Principal’s Message:
Hello Dolphins,
We are in our second week of school and looking forward to a spectacular year. I have enjoyed getting to know your children, and look forward to getting to know you more.
Please join me at this week’s Principal’s Coffee on Friday, August 22 at 8:15am in the MUR. Coffee and treats will be provided. I plan to discuss our overall goals for this upcoming school year and will be seeking feedback from parents. Please join me!
Additionally, I wanted to cordially invite you all to our annual Back to School Night on Wednesday, August 27, from 6:00pm. to 7:45pm. BTSN is an important opportunity for families to learn about their children’s classrooms, grade level programming, and general expectations. We will have two sessions to accommodate families with multiple children and allow them the opportunity to visit more than one classroom that night. Please join us on the blacktop at 6:00pm for the whole school introduction. Session one will begin at 6:10p.m. and session two will begin at 7:00pm. See you on August 27!
*Our STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) teacher, Ms. Data, our Education specialist Ms. Schulz will also be hosting during BTSN feel free to stop by their rooms as well.
In Partnership,
Principal Taylor
Events Calendar
August
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22nd
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Principal’s Coffee, 8:15am, MUR
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27th
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Back to School Night, Minimum Day- Dismissal 12:10pm
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29th
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Volunteer Fingerprinting, 8am - 11am
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September
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1st
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Labor Day Holiday - No School
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10th
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Dental/Vision Screening (TK, K, 2nd & 5th), 8:15am
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11th
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ELAC/SSC Meeting, 3pm
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22nd
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Lifetouch Picture Day
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In this Newsletter
School News:
School Counselors
Updating Contact Information
Short-term Independent Study
Authorized to Walk Home
New TK/K afterschool sports program - Flyer
No MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Wednesday, August 27
MVWSD Fingerprinting Session for Regular Volunteers
CAASPP Scores are Now Available!
Looking for an afterschool program? Read on to see if your child qualifies for MVWSD+!
Reporting an Absence
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
Flyers:
2025 -2026 School Year Calendar - Here
August Menu Here
District News:
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, August 21.
Mental health matters, and we're taking action!
InPlay: Afterschool activities
Welcome from MVEF – Why It Matters
Community Partners:
Back-to-School Safety Tips from MVPD - Flyer
City of Mountain View: Hazardous Waste Drop-off
Mountain View Citywide Garage Sale
School News
School Counselors
As you may know, this year all of our MVWSD schools are continuing with full-time counselors. For Castro, that person is Kiera Henry-Duran. We are excited to have access to this valuable resource. Our counselor is here to support our students' social-emotional and mental health in numerous ways. She will be working with students whole-classes leading social-emotional lessons. She will also be working with students in small groups to support building healthy friendships and develop conflict resolution skills, and for some students she will provide one-to-one counseling support to achieve individual goals. Furthermore, Ms. Kiera will also be available as another caring adult on our campus.
Ms. Kiera will also be available to support families in order to support student well-being. One recommendation that she has as a start for parents is the Parenting Space. This is a great beginning resource for families in this district.
Updating Contact Information
It is important we have your most current contact information (phone number, email address, emergency contacts). If you have a change or want to add an authorized person to pick up your child, please send an email to our front office staff at [email protected] with any changes or updates you may have.
Short-term Independent Study
Short-term Independent Study is a contract that allows students to work independently when there are circumstances that make attending school difficult. Short-term Independent study can range from a minimum of 3 days and a maximum of 14 days per school year. Contracts are approved on a case-by-case basis, require a 2-week notice, and require students to be in good academic and attendance standing.
While we know that some absences cannot be helped, it is important to do your best to have your child in school as much as possible. Whenever you can, try to avoid taking trips during the school year -- or make efforts to take trips during District holidays (2025-2026 School Year Calendar). Our office staff can assist you with contract details: Ms. Antunez [email protected] or Ms. Judy [email protected].
*Please note, if the contract is not approved, the days will be counted as unexcused and the student may be considered truant.
*Also note that extending vacation is not considered an excused absence. Students will be considered truant if they accumulate absences for vacation purposes.
Authorized to Walk Home
If your child has permission to walk to and from school, please send an email to [email protected] so our office can keep a record of students with walking permission.
New TK/K afterschool sports program - Flyer
Our school, in partnership with Kassirer Sports, is offering a new afterschool sports program for TK and Kinder students. Please see the attached flyer or www.kassirersports.com for more information and registration.
No MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Wednesday, August 27
Due to preparations for Elementary School Back to School Night and afterschool staff development, there will be no MVWSD+ Afterschool Programs on Wednesday, August 27 (a minimum day for students). MVWSD+ families, thank you in advance for making other arrangements. This affects all Beyond the Bell programs and the district-paid YMCA programs. Programs resume as normal on Thursday, August 28.
For more information, please contact [email protected] or call (650) 526-3500 x1061.
MVWSD Fingerprinting Session for Regular Volunteers
Thank you to the 800+ parents who completed the process to become MVWSD volunteers last year! Applications for the 2025-2026 school year are now open. Details about how and who needs to apply are here: mvwsd.org/volunteers.
We’ve been working hard to make registering to be a volunteer more convenient while keeping schools safe. As part of this effort, MVWSD is offering fingerprinting sessions for $72. Financial assistance is available for income-eligible families.
Thu, 28 Aug 2025
8 – 11am
Imai Elementary
Fri, 29 Aug 2025
8 – 11am
Castro Elementary
Wed, 3 Sep 2025
11am – 2:30pm
Crittenden Middle School
Pay by Zelle, Venmo, or by personal check on the day of service. Click here for payment links.
CAASPP Scores are Now Available!
