BOARD UPDATE
The Board of Trustees held a special Study Session on February 8, which included an extensive update on the planning for the return of students. This included presentations on pandemic staffing planning, work on phased-in stable learning groups, and results from a student survey on returning. The video recording of the meeting is available here. The first of the three presentations begins at approximately 02:01.
The Board held a regular meeting on February 8 as well. The video recording of the meeting is available here. The meeting included a report on the District's partnership with the Mountain View Police Department (at approximately 01:48), the approval of a funding plan to support the return of stable learning groups (at approximately 1:28:56), and an update on the District's Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) Plan (at approximately 2:57:43).
All meeting agendas, recordings, and minutes are available online. The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for March 8, via Zoom, starting at 7 p.m.
REOPENING PLANNING
As mentioned above, a funding plan to support proposed staffing requirements was approved, putting into motion the steps necessary to bring students back to campuses in the Stable Learning Group Hub format, expanding on the number of student cohorts currently on our campuses. You may view a video about the model here. An informational flyer is available here. A set of frequently asked questions is here. Our goal is to provide a learning environment for students to comfortably and safely participate in their classes (via Zoom) while supporting students with social interactions during lunchtime and breaks. If you and your child would like to opt into MVLA's Stable Groups, please complete this form, Stable Group Learning Hub Sign-Up.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
MVLA STUDENTS ADVANCE IN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS AND NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
High school seniors from the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District (MVLA) have been nominated for the prestigious United States Presidential Scholars Program and have advanced to finalist standing for the National Merit Scholarship Corporation's (NMSC) National Merit Scholarship 2021 competition.
- U.S. Presidential Scholars Program - The White House Commission on Presidential Scholars selects scholars annually based on their academic success, artistic and technical excellence, essays, school evaluations, and transcripts, as well as evidence of community service, leadership, and demonstrated commitment to high ideals.
- National Merit Scholarship Program - Twenty-three MVLA students were qualified as finalists from a pool of more than approximately 16,000 semifinalists. They have an opportunity to compete for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $31 million.
MVLA STUDENT ARTISTS FEATURED IN NEW MUSEUM LOS GATOS JURIED EXHIBIT
Fourteen student artists from the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District (MVLA) will have their works on exhibit at the New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU) as part of the highly-selective ArtNow 2021 juried exhibit. ArtNow is an annual Santa Clara County high school art exhibition and educational program presented by NUMU, supporting programs and offering opportunities for high school student artists from Palo Alto to Gilroy to gain real-world experience in participating in a juried museum exhibition.
Each year, a new theme is chosen for the exhibition. This year’s theme was “Good Trouble,” in tribute to the late congressman, John Lewis, for his decades-long legislative work on the Voting Rights Act. Students were asked to render and submit interpretations of Lewis’s call to “make some noise and get in good trouble.” The opening reception will be held on March 19. Read more about the student artists here, and view their artwork here.
MOUNTAIN VIEW'S SCIENCE OLYMPIAD TEAM DOMINATES ON THE NATIONAL STAGE
Last month, Mountain View High School's Black, Gold, and White Science Olympiad teams competed against hundreds of schools across the nation at four Science Olympiad tournaments: Mira Loma Invitational, Aggie Invitational, MIT Invitational, and the SCC Invitational. All three teams performed exceptionally well, indicating that they are on the right track for succeeding at important upcoming competitions, including Regionals, States, and Nationals. Read the highlights here. Learn more about the MVHS Science Olympiad teams here.
DISTRICT NEWS
We encourage parents, guardians, and other adults to apply to become substitute employees and help bring back small groups of students for in-person learning support.
- Work in a supervisory capacity with groups of 14 students in a classroom to monitor students to ensure they are safe and engaged in online classes/Distance Learning
- No direct teaching is required
- Schedules may vary by campus regarding the number of days per week and hours per day
- Extensive safety measures in place to ensure students and staff safety
- The compensation rate is $225 per six-hour day, pro-rated
Learn more about requirements and the application process here.
