Panther Blog Dec. 9

Crittenden blog header

 

Hello Panthers! Please read your weekly newsletter below.  Here is a quick summary of this week’s message followed with further details:

December 9th, 2021
 

Crittenden News:

-Parent Teacher Conferences
-Coat Donations
-Holiday Absences
-
Monthly Study Skills Workshop
-SEL Tip
-Athletics
-S.P.A.C.E Groups

-Spirit Week 

District News:

-Board meeting
-
Superintendent's Community Check In
-COVID-19 vaccine
-Parent engagement ThoughtExchange
-Electives interest
-i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments
-Parent University
-Upload your child’s completed vaccine card
-Security cameras
-School meetings

-December Better Together
-Health and Wellness
-Holiday Zumba Dance Party
-December CAC Announcements
-CHAC Resources and Events
-MV Public Library Event
-MVHS Spartans Tree Lot



Hello Crittenden Families,

 

As we closely approach the upcoming break I would like to take the time to share my and our staff appreciation for your continuous support, kindness, and trust. We wholeheartedly appreciate your partnership.

Our students did a wonderful job this week of iReady testing. We look forward to seeing the progress they have made. 
 

Crittenden News:

Parent Teacher 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. 

In order to help inform conversations between teachers and parents, Parent-Teacher Conferences in January is a mid-year checkpoint on student growth and progress. These past months, your child’s teacher has had the opportunity to get to know your child academically as well as socially-emotionally. Your child’s teacher now has multiple data points available for better understanding of his/her strengths and needs. 
 

Prior to conferences, parents can access their child’s iReady Diagnostic 2 reports starting December 17, 2021 on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Steps for accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports are here

When thinking about your child’s conference, you could consider:

  • What successes have you noticed your child has experienced this year?
  • What concerns or issues is your child experiencing with school?
  • Do you have any specific questions or topics you’d like to discuss?

To help you prepare for conferences, please join us for the MV Parent U session, “Effective Parent-Teacher Communication” at 5:30 pm on Wednesday, Jan. 5 on Zoom at http://mvw.sd/pu010522
 

We will be emailing you information early next week detailing the sign up process for virtual conference sign-ups. Please contact your child’s school office if you have any trouble accessing iReady reports or have any questions for conferences. 

Coat Donations

We would like to thank all the recent donations for our first annual 
“One Warm Coat At A Time” If you would like to still donate please note that tomorrow Friday, December 10th will be the last day to do so. 

We kindly and warmly ask to please only send new coats, sweaters and hoodies. Thank you!!

PTA
Book Fair 

Friday, December 10 is the last day of the Crittenden Book Fair at Books, Inc. in Mountain View. Just mention the fundraiser when you check out in the store or shop online with the coupon code CRITTENDEN, and Books, Inc. will donate 15% of proceeds to Crittenden.

Holiday Absences

Holiday season is the most magical time of the year! We understand the excitement it brings to be out of town and visit distant friends and family. Please be mindful of the amount of days your student misses school during this time. December Holiday Break will be December 20 - January 3; students return January 4th. We’d like to remind all Crittenden Families that vacation time taken prior to or after the holiday breaks are not excusable absences.

To report any absences please be sure to contact the office at 
(650) 903-6945 ext. 2280 or email [email protected].

Please include your students first & last name, date, relation to student and detailed reason for the absence. For any sick absences it is crucial to please provide all students symptoms.


Monthly Study Skills Workshop

In an effort to support our students and their continued learning of skills. Our school counselor, Ms. Hinojosa will be hosting monthly Study Skills Workshops to support our students' academic success. The third workshop will take place on Thursday, December 16th right after school from 2:30-3:30 pm in room 205. The workshop will be about "Managing Stress". Through the use of presentations, resources, tips, activities and independent time to work, the workshops will cover different fundamental skills to ensure student success in middle school and for life! Please email [email protected] to reserve a spot for your student.

SEL Tip (Active Empathic Listening Skills)

As a part of our monthly SEL lessons, we review our SEL classroom norms. A norm that has been established is the act of “listening to understand and not to respond”. But what does this mean exactly? How can we support our students in being active empathetic listeners? Please review the following  Active Empathetic Listening Skills document for detailed information.

Athletics

Boys basketball and girls soccer tryouts will be held on Monday, 12/13 and Tuesday, 12/14 from 3:30-5:30 pm. Boys basketball please report the gym and girls soccer please report to the field. Students will be required to attend a minimum of one tryout in order to be considered for the team, however attendance at both tryouts is highly encouraged.

