Important Dates to Remember
Oct 21-25 Parent Teacher Conference Week – Minimum day all week
Oct 28-31 5th grade Science Camp
Oct 31 8:15-8:45 Halloween Parade
Nov 1 End of the trimester – Minimum day
Nov 6 Walk and Roll
Nov 7 12:10-1pm - Bookmobile
Nov 11 Veterans Day - No school
Nov 15 6-7:30 Math Night - MUR
Nov 20 Picture Retakes
Roar Recognitions
London J. - Room 1
Pedro A. - Room 2
Jonathan N. - Room 3
Derek R. - Room 4
Arya T. - Room 5
Daniel H. - Room 6
Haruki E. - Room 7
Karthik R. - Room 8
Elizabeth P. - Room 9
Ayden H. - Room 10
Aviva F. - Room 11
Hana L. - Room 12
Parker H. - Room 13
Addy R. - Room 14
Rose K. - Room 16
Jasper C. - Room 17
Luke E. - Room 18
Landels News
Dear Landels Families,
Thank you for participating in your child’s parent-teacher (student) conference! I hope the information was helpful and led to meaningful conversations at home. To support learning in my own home with my TK child, I read to her (~20 minutes daily) and also make time to play, dance and sing (without access to my phone). If you didn’t get a chance to schedule your child’s conference, it’s not too late. Reach out to your child’s teacher to find a time that works for both you and the teacher. Thank you for your continued support!
Safety Month continues! We have supplies for emergencies at school. Do you have them at home?
Now is the time to prepare your home disaster supply kit. An earthquake could mean being without food, water or electricity for hours or days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items, including your own food, water and other supplies, to last for several days that you’ll need in the event of an emergency. This is the week for your family to create or update your home kit. Here’s what should be in it. (Spanish)
Site Plan
At the last principal’s coffee, ELAC and SSC meetings, I shared both the iReady and CAASPP data from the 23-24 school year. Many of the actions we took last year have proven to be effective in increasing overall student achievement. We also saw greater gains on the CAASPP assessments for our students with disabilities (10% gain in ELA and 16% gain in Math) as well as our ELs (13% gain in ELA and 10% gain in Math). I am confident that our hyperfocus on our multi-tiered system of support (MTSS), the science of reading and small group intervention will continue to produce positive results.
You can review CAASPP data (grades 3-5) by typing in “Edith Landels” here. You can also review our site plan here.
Thank you!
Pieter Dolmans
Math Festival
6:00-7:30pm Friday, November 15, 2024 - MUR
Please join us for our math festival at Landels Elementary School. This is an opportunity for our community to come together and celebrate the joy of math.
The mission of Julia Robinson Math Festival (jrmf.org) is to help all students build confidence, joy, and a positive identity around math. The students and their families will explore a variety of fun, hands-on, Common Core-aligned math puzzles and games.
We will have a food truck selling food starting at 5pm.
Winter Clothes Donations
It's finally time to get the warm clothes out of the closet! If you find items that are too small for your kids, or you just don't want them anymore, please bring them to the Landels office and we will find them a good home. Baby and adult clothes are also needed.
Clean and gently used clothes only, please. Nothing with stains or permanent damage. We will donate these items to families in need in our community. We will be collecting donations until Friday, November 15, 2024. Thank you!
Short-Term Independent Studies
If you are planning on scheduling family vacations, please make every effort to schedule around our instructional calendar. You can also find minimum days outside our regularly scheduled early release Thursdays for scheduling appointments for your scholar. If your plans include your child missing 3-15 days of school, please notify the front office to discuss a short-term independent studies contract to minimize the impact of missed school days.
MVWSD News
Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement
Each year, our schools create Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSAs or “site plans”) that guide the work for the coming year. These plans help us prioritize programs and strategies that will best serve our students. In the fall, elected parent representatives from School Site Councils and English Language Advisory Committees work with principals and school staff members to create a draft that is reviewed and approved by the MVWSD Board of Trustees. Parents and staff members may give feedback through Nov. 15 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.
MVWSD seeking District Equity Advisory Committee members
MVWSD is continuing our work by engaging meaningfully with the community on issues of equity through the District Equity Advisory Committee (DEAC). The goal of the DEAC is to provide feedback to the Superintendent on how to support MVWSD towards achieving its goals of becoming a more equitable and inclusive school district.
We are seeking a combination of district-level leaders, principals, teachers, staff members, and parent participants who represent the interests of both elementary and middle schools. Committee members will be expected to attend and participate virtually in meetings held once monthly (on average) online during the 2024-25 school year in the evening hours.
If you’re interested in participating, please click here to apply.
MVEF has reached its second milestone - $400k! Make your donation soon to achieve the goal of $1.2M.
Thanks to the generosity of new donors, repeat donors, corporate matching, and grants, MVEF has already raised 1/3 of this year’s $1.2M funding goal. Thank you to all who have donated so far and a special thanks to the "Nusimow Family Giving Fund" for the generous donation of $50k.
It’s a fast start on a big climb: MVWSD will soon begin planning for next year’s budget. When MVEF is on pace to meet the funding goal early in the school year, it gives confidence that we can continue funding the current priorities and potentially add new ones to next year’s budget.
