DISTRICT NEWS
Our Parent Community Survey remains open to parents to provide us feedback about their student's education and social-emotional experiences this school year. Your feedback will be valuable in helping with our planning for the return to in-person instruction five days per week for the next academic year. We will provide a 100% distance learning or virtual option for those who may not wish to return to in-person learning in fall 2021.
We are excited to be planning for an in-person celebration of the Class of 2021! Commencement ceremonies for both Los Altos and Mountain View will be Friday, June 4, at PayPal Park (formerly known as Avaya Stadium), home of the San Jose Earthquakes. The ceremony for Los Altos will begin at 4 p.m.; the ceremony for Mountain View will follow at 7:00 p.m.
Both schools sent letters to seniors this week with more details, but families need to know already that there will be a limit of four spectators per graduate. In mid-May, seniors will be contacted with information about the process for claiming graduate tickets and spectator-pod seating via Ticketmaster. Information will also be sent to parent contacts via email. As additional ceremony details are finalized, the schools will update students and families.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
The U.S. Department of Education has named Los Altos High School one of 40 honorees from across the country to be named a 2021 Green Ribbon School. The Green Ribbon award honors schools, districts, and postsecondary institutions for work to reduce environmental impact and costs, improve health and wellness, and offer effective sustainability education.
The award acknowledges the extensive work of the student-led Green Team in promoting a culture of environmental responsibility, and their work in preparing the application.
“The application provided a framework of assessment that comprehensively outlined the characteristics of environmental schools,” aid Audrey Chang, Green Team co-president. “Our goal was to document the achievements already put into place by students, administrators, staff, and parent groups, and also to use the application to identify areas in which LAHS could improve.” Read more.
Mountain View High School's Science Olympiad made history AGAIN, taking first place at the 2021 Northern California State Science Olympiad Tournament.
This past Saturday, nervous but hopeful, the Science Olympiad community awaited the results of the NorCal State Tournament - and were thrilled to learn they beat the two top teams - Mira Loma and Palo Alto! As the winner of the State Tournament, Mountain View will now represent Northern California at the National Tournament on May 22, will be Mountain View! (View announcement video here.) Congratulations to this hard-working team, their coaches, and families.
Jaimee's teachers say she has exceeded expectations even among the barriers of distance learning and has jumped into any task asked. On top of her regular academic responsibilities, she completed all scholarship workshops and a Foothill College career class. Her professor said she was such an outstanding student that she's been invited back to the next class to serve as a teacher assistant. Read more or view the Board's recognition of her on this video, starting at 34:23.
Sarah is described by her teachers at Freestyle as a joy to teach and a student with an earnest desire to learn, grow, improve, and push herself to extend her abilities. Sarah's love of literature and dedication to high-quality work has enhanced Freestyle's learning environment and made her a popular collaborator. She has contributed significantly to the digital arts program at Freestyle, and her teachers expect her to have a similar influence on the larger arts community. Read more or view the video segment of her board recognition, starting at 48:52.
Rowena is a gifted artist taking various classes, including Graphic Design, Illustration, Digital Imaging, Game Art and Design, and even courses that explore the business and career aspects of art. In her early years, Rowena once suffered from debilitating anxiety that would hold her back from interacting with her peers and engaging in regular activities. She has worked hard to overcome this and is valued as a kind, thoughtful, and engaged peer among students. Read more or view the video segment of her Board recognition, starting at 43:33.
Peyton is an amazing musician. She writes music and often performs at open mics and in-class projects. One of her original songs centered around the plight of inner-city workers during the Industrial Revolution. During her first quarter at Foothill College, Peyton was able to pursue her passion for music, and she was able to take a Music Technology class. Her goal is to be a songwriter and performer. She plans to attend a college for the performing arts. Read more or view the video segment of her board recognition, starting at 37:55.
Luis immigrated to the bay area from Honduras in February 2020. He regularly attends the Advanced ESL evening class at MVLA Adult School to further improve his English skills and is highly respected by his teacher and classmates. In addition to his studies at the adult school, Luis is also dually enrolled at De Anza College. As someone who had his Master’s in Project Management in Honduras, Luis dreams of earning a Master’s degree in the U.S. Read more or view the video segment of his recognition by the board, starting at 55:33.
