Landels Latest Sept 10, 2020

Sept 9             Parent U – Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy, Virtual – 5:30-7:00PM

Sept 11           Principal’s Coffee, Virtual – 2:40PM

Sept 16           ELAC Meeting – Virtual – 3:00PM


Message from our principal:

Hello Landels Families!

As we enter into week 4 of our virtual learning, I am seeing some great learning strategies in our ZOOM meetings.  Students are engaged and encouraged to participate in class and/or small group discussions.  Students are using white boards to show their learning and understanding as well as asking great questions.  I have seen many students using a visual schedule on a daily basis and we have been getting positive feedback regarding these.  The following are examples of visual schedules you can recreate and use for your child’s virtual classroom.  You can also search online for resources for creating visual schedules.

 

Wednesday Morning Assemblies

Thanks to those who attended our first Wednesday weekly morning assembly last week.  We will conduct our second Wednesday weekly morning assembly tomorrow at 8:30 a.m.  The link will be provided both below and your teacher will also provide a link in her google classroom for students to use.  Feel free to use either place to click as it is the same link.  Please be cognizant that we have a limit of 300 participants.  Therefore, if possible, logon as one participant for a whole family.

You are invited to a Zoom meeting. 

When: Sep 9, 2020 08:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) 

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJApfu-tpjMiG9Hq88cy6hDozry5jpxEq5sC 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.  This link is the same link provided by your teacher.

 

Online Assessments in iReady

Last week, we completed our iReady assessment for ELA in grades 1-5.  This week, the kinder ELA assessment as well as the math assessment for grades 1-5 will begin.  We discussed glows and grows during our staff meeting and our principal’s coffee last week regarding the proctoring of the assessment.  We came up with great strategies that we will implement in our assessments this week.  These strategies include the use of all students using headphones while taking the assessment (please let us know if you need headphones and we can provide them) and the use of small groups for assessment.  Both of these strategies will decrease the background noise and distractions.  Thank you for your feedback and support with this first time online proctoring situation.

 

Precautionary Measures Implemented At Landels

Here at Landels, we are taking precautionary measures to fight the spread of the COVID virus.  In addition to wearing masks and social distancing at a 6-foot distance, we have implemented hand sanitizer stations, visual reminders, and a front office shield for protection.  Please remember to wear your mask at all times and wash your hands for at least 20 seconds.  We can all fight this COVID virus together!!

 

School Site Council and ELAC Meetings

We will be having our first School Site Council and English Language Advisory Committee (ELAC) meetings in the next couple of weeks.  Therefore, we are looking for parents to serve on our School Site Council and ELAC committeesServing on these committees is a great way to have in depth conversations about Landel’s commitment to student growth and achievement for all students.  Please email me for more information!

 

ELAC Meeting

ELAC – English Learner Advisory Committee

All parents of English learners are invited to join us in our first ELAC meeting.  The purpose of the ELAC is to advise the principal and school staff on programs and services for English learners.

Please join us on Wednesday, September 16 at 3:00 pm via Zoom.

 

School Site Council

Purpose of meetings:  The school site council is a group of teachers, parents, and classified employees that works with the principal to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets.  Over the course of a year, a typical council might consider the goals of the school or district and then work with the principal to evaluate the school’s progress toward those goals.  We really appreciate the input of all members of our community including our parents.  It makes a cohesive partnership.

 

Join me for our next principal’s coffee on Friday, September 11th at 2:40 p.m.!!

You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Sep 11, 2020 02:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtc-GrqTsvHdXTs5HyaW5VeIhNQ_9n5Ilv

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

 

Attendance Changes

Due to new state guidance, beginning Sept 8, there will be some changes to how our school is required to count and monitor student attendance.
It’s important to know that school attendance during distance learning is mandatory. If your student will be absent, please report it by calling or emailing us as soon as possible. If your child is having difficulty with distance learning, please let us know. We want to help.
Changes to attendance monitoring beginning Sept 8:
· Elementary teachers will check in with students at the beginning of the day. Attendance will be taken at the end of the day every day, including Wednesdays. For middle school students, attendance is taken every period of the day, including Wednesdays.

· Students will no longer get a separate participation grade in Google Classroom. Attendance and participation scores are now combined and can be viewed by parents in Powerschool under “attendance history.”

· If you don’t report your student’s absence, your school will be calling you to determine the reason for the absence.

For more information about attendance, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/attendance

If your child is absent, please call the attendance line at 650-526-3520 x. 2 by 8:30am or email [email protected].

 

Meal Pick-up at Landels

Landels will be providing grab and go meals Monday through Friday, from 11:30am - 12:30pm in the front of the school in the parking lot.

 

MV Parent U on Sept. 9: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy

Join us on Wednesday, September 9 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for our next Parent University event: Increasing Student Engagement with Literacy from Home.

MVWSD Instructional Coaches Karen Gordon and Natalie Gallagher will share several resourceful strategies for supporting reading, writing, listening, and speaking at home during distance learning:

· Easy activities to boost your child's reading engagement 

· Creative ways to encourage and support writing using four text types (expository/informative, narrative, opinion, argumentative)

· Fostering listening skills to be able to extract key information

· Cultivating speaking skills using academic vocabulary

· Tips to prepare your child for ELPAC testing

Register here

 

Free Student Meals Available Again

The free meal program has been extended! (flyers attached) During Distance Learning, free meals are again available to all children in the Mountain View Whisman School District age 18 and younger. No IDs required. Locations: All schools, except Stevenson (pickup for Stevenson is at Theuerkauf). Times: 11:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at the elementary schools. 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at the middle schools. Walk, drive or roll up to grab a free meal and go! Parents should continue to go here https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ to apply for free or reduced price meal benefits through the National Lunch Program, if needed. 

