PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE:

Dear Families,

 

We have some exciting news!  Our school was one of three Mountain View Whisman elementary schools that were recognized as a 2023 California Distinguished School! MVWSD’s 2023 Distinguished Schools are Amy Imai Elementary, Bubb Elementary, and Stevenson Elementary. 

 

The California Distinguished Schools program recognizes schools across the state for their excellent work in one of two categories: closing the achievement gap and achieving exceptional student performance. To select California Distinguished Schools, the California Department of Education (CDE) uses multiple measures to identify eligible schools based on their performance. Schools are selected for results based on data reported on the 2022 Dashboard, including assessment results, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, and socioeconomic data.  The full list of our state and national award-winning schools is here: https://www.mvwsd.org/about/facts___figures.  

 

This honor is a reflection of our school community’s hard work, dedication, and collective commitment to improve equitable outcomes for all students. Fantastic work, Bubb cubs!

 

Some reminders for this week:

 

*English Learner Advisory Council (ELAC) meeting this Wednesday afternoon @ 4pm.  Zoom link.  We will be discussing the upcoming Summative ELPAC (English Language proficiency) assessment that all English Learners will take and how you can help your child prepare. Spanish interpretation available.

 

*Incoming Kinder/New Family Information Night tonight @ 6:30 pm.  Zoom link.  We will provide an overview of our program at Bubb.  Please pass on the information to any neighbors who may have incoming Kinders!

 

*Student Council’s Wild Hair Day Spirit Day is this Friday.  Learn more about it in this week’s morning meeting.  If you’d like to see our morning meeting each week, like us on facebook.

 

*No School on Monday, January 16th in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King.

 

Have a great week!

 

In partnership,

Principal Cyndee

IMPORTANT DATES

 

 

SCHOOL NEWS

Reporting absences

To report an absence, call the office at (650) 526-3480 and press 2, or email [email protected].  Provide the following information: date of absence, student’s name, room number, reason for absence, and name and relationship of the person reporting the absence. MVWSD schools also use an automated system to notify parents when a student is absent from school when we haven’t heard from a parent about the reason for the child’s absence.  To report a positive COVID case, click here. It is very important, for safety reasons, that we know the reason why a student is not present at school.

 

Early Pick Up  

If your child must leave early, an adult must come to the office and sign the student out. For security reasons, no one is allowed to go to the classroom to pick up students. The office will call the classroom to have the child come up to the office.  Students are released only to persons on the emergency card, unless we have a written note or a phone call from a parent whom we can identify. Kindergarten parents must notify the teacher if there is a change in the pickup person.

DISTRICT NEWS

Don’t forget to give your student the free COVID test on Jan. 16

MVWSD provided at-home COVID-19 testing kits for free to families and staff members so that you may test before returning to campus after the winter break. Please use one to test your student on Monday, Jan. 16 before returning to school on Tuesday, Jan. 17 (after the Martin Luther King Jr holiday).  Please see this letter for what to do after testing. Thank you for participating in these measures to help ensure all of our students and staff stay healthy. 

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Jan. 12 at 6:00 p.m. 

Some of the meeting topics include:          

• Review of conceptual designs for greening and outdoor learning at Vargas Elementary School

• i-Ready- CAASPP Correlation and Diagnostic 2 Assessment Results

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

Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday, Jan. 13

Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Jan. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/CC113

Cafecito con el Superintendente

Wednesday, Jan. 11, 5:30 – 6 pm

This is an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents. Translation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting by clicking here: http://mvw.sd/C111

For parents of new students and incoming kinders: There are important new student registration meetings coming up. 

Your neighborhood school: Wednesday, Jan. 11 at 6:30 pm. Click here for each school’s meeting link: http://mvw.sd/meetings.

MVWSD choice schools: Thursday, Jan. 12. Gabriela Mistral Elementary at 5:30 p.m. and Stevenson Elementary at 6:30 p.m. Click here for each school’s meeting link: http://mvw.sd/meetings. There are also in-person school exploration events:  Wednesday, January 18 from 1:30 - 4 pm at Theuerkauf for parents of Theuerkauf Transitional Kinders, Preschool and for the public. Wednesday, January 25 from 2- 4 pm at Castro Elementary for parents of Latham Preschool and for the public.

Here’s how you can be ready for the meetings

 ➤  First, check your residency to determine your neighborhood school: https://www.mvwsd.org/residency

 ➤  Learn about choice schools and neighborhood schools at https://www.mvwsd.org/register

➤  Click here https://vimeo.com/777468041 for a video about how the choice school lottery process works. (Spanish video: https://vimeo.com/781925589).

➤  Click on this video for Day in the Life of a Kinder: https://vimeo.com/765116449 (Spanish video is here: https://vimeo.com/775870587)

Is your student too young for kindergarten?

Click here to learn about the right program for your young learner: https://www.mvwsd.org/kinderready

➤  The information meeting for transitional kindergarten is January 19 at 6:30 p.m. at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/TK119

➤ The preschool informational meeting is January 19 at 3:30 pm (English) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK119 and February 1 at 3:30 pm (Spanish) at this Zoom link: http://mvw.sd/PK21.

Student registration starts soon!

Open enrollment for all students (including returning students) for the fall starts on Jan. 24. Click on https://www.mvwsd.org/register for all of the details.

Parent University: Living Our New “Normal”: Tips for Families on How to Thrive Post-Pandemic 

Date and Time: Feb. 7, 2023 5:30pm  Registration Link: https://mvw.sd/pu020723

The last three years have been difficult on parents and children. How do we keep going and continue to show up to support our families?