Our student-athletes (and coaches) have - if nothing else - demonstrated tremendous resiliency and flexibility during the ongoing pandemic and its impacts on athletics, practices, and competitions. Changes to schedules continue, but here is the latest:
We are still in the modified Santa Clara Valley Athletic League's (SCVAL) three-season sports schedule, without playoffs.
- Season 1- Cross Country, Girls Golf, Girls Tennis, Swimming and Diving. These teams have already begun competition, scheduled to end March 26.
- Season 2 – Soccer, Football, and Field Hockey. These teams start on Monday, March 1. Our indoor sports, Badminton and Girls Volleyball, were initially included in Season 2. The SCVAL’s Board of Managers meets on March 4 and is expected to move these sports to Season 3.
- Season 3 - Lacrosse, Water Polo, Track, Gymnastics, Boys Volleyball, Boys Golf, Boys Baseball, Girls Softball, Boys Tennis. these teams start April 5.
Read more here.
We are excited to continue our Brown Bag sessions in 2021! Our Brown Bag webinars are a BYOL (bring your own lunch) mid-day information session on a variety of topics related to the reopening of MVLA schools. Sessions include:
- Health, Wellness, and COVID-19 (Held February 24 - Recording | Presentation)
- Special Education Update - March 17, 2021
- Equity in Education - April 21, 2021
If you missed any of the sessions in our Winter Series, no problem! They're available here for on-demand viewing.
SCHOOL NEWS
An award-winning lineup of writers, poets, and journalists will participate in Los Altos High School’s 36th annual Writers Week, taking place March 1 - 5, 2021. The week-long event provides opportunities for writers to come to LAHS English classes to speak about their individual works as well as the life and craft of a writer.
This year’s Community Read, which will be held virtually, will feature New York Times best-selling author Julie Lythcott-Haims, speaking with an LAHS student panel about her latest book “Your Turn: How to Be an Adult,” a follow-up to her bestseller “How to Raise An Adult.” The free event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, March 3, at 7 p.m. Read more.
Last November, Special Olympics athlete Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon, a grueling event that includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile marathon run.
In a Zoom visit today with Life Skills Program students in Seamus Quillinan's class, he shared some of the obstacles he's had to face, including open-heart surgery, and how he has pushed past these challenges to compete at such a high level. Chris also spoke about the "1% Better Challenge" he and his father, Nik, developed to stay motivated during training. The idea is to promote Down syndrome awareness while achieving 1% improvement every day.
Chris's visit was sponsored by Mountain View's PTSA, which provides funding support for educational speakers, teacher and learning grants, and other enrichment resources.
MVLA HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION
DID YOU KNOW?
The MVLA Foundation recognizes the importance of wellness in schools. Your donations fund a licensed Community Health Awareness Council (CHAC) therapist at both Los Altos and Mountain View High Schools to supplement the district-funded therapists. This year students are meeting with therapists through telehealth technology. Students can ask for support or refer someone they think needs support confidentially via the links below.
English: bit.ly/mvlasupport
Spanish: bit.ly/mvlaayuda
SPEAKER SERIES
Next up in the MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series, we are pleased to have Dr. William Stixrud and Ned Johnson return to share a sneak preview from their soon-to-be-released book, "What Do You Say?," the much-anticipated follow-up to "The Self-Driven Child." This online event will be held Tuesday, March 2, from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. Register here.
We are also fortunate that our previous speaker, Nicole Lee, has graciously allowed us to share her "Raising Antiracist Kids" presentation recording with parents, teachers, and other caretakers within our community. The recording will be available for four weeks. Access the presentation here. If you are interested in exploring Black History Month through books, films, and family activities, check out these resources curated by Ms. Lee. Parent Resource Guide from Inclusive Life - Black History Month 2021
FACILITY NEWS
ABOUT US
Email: communications@mvla.net
Website: https://www.mvla.net/
Location: 1299 Bryant Avenue, Mountain View, CA, USA
Phone: 650-940-4650
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mvlahsd
Twitter: @MVLAHSD
