Hello Crittenden Families,
We just wrapped up a successful week of parent-teacher conferences. I’ve already received lots of positive feedback from parents and staff alike. These meetings are a great way to help us help our students thrive. We are proud of the hard work our students and staff are putting in day in and day out. We highly encourage you to work closely with your students on achieving the goals discussed in their parent teacher conference. Please take a few minutes to review the Family Resource page for helpful information.
Friendly reminder; we will not have school on Monday, Jan 18th in observance of Martin Luther King Jr day.
High school information night is coming. If you have an eighth grader, on January 28th Mountain View and Los Altos High Schools will be conducting a virtual presentation from 6:30 to 8:00 pm. Check the MVLA website soon for more information.This is a great opportunity to learn more about what is available and what to expect when your student starts high school.
Save the date; Principal’s Coffee with Guest Speakers (Mountain View Los Altos High School Principals; Ms.Satterwhite & Mr.Jimenez) Tuesday, Feb. 9th from 6-7pm. You don’t have to be an 8th grade parent to join. Please register for the meeting here; Registration link.
Our new Librarian, Mr.Neal, updated our Library Webpage. He has this message for our students:
I would like to invite all students to visit our new library website. On this website, you can learn more about library resources and place Cittenden library materials on hold. Once the hold is fulfilled you can walk up to the Library and receive your books. Please view the website to learn more and to view the walk up hours. I'm excited to meet you all and for you to check out materials.
We appreciate parents for attending our last Principal’s coffee that featured a preview of our free parenting courses. We are excited to announce that we are ready to begin the online parenting course with Drs. Eduardo Bunge and Alayna Park from Palo Alto University as our continued support to the mental health needs of students and parents at Crittenden. Please click here to access the FREE program. Additional individualized support is available with CHAC.
Review the online lessons at the leisure of your own time and join us weekly for the virtual parent class to discuss each course and hear directly from Dr. Eduardo Bunge and Alayna Park. Our first class starts on Jan. 26, 2021. English Sessions at 4 pm. Please register here; Registration link
Tonight at 7:00pm MVLA is hosting a great Parent Development opportunity.
MVLA Speakers series presents “Middle School Matters” with Phyllis Fagell. Professional School Counselor Phyllis Fagell helps parents use the middle school years as a low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they’ll need to thrive now and in the future, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, acting as their own advocates, and more. Register for this free event at https://mvla2020-21-phyllisfagell.eventbrite.com.
The application for 8th graders is now open for AVID, a high school academic support program that focuses on providing access to four-year colleges. AVID takes place during the school day and provides students with an environment in which they can be challenged and learn important skills for success during high school and college. Please see this video for more information on the AVID programs at MVHS & LAHS. The AVID application is linked here for all interested 8th graders. Applications are due Wednesday, January 20th. Interviews with MVHS & LAHS AVID teachers will take place next Friday, January 22nd during 6th period. Please email Ms. Pierson at [email protected] with any questions.
Our next school material distribution is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3rd, 2:30-4:30pm. Detailed information will be emailed the week of Jan. 25th. This distribution will include a Science notebook, Math workbooks, Language Arts materials, Art supplies ( if your students are taking Art T3), and students honor roll certificates. Thank you very much for your patience and continuous support.
This week’s Executive Functioning Tip is: Skill: Tools for Self-Monitoring: Self-Talk
Self-talk is a powerful way to bring thoughts and actions into consciousness. Examples include having teenagers talk themselves through the steps of a difficult activity or periodically pausing for a mental play-by-play narrative of what is happening. When occasions arise that provoke strong negative emotions or feelings of failure, self-talk can help adolescents identify potentially problematic thinking and behavior patterns. Encourage self-talk that focuses on growth. Help teens recognize that an experience, particularly a failure, can offer lessons, and need not be interpreted as a final judgment on one’s abilities. For example, when a sports team loses a game, help a discouraged team member to consider what went wrong and what he or she might do to improve next time, rather than simply deciding the team lacks any skills. The same thinking can be helpful for school assignments and assessments.
Crittenden Panthers learning together, wherever we are.
