Panther Blog October 28

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:

October 28th, 2021
 

Crittenden News:

-Rain Day Plan 
-Desk Shields
-CHAC
-SCEF Message
-Celebrating culture at Crittenden (PTA message)
-Dia de los muertos
-
SEL In Classroom Lessons

-Social Emotional Learning Message
-End of Trimester 11/5 Minimum Day Schedule

District News:

-Drafts available: Single Plans for Student Achievement
-Trick or Treating for Donations with MVEF
-MV Public Library


 

Hello Crittenden Families,

After a year of being away we are thrilled to bring back Crittendens’ Panther Day! Panther Days take place on the last day of each trimester. Our first panther day of the year will take place on Friday,  November 5th. This day serves as a great opportunity for our teachers to share a fun lesson focused on student agency, fun activity workshops, and outdoor activities. We look forward to closing the end of the first trimester of the 2021-2022 school year with a memorable experience for our students and staff. 

I’m also thrilled to share with you that yesterday’s experience as  “Student for a day”  was humbling and memorable for me, our students, and staff. I emerged myself in the role by following a student schedule, experienced break and lunch as a student, and riding the school bus to  Moffett. There were many proud moments throughout the day. I will take the learning from tomorrow’s experience to our staff and students. Ultimately, I feel blessed to have the opportunity to be the principal of Crittenden! 

Crittenden News:

Rainy Day Plan
In attempts to keep our students dry and socially distanced during rain days students will be in their classrooms during break and lunch times. It has been found to be the best option for students as our classrooms all have air purifiers and shielded desks.

For PE instructional time students will have a specific classroom for their classes depending on who their teacher is. 


Desk Shields

The introduction of weekly testing for 90% of MVWSD’s student body, coupled with declining numbers of cases of student quarantining/positives has afforded the District the ability to reduce a COVID mitigation strategy. Therefore, the use of desk shields in the classrooms are no longer required. Mask wearing, social distancing, cleaning protocols, upgraded filtration and testing continue to be the gold standard for preventing community spread. Some teachers may decide to keep the shields in their classroom based on their level of comfort. Desk shields will be used during a rainy day break and lunch.  Please contact me or our assistant principal if you have any questions and or concerns. 


A Message From Our PTA


Cultural Events at Crittenden 
November is Native American Heritage Month, and we are looking at opportunities to highlight various native tribes at Crittenden throughout the month. If you are descended from a native tribe and open to sharing information about your tribe's culture and traditions, please contact Susie Morales ([email protected]). 

Diwali, an Indian holiday, begins next week on Thursday, November 4. If your family celebrates Diwali and is open to sharing information about the significance of the holiday and related traditions, please contact Jenny Schroder ([email protected]).

CHAC

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.  

Space 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.  

You may click here  to print the SPACE permission slip or visit the front office information center. Permission Slips can be submitted to Ms. Hinojosa.. 

A message from our School Engagement Facilitator (SCEF)- Ms.  Susie Morales
School & Community Engagement Facilitator: Family Resources and Parent Involvement-
In collaboration with PTA, WEB, and Leadership classes we concluded Hispanic Heritage Month last Friday. Students were introduced to Latin Culture with a goodie bag, music, and a very festive photo booth during lunch. Thank you to those that completed the Cultural Diversity Survey. This information will help with our continuation to celebrate the cultural diversity present at Crittenden. You may still complete the survey here if you haven’t done so already. 

We are currently looking for parents to help us launch in collaboration with PTA, Crittenden Cooks by sharing their cultural traditions with our school community. If you are interested in sharing a family recipe and teaching us the cooking process please email Susie Morales at [email protected]

COVID-19 Resource Guide:

Dial 2-1-1 

24/7 access to info and resources. Available in all languages. 

Covid-19 Vaccination Sites https://myturn.ca.gov/

Sign-up for Emergency Rent Relief webinars at mountainview.gov/rentreliefwebinars

Eviction Help Center at Mountain View Public Library 585 Franklin St, Mountain View, CA 94041

Every Thursday 1:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Food Resources:

CSA Food Pantry https://www.csacares.org/services/food-nutrition-center/

St. Athanasius Food Drive 160 N Rengstorff Ave, Mountain View, CA 94043

Each Second and Fourth Saturday of the Month 10:00 a.m to 12:00 p.m.

 

Dia de los muertos ofrenda

As we continue to appreciate and learn about the different cultures that make up our Crittenden family, we will be highlighting a traditional Mexican, central American and South American celebration called Dia de los Muertos.  Día de los Muertos and similar festivals are meant to be a vibrant celebration of life, when families take the time to remember their loved ones. As a way to honor those individuals who may have passed, we will be having an "ofrenda" display so that students can honor and celebrate those loved ones. This ofrenda will be open to students who want to place a memento, reminder, copy of a photo or anything that they feel would represent the loved one who has passed. As a means to support our students in our community through the difficult feelings and emotions that grief and loss can bring, we hope that this space will offer a source of healing for students and families, strengthening the connection between understanding our emotions, acknowledging them and celebrating one's life as a healthy way to cope with the concept of death and loss. 

Students are invited to bring their memento to the library and give it to Mr. Neal through Monday 11/1 at break. The ofrenda will be constructed and set up by Tuesday 11/2 and will remain up that week. Please have your students bring copies of photos that they might want to display. We will not accept any valuable items or hard copy of photos, as this will be a public display for our school and the safety of the items cannot be guaranteed. 

