October 10, 2024
Dear Stingray Parents and Guardians,
Walkathon is just a week away! It is time for all hands on deck, not only to make this amazing community event happen, but to ramp up your pledges. This is the major fundraiser of the year to support OLE’s, teacher budgets, etc. and it is important that every family participates in the fundraiser to your best extent possible. https://app.99pledges.com/fund/stevensonwat2024/addme
October is Safety Month in MVWSD. As you read in last week’s Superintendent’s newsletter, we want to be ready to act when dangerous situations arise. We have already practiced fire drills and soon will practice an earthquake drill and how to react to a dangerous intruder.
Last week and this week, our teachers and staff members will be training on the Incident Command System (ICS) and general emergency procedures. The ICS assigns roles to school staff members so that even scary situations can have well-organized responses.
Earthquake drill: After training, we’ll practice what to do during the districtwide earthquake drill to be held on Oct. 17. Click here to view the video that shows how we approach safety and what an earthquake drill looks like.
We talk with students in age-appropriate ways about what they can expect and why we practice emergency responses. For elementary students we say the most important things to remember if an earthquake happens at school are duck, cover and hold if they feel the ground shake. When it stops, go outside to the field. Stay calm with kid voices off so we can follow adult instructions. In an emergency, we will keep them safe at school until their grown ups can pick them up.
Dangerous intruder: Our schools will review what to do in the event of a dangerous intruder or similar event on campus. The dates for each school’s practice will vary depending on scheduling.
Practice at the elementary schools means students will view an age-appropropriate “dangerous intruder” video (which you may preview here) and talk with their teacher. The video and classroom discussion will encourage children to stay calm, follow directions, and listen to trusted adults. Middle schools will hold similar drills, incorporating new door-locking systems. More details and timeline will come from your principal.
For more details about safety at school, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/safety.
Warm Regards,
Terri Lambert
Principal, Stevenson Elementary
IMPORTANT DATES
2024-2025 MVWSD School Calendar
Thursday, October 10th - Friday, October 11th
-NO SCHOOL!
Wednesday, October 16th
-Principal’s Coffee @ 8:30am
-Parent University Session - Mindfulness Night @ 5:30pm
Thursday, October 17th
-Board of Trustees Meeting @ 6pm - Zoom link
Friday, October 18th
-Walkathon @ 1:40pm
Monday, October 21st - Friday, October 25th
-Conference Week & Minimum week (12:05pm)
Monday, October 21st
-Retake Picture Day
Wednesday, October 23rd
-Safe Moves Assembly
Friday, October 25th
-Trunk or Treat @ 6pm
SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
2024-2025 Stevenson Bell Schedule
October 2024 Lunch Menu
School Year Calendar - plan your 24-25 vacation using the school vacation times!
No School - Thursday, October 10th AND Friday, October 11th
Reminder that there will be no school on today, October 10th and Friday, October 11th. Enjoy the 4-day weekend! :)
Parent University - Mindfulness Night - Wednesday, October 16th @ 5:30pm
Picture Retake Day - Monday, October 21st
Picture Retake Day is Monday, October 21st. Please fill out this survey if you would like your child(ren) to retake their school picture
Safe Routes to School Assembly - Wednesday, October 23rd
Stevenson Walkathon is on Friday, October 18th, from 1:45 pm - 6 pm.
This is a major fundraiser for school and our goal this year is $50,000. We are looking forward to this great PACT Community gathering that's only THREE weeks away and we invite the entire community to join in.
Please REGISTER your student on 99Pledges to start gathering your pledges for Walkathon.
Visit Walkathon Website! for all the details about the event. We would love for you to sign up for a volunteer shift at the event.
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook
- Instagram - @stevenson__elementary
- Facebook - @StevensonElem
Reporting Absences
Please call the office at (650) 903-6950 or email Stevenson Attendance [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.
MVWSD News
Better Together: October
Families come in all shapes and sizes, each one a unique community bound by love, support, and shared experiences. This month #BetterTogether presents the topic “A family is a community”. October is also LGBTQ+ History Month. As we celebrate both of these together, we are reminded of the countless families that have fought for recognition and acceptance, paving the way for a more inclusive understanding of what family means. From single-parent households to multigenerational homes, from same-sex couples to chosen families within the LGBTQ+ community, each family contributes its own special thread to the vibrant tapestry of our society. For more information about Better Together, visit mvwsd.org/bettertogetherMVWSD.
Parent Involvement Board Policy
Families, thank you for your engagement and involvement with our schools. Our sustained partnership is a big part of our continuous improvement as a district. Per California Department of Education guidelines, here for your review is the most recently updated version of our Board Policy on Parent Involvement. Any questions should be directed to Geoff Chang, Director of Federal, State, and Strategic Programs ([email protected]).
Your employer could help us meet the MVEF goal of $1.2 MM for 2024-25!
