October 23, 2024
Dear Stingray Parents and Guardians,
I’d like to take a moment to update you on how we support our students with counseling and mental health services. Here’s how your student may experience these services throughout the school year.
Our school counselor, Emily Hilkene, plays a vital role in supporting students every day, supporting their academic needs and social-emotional well-being. They are actively engaged on campus, often visiting classrooms to lead important discussions on topics like Managing Friend Conflict, Bullying, and Self-Confidence. Being present and accessible on a daily basis allows them to build strong relationships with students and better understand their needs.
School Counseling is focused on helping the students to cope throughout the school day in order to be more successful academically and socially. Our counselor helps students when they need it (drop-in), some meet in small groups, and others get one-on-one counseling. Individual sessions can last up to 8 weeks. The counselor reviews progress and makes recommendations based on student needs. Based on a student’s needs, the counselor may suggest more or less time in counseling, or they might work with the family to recommend outside care and community resources.
When a student continues to struggle, “COST teams” — a group of educators and support staff, work together to find the best ways to assist that student. Any member of staff may refer a student, and COST meetings are convened twice monthly to review all students who have been referred for review and support. A COST team’s recommendations are then assigned to our school counselor, who connects the student with more specialized services. Specialized services are provided by a variety of experts on staff, including School Psychologists, Behavior Analysts, and Mental Health Specialists (such as MFT or LCSW). These professionals meet with students in a designated “student supports” area on campus, separate from the main office, helping to ease anxiety of going to the principal’s office to seek help.
In some cases, students may have more specific or intensive needs. They might approach a counselor themselves, or their teacher or a parent may refer them. School counselors then work with the family to support them connecting to community resources including the County Behavioral Health warmline, and to other services based on their insurance coverage.
Previously, we worked with CHAC for school-based counseling, but have transitioned to our own school counselor. As we use school based counseling with support from Pacific Clinics for more intensive needs, we are seeing more flexibility and effectiveness in the support we can offer. By staffing School Counselors at MVWSD, we are able to have full-time counselors at every school to provide prevention and intervention student supports. Having counselors right here on campus allows us to know our students better, connect them with the support they need, and help coordinate services and referrals.
Thank you for your ongoing support as we continue to prioritize the well-being of every student in our community.
Warm Regards,
Terri Lambert
Principal, Stevenson Elementary
IMPORTANT DATES
2024-2025 MVWSD School Calendar
Monday, October 21st - Friday, October 25th
-Conference Week & Minimum week (12:05pm)
Friday, October 25th
-Trunk or Treat @ 6pm
Monday, October 28th
-ELAC @ 8:15am in person - MUR
-DELAC @ 5:30pm - Zoom link
Tuesday, October 29th
-Ribbon Cutting Ceremony @ 5pm
Thursday, October 31st
-Arts Focus Session 1 day 1
Friday, November 1st
-End of trimester - Minimum day!
Monday, November 4th
-Stevenson Greening Plan - Community and Parent Input @ 8:30am - Zoom
Thursday, November 7th
-Arts Focus Session 1 day 2
-Board of Trustee Meeting @ 6pm - Zoom link
Friday, November 15th
-Principal Coffee @ 8:30am - Hybrid (MUR & Zoom)
Monday, November 18th- Friday, November 22nd
-Puberty Talk for 5th grade
SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS
2024-2025 Stevenson Bell Schedule
October 2024 Lunch Menu
School Year Calendar - plan your 24-25 vacation using the school vacation times!
October is Safety Month in MVWSD. We have supplies for emergencies at school. Do you have them at home?
Now is the time to prepare your home disaster supply kit. An earthquake could mean being without food, water or electricity for hours or days. A disaster supplies kit is a collection of basic items, including your own food, water and other supplies, to last for several days that you’ll need in the event of an emergency. This is the week for your family to create or update your home kit. Here’s what should be in it. (Spanish)
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
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. 15 to their principal and elected parent representatives to SSC and ELAC. You may review the draft plans here.
MVWSD seeking District Equity Advisory Committee members
MVWSD is continuing our work by engaging meaningfully with the community on issues of equity through the District Equity Advisory Committee (DEAC). The goal of the DEAC is to provide feedback to the Superintendent on how to support MVWSD towards achieving its goals of becoming a more equitable and inclusive school district.
We are seeking a combination of district-level leaders, principals, teachers, staff members, and parent participants who represent the interests of both elementary and middle schools. Committee members will be expected to attend and participate virtually in meetings held once monthly (on average) online during the 2024-25 school year in the evening hours.
If you’re interested in participating, please click here to apply.
MVEF has reached its second milestone - $400k! Make your donation soon to achieve the goal of $1.2M.
Thanks to the generosity of new donors, repeat donors, corporate matching, and grants, MVEF has already raised 1/3 of this year’s $1.2M funding goal. Thank you to all who have donated so far and a special thanks to the "Nusimow Family Giving Fund" for the generous donation of $50k.