MVLA THERAPIST HONORED AS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH COMMUNITY HERO IN EDUCATION
Congratulations to MVLA's Gabi Elfenbein, a licensed Marriage, Child, and Family Therapist, who won the Behavioral Health Community Heroes Educator Award. The Heroes Awards recognize individuals and organizations within the county who have demonstrated exemplary service to residents suffering the effects of mental illness.
Gabi has dedicated her 30+ year career as a behavioral consultant and mental health therapist supporting students with a range of disabilities and challenges. Read her full bio here! The Heroes Awards will take place virtually on Wednesday, May 5, and is open to the public.
COMMUNITY NEWS
MAY IS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH
Mental Health Awareness Month began in the United States in 1949 and is marked annually each May. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) joined the movement to raise awareness about mental health issues, fight stigma, provide support, educate the public, and advocate for policies that support people with mental illness and their families. MVLA has compiled a series of local upcoming events and resources. Read more.
FREE COVID-19 TESTING FOR MVLA STAFF AND STUDENTS
El Camino Health’s Mountain View Hospital continues to offer COVID-19 testing funded by the El Camino Healthcare District for those who live, work, or go to school within the District. The next testing opportunities will be May 6 at Los Altos High School and May 17 at Mountain View High School. Online appointment scheduling is available until the day before the test date. Read more.
FREE VACCINE CLINICS
El Camino Health is offering no-cost vaccinations for those aged 16 and up who live or work in Santa Clara County. Vaccinations are required to be scheduled in advance. They are being offered at the El Camino Health Sunnyvale Clinic from Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Read more.
DISTRICT REORGANIZATION
At its April 26 meeting, the Board approved a two-phase District Office Reorganization plan. The plan's goal is to realign positions to be more responsive in our support students in a post-pandemic environment while maintaining cost neutrality or savings.
The first phase involves the creation of two positions - a new Director of Student Services & Equity and a new Community Outreach Specialist - that allow us to better leverage staff and resources to be more responsive to diverse learning needs, ensure equity and access for all students - especially critical learners - and enhance our engagement with our stakeholders and partners regarding our educational programs and initiatives. Read more about these positions and the appointees here.
The second phase involves reviewing administrative staffing at the school sites, as well as reviewing Special Education and Business Services departments to more effectively support our schools and students.
The recording of the board meeting discussion on the reorganization is available here, starting at approximately 1:19:50.
BOARD UPDATE
The Board of Trustees held a regular meeting this month on April 5. Agenda items included the following updates:
- Summer school options - Presentation | Video (starting at approximately 35:17)
- Phased-in reopening planning - Presentation | Video (starting at approximately 1:03:33)
- Out-of-district courses (Presentation | Video (starting at approximately 1:36:37)
The April 26 meeting included the following agenda items:
- Approval of Resolution Recognizing the Day of the Teacher
- Approval of Resolution Recognizing Classified Employee Week
- Approval of Resolution Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
All meeting agendas, recordings, and minutes are available online. The next regular Board meeting is scheduled for May 10, with both in-person and virtual attendance options, starting at 7 p.m.
MVLA FOUNDATION UPDATE
MVLA Foundation Survey Results
The MVLA Foundation recently completed a survey of families to determine how well our Foundation-funded programs and resources are meeting the needs of students. Thank you for your input, and please take a moment to see a summary of the survey results.
The survey data has been shared with the MVLA administration, the principals, and the Board of Trustees to assist them in their resource planning and decision-making for the 2021-22 school year. Thank you for your donations which make our programs possible!
MVLA Teacher Tribute Gifts
No one could have predicted that our students would spend most of this school year in distance-learning mode. We are proud of our resilient students and appreciative of the teachers who helped them along the way.
Typically this time of year, the MVLA Foundation asks families if they would like to honor a special teacher or administrator who has made a difference during this school year. We would like to continue this tradition. Name the person you would like to honor and make your $100 Tribute Gift, and you and the designated honoree will be listed in the MVLA High School Foundation's Annual Report. In addition, we will notify the honoree with a special note and certificate.
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES
The Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District is always looking for great, skilled people to join our team! Currently, we have a position open for a Chemistry teacher for summer school, several Special Education positions, and long-term substitute teacher positions (Social Science and English). Ready for a career change or supplemental income opportunity? See what we have to offer on our Current Openings page or EdJoin.
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
