Superintendent Newsletter

Student literacy is the cornerstone of a top quality education. Empowering students to choose their reading materials at all grade levels is proven to boost literacy and keep students engaged in reading for a lifetime.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the LASD Book Collection

Our Diversity and Equity Task Force began important work last year evaluating our curriculum and instructional materials. One important conclusion from the Task Force was that our LASD reading materials should be expanded to provide books that are "mirrors" and "windows" to ensure our students read books that provide diverse perspectives.

"Mirrors" are books that contain story lines, characters, and experiences one can see oneself in, thereby making a personal connection to these books. Readers feel seen and heard after reading a book that is a mirror. A book that is a "window" helps the reader see into the life or experience of someone else, offering a new perspective. LASD purchased a number of books over the summer to add "mirrors" and "windows" to classroom collections for all students to access.

Libraries Reopen

Our LASD school libraries reopened this week, providing exciting learning opportunities for our students. The libraries are open during lunch and recess and our librarians have resumed formal classroom visits. For our youngest students, our libraries not only provide an engaging story time, but also teach California state standards to help children identify characters, make connections to life experiences, understand narratives and use the library system to find their own books. Upper grade students flex their critical thinking skills, discussing topics like current events or literary censorship and receive instruction on online research. One of the students' favorite activities is voting on literary awards like the California Young Reader and Cook Prize awards. Be sure to ask your children about what they're learning from our librarians!

The Los Altos Educational Foundation supports our libraries! LAEF's annual grant is the leading source of funding to make LASD librarians a reality in our schools. Learn more about our libraries on the LAEF web page and please consider a donation to support this critical academic program and many others that provide the well-rounded and excellent education our Los Altos School District students require. Thank you!

Our students' safety is our top priority. We want to be sure local children have the ability to get to school safely, whether they commute by car, bike or on foot. Our partners at the City of Los Altos provide excellent resources on Safe Routes to Schools so students can safely and walk and bike to school. Please visit the City of Los Altos Safe Routes to School webpage for helpful maps and information.

We urge all families to sign up for the LASD pooled testing program at their school site. For more information, please visit our COVID Testing webpage. Students who volunteer to be part of the testing program will:

1. Receive free weekly asymptomatic COVID-19 testing

2. Receive free individual rapid testing on our campuses if there is a positive result from the pool

To sign your student up for the testing program, you must provide consent by following these simple steps:

1. To do so, please fill out this online consent form today.

2. Please enter the access code for your student’s school (listed below):

1. LASD-ALMOND

2. LASD-BLACH

3. LASD-COVINGTON

4. LASD-EGAN

5. LASD-GARDNERBULLIS

6. LASD-LOYOLA

7. LASD-OAK

8. LASD-SANTARITA

9. LASD-SPRINGER

3. Enter your student’s information, and you’re done!

4. If you need to provide consent for more than one student, please complete the process once for each student.

5. Please be aware that you may also opt in to the program at any time during the school year. However, we cannot guarantee your student will have immediate access to testing due to the processing time required for the consent forms by Concentric.

Join us for our first two online events of the season with New York Times “Your Money” columnist, Ron Lieber

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The Price You Pay for College: An Entirely New Roadmap
Tuesday, September 28, 2021 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online

Join us for an engaging evening with Ron Lieber, award-winning author and New York Times “Your Money” columnist, as he shares insights on one of the biggest financial decisions families will often make - paying for college.

Few financial decisions inspire more confusion and emotion than the question of what to pay for college. Sending a teenager to four years of on-campus living costs more than $100,000 at many flagship state universities and attending a selective private college can be three times higher. While evaluating the price of college is essential, understanding value is paramount.

Based on interviews with college presidents, financial aid gatekeepers, and other research, Lieber pulls back the curtain on the complicated financial aid system and merit aid, a new form of discounting that many colleges use to compete with peers. He offers guidance on how to evaluate college costs and compare what is worth paying extra for by considering a variety of attributes such as size, programs, access to professors, strength of career center, and engagement of the alumni network.

Additionally, Lieber walks families through the process of setting financial goals, explaining the system to their children and figuring out the right ways to save, borrow, and bargain for a better deal.

Audience: High School parents, students, teachers, and counselors
Register: Register for this free event
Books: Purchase online from Books, Inc.

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The Opposite of Spoiled: Raising Kids Who Are Grounded, Generous and Smart About Money
Thursday, September 30, 2021 - 7:00 - 9:00pm | Live Online

Join us for an engaging evening with Ron Lieber, award-winning author and New York Times “Your Money” columnist, as he offers parents a blueprint for talking openly and intentionally with our kids about money.

Combining his values-based philosophy and stories from families with a range of incomes, Ron Lieber discusses how to embrace conversations about money and explores effective ways to approach money basics such as allowance, chores, charity, saving, birthdays, holidays, cell phones, checking accounts, clothing, cars, part-time jobs, and college tuition.

These early financial lessons provide important opportunities for parents to foster their family’s values and raise kids who are grounded, generous, and smart about money.

Audience: K-12 school parents, students, teachers, and counselors
Register: Register for this free event
Books: Purchase online from Books, Inc.

About the Speaker

Ron Lieber has been the “Your Money” columnist for The New York Times since 2008. His most recent book "The Price You Pay for College" was published in January 2021.

Before working at The New York Times, Mr. Lieber was a columnist for The Wall Street Journal, where he was part of the startup team for the “Personal Journal” section in 2002. He has written for Fast Company and Fortune and is a recipient of the Gerald Loeb award, business journalism's highest honor.

Mr. Lieber is a graduate of Amherst College. He lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., with his wife, and their two daughters.

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The MVLA Parent Education Speaker Series is sponsored by Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF), MVLA High School Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF), and Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.

Website: lasdschools.org
Location: 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, CA, USA
Phone: 650-947-1150