Consider donating today - it's tax-deductible! Every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Setting up monthly installments is easy, just select "recurring donation" here. Learn more about ways to give here. Ever considered donating stocks? Learn more about it here.
PTA News
Dia de los Muertos Movie Night: Fri 11/1
Learn about the rich and vibrant traditions of Dia de los Muertos through crafts, cultural display, performance, and the movie “Coco”.
· Friday, November 1st in the MUR
· 5:00 pm, Food trucks (self-pay), Dia de los Muertos activities and treats (free)
· 5:30 pm, Short show from our Performing Arts class
· 5:45 pm, the movie “Coco”
If you would like to help with this festival, please sign up here.
Mendocino Farms: Wed 11/6
Need a dinner idea? How about Mendocino Farms?
401 San Antonio Road #64, Mountain View, CA 94040
Wed 11/6 from 2pm to close
Order online for pickup or delivery using the promo code GIVEBACK or show the flyer in restaurant, and they’ll donate 30% back to Landels PTA.
Diwali Festival at Graham Middle School: Fri 11/8
We want to build community connection between Landels elementary and Graham middle school to bridge the gap for all our students as they grow within our district.
Please join us for the first Diwali festival at Graham middle school!
· 5 - 6:30: Activities such as rangoli, henna, and paper crafts
· 6:30 - 7:30: Performances from Graham students and special guests.
· There will be food for sale from food trucks, and the PTA will be selling desserts and chai.
· This is a festival for the whole family, parents may bring siblings for everyone to celebrate together.
· If you are able to volunteer at the festival or contribute to the bake sale, it would be greatly appreciated.
Let’s help bring together older and younger siblings, parents, and teachers to unite the MVWSD community.
Thank You
Thank you to all the incredible families, teachers and staff that made the Walkathon possible. Your incredible generosity helped us to meet our goal. A BIG thank you to our Walkathon Lead Sam Perkins who asks that you please fill out the event survey while it's fresh in your minds so we can continue to learn and improve. Last but not least, thank you to the following students who helped during the walkathon and with setup or cleanup: Rian R, Mia R, Bariyan D., Eli G., Christopher B., Aisling N., Natalia A., Addison C., Kaylie H., Matthew C, Wendy & Olivia P.
Afterschool Watercolor Class: Mon 11/4, 3-4pm
Former Landels teacher Mrs. Hicks is offering a free watercolor class after school for grades 4-5. Sign up in the office, limited spots available. Room 3.
FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
MV Public Library Parenting Program: Navigating Type 1 Diabetes
The Mountain View Public Library will hold a virtual parent program, “Navigating Type 1 Diabetes with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital” on Wednesday, October 30, from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. A roundtable of experts from the Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes Care Team at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital will share information on early signs, latest medical technologies, and research, along with practical tips on behavioral and physiological concerns. Session is for families generally concerned, newly diagnosed, and those managing ongoing care. Register in advance here.
City of MV: Día de Muertos
Join the City of Mountain View to celebrate Día de Muertos at Civic Center Plaza on November 2 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The public is invited to the celebration of memories and a ritual that “encourages remembering over forgetting.” Learn about these festivities and delight with the ofrendas and altars decorated with Cempasúchitl flowers, or marigolds, papel picado, sugar skulls, and a myriad of colors created and inspired by community members. The event will feature live performances and children’s activities. Learn more at MountainView.gov/Dia-de-Muertos.
Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024
For local coverage of issues related to learning challenges and special education, please check out the Learning Challenges Committee http://learningchallenges.lamvptac.org/
For broader coverage, look into the Northwest SCC SELPA CAC
Northwest Santa Clara County CAC meeting
October 29, 9 am
Register: https://sccoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpfuipqTwiGd2j1kNEBuVtKlTXV4IJn1TB
Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group
October 30, 9 am on Zoom.
IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqcu-vrDsiHdW_I5OTIYOiHcpy1tEmzuta
Who’s Who is Serving Our Little Ones? - Planning and Strategies for Children 3-5
From Department of Developmental Services and Palo Alto CAC
November 14, 6-7 pm on Zoom. Register: http://bit.ly/DDSTraining2
Evening Let’s Talk Parent Support group
November 19, 7 pm on Zoom.
IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtfu2hrj0pG9zqGFeTzEnqs1U7cVxTcfl-
Learning Challenges Committee Meeting
December 3, 7:30 pm on Zoom
The LCC is working on providing a support group for parents, and planning to create a wish list for teachers throughout Mountain View and Los Altos for classroom supplies to support sensory needs. Would you like to help? Other ideas to support students and families with learning challenges? Join us here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUld-usrj8tEtNskynSpmorDiYZNt9_KAgq
Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group
December 19, 10 am on Zoom.
IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrduupqD0vEtSpweFX71KvNAcKW8Csy4D3
Missed past Parent Education events?
We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including the recent talk on Assistive Technology, info on summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw
Flyers
City of MV: Día de Muertos
MV Public Library Parenting Program: Navigating Type 1 Diabetes
Mendocino Farms: Wed 11/6
2024-2025 School Calendar
October Lunch menu
Econews