Together, we will be able to: 

• Identify what the “New Normal” means to us.

• Learn tips and strategies to manage stress and navigate our “New Normal”

• Commit to take one action to address a personal goal

MVEF January Updates

Thanks to the generous support of MVEF donors and volunteers, MVEF achieved the incremental goal to raise $800k by Jan 1, 2023! This achievement represents almost 70% of this year's annual goal of $1,200,000 raised during the first half of the fiscal year.  Thank you MVEF donors and volunteers for your tireless support of MVEF and Mountain View Whisman School District!

SAVE THE DATE for the MVEF Gala: MVEF will hold its  Annual Fundraising Gala benefiting the current school year on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The MVEF Gala is an opportunity for residents, district parents, business leaders and community members to come together to support local schools. This year’s event will include dinner, fundraising activities (including a raffle and silent auction), and dancing (subject to county health guidelines). More details about the Gala will be shared soon.

Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session

Come learn about volunteering as a Mentor or Tutor! Help a local student to a brighter future. VOLUNTEER INFORMATION SESSION - January 19, 12:00-1:00 pm, El Camino YMCA, 2400 Grant Road, Mountain View. To register go to www.mentortutorconnection.org/events  - or email [email protected].

Health and Wellness Parenting Tip: Belly Breathing

Our mood is influenced by physical sensations in our body. When we feel stressed, we tend to take quick and shallow breaths. By taking slow and deep breaths, we can signal our body to relax.

Watch this video to learn more about how belly breathing can help your child (or you) feel more relaxed. 

To belly breathe:

1. Choose a comfortable position, such as sitting on a chair or laying on your back.

2. Place one hand on your belly.

3. Take a deep breath in through your nose while you count to four. As you breathe in, your belly should rise.

4. Hold your breath while you count to five.

5. Breathe out through your mouth while you count to six. As you breathe out, your belly should flatten.

You may need to repeat these steps for 5-10 minutes before you start to feel relaxed. By practicing these steps, you can learn to relax after stressful situations.

MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series: Raising Body Positive Youth on Jan. 19

Join MVLA Parent Ed on Thursday, Jan. 19 from 7pm - 9pm (LAHS Eagle Theater) for an evening with Wendy Sterling, Shelley Aggarwal, and Signe Darpinian – co-authors of No Weigh! and Raising Body Positive Teens – as they discuss how to raise confident eaters, in a home free of judgment. Wendy, Shelley, and Signe will discuss down-to-earth ways parents can help their kids take proactive actions in promoting a friendship with food, and preventative actions to minimize the risk factors for the development of eating disorders, particularly when early signs of disordered eating, excessive exercise, or body dissatisfaction have been noticed. Click here to register for the event.

PTA NEWS - BubbPTA.org

Save the Date: PTA General Meeting on January 24, 6:30pm

Join us in the MUR for our third PTA General Meeting. We need your presence and vote to take action on PTA programs that benefit every student and classroom at Bubb! The meeting will be followed by a special BeSmart presentation where you can learn about gun safety and responsibility.

Show your Bubb School Pride with New Spirit Wear

Order Bubb School apparel! We are having an online winter flash sale - live now until January 25th. Order shirts, sweatshirts, baseball tees and more with an awesome Bubb logo designed by Bubb parents. This is not a fundraiser - just a way to show your Bubb cub pride! See attached flyer or visit spirithero.com and search for "Benjamin Bubb Elementary School" to find our online store. 

 

Host a Silent Auction Party

Make sure to complete your New Year's resolution to host a party for the Bubb PTA Silent Auction that is being held on February 3, 2023! What kind of event would be fun to host?! Remember, you can pair up with others to host and you craft your get-together to be anything you want - for kids, for adults or for families! A afternoon at the park with snacks for a group of kids? A Mom's night out Bunco Party? A dinner party for adults with cuisine from your ethnic background

 

Once you have your idea in mind,  submit your party idea through this easy Google form - we will capture what you'd like to host or co-host and sell spots for people to attend. Party ideas are due by January 24th. 

This only works if we all take part in fundraising to make sure we can support the programs we want to have available for our kids - join us!

 

Please Report Volunteer Hours

Happy New Year Bubb Families! Don't forget to log your volunteer time with the PTA. Volunteer hours are important because they enable us to apply for grants as well as maintain our non-profit status. Please consider all phone calls, meetings, emails, events (including set-up and clean up), any preparation work at home, travel time, etc. It doesn’t have to be related to the Walkathon. If your child's teacher or the PTA asked you to do it, include your time!! Thank you! 

 

You can log your hours here.

 

Nominating Committee

Are you good at networking or know a lot of Bubb families? Are you passionate about Bubb and want a hand in shaping the PTA for the 2023-24 school year? We need four PTA members to volunteer as Nominating Committee members. This is a short term role (about one month!) to help recruit candidates to serve on the Executive Board for the coming school year. 5th grade parents or parents of younger-grade children are especially welcome to get involved!  See the link or contact Alexis Davis at at [email protected] for more information.

 

Help Co-lead the Spring Talent Show

The Spring Talent Show is a wonderful Bubb tradition that gives kids an opportunity to showcase their skills and talents! We are looking for a few co-leads to help with this production. If you are interested in learning more, please email Rebekah at [email protected].

FLYERS

Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Info Session

MVLA Parent Ed Speaker Series: Raising Body Positive Youth

New Bubb Spirit Wear

Lunch menu - January