Principal’s Message:

Hello Dolphins,

I hope you enjoyed your break and were able to spend some quality time with your family and friends. 

Please read through the below information regarding the Arts wheel rotation. This session we will be focusing on Digital Photography and Graphic Design. It is a wonderful art opportunity that is free to all of our Kindergarten through fifth grade students.

Registration now open for the Arts Wheel Rotation 2

Arts Wheel is a free, after school class for students in grades K-5. The second rotation of the year will take place from the week of January 12 to the week of March 9 (8 weeks total). 

Students enrolled in YMCA or Beyond the Bell (BTB) after school programs will automatically have the option to participate in the Arts Wheel through those programs - please do not register using the link below if your child is in YMCA or BTB. 

If your child is not already participating in YMCA or BTB, you can register them for Arts Wheel using the link below. Registrations will close on December 14. Notifications to all families who are successfully enrolled or placed on the waitlist will go out by December 19. 

Click here for Arts Wheel Rotation 2 registration. Keep reading for more details about Arts Wheel.

What is it?

The Arts Wheel is a new, free, weekly after school class for our students in grades K-5. We will have multiple fun themes over the course of the year such as Crafts, Digital Photography & Graphic Design, and Drawing and Comics.. The classes will be taught by local teaching artists.

Why is it called a “Wheel”? 

Each after school class teacher will spend 8 weeks at a school before moving on to another school for the next “rotation”. This way, all participating schools will be able to experience the topic in which each teacher specializes. 

How frequent are the classes, and how long is each class? 

The once-per-week classes will be approximately 45 minutes long and take place over 8 weeks. Tentatively, for Rotation 2, our Arts Wheel teacher will be on campus on Monday through Friday.

Who is it for? 

**If your child is already participating in after school YMCA or Beyond the Bell, they will automatically participate in the Arts Wheel through their after school program - no need to register!**

If your child is not in YMCA or BTB, you may register during the registration period using the link provided.

Questions?

Please feel free to contact Principal Taylor [email protected]

 

In Partnership, 

Principal Taylor

---

Events Calendar

December

 

January 2026

 

February 2026

 

---

In this Newsletter

School News:

Lost and Found

i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments and Timeline

Castro Parent University 

Have you checked your child’s report card?

New Field Restrooms are Open!

Castro Spirit Week 

Open Enrollment for 2026-27 starts in January

Reporting an Absence

 

Flyers:

2025 -2026 School Year Calendar - Here

December Menu Here

 

District News:

Parent University: How to talk to kids about the news, featuring Project Cornerstone - Flyer

Double or Triple Your Impact with MVEF’s December Challenge Grant

Community Partners:

The View Teen Center - Winter Program Preview is HERE! 

Nov/Dec 2025 Learning Challenges Committee Events

---

School News

Lost and Found

The lost and found rack is getting full, please take a look to see if any items belong to your child. The last day to claim any items will be Friday, December 19. Anything left after dismissal will be donated. 

i-Ready Diagnostic 2 Assessments and Timeline

Students continue taking the i-Ready Math and Reading Diagnostic 2 this week.. Please continue to talk with your child to explain that it is important that they do their best. Remember that the diagnostic test covers information that may be beyond their current level, and encouragement helps. Please ensure that your child is well-rested and has breakfast each day before school. 

Families can access their student’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score through their Powerschool Parent Portal starting December 17, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. Reports are available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ under “Parent Reports” for each of your students. Steps for accessing reports on PowerSchool Parent Portal: Accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports. If you have difficulty logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact your school’s office.  

 

Castro Parent University 

Join us for an engaging Parent University session where we will learn about the Common Core Math State Standards and the California Mathematics Framework. You will be able to experience firsthand what math looks like, sounds like, and feels like in today’s classrooms through interactive routines such as Number Talks and application problems that highlight multiple strategies and representations.Join us for this joint Parent University Helping Your Child Thrive in Math. 

 

Dinner and childcare will be provided.

Wednesday, December 10th

5:30 pm Dinner | 6:00–7:00 pm Workshop

 

Have you checked your child’s report card?

