Principal’s Message:

Hello Dolphins,

Today we are celebrating the 100th day of school. As we start the last half of this school year, we are also preparing for the next school year. We know that this is a busy time of the year, but we do need your help as we plan for next school year. 

First, enrollment for next fall for all students in the Mountain View Whisman School District is open now at www.mvwsd.org/register.

For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents, click on the link in your email to confirm enrollment before February 6 or login to your parent portal. Whether your family plans to return to MVWSD or relocate over the summer, please complete the survey. It provides an option to inform us of your plans either way. 

For families enrolling NEW students, please check www.mvwsd.org/register  to locate your neighborhood school, how to explore school options and the four steps to register before February 6.  

Second, the District is updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Your responses to the survey will guide the update of our District plan for the 2026-27 school year. Please click on your unique survey link sent to your email. Your responses are confidential. Students in grades 4-8 will also be taking the LCAP survey. More information found here: mvwsd.org/LCAP.

For more information about LCAP and our Dashboard, please join me at Friday’s Principal’s Coffee at 8:15 AM in the MUR!

Both of these things will help ensure that we are able to plan for next school year. As you may know, we determine our staff based on accurate enrollment. To make sure that we have the best data, please complete enrollment by February 6, 2026. 

Additionally, the LCAP survey provides us insight into how we are doing as a district, and as a school. So that we can update the programming at our schools  as best as we can to improve the experience for students. Please complete the survey before February 13, 2026.

Black History Month

Sunday, February 1, 2026 is the beginning of Black History Month. As we think about the significance of having months like Black History Month. It is necessary for not only our Black Castro Dolphins, but all of our Castro Dolphins, to recognize and celebrate the significant achievements of Black individuals. Our classroom teachers will be discussing this in their classrooms, and we will also be doing a school-wide scavenger hunt similar to what we did with Hispanic Heritage Month. Students who complete their scavenger hunt will be entered into a raffle to win a prize.

I encourage you all to start discussions with your children at home as well. You can start by asking the following questions. Why is there a Black History Month? How can we celebrate Black History all year? Why is it important to celebrate Black history all year long? 

Again, I appreciate all your partnership and support in helping to make our community inclusive. 

If your family would like some resources, please see these resources by PBS. 

In Partnership, 

Principal Taylor

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Events Calendar

January 2026

 

February 2026

 

March 2026

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

Open enrollment is open NOW!

Additional Registration Help

A message from our STEAM Teacher Ms. Data

Lost and Found

Random Acts of Kindness

Reporting an Absence

 

Flyers:

2025 -2026 School Year Calendar - Here

2026-2027 School Year Calendar - Here

January Menu - Here

 

District News:

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, January 29, at 6 pm.

Complete your LCAP Survey Starting January 26!

MVWSD Student Film Festival

2026 MVEF Spring Gala – Make Waves!

Community Partners:

 

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School News

 

Enrollment for the fall is open NOW!

Bright futures start here! Student registration for the fall is open now through Feb. 6. Learn how your student can grow and thrive in our caring preschool–8th grade learning community.

Preschool Parent Information Nights: February 5 (Spanish) and February 11 (English). Click here for details: mvw.sd/26meetings.

For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents should confirm enrollment before February 6.

For families enrolling NEW students: Submit your child’s information before February 6. 

Get in-person help with enrolling your student by joining us for one of our Registration Help Nights! Please bring all necessary documentation. Our staff will be available to answer questions, walk you through the process and ensure your student is fully registered.

Castro: January 28 @ 5-7 p.m. 

Theuerkauf: January 29 @ 5-7 p.m.

Graham: February 3 @ 5-7 p.m.

Castro: February 4 @ 5-7 p.m.

Please check www.mvwsd.org/register for how to locate your neighborhood school, how to explore school options and the four steps to register.

Additional Registration Help

Our office will be offering additional support for families outside of the scheduled Help Nights. If you would like assistance completing your student’s registration survey, please call the school office at (650) 526-3590 to schedule an appointment.

Appointments are available on Thursday, January 29, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m..

A message from our STEAM Teacher Ms. Data

As of January 2026, Mariano Castro Elementary has collected and recycled 1,000 pounds of non-traditionally recyclable plastic. Our original goal was to reach this milestone by March 2026, and thanks to the incredible support of our teachers, families, community, and the Rotary Club of Los Altos, we achieved it ahead of schedule.

We are excited to add the awarded bench to our campus as a lasting way to commemorate this accomplishment.

Thank you all for your continued help and support!

   

 

Lost and Found

The lost and found rack is full, please take a look to see if any items belong to your child. The last day to claim any items will be Friday, January 30th. Anything left after dismissal will be donated. 

 

Random Acts of Kindness

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 is Random Acts of Kindness Day. It is a day that encourages spreading joy, compassion and positivity through simple, unexpected actions. From February 2 to February 13, we will be looking for Dolphins who are demonstrating random acts of kindness. Those students will receive a ticket that can be entered into a raffle. Those students who are chosen will receive a Pizza party, and 6 lucky students will get the opportunity to pie me in the face. 

Reporting an Absence

Please call the office at (650) 526-3590 or email [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.

 

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District News

The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, January 29, at 6 pm. Some of the topics include: 

• Budget Reductions

For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.

Complete your LCAP Survey Starting January 26!

The District is updating the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Your responses to the survey will guide the update of our District plan for the 2026-27 school year.

 

Parents, please click on your unique survey link sent to your email on January 26. Your survey link is unique to your household, and only one parent/guardian can complete it. The survey closes on February 13.

 

Your responses are confidential. Students in grades 4-8 will also be taking the LCAP survey. More information found here: mvwsd.org/LCAP

MVWSD Student Film Festival

K-8 students are invited to participate in the upcoming District Film Festival! The theme is Spotlight on Solutions: explore a problem and highlight a thoughtful solution that inspires change or brings hope. Films should be created on WeVideo, a video editing platform in Clever. Your child may be doing an in-class project, but they are also welcome to complete one at home. Films are due March 20th, check out this flyer for more info!

2026 MVEF Spring Gala – Make Waves!
Saturday, April 18, 2026 | 6:00–10:00 PM | Los Altos Community Center

Tickets are on sale now!

Get your Early Bird tickets here until March 2nd with a special discount for first-time attendees.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of dinner, music, student performances, and live and silent auctions—all in support of Mountain View Whisman School District students. This year’s Make Waves theme celebrates the power of our community coming together to create meaningful change for every child.

 

Help Make the Gala a Success
Donate an item or experience to our auctions—vacation stays, tickets, wine, services, and more are welcome.

Interested in volunteering with planning, setup, or event check-in? We’d love to hear from you.

Thank you for supporting MVEF and helping us Make Waves for Education.

 

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From Our Community Partners