Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Core value of the month: Hard work
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Dear Monta Loma Families,
As we return from celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work for justice, the time is right to reflect on how we show up as role models for our students. At Monta Loma, we believe all Leopards are our Leopards, and because of this we strive to connect with and set an example for all students. Project Cornerstone’s newsletter this month is all about the importance of role models. I’m sharing it with you here for your inspiration.
In partnership,
Gloria
January Project Cornerstone Asset of the Month is The Importance of Role Models
When we reflect back on the experiences that shaped us when we were young, we often remember a special adult in our lives. It might have been a teacher, coach, older relative, community member, or other caring adult that made a big impact on us. We see these role models as being important in shaping our lives. And that’s no surprise—research shows that positive adult role models have a tremendous impact on young people and can have the following benefits:
• Higher levels of self esteem
• Reduced use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, and hard drugs
• Improved high school graduation rates
• Greater aspirations and expectations for their careers
Unfortunately, many youth in Silicon Valley don’t have the adult role models that they need to thrive.
A positive role model doesn’t have to have any special skills—you don’t have to be a sports hero or a billionaire for youth to look up to you. In fact, most youth who said that they had role models identified them as caring friends and relatives. Every single one of us has the potential to make a difference in the lives of young people—all that matters is being willing to take the time to get to know a young person and let them get to know you, and to share your experience and knowledge.
Here are just a few simple ways you can help increase the impact of positive role models.
• Make a point of talking about people you admire or who had a positive influence on you, and why. Ask a young person to do the same.
• Share stories and experiences that reflect positive values, such as when a friend treated you with honesty or a coworker behaved responsibly. This can help young people develop a better understanding of their own values and how to act in different situations.
• Take the time to pass on your special skills. Youth often appreciate the
opportunity to learn new skills, even if they’ve never been exposed to them
before.
• Demonstrate positive responses to difficult situations, such as offering a sincere apology when appropriate, or trying again when you fail to achieve a goal.
This article was provided courtesy of Project Cornerstone’s Asset-a-Month program. Project Cornerstone is the Silicon Valley initiative to train and mobilize adults countywide to intentionally develop healthy, caring, and responsible children and youth. For more information, visit www.projectcornerstone.org.
In partnership,
Gloria
CALENDAR
Friday, January 24, 2020
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Friday, January 31, 2020
Monday, February 3, 2020
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Saturday, February 8, 2020
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Friday, February 14, 2020
Week of February 17 - 21, 2020
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Friday, February 28, 2020
Caring for a Sick Child - We are fighting the flu
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If your child has flu-like symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose) keep them home until they no longer have a fever without taking any fever reducing medication for at least 24 hours. If your child has other health issues, you may want to call your health care provider for advice.
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Have them drink a lot of liquid (such as juice, water, Pedialyte ®, broth).
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Keep the sick child comfortable. Rest is important.
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For fever, sore throat, and muscle aches, you can use fever-reducing medicines that your doctor recommends based on your child’s age. Do not use aspirin with children or teenagers; it can cause Reye’s syndrome, a life-threatening illness.
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Teach your child good health habits by showing them how to cover cough and sneeze into their sleeves, or to cover their cough/sneeze with tissues. They should wash their hands often and keep their hands away from their faces.
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Keep tissues close to the sick person and have a trash bag within reach for disposing used tissues.
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Don’t send sick children to school, daycare, or public places. If you are unsure when your child can return to school, please contact the school health office or check the district website for directions.
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If someone in your home is sick, keep him or her away from family members who are not sick.
Be watchful for emergency warning signs that might indicate you need to seek emergency medical care:
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Fast breathing or trouble breathing
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Bluish or gray skin color
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Not drinking enough fluids
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Not waking up or not interacting
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Being so irritable that he or she does not want to be held
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Not urinating or no tears when crying
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Their symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Girls on the Run - Click here for the flyer
Girls on the Run is more than just a running program - it gives girls the opportunity to build confidence and healthy habits. Over 10 weeks, from March through May, girls will recognize their star power, make new friends, and so much more! Teams meet twice each week to play games and learn new life skills while building endurance to complete the Girls on the Run 5K on May 18.
Food distribution program at Monta Loma Elementary
In partnership with Community Services Agency (CSA) of Mountain View and Second Harvest Food Bank, we will be distributing bags with food items, such as bread, canned goods, fresh produce, pasta, etc. If you want to supplement your meals with additional items, please come:
The food is free. More details at the event.
PTA News
PTA Association Meeting Friday, January 24 8:40am in MUR
Please join us as we discuss our mid-year budget revision and consider endorsing Measure T: Measure T Overview
PTA Board elections will take place in March. Click here to see the PTA Office Positions descriptions.
Game Night Friday, January 31 5:30pm in MUR
Please join us in the MUR for some good old-fashioned board games with your teachers and other families! Enjoy some pizza, hot dogs, and popcorn while you play. Come for the games, stay for the community. Hope to see you there! If you are able to help out, we could use a few more hands. Many hands make light work! Sign up here: 2020 Game Night - Volunteer sign up sheet.
