Hello Crittenden Families,
I want to thank you for your support in reminding your student the importance of managing their time and organization. We are seeing an increase of students following the expectations of turning on their camera in class, being on time to class, and higher level of engagement. However, we still have a lot of kids who forget to turn in their Asynchronous assignments. We highly encourage our students to follow a schedule on Wednesday that will help them turn in their assignments before the end of each class period. As well as turning in their PE fitness logs every Thursday and Friday before the end of the school day. I’m confident that together we continue to support our students to be successful.
It is with both sadness and joy that I announce the retirement of our Secretary Carol Sawyer, effective this month. We are all sad of course, but we feel joy for her as she embarks on her new life of well-earned retirement. Carol began volunteering at Crittenden when her own children were attending. She later took a part time job in the office, and ultimately became the front-office Secretary for Crittenden, and for twenty seven years, she has been dedicated to our students, staff, and families. While she may be retired, she has left a legacy that will remain. Thank you Carol, and best wishes from all of us.
In last week’s panther blog I shared information about our parameter controls and this week I want to give you an update on Measure T. Measure T, the $259 million bond passed this spring, included plans and funding for improved campus perimeter controls and overdue HVAC replacement at some schools. HVAC servicing has been completed and all HVAC units are operating at the highest recommended level of filtration and air flow..
Other items that Measure T will support our sites are; window replacement, paving and utility work, surveillance cameras, site lightning, storage, park toilets, and solar.
Dr. Rebecca Westover, MVWSD’s Chief Business Officer, will be holding a community meeting on Tuesday, Oct 6, 4-5 p.m. to present information and to answer your questions. Please join us at the Zoom meeting at http://mvw.sd/MS (Registration required).
Parents interested in speaking to College Bound students: Students in our College Bound class are currently exploring different career paths through online research. They are interested in learning about a diverse range of career options and would definitely appreciate hearing your perspectives! We would love to hear from you about your career path and the skills you use to engage in your work. If you are interested in speaking to the class virtually for 20 minutes on a weekday between 2:40-3:30pm, please email Ms.Pierson at [email protected]
As mentioned in last week’s panther blog we are on our great path to delivering SEL lessons in the classrooms. Starting last week, we are holding weekly social emotional lessons for students focusing on five different topics: self-awareness, kindness, gratitude, integrity, and grit/resilience. These lessons include connected and coordinated activities to foster social and personal skill development. We look forward to continuing strengthening our connection with our students and teaching them these valuable skills.
Thank you for all of your hard work and partnership,
Crittenden Panthers working together, wherever we are.
Mrs. Gomez
Principal
UPCOMING EVENTS:
6 OCT, TUE
Middle School Community Session on Perimeter Fences
4 – 5pm
12 OCT, MON
Recess Day: No School
13 OCT, TUE
Crittenden School Site Council Meeting
4 – 5pm
22 OCT, THU
6 – 7pm
Crittenden ELAC Meeting
6 NOV, FRI
End of Trimester One
DISTRICT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Check-In with the Superintendent on Oct. 2
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Oct. 2, 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/TIUcn
Free Student Meals: *New* Pick up meals for multiple days
Free meals are again available to all children in the Mountain View Whisman School District age 18 and younger. No IDs required. Daily breakfast and lunch at 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. Come to Graham Middle School between 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. to pick up meals for multiple days. Food items will be different from what is served during daily pickups. On Monday: Pick up for four days. On Friday: Pick up for three days. Walk, drive or roll up to grab a free meal and go! For menus and information, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/nutrition.
Your child recently completed his/her first i-Ready Math and Reading 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. Families can access their child’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score via their Powerschool Parent Portal now (for middle school students) and starting October 1, 2020 (elementary school) students. Steps for accessing reports on PowerSchool Parent Portal: Accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports Please contact us if you have any trouble accessing reports.
Parent University: Raising Digitally Resilient Children and Teens during Quarantine
Kids are online more than ever in this post-COVID world, with increased use of digital technology for academics, entertainment, and social connection.
Join My Digital TAT2 for a highly engaging and informative webinar at the MVWSD Parent University event on Wednesday, October 7th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM. Hear how young people are affected by the latest news, trends, and data from the world of technology. Get tips and strategies for how to teach responsibility and balanced and healthy use of the internet and social media.
