Important Dates
Sept 5 LABOR DAY – NO SCHOOL
Sept 9 Superintendent’s Community Check-In, 3:30pm ZOOM
Sept 12 School Site Council Meeting, 3:15pm Zoom
Sept 14 PTA General Association Meeting, 8:30am Staff Room or Zoom
Sept 22 ELAC Meeting, 8:30am
Sept 29 Principal’s Coffee 8:30am
Oct 11 Picture Day
Roar Recognitions
· Aditi S. – Room 9
· Arya 8. – Room 8
· Carissa R. – Room 14
· Cooper L. – Room 14
· Gwen 13. – Room 13
· Kyara K. – Room 17
· Matteo P. – Room 4
· Mila M. – Room 4
· Nyra A. – Room 10
· Simon B. – Room 11
Landels News
Dear Landels Families,
I can’t believe it’s already September! Over the past few weeks your child completed their first i-Ready Math and Reading Diagnostic assessments. i-Ready is an online program that helps us determine your child’s strengths and areas for growth in mathematics and reading. Families can access their student’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score through their Powerschool Parent Portal starting September 2, 2022, at 3:00 p.m. Reports are available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ under “Parent Reports” for each of your students. Please see a letter in your email inbox for more information.
LEAP/Math Olympiad
If you are interested in volunteering to help support our LEAP program but did not make it to the informational meeting, please email Tushar Moorti at [email protected]. We are also looking for a parent to lead/facilitate Math Olympiad this year.
Family Science Night
We will be holding our annual family science night on September 29th from 5:30pm-6:30pm. We will have a taco truck selling food starting at 5pm. Please complete this survey if you would like your family to participate. Each family will receive 1 science kit. We only have 130 science kits so participation will be limited to the first 130 respondents. Hope to see you there!
COVID Testing - Labor Day
MVWSD is providing at-home COVID-19 testing kits for free to families (Preschool - Grade 8) and staff members so that you may test before returning to campus after Labor Day weekend. A box containing one test will be sent home with each student this week. Please test your student on Monday, Sept 5 before returning to school on Tuesday, Sept. 6. If the test is positive, keep your student home from school and click on “Absence” at the top of your school's website to log your student's positive Covid test. These test kits are one measure to combat COVID transmission, in addition to sanitation, and ventilation at our schools. Thanks for helping to keep our community safe!
Have a safe and restful long weekend!
Pieter Dolmans
Gift Card Donation
As you may know, there are several families in our district that need help to meet some basic needs. The district is providing meals every day. But some families need more support for providing food, clothes and shoes for their kids. There is a critical need for gift cards for these families. If you are able, please consider donating a Safeway or Target gift card to families in our own district. Thanks so much for your help! Let’s show these families how strong and supportive our Landels community really is!
Please bring the gift cards to the office. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Bea, School and Community Engagement Facilitator – SCEF- at [email protected].
District News
Members needed for the new Safety Advisory Task Force
MVWSD is seeking parents (both middle and elementary school), staff (certificated and classified) and community members as representatives for its new Safety Advisory Task Force. The district is undertaking a holistic review of safety this year. The Safety Advisory Task Force will contribute considerations for areas of improvement and work with a security consultant on a safety audit. To apply by Sept. 8, please click here. To learn more about MVWSD’s safety goals, click here for the presentation to the Board of Trustees.
Better Together: Identity
Better Together, MVWSD's school culture and climate program is exploring BELONGING during the 2022-23 school year. This month's element of belonging is identity. What parts of your identity are important to you? Students and families can explore the many unique, complex parts of their own identity, while appreciating the same in others'. A positive self-identity can boost self-esteem and promote meaningful connections with others who are different from us. Use the essential question and recommended books to explore this topic with your students.
School meals are free, but fill out the EzSchool Meals application to help your school
MVWSD will continue to provide free meals to all students as part of California’s universal meal program. Breakfast and lunches are available daily.
We ask you to please Apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family.
This Free and Reduced Price Meals benefit is not limited to meals only. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more.
Students who qualify for free and/or reduced-price meals may be eligible for P-EBT cards. The more applications your school gathers at the start of each school year, the more additional funding it can receive for all kinds of programs that help children at your school.
If you are currently out of work, you may qualify and help your school, regardless of your financial situation. Apply at https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ or call your school office.
MVEF & PTA: Why should we donate to both?