Students will need a completed and signed permission slip in order to attend tryouts. 
Please find the permission form attached here.  Permission slips are also found in the front office and will be emailed to parents of students who signed up. Please note that upon tryout completion, students will be selected for teams with academic eligibility in consideration as well. Students are academically eligible if they have a minimum of a 2.0 and no more than one F in a class

S.P.A.C.E Groups

S.P.A.C.E. Groups – CHAC’s Middle School Social and Emotional Learning Skills Groups – are forming now!

SPACE groups prepare students to make responsible decisions, accomplish their goals, manage their emotions and have positive relationships. Groups are designed to give students the freedom to discuss the topics they care about and the challenges that they face. With the guidance of a CHAC therapist, group participants develop greater self-awareness, practice social skills, and learn how to cope with challenges in positive, productive and healthy ways.

Groups are:

- Free and facilitated by CHAC clinicians in training
- Meet at school during lunch
- Meet one day a week for 8 weeks

All CHAC clinicians are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and follow school COVID protocols for social distancing, mask wearing and sanitization.

Spirit Week 

Tis the season to be jolly! December 13 - 17 will be spirit week. Below are the themes.

Monday 12/13: Ugly Sweater Day
Tuesday 12/14Decades Day
Wednesday 12/15: Senior Citizen Day
Thursday 12/16: Dead Trend Day
Friday 12/17: Holiday PJ Day 

Upcoming Events:

December

12/13-12/17 Spirit Week
12/14 ELAC Meeting  Register Link
12/16
-Study Skills Workshop
12/20-1/3 Holiday Break (No School)

January

1/4 Students Back To School
1/10-1/14 Parent/Teacher Conferences 

In partnership,
Mrs. Gomez
Principal

What can you do today to help others feel valued, cared for, safe, and included at Crittenden?

District Announcements:

Board meeting Preview: Dec. 9
 

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. Some of the meeting’s topics include:

 

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

Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday: Dec. 10


Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Dec. 10 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/Q0Faw. To plan ahead, please see this webpage for upcoming meeting dates. In case you miss it, a video recording will be posted on this webpage.
 

COVID-19 vaccine at Theuerkauf MUR on Dec. 8

MVWSD is partnering with the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department to bring a vaccine clinic to MVWSD. When you and your children are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, it protects your family, your friends, our school, and the whole community. 

FREE to all students ages 5 and older and their family members at:

Where: Theuerkauf MUR

Date: Wednesday, December 8, 2021
Time: 3:00pm - 7:00pm

Pfizer boosters and second shots will be available for those who are eligible. Parents or guardians must give their consent for a child to get the vaccine, and should be present. All students and their families are welcome regardless of immigration status. You do not need health insurance. Nurses will be available to answer your questions. The County will have staff who can speak to you in both Spanish and English.

More information and the vaccine registration form can be accessed on https://theuerkauf.mvwsd.org/. For questions about the vaccine clinic, contact (408) 970-2000. For more locations to get vaccinated, visit sccfreevax.org.

Please share your thoughts: Parent engagement ThoughtExchange
 

As part of its Strategic Plan 2027, the Mountain View Whisman School District is looking for ways to improve its parent education programming and communication strategies. Parents: On Friday, please look in your email for a link to an online exchange of ideas.  We are listening for your ideas about how you want your school to communicate with you, interact with you and support you with information to help your children in school. Your participation is confidential. Please share and come back often to rate new ideas until the exchange closes on Dec 19.
 

For 5th, 6th, and 7th grades: Electives interest survey on Dec. 14
 

Our middle schools are beginning to develop a list of student elective offerings that are a great complement to our core academics.  Our goal is to align electives with students’ interests and teachers’ credentials. 

In order to gauge students’ interests, and inform the development of the elective catalog for the next school year, students in grades 5-7 will be asked to complete a survey in class on December 14th.  This survey will list some possible elective choice areas for 2022-23 and ask students to indicate their level of interest for each of the choice areas.  The purpose of this survey is to gauge student interests. Incoming and current middle school students will not formally request electives until the spring of 2022. Please note that students will not be committed to taking the electives they express an interest in. All elective offerings are subject to student enrollment, interest, staffing, and teacher credentialing at the school site. 
 

For more information on the process, and to view last year’s electives catalogs, please click on www.mvwsd.org/MSelectives.
 

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.

Your child will take the second i-Ready Math and Reading diagnostic assessments during the week of December 6th, 2021. Your child’s school will share their specific schedule.

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.


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 an interactive and 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.

Finally, please take a look at the recordings and materials from past events at mvwsd.org/parentu!

 

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!

 

Community engagement: Security cameras

One of the projects identified in MVWSD’s Master Facility Plan and the Measure T Bond was the need for security cameras in public areas at all school sites as a way to increase safety for students and staff members by deterring misconduct and preventing vandalism. 

