08.26.21
Dear Stingray Parents and Guardians,
I am extremely grateful for such a talented, dedicated staff here at Stevenson. As we all settle into routines for the new school year, I am continuously impressed with the teaching that I witness in the classrooms and out at recess. Our students are visibly engaged and visibly happy. Thank you to our amazing Stevenson teachers and staff!
Our Stingray community continues to focus on being Bucket Fillers! Yesterday, our teachers read a section from “How Full is Your Bucket? “and discussed how we all encounter thousands of moments each day. Most moments are neutral (not really positive or negative). These moments we tend not to remember or recall. The memorable moments that we usually recall are positive or negative. At yesterday’s staff meeting, I shared with our teachers a moment that has had a positive impact on me. It was one of my first years of teaching. My principal at the time provided me with positive feedback on the design of the lesson and engagement strategies. This positive feedback encouraged me as a new, young teacher, and still positively motivates me today!
Thank you to our parent community for all the positive emails, notes of recognition, and providing our staff with an appreciation luncheon last week! These positive moments and actions really do fill our staff’s buckets and get us excited and encouraged to be part of this special Stingray Community!
Sincerely,
Ryan Santiago
Principal, Stevenson Elementary
School Announcements
-Save the Date: School Picture Day
-Parking Lot Safety
-Student Pick Up Procedures
-Grass Area Pick-Up
-School Site Council - Parent Elections
-English Language Advisory Committee -Parent Elections
-i-Ready Diagnostics Parent Reports
-Stevenson Principal’s Coffee
-OkToReopen Health Screener
-Free School Meals
-Reporting Absences and Tardies
-After School Programs
Save the Date: School Picture Day
-Save the date! School photos will take place Monday, September 13th. More details to follow as we approach the event date.
Parking Lot Safety
-Parents that would like to walk their child to the gate will need to park their car on the street.
There is no parking in the drop-off and pick up zone. Parents may get out of their car to quickly assist their younger child, but will then need to get back into their car as soon as possible to exit the parking lot. This will help the flow of traffic move more smoothly for morning drop off and pick up. If you need to take more time to drop off your child, please park on the street and walk your child to the entrances.
-Please use only the unloading zone to drop-off and pick-up your child.
This zone is located right in front of the office (sidewalk is marked yellow) and main gate. This is the safest area to drop off your child. Please do not drop off in front of parking spots (near the MUR) or by the tennis courts. Please wait until your vehicle is in the unloading zone.
-No double parking in the parking lot.
Please do not stop your vehicle to drop off your child in the driving lane of the parking lot. Please wait in the vehicle lane to drop off in the unloading zones.
-Pull as far forward in the drop-off/pick-up area as you can.
This way, more vehicles can drop off their children. Pulling forward will allow the flow of traffic to go more smoothly.
-Parking lot spaces are for staff only.
Please do not park in the Stevenson and District Office parking lots. Parking is limited and we want to make sure that our teachers and staff are able to have a parking spot to be able to provide instruction and services to our students.
-Please use the sidewalk and paths to drop off your child.
It is not safe to cut across the parking lot; there are many cars entering and exiting. Please use the sidewalk and path to walk around for the safety of our students and community.
-Please use crosswalks on the streets.
Please do not jaywalk across the streets for the safety of our students and community.
-Pets are not allowed in the parking lot area.
For the safety of students, staff, and community, pets are not allowed in the parking lot and drop-off/pick-up area.
-Parent Volunteers and Staff are here to help.
You will most likely notice parent volunteers and staff that are helping with the flow of traffic and providing friendly reminders to parents. Thank you in advance for listening and supporting their efforts to keep our parking lot safe.
Student Pick-Up Procedures
Here are updated images of each grade level's drop off procedures and locations.
Kindergarten Pick Up
1st and 2nd Grade
3rd, 4th, and 5th Grades
Walking and Biking To School
Many of our Stingrays are riding bikes, scootering, or walking to school! For all our stingrays walking or on wheels, here is some important safety information.