PTA is Seeking a Coordinator for Our Spring Used Book Sale
The Used Book Sale is among the most popular and beloved events that PTA does every year. We hope to get at least one book into the hands of every child at Monta Loma, but we need someone to coordinate this event. Please consider leading the effort to collect, organize, and sell books for our kids. You'll have a lot of help in the form of volunteers. We have a lot of documentation to help and past coordinators to support and assist. Please consider being our Book Hero this spring! Contact us at [email protected]
Seeking Volunteers to help Organize our Walk-A-Thon Friday, April 17
PTA is seeking volunteers to help organize Walk-A-Thon, our biggest fundraiser and community event of the year! In the coming months, we need help seeking donations for food and the raffle, seeking and organizing volunteers for the day of WAT, and assembling a crew to set up the field. No experience necessary, only the willingness to help! We have documentation of previous WATs so no one needs to reinvent the wheel.
Please reach out to our VP of Fundraising/Events Elizabeth Jones [email protected]
NEWS FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE
It's flu season: Tips for keeping your family healthy
Just a reminder that it's flu season. Please see the attached information for flu symptoms and tips on how to prevent the flu. Sick children should stay home from school for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone (without the use of a fever-reducing medicine). Wash your hands and take care of yourself! See further information here.
Dear Fifth Grade Parents and Guardians,
Crittenden and Graham both will be welcoming 5th grade families to an Incoming 6th Grade Information Night on Thursday, January 30 from 6:30-8:00 pm in the multi-use room. Each site will host its own information night. 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 or Graham Middle School if you have any questions.
Thank you and we hope to see you on January 30 at 6:30pm.
Sincerely,
Sonia Gomez
Principal, Crittenden Middle School
Michael Hermosillo
Principal, Graham Middle School
Happening now: Register or reconfirm your student’s enrollment in MVWSD for 2020-21
Mountain View Whisman School District student enrollment for next fall is open online now.
For NEW students: Through February 7, you can register your child for transitional kindergarten - eighth grade online for the 2020-21 school year here: www.mvwsd.org/register
For CURRENTLY enrolled students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents can log on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal to enroll their children for 2020-21 through February 7. To check your access, log on to https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/. You received an email on Nov. 21 with your username. If you have difficulty signing in, please contact your school office.
You may click here to confirm your child’s school of residence. For more information, call 650-526-3500 or go to www.mvwsd.org/register.
In conjunction with Silicon Valley Reads 2020: Women Making It Happen, youth in grades K-8 are invited to explore career opportunities with women who have excelled in their fields. After a brief opening, attendees will be able to visit with Career Guests who will share information about their careers and answer questions. Youth must be accompanied by an adult. Career Guests include women working in these jobs and industries: Airline Pilot, Bank President, Chef, Civil Engineer, Cybersecurity, Dentist, Doctor, Firefighter, Landscape Architect, Lawyer, Law Enforcement, Software Engineer, Television Broadcasting, and more.
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020, 10:00 a.m. to Noon, at the Santa Clara County Office of Education, 1290 Ridder Park Drive, San Jose, CA 95131
Cost: Free. For more information and to register, go to: www.eiseverywhere.com/sccoesvrcareerday
Join us for the new MV Parent U offering: "Being an "Askable Adult" Talking to your child about sexuality" on Wednesday, January 29 from 6:30-8pm at Crittenden Middle School, MUR. - Flyer here
Presenters:
Health Connected, a Bay Area health education leader
Parents will learn:
The why, what, when and how of speaking to your child about sexual health
Join us for a fun and interactive workshop to inspire and assist trusted adults to engage their children in open and honest conversation
Appropriate for adults with children of any age, and definitely relevant for adults with children approaching puberty through their teen years
Childcare and Spanish interpretation will be available. Reserve your seat: askableadult2020.eventbrite.com
The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series presents William Stixrud, M.D. and Ned Johnson on "The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Kids More Control Over Their Lives" on Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | MVHS Spartan Theater | 3535 Truman Ave., Mountain View - Flyer here
Evidence strongly suggests that age-appropriate autonomy is vital for young people’s mental health—it helps them to sculpt brains that are resilient, resourceful, and ready to take on new challenges.
When The Self-Driven Child authors Bill Stixrud and Ned Johnson discovered a common problem among their young clients: kids were feeling acutely stressed. Some stumbled in high school, while others hit college and unraveled. Bill is a clinical neuropsychologist who helps kids gripped by anxiety or struggling to learn. Ned is a motivational coach who runs an elite tutoring service. Together they discovered that the best antidote to stress is to give kids a sense of control. In this talk, Bill and Ned advise that parents and educators adopt the role of consultant rather than manager to give kids more responsibility for their own life decisions even before they leave home.
Audience: Parents and educators of students grades 6 - 12.
To register for this free event, go to https://mvla2019-20-stixrudandjohnson.eventbrite.com
Books available for purchase, thanks to Books, Inc., (cash or check)
Sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.
Flyers
Parents’ Guide to Emergency School Evacuation
MVWSD 2019-20 calendar