 

Members of the schools’ communities may engage in a series of feedback meetings through Jan. 2022 before the plan for security cameras is finalized. Principals will gather feedback at regularly scheduled meetings such as Principal’s Coffee, School Site Council, PTA, and ELAC.  

 

Additionally, parents and neighbors may attend community meetings:

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 

School info meetings: Check www.mvwsd.org/register for a complete list with login information.
 

  • School kindergarten/new student information nights are online on December 7 at 6:00 p.m. for all elementary schools, and include choice school information. Click here for meeting information: http://mvw.sd/schoolinfo
  • If your child turns 5 years old between September 2, 2022 – February 2, 2023, he/she may qualify for transitional kindergarten. TK info night is December 14 at 5:00 p.m online at http://mvw.sd/TK1214
  • If you are interested in the District's choice schools, information nights are: 

Gabriela Mistral: Dual Spanish/English Immersion: December 14 at 6 pm at http://mvw.sd/MI1214

Stevenson: Parent Child Teacher: December 15 at 6 pm at http://mvw.sd/ST1215

Choice schools will also have information at the elementary schools’ info nights (6 p.m. Dec. 7).

Please visit www.mvwsd.org/register for more information.
 

December Better Together Infographic
Better Together 

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.
 

Health and Wellness: Parenting Tip

We all tend to avoid tasks that we do not enjoy. Unfortunately, many of the tasks that we ask of our kids, such as working on homework or doing chores, are not enjoyable. Shaping can help make some of these tasks more manageable.
 

Shaping involves rewarding small behaviors that build toward the final behavior you wish to see. To do this:

Try this with a few tasks that your child has struggled to complete. For example, you could try praising your child for working on their homework for 10 minutes, then 20 minutes, and so on. You could also try rewarding your child for completing one step of their chores, then two steps, and so on. With practice and patience, those unenjoyable tasks will become easier and easier to complete. 
 

These tips came directly from the free, online Everyday Parenting program created by parenting expert, Dr. Kazdin.

To learn more parenting tips click here.


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.

December CAC Announcements 
CAC Announcements 

SELPA 1 CAC and the Learning Challenge Committee are your groups for special education and broader learning challenge needs. If you have questions about learning challenges and special education needs, email [email protected] or check out www.selpa1cac.org

Submit your Winter Talent show video, photo or artwork by December 11 to be a part of our Winter Talent Show! Let’s celebrate the many talents of students with an IEP or 504 plan!

Take a video of yourself or your group showing off your talent and be part of the SE CAC Virtual Winter Talent Show. Sing a song! Make a recipe! Show off a dance! Take a photo of your comic book creation!

Upload your video to this drive: https://tinyurl.com/studentsgottalent  or email to [email protected]  by December 11 to be included in the Virtual Talent Show

12/8 7 pm  Evening 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: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIoduqgrTotEtJJkVOFqI-vMlPkIyja7Ygg

12/14 10 am - Parent Chat - Support for parents of teens with mental health challenges. A great place for help and support for challenges with your teens. Please contact [email protected] for a Google Meet invite.

12/14 7 pm WINTER TALENT SHOW! Let’s get together on Zoom to celebrate our talented community!

Have a wonderful Holiday Season, and next year - tune into our Inclusive Fun Fair Zoom Panel with Summer Camp and Recreation providers for students with learning challenges - including many local camps, clubs and more! Coming up on January 25, 7-8:30 pm on Zoom. Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYsdeCprDMoHNQmNm2AxCpcukE3IRu-YdIZ

 

CHAC Resources and Events 

CHAC Resources and Events  
CHAC Distribution 
Play and Learn 
Tune On Tuesdays 

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.
 

MV Public Library Event: Parenting with an Accent 

Join the MV Public Library on Wednesday, December 8th from 7:00pm - 8:00pm on Zoom for a discussion with Masha Rumer, local award-winning journalist and author of the new book Parenting with an Accent: How Immigrants Honor Their Heritage, Navigate Setbacks, and Chart New Paths for Their Children. Her research merges real stories and on-the-ground reporting about multicultural parenting. Registration is required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.

MVHS Spartans Tree Lot 

Spartans Tree Lot  

MVHS Sports Boosters is hosting the 8th Annual Spartans Tree Lot at Mountain View High School Stadium (3535 Truman Ave., Mountain View, CA 94040). Spartans Tree Lot offers premium, top-quality trees ranging in size from 3 feet to 12+ feet, holiday decorations, and supplies. In person and online delivery options are available. All proceeds benefit Mountain View High School Athletics. For more information, head to: SpartanTreeLot.com.

 

Thank you for all your support!

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