for us to say THANK YOU for all of the wonderful things they do for our children every day. If you are looking for ideas, do check it out! But remember, there is no obligation - teachers and staff also love thank you notes and smiles!
Gingerbread House Decorating Contest This Thursday
Bring your decorating skills and join fellow Bubb cubs and special judges for our Gingerbread House Decorating Contest This Thursday, December 16 at 5:30pm. If selected, you will have a chance to win a prize! Need a gingerbread house kit? No problem, we can provide one for you. For details, please contact Ray at [email protected]. REGISTER
Volunteer Hours!
As we end the year 2021, please make sure to submit ALL volunteer hours! Hours can be submitted online. This includes class support and virtual presentations, garden and beautification projects, Read-a-thon, etc. Thank you for all your time, energy and support for Bubb School!
FLYERS
CHAC Family Resources Centers
CHAC Essential Items Distribution Centers
December Better Together Infographic
December Lunch Menu