 

ELPAC Language Assessment

Mountain View is a beautifully diverse place where hundreds of languages are spoken. In some instances, children from households where a non-English language is spoken need additional help at school to become fluent in English. To make sure that we identify all such children, all public school districts in California are required to do an initial language assessment called the Initial ELPAC. (English Learner Performance Assessment of California).
A letter was sent out last week to all families with children who meet the criteria for the Initial ELPAC. The letter describes the rationale and details for the assessment and invites families to follow up with any questions they may have. Additionally, the following link is a helpful resource for parents/guardians to understand the test better and to help prepare their children.
A Parent Guide to Understanding ELPAC Initial English (also contains information about the Summative ELPAC, which is a similar test at the end of the school year.)
We understand that the beginning of the school year is a busy time, especially under these extraordinary circumstances. Based on current guidance from the California Department of Education, the Initial ELPAC this fall will be administered remotely. Details to come. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to Claudia Navarrete via email at 
[email protected].

 

Distance Learning tip: How can I set sound alerts so that my student doesn’t miss a class meeting?

To have sound, Chromebook users will need to make sure their Google Calendar settings are set correctly. The instructions below will show how to change the notification setting.

- Go to the following page: calendar.google.com/calendar/r/settings

- On the left side of the page under "General" choose "Event Settings"

- Make sure the "Notifications" are set to "Desktop Notifications" and that the play notification sounds button is checked.

This should have the calendar play sound when events trigger.

 

Join the MVWSD conversation: Distance Learning: What's working?

We’re now up to 1200 thoughts so far in our online conversation about Distance Learning.  Now that we've been distance learning for several weeks due to COVID-19, in your opinion, what’s working well and what are our areas of improvement?
Before Thursday, Sept 17: Please take some time to participate or rejoin the conversation to star thoughts entered since you were there last. You may participate in this exchange by clicking on this link: 
http://mvw.sd/TE. Translation is available in multiple languages.  Your input will help us further improve and refine our plans as we move into the future.

 

Track your student's online activities at home with Securly

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 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.


Please Support Our Students and Teachers!
MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. We hope you saw the MVEF brochure with your school supplies or watched the video during Back to School. Please see the website at https://www.mvef.org/ for more information and to donate online. Please consider joining our team of volunteers or emailing us with any questions at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!

 

Public hearing on Sept. 17: Sufficient instructional materials

A public hearing will be held in order to comply with Ed Code section 60119 on September 17, 2020 to detail the extent to which text books and instructional materials were provided to all students, including English Learners.

The definition of “sufficient textbooks or instructional materials” means that each pupil has textbooks or instructional materials, or both to use in class and to take home in each of the following subjects:
• Mathematics
• Science
• History/Social Science
• Language Arts
The public hearing on September 17, 2020 at 7:00pm will be held during the regular meeting of the Board of Trustees. To view details about accessing the meeting either online or by phone, please click on the September 17 agenda link on this webpage: 
https://www.mvwsd.org/about/board_of_trustees/board_meetings

 

Join our new communication tool, Konstella

We wanted to invite you to join our new communication tool, Konstella. For returning parents, this replaces Simply Circle. For new parents, this tool will allow you to receive communications from the PTA as well as from other parents in your room. You can choose how and when you would like to receive updates after signing up. Being a member of the PTA is not required. You can join using this link: https://www.konstella.com/cd/GNJQU9

Thank you!

 

The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series presents: Jeff Selingo on "Who Gets In and Why:  A Year Inside the College Admissions Process" on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online | Zoom

Join us for an insightful evening with journalist and higher education expert Jeff Selingo, as he dispels entrenched notions about the college admissions process. 

While many have long believed that college admissions decisions are driven largely by merit, Jeff presents a more complicated truth.   Embedded in three distinctly different admissions offices — a selective private university, a leading liberal arts college, and a flagship public campus — Jeff closely observed college admission officers as they made their often agonizing and sometimes life-changing decisions.

Based on a year of reading applications and sitting through committee meetings where up and down votes were taken, Jeff reveals what really matters to the gatekeepers and how their ultimate decisions are often based on a college’s priorities.  Following interviews with students, testing agencies, marketers, and ranking organizations, Jeff also shares practical advice and helpful strategies for navigating the confusing, chaotic, and often-times stressful college application process.  

Audience:  High school parents and students; teachers and counselors

Register: To register for this free event, go to https://mvla2020-21-jeffselingo.eventbrite.com

Book:  Jeff's new book, Who Gets In and Why, will be released Sept. 15th and is available with free shipping from Books, Inc.  Jeff is generously offering our community a 30% discount + free shipping for pre-orders made directly through him. If interested, use code MVLA30.

Event Login:  We will send the Zoom link via Eventbrite email, Thursday afternoon, October 1st. 
If you have not used Zoom before, please make sure to allow a few extra minutes before the event to download the free Zoom app.    


Sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.

 

Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Information Session - September 10th

You can change the life of a student!
Come learn about volunteer opportunities to Mentor high school students and Tutor students in grades K-8 in our Mountain View and Los Altos schools.
Becoming a Mentor or Tutor will add joy to your life and help a student in our local community to a brighter future!
There is no obligation to sign up as a volunteer.  You're welcome to just come and learn more about they we do.
Please note: Mentor Tutor programs are currently remote and will remain so until students are back in school and the school district permits volunteers in the classroom
All volunteers must be high school graduates.  
  Date:             Thursday, September 10th
      Time:           5:00 - 6:00 pm
        Location:     Online via Zoom (URL provided upon registration)

  Register:     REGISTER ONLINE

    Questions:    [email protected]

Information:   MentorTutorConnection.org

 

 

 








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