Mrs. Gomez
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Jan 19 6:30-8:30 PM
Crittenden PTA meeting
January 18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day: No School
January 28 5:00 – 6:00pm
Incoming 6th grade Information Night
February 2 6:30 – 9:00pm
PTA -Executive Board mtg.
February 9 6:00 – 7:00pm
Principal’s Coffee
February 12 5:30 – 6:30am
End of Trimester 2: Minimum Day
February 15 – 19, 2021
Winter Break: No School
DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Cafecito with the Superintendent on Jan. 13
Join us for an informal meeting for Spanish-speaking parents with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Wednesday, Jan 13 at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom. Translation will be provided. Please register in advance for this meeting here: http://mvw.sd/SdbBp. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Enrollment for 2021-22 for *NEW* students is open now
For NEW students: Open Enrollment is now through Feb. 5, 2021 online. You can register your child for the 2021-22 school year here: www.mvwsd.org/register
For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 18- 22. Please look for an email from Student Services with a request to log on to the Powerschool Parent Portal: https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/. Please note: School offices will be closed on Jan. 18 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Enrollment support for returning parents will be available beginning Jan. 19.
Fifth Grade Parents: Middle school info night on Jan. 28
Crittenden and Graham both will be welcoming 5th grade families to an Incoming 6th Grade Information Night on Thursday, January 28 at 5 p.m. held on Zoom. Each site will host its own information night, and parents will receive an email from their students' assigned school with meeting login information.
This is a great opportunity to learn about our Middle Schools’ academics, a chance to meet our staff, and learn about the exciting opportunities your incoming sixth-grader will have at Crittenden or Graham.
Please contact Crittenden ((650) 903-6945) or Graham Middle School ((650) 526-3570) if you have any questions.
Parent University: Adolescent Drug Use, including the impact of the current pandemic.
Join us on Wednesday, January 20th, 2021 from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M. for our next Parent University event: Adolescent Drug Use, including the impact of the current pandemic. While this event is geared toward parents of children ages 10 to 18, all are welcome.
The presenter, Alum Rock Counseling Center (ARCC), has been in place for 46 years in the Bay Area and addresses the academic, social and mental health needs of the at-risk youth and families. This important workshop will include such topics as:
*Overview of trending substances used by youth (vaping, marijuana, alcohol, opioids, etc.)
*Signs and symptoms
*Why teens are using and the impact of COVID-19
*How families can discuss substance use and support their children
*Alternatives for substance use and ideas for prevention
*Resources
Spanish interpretation will be provided.
Register here: http://mvw.sd/Jan20
Afterschool activities and programs (including free) are on InPlay
Even during COVID, there are fun and educational afterschool programs for kids happening now. Spring break camps are coming up, too. MVWSD partners with the non-profit InPlay to help you find the perfect fit for your child and for your family. Hundreds of programs, including those that are FREE and reduced cost, are nearby and online and can be found through this free, searchable website. Check out http://MV.inplay.org
Parent University: Digging Deeper into Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home
Join us on Tuesday, January 26th, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. for “Digging Deeper into Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home (K-5 Families)” Members of MVWSD Instructional Team will share takeaway strategies to support your child's reading comprehension, connections, and applications at home.
*Wondering how to support your child with their Reading grade level standards and curriculum?
*What questions should I ask to build my child's reading comprehension?
*What does standard progression look like over grade level spans?
*Takeaways to support your child who is reading above grade level
*Learn new ways to enrich, deepen, and create a joy for reading
Zoom Registration: http://mvw.sd/MlaSK
In order to make this interactive webinar most meaningful for you, please send your questions beforehand to Interim Director, Swati Dagar via this Google Form by Friday, January 15th. Spanish interpretation will be provided. Link to flyer is here.
Info meeting next week: MVWSD’s award-winning Preschool
Is now enrolling for full-day and part-day for the 2021-22 school year. Join us for an informational meeting online on January 14 @ 3:00 pm at http://mvw.sd/preschool2. Please see the attached flyer or https://www.mvwsd.org/preschool for more information.