It’s a fast start on a big climb: MVWSD will soon begin planning for next year’s budget. When MVEF is on pace to meet the funding goal early in the school year, it gives confidence that we can continue funding the current priorities and potentially add new ones to next year’s budget.
Consider donating today - it's tax-deductible! Every gift, big or small, makes a difference. Setting up monthly installments is easy, just select "recurring donation" here. Learn more about ways to give here. Ever considered donating stocks? Learn more about it here.
PACT FOUNDATION UPDATES
Trunk or Treat
It's that time of the year! Trunk or Treat is happening THIS Friday, 10/25, 6-8pm, in the Stevenson parking lot. There will be food options!
Candy Donations
Our kids need candy! Or maybe they don’t, but we will still hand it out during Trunk or Treat. There will be a box in the Front Office for you to drop off any candy you can generously donate.
Haunted Garden at Trunk or Treat (sponsored by the Garden Committee)!
This year, the spooky fun isn’t just on wheels—it’s in the garden too! Kids can explore the Haunted Garden, complete a scavenger hunt, collect treats, and participate in other themed activities as part of the Trunk or Treat night. See you there if you dare!
Call for Arts Focus 2-hour volunteers:
Arts Focus' Fall session will start in less than two weeks (on Halloween! 10/31), and we would like to open our doors to anyone interested in volunteering for a two-hour shift in an Arts Focus class. If you're new to Stevenson or have always wanted to try Arts Focus but haven't had the time, this is a great way to step in and volunteer for just a bit and see how you like it. You're also welcome if you've done it before and just miss us! The Arts Focus classes are 3d, animation, art in nature, creative engineering, drawing & painting, global beat, kinetic arts (upper grades and lower grades), materials, materials exploration, music on stage, paper, photography, physical theater, printmaking, sewing, weaving & dyeing (closer look).
Sign up for a slot here.
Arts Focus materials donations
We’re collecting materials for Arts Focus classes. If you have any of these things kicking around your house and you don’t need them anymore, we’re collecting donations in the school office:
- Toys and staged scenes (lego minifigures, Playmobil, etc. for animation and photography)
- Oatmeal containers (for drums)
- Old calendars and magazines with kid-appropriate pictures (animals, etc.)
- Iron, a couple of glue guns (art in nature)
Here is the full list (please, label them as "For AF", so it will be easier for us to collect them).
Please reach out to us if you have any questions or suggestions: Rimma ([email protected] ) or Devangi ([email protected])
FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
MV Public Library Parenting Program: Navigating Type 1 Diabetes
The Mountain View Public Library will hold a virtual parent program, “Navigating Type 1 Diabetes with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital” on Wednesday, October 30, from 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. A roundtable of experts from the Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes Care Team at Stanford's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital will share information on early signs, latest medical technologies, and research, along with practical tips on behavioral and physiological concerns. Session is for families generally concerned, newly diagnosed, and those managing ongoing care. Register in advance here.
City of MV: Día de Muertos
Join the City of Mountain View to celebrate Día de Muertos at Civic Center Plaza on November 2 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The public is invited to the celebration of memories and a ritual that “encourages remembering over forgetting.” Learn about these festivities and delight with the ofrendas and altars decorated with Cempasúchitl flowers, or marigolds, papel picado, sugar skulls, and a myriad of colors created and inspired by community members. The event will feature live performances and children’s activities. Learn more at MountainView.gov/Dia-de-Muertos.
Learning Challenges events for Fall 2024
For local coverage of issues related to learning challenges and special education, please check out the Learning Challenges Committee http://learningchallenges.lamvptac.org/
For broader coverage, look into the Northwest SCC SELPA CAC
Northwest Santa Clara County CAC meeting
October 29, 9 am
Register: https://sccoe.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYpfuipqTwiGd2j1kNEBuVtKlTXV4IJn1TB
Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group
October 30, 9 am on Zoom.
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. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcqcu-vrDsiHdW_I5OTIYOiHcpy1tEmzuta
Who’s Who is Serving Our Little Ones? - Planning and Strategies for Children 3-5
From Department of Developmental Services and Palo Alto CAC
November 14, 6-7 pm on Zoom. Register: http://bit.ly/DDSTraining2
Evening Let’s Talk Parent Support group
November 19, 7 pm on Zoom.
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. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMtfu2hrj0pG9zqGFeTzEnqs1U7cVxTcfl-
Learning Challenges Committee Meeting
December 3, 7:30 pm on Zoom
The LCC is working on providing a support group for parents, and planning to create a wish list for teachers throughout Mountain View and Los Altos for classroom supplies to support sensory needs. Would you like to help? Other ideas to support students and families with learning challenges? Join us here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUld-usrj8tEtNskynSpmorDiYZNt9_KAgq
Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group
December 19, 10 am on Zoom.
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. Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrduupqD0vEtSpweFX71KvNAcKW8Csy4D3
Missed past Parent Education events?
We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including the recent talk on Assistive Technology, info on summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuy7IcVz-4LTDxv2Jaq13nw
FLYERS
MVPL Juvenile Diabetes
Dia de los muertos