Families can access their student’s Trimester 1 Report Card now. Grade K-5 Report Cards were sent to you on Nov. 21 via email. TK and Grade 6-8 Report Cards are available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ under “Parent Reports.” Steps for accessing reports on PowerSchool Parent Portal are here: Accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal Reports. If you have difficulty logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact your school’s office.

 

New Field Restrooms are Open!

The new public restrooms near the school field are now open daily during non-school hours until 30 minutes past sunset. If the restrooms are locked during these hours, the public should call the Mountain View Police Department Non-Emergency at (650) 903-6344.

This standalone restroom facility, a partnership between the District and City of Mountain View, is maintained by the City and provides a convenient option for public use after school hours. For safety reasons, it will not be open during the school day. 

The restrooms will be temporarily closed for a time in the future for additional work on the door-locking mechanism. Signs will be posted with this date. Thank you for your patience during construction.

 

Castro Spirit Week 

Dolphins, get ready for our first Spirit Week of the school year!

 

Monday 12/15: Wear your Castro t-shirt
Tuesday 12/16: Zany Hair Day
Wednesday 12/17: Twin Day
Thursday 12/18: Sports Day
Friday 12/19: Pajama Day

 

Open Enrollment for 2026-27 starts in January

In January, the Mountain View Whisman School District will be opening student enrollment for fall 2026.

 

For CURRENT students in transitional kindergarten-7th grade: Parents will be asked by email to confirm enrollment from January 20 to February 6.

 

For families enrolling NEW students: Please check www.mvwsd.org/register for details about school information meetings held in January, how to locate your neighborhood school, how to explore school options and the four steps to register during the enrollment period held January 20 to February 6. 

 

Click here to learn about which program is right for your young learner: mvwsd.org/kinderready. Please check www.mvwsd.org/register for how to locate your neighborhood school, how to explore school options and the four steps to register.

 

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.

 

---

District News

Parent University: How to talk to kids about the news, featuring Project Cornerstone - Flyer

Date and Time: Tuesday, December 9, 2025  Registration Link: https://tinyurl.com/MVWSD-25

The world is a big place, and it seems like current events have never been more complicated. Luckily, our friends at Project Cornerstone are back to share strategies and tips for fostering age-appropriate conversations, explaining the news to kids while protecting their mental health, and enhancing youths’ critical thinking through news literacy. By the end of this session, you’ll have added confidence that you’re able to help your children understand our complex world a little bit better.

To submit questions prior to the event, go to mvw.sd/questions. We will do our best to address your question during the session.

Double or Triple Your Impact with MVEF’s December Challenge Grant

It’s Giving Season! Thanks to a generous group of donors, every dollar given to MVEF through December 31, 2025 will be matched dollar-for-dollar — up to $26,000. This includes donations made through employer portals (Payroll Giving & Corporate Matching), Donor Advised Funds (DAFs), and stock gifts. Your contribution can go twice or even three times as far!

 

Why MVEF? Your support powers essential programs for every MVWSD student — from art, music, and environmental science in elementary schools to smaller English classes, sports teams, clubs, and other enrichment opportunities in middle schools.

 

Give today! All donations are tax-deductible.

 

---

From Our Community Partners

 

The View Teen Center - Winter Program Preview is HERE! 

This winter, discover all the incredible opportunities waiting for you at The View Teen Center! Warm up with a fantastic schedule of FREE and fun programs, workshops, and events running from January through March. Shake off the winter blues with these favorites we've highlighted and be sure to check the full guide so you don't miss any of the excitement!

 

Nov/Dec 2025 Learning Challenges Committee Events

The Learning Challenges Committee of the Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council is made up of parents, teachers and students in the Mountain View and Los Altos areas. We are committed to helping families get  the best education for students with learning challenges and/or special education needs. 

 

Wednesday December 3, 7:30 PM, Zoom -  LCC General Meeting - We will be planning events for the Spring, a schedule for support group sessions, and troubleshooting how to make the Wellness Wish List work better. Register HERE

 

Parent training from the Northwest SCC SELPA CAC:

 

Wednesday, December 10, 2025: 6-7:30 pm How to Manage Screen Time with your Children? Presenter: Kimberly Carvallison (PENT CADRE) Register HERE