-Walk your bike or scooter once you enter the parking lot area.
-Please use the street crosswalks and please use the walking paths in the parking lot.
-Pedestrians, and those on bikes and scooters, are to cut across the parking lot. It is important for the safety of our Stingray community to use the walking paths in the parking lot
Grass Area Safety
-All students and adults are to wear masks during pick up.
Please make sure that masks are fitting appropriately over the mouth and nose.
-Families are to be socially distanced (6-feet) during pick up.
-Pets are not allowed in the grass area.
For the safety of students, staff, and community, pets are not allowed in the grass area during pick-up.
-Once students are with their parent(s), families are to immediately leave the grass area.
The grass area remains closed until 4:00pm each weekday. Students are not allowed to be on the play structure after school.
School Site Council Elections
Each year our school site council elects parent members for our school site council. Of our five parent members on the School Site Council, we have one open position for election. Parent Christina Woo self-nominated to be a candidate for the one open position. Parents of Stevenson Elementary will have the opportunity to officially elect Chrstina Woo. The election process will take place beginning tomorrow, Friday, August 27th and conclude on Friday, September 3rd. An email will be sent tomorrow, Friday, August 25th for parents to vote. Please see the attached document for more information on our candidate and details about School Site Council.
English Language Advisory Committee Elections
Our school is in the process of forming our English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC). We are looking for parent members to join our ELAC for the 2021-2022 school year.
English Learner Parent Members for ELAC 2021-2022
Stevenson will be electing three (3) parents for the 21-22 school year. If you are the parent of an English Language Learner and interested in becoming a member, please complete this Self-Nomination Google Form by Tuesday, August 31, 2021. A separate email was also sent to the parents of English Language Learners on Tuesday, August 24th. Elections will be held the following week. Meetings are held virtually once a month on Thursdays from 5-6 PM.
What is an ELAC?
Every public K-12 school in California that has more than 21 English Learner students must have an ELAC. The ELAC consists of parents and teachers that work together to support English Learner students with their education.
What is ELAC's purpose?
ELAC's purpose is to advise the principal, school staff, and the School Site Council on programs and services for English Learners. They also work with the school to provide information to the parents and give a voice to the English Learner community so that these families' questions and concerns can be carried back to the principal, school staff, and School Site Council.
If you have any questions, please contact Principal Ryan Santiago at [email protected] or (650) 903 6950 or Stevenson’s School and Community Engagement Facilitator, Mayra Garcia-Mendoza (Spanish Speaking), at [email protected].
i-Ready Parent Reports - 1st-5th Grade
This is just a quick reminder that families can access their student’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score through their Powerschool Parent Portal starting August 30th, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. Reports are available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ under “Parent Reports” for each of your students. Steps for accessing reports on PowerSchool Parent Portal: Accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports. If you have difficulty logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact your school’s office.
Stevenson’s Principal’s Coffee
Our next principal’s coffee is Thursday, September 2nd at 4pm. Principal Santiago will hold a principal’s coffee to provide an update on COVID safety protocols that are specific to Stevenson Elementary. This is also a great opportunity for families to ask other school related questions as well. Please use this link to register and attend.
(Repeat) OKtoReopen - Daily Health Screener
A friendly reminder to please complete the OkToReopen Health screener before your child arrives on campus. Thank you for helping us create a safe and healthy school campus for all our students.
(Repeat) Reporting Absences
Please call the office at (650) 903-6950 or email Rayland Asuncion at [email protected] and Renae Rhodes at [email protected] to report an absence or late arrival. Provide the following information: date of absence, student’s name, grade and room number, reason for absence, name and relationship of the person reporting the absence.
(Repeat) After School Programs
Our school district partners with multiple programs to provide after school care. Please visit this website to learn more about Right at School, Newton Center, and YMCA.
PACT Foundation Updates
Open committee chair positions
We’re looking for committee chairs for the Cooking, Fundraising, Staff Appreciation, and Social committees. Committee chairs share the committee tasks and responsibilities with their team, and committees have a long history to draw from and former chairs that can coach you. We’ll help fill open volunteer spots - most committees have volunteers returning from previous years - and help figure out how to adapt this year if things look a little different for your committee.
