Principal’s Message:
Hello Dolphins,
Just a reminder there is no school tomorrow or Friday of this week - enjoy the long weekend.
October is Safety Month in MVWSD. We want to be ready to act when dangerous situations arise. We have already practiced fire drills, and soon will practice an earthquake drill and how to react to a dangerous intruder.
Last week and this week, our principals, teachers and staff members will be training on the Incident Command System (ICS) and general emergency procedures. The ICS assigns roles to school staff members so that even scary situations can have well-organized responses.
Earthquake drill: After training, we’ll practice what to do during the districtwide earthquake drill to be held on Oct. 21.
We talk with students in age-appropriate ways about what they can expect and why we practice emergency responses. For elementary students, we say the most important things to remember if an earthquake happens at school are duck, cover and hold if they feel the ground shake. When it stops, go outside to the field. Stay calm with kid voices off so we can follow adult instructions. In an emergency, we will keep them safe at school until their grown-ups can pick them up.
Dangerous intruder: Our schools will review what to do in the event of a dangerous intruder or similar event on campus. The dates for each school’s practice will vary depending on scheduling.
Practice at the elementary schools means students will view an age-appropriate “dangerous intruder” video (which you may preview here) and talk with their teacher. The video and classroom discussion will encourage children to stay calm, follow directions, and listen to trusted adults. Middle schools will hold similar drills. More details and a timeline will come from your principal.
For more details about safety at school, please see https://www.mvwsd.org/safety.
In Partnership,
Principal Taylor
Events Calendar
October
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8th
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CA/MI: Parent UExtension Series SEL, 6pm - MUR
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9th
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Teacher-In-Service Day - No School
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9th
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SSC Meeting, 3pm - Office
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10th
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Recess Day - No School
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13th
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Make-up Picture Day
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13th - 17th
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Parent Teacher Conference Week - Minimum Day
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15th
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Food Pantry, 2pm - 4pm
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20th
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Asian Art Museum - Field Trip
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21st
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Districtwide Emergency Fire Drill
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24th
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Principal Coffee, 8:15am - Staff Lounge
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29th
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Food Pantry, 2pm - 4pm
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29th
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Día de los Muertos Family Celebration (in-collaboration with Mistral), 5pm - MUR
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November
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5th
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Food Pantry, 2pm - 4pm
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7th
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End of Trimester - Minimum Day
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11th
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Veteran’s Holiday - No school
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21st
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Principal Coffee, 8:15am - Staff Lounge
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24th - 28th
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Thanksgiving Holiday Recess - No school
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In this Newsletter
School News:
Parent Teacher Conferences
Afterschool Arts Reminder
Mountain View Library Bookmobile - Flyer
Dia de los Muertos Family Event - Wed, Oct 29, 5:00–6:30 PM Location:MUR
Short-term Independent Study
Reporting an Absence
Flyers:
2025 -2026 School Year Calendar - Here
October Menu Here
District News:
mCLASS DIBELS Early Literacy Assessment Scores (grades K-2)
Mental Health Resources for Students
In 2024–25, YOUR donations to MVEF made a big impact!
Community Partners:
Learning Challenges events for Fall 2025
The Walden West Autumn Adventure is happening again!
In this Newsletter
Parent Teacher Conferences
Don't forget that all next week, we are on a minimum day schedule allowing for our teachers to meet with parents for our Parent-Teacher Conferences. Students will be dismissed at 12:10pm each day. If you have not been able to schedule your Parent-Teacher Conference, please contact the front office immediately, so that we can assist you.
Front office school phone number: 650-526-3590
Afterschool Arts Reminder
Registrations for Arts Wheel Rotation 1 will end on October 5
Arts Wheel is a new, free, after school class for students in grades K-5. There will be three opportunities, or “rotations”, for students to participate this year. The first rotation will take place from October 20 to December 19 (8 weeks total). For more details, please review the details below.
Remember: if your child is already participating in after school YMCA or Beyond the Bell (BTB), they will automatically participate in the Arts Wheel through their after school program - no need to register!
If your child is not already participating in YMCA or BTB, you can sign them up for Arts Wheel using the link below. Registrations will close on October 5. The principal will notify all families who signed up to confirm rosters and details by October 13.
Click here for Arts Wheel Rotation 1 registration
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, Painting & Murals, and Digital Photography & Graphic Design. The classes will be taught by local teaching artists Shivika Nayyar, Eddie Ramirez, and Sophie Twitchell.
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. For Rotation 1, our Arts Wheel teacher will be on campus daily
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 [email protected]
Mountain View Library Bookmobile - Flyer
The Mountain View Public Library’s Bookmobile will be visiting Mariano Castro Wednesday October 14th, and every three weeks (not including breaks) there after. Please see the attached flyer with the upcoming dates.
Dia de los Muertos Family Event - Wed, Oct 29, 5:00–6:30 PM Location:MUR
Join us for a Dia de los Muertos Family Event on Wednesday, October 29, from 5:00–6:30 PM, in collaboration with Mistral Elementary. Enjoy free pan dulce, hot chocolate, craft activities, and visit the Dia de los Muertos altars at both Castro and Mistral. This event is for the whole family—hope to see you there!
Questions? Contact School & Community Engagement Facilitators: Mr. Meza [email protected]g or Mrs. Rocha López [email protected]
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.
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
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 October 8, 2025, 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.
Mental Health Resources for Students
As the school year starts, it's important for students to know that help is available for mental health challenges that may arise. Check out these posters for information. Other resources are available at our Virtual Wellness Center under the Mental Health tab. You can always reach out to your school counselor, too. We are here to help.
MVEF is Looking for Local Businesses We Love!
MVEF thrives thanks to our amazing community. Do you know a great local business—contractor, restaurant, or service provider—that might support public education in Mountain View (as a Gala sponsor, donor, in-kind contributor, DJ, etc.)?
Share them with us! Just fill out this quick form, and we’ll connect with them through your warm introduction.
From Our Community Partners
Learning Challenges events for Fall 2025
For local coverage of issues related to learning challenges and special education, please check out the Learning Challenges Committee.
Evening Let’s Talk Parent Support group
October 15, 7 pm on Zoom.
IEP/504 support group. Have questions about the process to get help for your child? Have an IEP but are not sure how to make changes? Need to vent? This is your confidential group. Register here.
Missed past Parent Education events?
We have a YouTube channel with many of our past events including the recent talk on Assistive Technology, info on summer camps and recreational activities, Anxiety and Depression in Children with Learning Challenges, SMART Goals and IEP Troubleshooting, and more. Channel is here.
The Walden West Autumn Adventure is happening again!
Walden West is hosting its Autumn Adventure on Oct 25. For tickets and information, please click here: https://givebutter.com/autumn-adventure-25.
The event features:
* Hiking: 2 distances to choose from, including one for "wild things" (aka 5 and younger)
* Garden time: the garden will be open to sample some harvest and help with light chores
* Nature activities: educational activities and nature exploration on your hikes
* Campus tours: get to know science camp or revisit your memories from when you were there!
* Festive atmosphere: food, music, and crafts!
* Community: the magic of Walden West - including camp songs - will bring us together to officially kick off the 75th Anniversary of this amazing program
Have questions or want to volunteer at the event? Contact Andrea Maes, Walden West Foundation Executive Director at [email protected]