Acknowledging that themes such as death and loss are difficult and sensitive for many, counseling support from our school counselor is available on campus should any students need a space to discuss their feelings.

SEL In Classroom Lessons

Social Emotional Learning (SEL) provides a foundation for safe and positive learning, and enhances student's ability to succeed in school, careers, and life. Next month we will begin our SEL Lessons presented by our school counselor, Ms. Hinojosa, in each student's social science classroom. There will be a new topic each month. Topics were based on a student climate survey where students were asked to identify challenges, accomplishments, levels of confidence and areas of growth to make their middle school experience better. For the month of November, our SEL lessons will be about "Anti-Bullying", in an effort to continue to promote kindness, empathy and acceptance of differences. We acknowledge that some topics may be difficult and challenging for our students based on previous negative experiences. Should your student need additional counseling support or space to process after lessons are completed, Ms. Hinojosa is available for check-ins. 

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Tip from our school counselor, Ms.Kayla Hinojosa

Practicing compassion provides the opportunity to show kindness toward ourselves and others. This activity strives to show participants how different it feels when we use kind words and actions toward ourselves instead of using negative self-talk. Research suggests that practicing compassion towards ourselves can help cultivate compassion towards others. Through reflective letter writing, participants will build empathy skills and self-compassion to enhance self-management.

Activity: Think about a friend or someone you care about. Imagine them having a hard time and think about what you could say or do to help them feel better. Write a letter to them to help them feel better.

  • Do you feel it is kind to help someone you care for when they may need help?
  • Do you think it is important to also help yourself when you need the help?
  • What types of things help you feel better if you are having a hard time?
  • Does it help to talk to someone, get a hug, play outside, read a book, or take some deep breaths?

Now let’s practice showing compassion towards ourselves. Read the letter again but now with your own name instead of the person you wrote the letter to! 

Reflect: How does the way you talk to a friend who is having a hard time compare to the way you talk to yourself? Do you usually take care of yourself the same way you take care of a friend? Are you a good friend to yourself? What are some ways you can be a better friend to yourself? Why is this important?

End of Trimester- Minimum Day Nov. 5th

Please mark your calendars, November 5th will be our last day of our first Trimester. This will be a Minimum Day Schedule classes are from 8:25am-12:50pm. Students will have periods 1 through 8. 

Upcoming Events:

November
11/5 End of Trimester - Minimum Day Schedule
11/11 Veterans Day - No School
11/22-11/26 Thanksgiving Recess No School

December
12/20-12/31 Holiday Break (No School)

In partnership,
Mrs. Gomez
Principal

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

District Announcements:

Parent University: Supporting Literacy Grades 3-8

Date: October 27, 2021 Time: 5:30-7:00pm 

Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu102721

“Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body” - Joseph Addison. 

Join district instructional coaches as they share creative tips and strategies to better support your child in their literacy skills. By supporting your child’s literacy you can take part in developing their reading ability, comprehension, and language skills.  To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.

Note: While this presentation is tailored towards families with children in third grade and above, all are welcome. If you’d like to see a presentation that is aimed more toward families with younger students, check out the recording of last year’s literacy-focused Parent University event.




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. 19 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.

Trick or Treating for Donations with MVEF

BOO! Don't be afraid, you still have time to donate to MVEF!  We are trick or treating for donations for MVWSD!  Each and every year we rely on generous donors like you to help MVEF fund programming and experiences at your school and every school in the district, ensuring that your child and every child has an inspiring, well-rounded education.  MVEF funds Music, Art, Science, Middle School Sports and Electives helping to create a competitive, well-rounded education.   Please see our website at mvef.org for more information and to donate online.  You can also use your credit card to pay in monthly installments.

MV Public Library: Upcoming Events 

Learn and Make A-Z Animals: Halloween Edition:  Learn about some of nature's creepier creatures just in time for Halloween, on Thursday, October 28th from 4-4:45 pm. Are spiders really dangerous to humans? Why are bats associated with vampires? Let's find out together. For children grades 2-5 on Zoom. We will do a craft together at the end of our learning journey. Registration Required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.

Day of the Dead Balloon Skull Decoration  In celebration of Day of the Dead/Día de los Muertos the library will host a virtual program on Monday, November 1st from 4-4:40 p.m. on Zoom. Tweens (ages 9-12) will learn about the Day of the Dead and how it's celebrated. Then, balloon skulls will be decorated while festive music is played in the background. Registration Required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.

Learn and Listen with Matt de la Peña: Matt de la Peña, bestselling author and national award winner will speak to tweens about his journey from reluctant reader to author and the power of education. Happening Tuesday, November 2nd from 3:30- 4 p.m. on Zoom for children ages 9-12. Registration Required: mountainview.gov/librarycalendar.

Input Requested on Proposed Updates to Parent Involvement Board Policy

Our District’s board policies set broad guidelines for our actions and are based on the most recent updates to California’s Education Code. From time to time, updates are needed to reflect current terminology and best practices. We are currently in the process of updating BP6020: Parent Involvement. Here are links to the current policy and proposed updated policy. The content of the proposed policy is materially the same, but includes terminology and minor wording updates. If you would like to offer feedback on the proposed policy, please send an email to Director of Federal, State, and Strategic Projects, Geoff Chang at [email protected] by November 9, 2021.

 

Thank you for all your support!

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