Have any questions? Is the chair position calling you? Please contact for Cooking - Sheung Li ([email protected]), Fundraising - Heather Abadie ([email protected]), Staff Appreciation or Social - Carlos Diuk ([email protected]), or general questions Jenny Mailhot ([email protected]).
Calendar
2021-2022 MVWSD School Calendar
Thursday, August 26th
-MVWSD Board of Trustees Meeting at 6:00pm
Friday, August 27th
-Community Check In with Dr. Rudolph- Register here.
Wednesday, September 1st
-Parent University: Mental Health: Care and Support- Register here.
Thursday, September 2nd
-Stevenson Principal’s Coffee
Monday, September 6th
-No School, Labor Day Observed
Thursday, September 9th
-Stevenson ELAC Meeting
Monday, September 13th
-Stevenson School Picture Day
MVWSD News
Special Board Meeting Preview: August 26
The Board of Trustees will hold a special meeting on Thursday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. The Board will be discussing air quality guidelines and COVID safety and testing protocol. For agendas and meeting information: http://mvw.sd/agenda. The meeting is also streamed on https://www.youtube.com/mvwsd.
COVID Safety:
We have been working hard to address the details of student and staff COVID testing and quarantine procedures. While we are still working out some of the details, please visit this webpage for the latest information on quarantines and testing. For all of our COVID resources, please visit mvwsd.org/returntolearn.
Air Quality:
The 2021 wildfire season is upon us; a situation that we are all too familiar with, unfortunately. This year with COVID, the impact of poor air quality is even greater. While we understand that there are multiple online tools to measure air quality (Breezo, Purple Air, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, etc.), MVWSD uses the EPA’s AQI monitoring tools at AirNow.gov. Please click here to learn more: mvwsd.org
Superintendent's Community Check In on Friday
Please join us for our Community Check-In with Dr. Ayindé Rudolph on Friday, Aug. 27 at 3:30 p.m. Bring your questions. Click here to register: http://mvw.sd/a714Q
Parent University: Mental Health: Care and Support
Date: September 1, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. Registration Link: mvw.sd/pu090121
Join us to learn about mental health care and support. We will share a wide range of information from basic wellness to seeking mental health treatment. Presenters include representatives from MVWSD, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health, and local agencies or organizations.
To submit questions prior to the event, please click here. We will do our best to address your question during the session.
Parent University MVWSD Orientation: Recording Available
In case you missed it, Parent University’s first event, "MVWSD District Orientation: What you need to know to be informed and connected this school year," is available for viewing. This talk covered resources available to families through the district and your individual school. Recordings are here: https://vimeo.com/588962500 (English) and https://vimeo.com/589005046 (Spanish). For a list of this year’s Parent U dates and past recordings, head to mvwsd.org/parentu.
Positions available with MVWSD: apply today!
Want to make a difference in the lives of students and their families? MVWSD is looking for talented individuals to join our team! See below for available positions and application links:
Instructional assistants: http://mvw.sd/AiVGD
At Risk Supervisors: http://mvw.sd/XCMHv
Substitutes for clerical staff: http://mvw.sd/ZC4Sv
Food Service: http://mvw.sd/YIW55
District seeking Parcel Tax Oversight Committee (PTOC) member
MVWSD is seeking a Parcel Tax Oversight Committee (PTOC) member. Selected representatives monitor, provide oversight, and ensure accountability to the funds received by the District, including an annual report to the Board regarding the actual uses of such funds. The PTOC is composed of representatives from the local community, including the business community, District homeowners, parents or guardians of a student in the District, or the community at large.
Applications are available for download at http://mvw.sd/PTOC. Applications can be mailed to: Mountain View Whisman School District, Attn: Dr. Rebecca Westover, Chief Business Officer, 1400 Montecito Ave., Mountain View 94043, faxed to 650-964-8907 or emailed to [email protected].
Apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD and qualify for benefits
Please apply, whether you need it or not. It helps your school get more money for student programs!
Apply at EzSchool Meals to help MVWSD receive additional funding to support students who are in need, and may help your family. This Free and Reduced Price Meals benefit is not limited to meals only. If your child is eligible for free and/or reduced-price meals, your family could get medical benefits, housing benefits, utilities benefits and more. Students who qualify for free and/or reduced-price meals may be eligible for P-EBT cards. The more applications your school gathers at the start of each school year, the more additional funding it can receive for all kinds of programs that help children at your school. If you are currently out of work, you may qualify and help your school, regardless of your financial situation. Apply at https://secure.ezmealapp.com/ or call your school office.
MVEF: Please Support Our Students!
MVEF raises money to provide all MVWSD students with an educational experience beyond what is possible with public funding. Help us fund programming for your child and every child in the district! We hope you saw the MVEF brochure (which doubles as a donation envelope) or watched the video during Back to School. Please see the website at mvef.org for more information and to donate online. Use your credit card to pay in monthly installments. Please consider joining our team of volunteers. Email us with any questions at [email protected]. Thank you for your support!
Intro to SELPA1CAC and upcoming events
The Special Education Local Plan Area 1 Community Advisory Committee (SELPA1CAC) is made up of parent volunteers, special education staff, and community members and offers resources available to help families of students with learning challenges. Click for more information on what the SELPA1CAC provides, “Let’s Talk”, an IEP/504 troubleshooting support group, and “Parent Chat,” a support group of parents of teens with mental health challenges. For more information, head to https://www.facebook.com/selpa1cac or www.selpa1cac.org.
Upcoming Events for the SELPA1CAC:
General CAC Parent/Community meetings
All are welcome. Monthly updates from Special Ed. Directors & Staff, to plan programs and parent education.
Aug 30th at 4pm, Oct 4th at 9am, Nov 1st at 4pm, Dec 6th at 9am, Feb 7th at 4pm, Mar 7 at 9am, May 2nd at 4pm
Parent Education Talks
SMART Goals – Creating and Troubleshooting IEP Goals that Work. IEP Goals are written in very specific language and it can be difficult to see how the goals relate to concrete skills and goals for your child. Learn more about SMART Goals and how they work with Professor Anne Spillane of Brandman University.
Tuesday, October 19th at 7pm on Zoom
Let’s Talk, IEP/504 Support Group on Zoom
A chance to ask questions and share ideas, resources, and support with other parents of students with IEPs, 504s, learning differences, mental health challenges, etc. All are welcome; participants must respect confidentiality.
Sept 21st at 10am, Oct 13th at 7pm, Nov 16th at 10am, Dec 8th at 7pm, Jan 11th at 10am
Parent Chat, Support for Parents of Teens with Mental Health Challenges
Are you concerned about the emotional well-being of your child? Peer to peer support for parents of teens with mental health challenges.
Second Tuesday of every month, 10-11am on Google Meet
Volunteer Community Navigator Training with Community Services Agency (CSA)
Interested in helping others in the community navigate the Community Services Agency’s (CSA) programs and resources? Join CSA for Volunteer Community Navigator Training on Zoom from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 16th (every 3rd Thursday of the month). Please register at 650.669.9551. For more information, contact Sandra Luna, Community Resource Coordinator, at [email protected].
Mentor Tutor Connection Volunteer Information Session - Thursday, September 9th
You can change the life of a student! Come learn about volunteer opportunities to Mentor high school students and Tutor students in grades K-8 in our Mountain View and Los Altos schools.
Becoming a Mentor or Tutor will add joy to your life and help a student in our local community to a brighter future! There is no obligation to sign up as a volunteer. You're welcome to just come and learn more about what we do.
All volunteers must be high school graduates.
Date: Thursday, September 9th
Time: 12:00 - 1:00 pm
Location: Online via Zoom (URL provided upon registration)
Register: REGISTER ONLINE
Questions: [email protected]
Information: MentorTutorConnection.org