Register now! Parent workshop: How to Build Academic Language with Kate Kinsella
Virtual presentation on January 27 at 6:00 pm
Hosted by Huff, Landels and Jose Antonio Vargas elementary schools
Register: http://mvw.sd/kate
Presenter Kate Kinsella, Ed.D. will talk about:
* After school conversation tips to use with children to encourage thoughtful responses
*Strategies to help increase students' academic language and listening skills
Kate Kinsella, Ed.D., is a teacher educator at San Francisco State University and a highly sought after speaker and consultant to school districts throughout the United States regarding development of academic language and literacy across the K-12 subject areas. Her 25-year teaching career focus has been equipping children from diverse backgrounds with the communication, reading, and writing skills to be career and college ready.
For more information, please visit http://drkatekinsella.com/about-us/
CSMA offers Virtual Art Club Live Zoom Sessions for Elementary students
Afterschool art for grades Grades K-5 from January 19-April 22, 2021. See the attached flyers or click here to view and register: https://arts4all.asapconnected.com/#CourseGroupID=10998
CHAC offers free mental health support to parents and students
For parents: CHAC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable and accessible mental health services, supports parents in several ways. Please see the attached flyers for more information.
For students: PLUGGED IN - Social and Emotional Learning Skills Programs
CHAC is excited to offer two new Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Skills Programs to 3rd and 5th grade students. Both programs are a fun and enriching way to help students navigate the unique challenges they face in these extraordinary times.
1 CHAC's Weekly Virtual Group meetings focus on social interaction between participants. Through collaborative lessons and fun activities students will learn emotion regulation skills, problem solving skills as well as healthy coping and self-care skills.
2 CHAC's Independent SEL Curriculum teaches students essential social and emotional learning skills through entertaining video lessons and a variety of fun activities that students complete independently.
The parents who request the PLUGGED IN Independent Curriculum will have it emailed to them immediately.
The parents who would like their child to join a PLUGGED IN virtual group, will be contacted about scheduling options and asked to complete an online permission slip. Groups are expected to start in early January.
Click here to learn more about PLUGGED IN- CHAC’s new SEL Programs: https://www.chacmv.org/social-emotional-learning
MV Library presents: Raising Kindness and Awareness in Children
Wednesday, January 20, 7 pm - 8 pm. Learn about fostering “kindness activism” in your children. Aila Malik, author, parent activist, social justice warrior, and kindness advocate will present practical ideas and engaging perspectives on activating humility, empathy, action, and togetherness within your family. Free. Flyers attached. Registration is required. https://mountainview.libcal.com/
Parenting in a pandemic: Free 6th district PTA speaker series
Thursday, January 21, 2021, 7pm, “Navigating School During Uncertain Times” with Challenge Success - Laura Easley. For other offerings in January and February, please see the attached flyer. Cost: free. For more information and to reserve your seat visit https://capta6.org/parenting-in-a-pandemic/
MVLA Speakers series presents “Middle School Matters” with Phyllis Fagell
Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Certified Professional School Counselor Phyllis Fagell helps parents use the middle school years as a low-stakes training ground to teach kids the key skills they’ll need to thrive now and in the future, including making good friend choices, negotiating conflict, regulating their own emotions, acting as their own advocates, and more. To answer parents’ most common questions and struggles with middle school-aged children, she combines her professional and personal expertise with stories and advice from prominent psychologists, doctors, parents, educators, school professionals, and middle schoolers themselves.
Audience: Parents of kids grades 4 - 8
Register: To register for this free event at https://mvla2020-21-phyllisfagell.eventbrite.com
Books: https://www.booksinc.net/book/9780738235080
January CAC Events
Happy New Year! 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
We encourage families to learn about the sensory needs all children may have during distance learning: Try a Sensory Diet
February 1, 9 am- General Parent/Community Meeting with Special Ed. Directors & Staff, Zoom at 9:00 am for LCC and 9:30 am for CAC. We will be planning for the year, discussing upcoming programs and discussing distance learning and learning challenges. For our agenda, please join our Google group, https://groups.google.com/g/selpa1cac. For the Zoom link for this meeting, email [email protected] or sign up on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/general-cac-meeting-tickets-135550478129