We heard requests for support from our school’s PTA and MVEF leaders at Back to School Night last week. Our annual donations to each support students in different ways:
MVEF provides essential programs at every school in MVWSD: CSMA Art and Music classes, Living Classroom Environmental Science classes, environmental field trips in grades 4-5; plus two middle school ELA teachers, Teacher stipends and support for clubs, sports, and instruments in grades 6-8.
PTA is a “hyper-local” advocacy team of volunteers that support each school site in customized ways to improve family engagement and support classrooms within that school community.
Both MVEF and PTA are 501(c)3 Charitable organizations and both rely on donations from families and matching contributions from employers and other organizations. You can donate to MVEF and learn more at this link and find your PTA donation link here.
September CAC Events
Happy Back to School! SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. We are ALL having learning challenges right now, and CAC and LCC are here to help. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org
September 14, 10 am Morning Let’s Talk - 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 here.
Docents needed for Living Classroom!
Volunteer with us to teach fun, engaging STEM-based lessons in your local school!
Do you enjoy spending time with kids and being outdoors?
Living Classroom teaches science by using our school gardens as our classroom.
No prior teaching experience is necessary. Bring a friend and join the fun!
Come to our training sessions in Heritage Park, 771 Rengstorff Ave. in Mountain View
Mondays, September 12th, 19th & 26th, from 9 am to 12 pm.
For more information, visit www.living-classroom.org or contact [email protected]
YMCA Hiring After School Staff
The YMCA is hiring staff for after school programs that serve students on our campuses. To learn more about available positions and apply, visit ymcasv.org/jobs.
Now hiring: Interpreters and Translators
Are you bilingual/biliterate and looking for a way to support our families and students? MVWSD is hiring support staff to serve as interpreters and translators for multiple languages, including Spanish, Vietnamese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, and others. Apply now at mvwsd.org/jobs.
InPlay: After School Programs and Activities
Looking for after school programs 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.
MTC seeks volunteers to mentor and tutor local students!
Do you enjoy working with kids? Would you like to make a difference in the life of a student in our community?
Mentor Tutor Connection (MTC) is looking for volunteers to mentor High School students and tutor K- 8 students in Mountain View and Los Altos schools. By serving as a mentor or tutor, you can help build a brighter future for a young person.
MTC mentors are matched with a high school student who has requested a mentor. They meet regularly (typically 2-4 times per month), building a trusting and caring relationship while sharing new experiences together. A mentor’s role is to be a good listener and a non-judgmental source of encouragement and support. The program is designed to support students who have significant stressors in their lives—providing another caring adult to help them overcome obstacles and plan for a promising future. Students with mentors report having more confidence and less stress.
MTC tutors support elementary or middle school students. Some tutors work with their students remotely, others volunteer in classrooms or after-school. Tutors help with basic skills including reading, writing, math, and more. Additionally, tutors provide a consistent caring adult in a young person’s academic journey. The role of the tutor is to be an academic helper who demonstrates a love of learning.
Additionally, MTC is seeking volunteers for a new program. Reading Fellows volunteers meet with individual students for 1/2 hour, 4 mornings each week, for a six week period. The program follows a specific phonic-based structured curriculum. It is incredible to see the difference you can make with this intensive framework!
As an MTC volunteer, you will be trained and supported so that you can help students achieve their potential and thrive! You can make an extraordinary difference!
Join us at our Volunteer Information Session to learn more. There is no obligation to sign up as a volunteer. You’re welcome to attend this session and see if this is the right volunteer job for you! Invite a friend!
Date: Wednesday, September 7th
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Location: Online via Zoom (URL provided upon registration)
Register: REGISTER ONLINE
Questions: programs@mentortutorconnection.org
Information: MentorTutorConnection.org
Mentors must be at least 22 years old; Tutors must be High School graduates.
If you are interested in learning more about the program but cannot attend the information session, please contact Laura Hill at programs@mentortutorconnection.org for information on how to proceed.
MVLA Speaker Series: Becky Munsterer Sabky - Author of Valedictorians at the Gate
MVLA will host Becky Munsterer Sabky for her presentation, “How to Apply to College While Keeping Perspective,” on Tuesday, September 13th from 6:00 - 8:00pm. Join us as Ms. Sabky, former Director of International Admissions at Dartmouth College and author of Valedictorians at the Gate, demystifies the college admissions process, offering students and parents guidance on developing a balanced college list, writing authentic essays, and making the final selection decision - all while keeping perspective and staying sane. Register for this free Zoom event here.