CAASPP student (ELA, Math) score reports (from the Spring tests, current 4th- through 8th-graders) were released by the state and are now available for parents on the PowerSchool Parent Portal (under “Score Reports” - choose the 2024-25 school year). To learn more about how to understand your child’s CAASPP score report, go to the Starting Smarter website at https://www.ca.startingsmarter.org/. If you need assistance with logging on to the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact your student’s school office.
Looking for an afterschool program? Read on to see if your child qualifies for MVWSD+!
A student qualifies for the free MVWSD+ afterschool program if one or both of the following conditions are true:
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The student is an English Learner (EL). EL status is established via the results of the Initial ELPAC exam, which is being administered to certain students in August and September. Results are usually available within two weeks of the completion of testing. If you have questions about the Initial ELPAC exam, please contact Leticia Corcoran at [email protected].
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The student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches based on federal income guidelines. At this time, lunch for all children is free, but this may not always be the case. To fill out the application for free or reduced lunch, please go to ezmealapp.com. Qualifying students’ data is collected at the state level and usually appears in the district’s data system within two weeks. If you have questions, please contact your school office.
Soon after a student’s EL or Free/Reduced Lunch Status changes to indicate he/she qualifies for MVWSD+, you will receive an email from the MVWSD+ Team inviting your child to enroll.
For questions or troubleshooting, please reach out to [email protected] or Betty Nunez at (650) 526-3500 x1061.
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.
School Supplies and Voluntary Donation Form
We will be furnishing all basic school supplies and textbooks for all students. Donations of items and funds for this purpose are appreciated, but not required. For those able to donate, please fill out this form and bring it to the front office, along with your donation, and our front office staff will provide you with a receipt.
District News
The Board of Trustees will meet on Thursday, August 21. Closed session begins at 6 p.m. and open session at 7 p.m.
Some of the topics include:
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FCMAT Extraordinary Audit Findings
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MVW Residences Corp Board Interviews
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Summer Review: Approval of Monthly Reports; Ratifying Some Contracts
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Measure T Summer Construction Update
For meeting details and agenda, please click here: https://www.mvwsd.org/trustees.
Mental health matters, and we're taking action!
MVWSD is proud to partner with the statewide Children & Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) to expand access to mental health services for students and prioritize early intervention. The good news is that with parents’ help, the cost of these services can be subsidized by California’s health plans and insurers.
Parents, we need your help to access these additional resources. California’s health plans and insurers are now required to reimburse public schools for covered mental health services provided to students. This means more resources for our students and families!
Health plans and insurers will pay for mental health services provided to your child in a school-linked setting, and there will not be any out-of-pocket expenses (e.g., co-payments, deductibles) for you and your family. State law prohibits health plans and insurers from passing any of the cost of these services on to families.
Look for more information soon about how you can securely sign up online to provide your insurance information to help schools get reimbursed to keep our mental health and wellness programs sustainable. www.mvwsd.org/CYBHI
InPlay: Afterschool activities
Looking for free, low cost and tuition-based afterschool activities for your child this year? Explore InPlay’s’ free activity guide! Sponsored by Santa Clara County and our school district, the searchable guide lists thousands of local and affordable programs so that you can find fun enrichment activities that complement your child's growth and learning in the classroom!
Welcome from MVEF – Why It Matters
The Mountain View Educational Foundation (MVEF) is a volunteer-driven nonprofit funding programs that benefit every student in MVWSD.
Your donations bring art, music, environmental science, one extra English teacher per middle school reducing class sizes by over 25%, middle school athletics, and more to our students.
To keep these programs strong, MVEF asks for a suggested $1,100 per student per year (monthly options available), but every gift matters. All donations are tax-deductible. Donate today! Thank you for supporting our students!
Become an MVEF School Ambassador!
MVEF is seeking School Ambassadors, especially at the following schools: Monta Loma, Castro, Imai, Vargas, and Theuerkauf.
As an ambassador, you will:
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Increase MVEF’s visibility within your school community
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Strengthen communication between your school and the foundation
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Support fundraising and event outreach efforts
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Build a network of trusted community voices that champion our mission
Ambassadors can be School Representatives or even Board members for those interested in deeper involvement. If you are ready to connect, communicate, and collaborate for our students, please email [email protected] to learn more.
From Our Community Partners
Back-to-School Safety Tips from MVPD - Flyer
As the new school year kicks off, the Mountain View Police Department (MVPD) wants to help keep students and families safe on the daily commute. Whether you’re walking, biking, driving, or otherwise, a little bit of caution can go a long way! Please take a moment to review this flyer for a few important tips on:
Let’s work together to keep our community safe this school year!
City of Mountain View: Hazardous Waste Drop-off
Free household hazardous waste collection event coming to Mountain View on Saturday, August 23! Safely dispose of paint, batteries, electronics, auto fluids, used oil, garden chemicals, propane tanks, fluorescent and LED lightbulbs, aerosols and more. This event accepts unwanted or expired drugs from both people and pets to help keep homes safe for children, seniors, and animals.
Appointments are required; call 408-299-7300 or book your appointment online at HHW.org. To schedule online, click the blue “Make a Free Appointment” button, then select Mountain View on the calendar for August 23. Upon appointment booking, you will receive the specific Mountain View drop-off location.
Mountain View Citywide Garage Sale
The Mountain View Citywide Garage Sale is back! Join hundreds of residents holding garage sales on Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This event helps keep reusable items out of the landfill to conserve natural resources.
Seller registration is open until September 2. Sellers may choose to participate on only one day or both days of the sale. Online and printed address lists will show which day(s) each participating seller is open.
For shoppers, a new online map will allow you to filter garage sales by dates open and items listed, as well as other enhanced features to help shoppers plan which homes to visit for the event.
Sellers can register their Mountain View homes for the sale and shoppers can access the map at .