Principal’s Message:

Hello Dolphins,

Welcome back! I hope your break was relaxing and filled with quality time with friends and family. We had a very nice start to our first half of the year, and I look forward to continuing with the positive momentum. 

On Monday, our staff had professional development and our goal was supporting our students who are learning English as a second language. As you know, in January and February our students who are classified as English language learners will be taking the ELPAC assessment. This assessment measures students' acquisition of English language skills.

Our teachers used assessment data to plan out both Designated English language instruction as well as embedding strategies to support students in their core academic classes as well. 

Additionally, please mark your calendars for January 20. Open enrollment for all students, including returning students, will begin on this date and remain open through February 6, 2026. Click on https://www.mvwsd.org/register for all of the details.

January is Perseverance Month 

For January our school wide theme is perseverance! To persevere means to push yourself to work through challenges and obstacles. Our SEL Lessons led by our school counselor will also focus on perseverance.  Students will earn Perseverance Tickets when they are observed persevering, which will lead up to a celebration in February. This will be similar to our Kindness Party held in November. Please support us by encouraging your child to demonstrate perseverance even when things get tough! 

Here is some language you can use at home with your child to help them preserve through challenging times.

• Praise Effort & Process

  • "I'm so proud of how hard you worked on that."

  • "That was a great strategy you tried."

• Use the Power of "Yet"

  • "You're not there yet, but you're getting closer." 

• Acknowledge Difficulty & Validate Feelings 

  • "I know this is challenging/exhausting, and I see how hard you're working."

  • "It's okay to feel frustrated; let's take a breath." 

• Focus on Growth & Future Steps

  • "What did you learn from that?"

  • "Let's break this big goal into smaller steps."

• Empower Action & Mindset

  • "I choose to keep going."

  • "I will try that new approach."

  • "What do you need to try next?" 

• Model Perseverance

  • Share your own struggles and how you overcame them.

  • Show them a challenging task you are working on.

In Partnership, 

Principal Taylor

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Events Calendar

January 2026

 

February 2026

 

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In this Newsletter

School News:

Lost and Found

mCLASS DIBELS Early Literacy Assessment Scores (grades K-2)

Open Enrollment for 2026-27 starts in January

Reporting an Absence

 

Flyers:

2025–2026 School Year Calendar - Here

2026–2027 School Year Calendar - Here

January Menu - Here

 

District News:

Happy New Year from MVEF!

Community Partners:

 

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School News

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. 

mCLASS DIBELS Early Literacy Assessment Scores (grades K-2)

K-2 students recently completed a reading assessment. Families can access their student’s mCLASS DIBELS Home Connect Report through their Powerschool Parent Portal on January 12, 2026, after 4:00 p.m. Reports are available on the PowerSchool Parent Portal at https://ps.mvwsd.org/public/ under “Parent Reports” for each of your K-2 students. 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.

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: Submit your child’s information during the enrollment period held January 20 to February 6. Please check www.mvwsd.org/register for details about school information meetings held in January.

Meetings will be held in person with childcare and Spanish translation provided. Meetings will also have a virtual link option. Click here for details: mvw.sd/26meetings

• Transitional Kinder Night for all schools: Jan. 7

• Neighborhood elementary school info nights: Jan. 13

• Choice elementary school info nights: Jan. 14 

• Preschool Parent Information Night: January 29 (English) and February 5 (Spanish)

Click here to learn which program is right for your young learner: mvwsd.org/kinderready

Register here for email updates about registration: http://mvw.sd/help

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.

 

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District News

Happy New Year from MVEF!

New year, new goals — get involved with MVEF!

We’re recruiting Board Members and School Ambassadors who are passionate about public education and our Mountain View community.

Board Members provide strategic leadership and financial oversight to support all MVWSD students.  School Ambassadors help raise awareness and strengthen connections between MVEF and our schools — with special need at Monta Loma, Castro, Imai, Vargas, and Theuerkauf.

Why get involved?

Make a meaningful impact for all MVWSD students

Connect with parents, educators, and community leaders

Strengthen our local schools

Who can join: Parents, teachers, alumni, and community members

Time commitment: Board: ~4 hrs/month | Ambassadors: ~2 hrs/month (flexible)

Perks: Volunteer hours, MVEF swag, meaningful connections — and real impact.

Interested? Contact us to learn more. Let’s make a difference together!

Save the Date for the MVEF Spring Gala!

Saturday, April 18 | 6–10 PM | Los Altos Community Center

Join us for our biggest fundraising event of the year — a fun evening with friends and neighbors celebrating community and supporting our schools. More details to follow soon!

 

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From Our Community Partners