Employer matching and grants from local companies are a major source of the funding for MVEF each year. October, November, and December are months when many companies coordinate “giving days” to encourage their employees to make philanthropic gifts to support nonprofits. If your company does this, please consider listing MVEF as a non-profit organization doing good work in your child’s school district nurturing all students’ learning experience and education. Sometimes corporations even offer to double match your contribution for a specific time period. Please check here whether your employer offers a corporate matching program.
For more information about what MVEF does, please click here.
Free COVID tests available to order
US residential households are now eligible to order four free at-home COVID tests from the US Postal Service COVID test order page. Prepare for respiratory virus season and learn how and when to test for COVID-19. Some of the tests shipped may show expired dates on the box—please note the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the expiration dates of the tests being distributed through this program. You can find the full list of extended test expiration dates at the FDA At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests web page.
PACT FOUNDATION UPDATES
TRUNK OR TREAT - Please sign up to host a trunk!
It's that time of the year! Trunk or Treat is happening on Friday, 10/25, 6-8pm
We need your decorated cars! Please sign up here if interested in hosting a trunk.
FAQ:
- You will be assigned a spot in the Stevenson parking lot. You can start setting up at 4:30pm and are expected to stay until the end of the event.
- You are more than welcome to provide your own candy or goodies, but you don't have to. We will have a candy donation campaign and also buy extras, and will distribute among the cars.
- Plan for small kids, please don't make your decorations violent, gory or too scary.
- There will be food options!
The ImPACT Book Club is back!
We are looking forward to our first book club of the year on Thursday November 7th from 6:30-8pm in the Stevenson Library. We are picking up where we left off with round 2 of Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy. The book is a parenting guide and readily available in most bookstores and libraries. It can be found in audio, digital and print formats. Dr. Becky has a podcast, TED talk, and can be found on Instagram. No need to read the book, just show up to join our conversation about parenting, deeply feeling kids, regulation, and other related topics. Babysitting will be available- signup to come! Sign up for book club here.
Arts Focus Date Changes
Attention, attention! There have been changes in dates and the start of the Arts Focus session has been postponed until October 31st. Yes, we will start on Halloween! Our calendar now looks like this:
If you’re available to volunteer on any of these dates, please sign up for a slot here. Your time and effort will make a significant impact on our kids' experiences.
FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Walden West: Autumn Adventure 2024
Join the entire Walden West Community for an Autumn Adventure in the woods on Saturday, October 12 from 9am - 12 pm at Walden West! It is a great way for families to see Walden West if they have not been to science camp yet or to revisit their favorite spots if they have already attended. It will be fun for all ages with hiking, nature activities, garden time, food, music, and more! For tickets and ways to be involved, visit https://givebutter.com/wwf-autumn-adventure.
MVLA Speaker Series: Never Enough with Jennifer Wallace
Join the next MVLA Speaker Series presentation, “Never Enough: Mattering as a Solution to Toxic Achievement Pressure,” with author Jennifer Wallace on Wednesday, October 30th at 7PM at the Crittenden Middle School Auditorium. In this eye-opening talk, Wallace investigates the deep roots of toxic achievement culture, explores its harmful impact on our kids, and delivers the powerful solution: mattering, the psychological concept of feeling like you add value and are valued regardless of your external achievements. Wallace provides a practical mattering framework that parents and educators can use to tackle achievement pressure at home and in the classroom. Register for this free event here.
Free Parent Training for Families of Children with Disabilities
The Community Advisory Committee and Department of Developmental Services are hosting parent training this year. There will be interpretation available through DDS in Spanish, Vietnamese, and ASL. See below for details:
Who's Who in Serving Our Little Ones
Planning and Strategies for Kids Ages 3 to 5
For more information, contact [email protected] or [email protected]
Thursday, November 14, 2024
6-7pm on Zoom
Register here: https://bit.ly/DDSTraining2
Stay Tuned for 2025 Topics: Ages 5 to 14 & 14 to Adulthood
Volunteer with Mentor Tutor Connection
Mentor Tutor Connection is actively recruiting volunteers for our mentoring (high school students) and tutoring (K-8 students) programs located in Los Altos and Mountain View public schools. To learn more about Mentor Tutor connection, please email programs@mentortutorconnection.org or visit mentortutorconnection.org.
The View Teen Center: October
The View Teen Center is a free facility in Mountain View (263 Escuela Ave) for all Mountain View and Los Altos 6th - 12th grade students. Drop-in hours are Monday - Friday, 3:15 - 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 - 6 p.m. (Adjusted Hours: Oct. 10-11 & Oct. 21-25, 1-6 p.m.), and the center features a game room, makerspace, kitchen, computer/study room, and outdoor area. October events include Halloween-themed activities, art classes, a Bike to Boba, and much more. For more information, click here.
FLYERS
Walden West
Free Webinar Series - Parent Trainings
Mentor Tutor Connection
October Teen Center