Click here to register for this event on Zoom.
Recommended for all adults who support youth and want to learn thoughtful and supportive ways to navigate media with children. For more information about My Digital TAT2 and their mission, please visit: www.mydigitaltat2.org
Distance Learning Tip: How can I help my child when I see him/her getting anxious and upset about distance learning? Be proactive: When you see your child getting anxious, let him or her know that you notice he or she may be having a difficult time. Ask them if they would like a 2 minute break. Set a timer and then redirect him or her back to the session. If the situation has already escalated, have your child use calming breathing exercises. Once he or she calms down, you can discuss what your child needs to do before going back to the session. He or she may need a drink of water, a snack or a two minute break. You can use phrases such as: It seems like you’re having a hard time … I can imagine how difficult it must be… How can I help you?
Together We Are a Better MVWSD: Hispanic Heritage Month (Flyers attached)
We are excited to announce that this month marks the beginning of a monthly offering towards MVWSD’s equity goals titled Together We Are a Better MVWSD. Each month you will receive an infographic in both English and Spanish that offers educational tools and community guidance inspired by a national diversity calendar. This month is National Hispanic Heritage Month.
You’ll see:
- Lessons provided by grade level that are designed to be used by teachers to enhance work they are doing in the classroom.
- Activities provided to parents, which are meant to help bridge the gap between lessons at school and conversations at home.
- Organization spotlights to help us engage with our community and learn more about organizations doing equity work.
- Children’s books by authors who have either the lived experience or scholarly background to contextualize this topic for children and adolescents.
Please see mvwsd.org/BetterTogetherMVWSD
MVEF news: Did you know that your donations to MVEF support CSMA art and music for your student?Fifth grade art and music started on 9/23! TK-4 art and music started the week before! All TK-4th students will have virtual art and music classes led by a teacher from CSMA. This year 5th grade students chose instrumental music or art with CSMA. We thank the CSMA teachers for sharing their engaging and FUN talents as well as filling a need for creativity and active learning on Zoom.MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. 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!
Mountain View Public Library presents “Sea Otters” (Flyer attached) Mountain View Public Library presents “Sea Otters: Author Talk for Kids” (ages 7-12) on Wednesday Oct 14 - 4-4:30 pm. See attached flyer. Free. Sign-up at https://mountainview.gov/librarycalendar
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.
Online Parenting Toolkit by Yale Professor Dr. Kazdin It’s difficult to be a parent right now. Everyday Parenting is a free, online course developed by parenting expert, Dr. Alan Kazdin. In this course, you will learn techniques supported by the highest quality science for improving your child’s behavior, increasing your child’s compliance with your requests, and strengthening your relationship with your child. Please click here to access the FREE course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/everyday-parenting?utm_source=YALE&utm_medium=institutions&utm_campaign=202004-Group-EP-Crittenden-Middle-School *While we believe it can be helpful to families, this resource is not directly affiliated with MVWSD.
October CAC Events:
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
October 5, 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].
October 6, 9:30 am - Alternative Dispute Resolution training from SC County. BUILDING POSITIVE COMMUNICATION SKILLS. (Active listening, question strategies, `I’ messages). This two-hour training will provide parents with strategies for holding effective and productive conversations with teachers, service providers and administrators who work with their child(ren). Sign up here: https://santaclara.k12oms.org/421-190128
October 7, 7 - 9 PM - College with Mental Health, Learning or Developmental Challenges with Dr. Laurie Leventhal-Belfer. Dr. Leventhal-Belfer, PhD is the author of, “College on the Autism Spectrum“. Contact [email protected] for Zoom link.
October 13, 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 Google Meet invite.
October 14, 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. Please contact [email protected] for the Zoom link for this meeting.
October 19, 7:30 pm - Decoding Dyslexia meeting on Zoom. Melissa Baten Caswell, PAUSD board trustee and parent of dyslexic child. Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElc-iprDgiGtNHAaoHhQzOLq_q8qMjndCW
October 24 10am - 12 pm - IEP Goals & Progress Monitoring Webinar Presented by Disability Rights California and organized by Palo Alto CAC. Topics: – IEP Process -Your Rights at an IEP Meeting -Goals & Objectives – FAPE and LRE -Related Services -Assistive Technology -Transition Services/Vocational Services Zoom link at cacpaloalto.org