Principal’s Message:
Hello Dolphins,
I am thrilled to share that Mariano Castro Elementary has been named by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation to their 2025 list of America’s Healthiest Schools. The award annually recognizes schools nationwide who are leaders in promoting student health and well-being. Castro was awarded for increasing family and community engagement and Improving Nutrition & Food Access.
This award underscores MVWSD’s commitment to a Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child approach to education, in which the entire community contributes to students’success.
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation announced the official list of this year’s 1,120 awardees in early September. We look forward to celebrating this accomplishment with other schools nationwide that share our commitment to prioritizing educating the whole child.
Congratulations, Dolphins!
A few reminders:
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As you know Castro and Mistral are a shared campus. We are two separate schools that share some parts of our campus. Our schools have different start and end times and we need to be mindful of interfering with the learning on each of our campuses.
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Families should only enter AND exit Castro’s campus from the Castro side. Please do not walk through the Mistral side of campus or enter the side gates.
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At dismissal, you should also enter and exit the school from the Castro side of the school.
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In the morning, please make sure that you exit campus by 8:10am. This will make sure that we can start the school on time each day.
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School starts at 8:15am, if your child arrives on campus after 8:15am, please make sure they enter through the main office in the front of the school.
In Partnership,
Principal Taylor
Events Calendar
September
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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 Meeting, 3pm - MUR
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17th
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Food Pantry, 2pm - 4pm
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22nd
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Lifetouch Picture Day
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22nd
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DELAC Meeting, 5:30pm - Zoom
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29th
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YSI Animal Adaption - In School Field Trip, 8:15am
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October
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1st
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Food Pantry, 2pm - 4pm
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9th
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Teacher-In-Service Day - No School
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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 - 17
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Parent Teacher Conference Week - Minimum Day
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20th
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Asian Art Museum - Field Trip
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In this Newsletter
School News:
Picture Day & Volunteers Needed
SEL Survey and Mental Health Screening Parent Notification and Opt Out
Showing Up Matters….for learning, for friendships, for success - Flyer
Puberty Talk Information Session
Mountain View Library Bookmobile
Curriculum information
New TK/K afterschool sports program - Flyer
Reporting an Absence
Flyers:
2025 -2026 School Year Calendar - Here
September Menu Here
District News:
Suicide prevention
i-Ready Diagnostic 1 Assessment Scores (grades K-8)
Get Involved And Become an MVEF Ambassador!
MVEF Welcomes All Families to the 2025–26 School Year!
Community Partners
Free, Fun JRMF Math Festival - Flyer
Make a Difference in Your Community: Volunteer with Mentor Tutor Connection! - Flyer
Upcoming Programs at Mountain View Public Library - Flyers (Improv and Model UN) - Flyer
Join MVLA for an evening with Jeff Selingo, author of Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You
Learning Challenges events for Fall 2025
School News
Picture Day & Volunteers Needed
We need 2 volunteers that can help out during picture day. Please send an email to Ms. Antunez at [email protected] with your availability or interest.
Mariano Castro Elementary School
Weblink: mylifetouch.com
Picture Day Date(s): Monday, September 22, 2025
Picture Day ID: EVT6R9HMK
SEL Survey and Mental Health Screening Parent Notification and Opt Out
This week, parents received an email that provides information about our SEL Survey process. Please take time to review it.
In grades 3-8, three times this school year—in September, November, and March— students will take a Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Survey (Gr 3-5 ENG/ ESP & Gr 6-8 ENG/ ESP) through Panorama, which replaces the twice-yearly Sown to Grow SEL survey. This new tool helps us efficiently & effectively identify students who may need extra support, such as school counseling or participation in a small group intervention.
In grades 6-8, if a student’s SEL Survey results fall in the “moderate” or “high” needs range, they will meet up to two times in a small group with a school counselor. These sessions use our District’s SEL curriculum, CharacterStrong, and include completing the Youth Needs Screener.
Paper copies of the SEL Survey and Youth Needs Screener are available for review at our school. For questions, please email [email protected] or call 650-526-3500 x1130. We appreciate your partnership in ensuring every student has the support they need to succeed this school year.
Showing Up Matters….for learning, for friendships, for success - Flyer
Why is it important that students are in school regularly? Research shows that school attendance is a strong indicator of success. Missing just two days of school a month is 10% of the school year, and negatively affects a student’s academic performance. Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school—and themselves. Start building this habit early so they learn that going to school on time, every day, is important.
When we reduce chronic absence, we improve graduation rates, increase academic achievement and give young people the best chance at success in their adult life. Read here the FAQs about MVWSD student attendance.
Puberty Talk Information Session
As part of the California Health Education Content standards for 5th grade, the Mountain View Whisman School District is required to provide 5th grade students with a unit on human growth and development. The District continues to use the Puberty Talk program, a five-hour program developed by Health Connected, a non-profit agency dedicated to helping young people feel confident and supported to make informed decisions about their own sexual health.
Your 5th grade teacher will communicate your school's scheduled week. The classes will be taught by trained health educators from Health Connected during school time. Please click here to register for the Puberty Talk parent information session on September 15th at 5:30 pm for MVWSD parents only. Parents who wish to know more about the Puberty Talk sessions and content can see the Family Guide here. More information: https://www.health-connected.org/.
Mountain View Library Bookmobile - Flyer
The Mountain View Public Library’s Bookmobile will be visiting Mariano Castro Wednesday September 23rd, and every three weeks (not including breaks) there after. Please see the attached flyer with the upcoming dates.
Curriculum information
The Mountain View Whisman School District engages in a thoughtful process to select curricular materials that align with state and local content standards and support academic achievement. Parents and guardians have the ability to review curriculum from their children's classroom by request. MVWSD will consider parent requests to excuse students from parts of instruction in accordance with applicable law. If you have any concerns about any curricular materials, including concerns related to personal religious beliefs, please contact Mr. Taylor, your child’s principal.
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.
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
Suicide prevention
September is Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month. Know the warning signs of suicide risk in young people.
Behavior changes can include:
If you or someone you know is displaying these warning signs, help is available. Text, call, or chat 988 from anywhere at any time. Visit 988lifeline.org for more information.
Content provided by: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
i-Ready Diagnostic 1 Assessment Scores (grades K-8)
Families can access their student’s i-Ready Reading and Mathematics score through their Powerschool Parent Portal on September 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 students. Steps for accessing reports on PowerSchool Parent Portal are here: Accessing PowerSchool Parent Portal i-Ready Reports. If you have difficulty logging into the PowerSchool Parent Portal, please contact your school’s office.
Get Involved And Become an MVEF Ambassador!
Are you passionate about education and community? Become an MVEF Ambassador! Ambassadors are volunteers who help raise awareness, support outreach, and strengthen the connection between our schools and MVEF. We are especially looking at the following schools: Monta Loma, Castro, Imai, Vargas, and Theuerkauf.
What Ambassadors Do:
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Share updates with your school community
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Represent MVEF at events
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Help with outreach and fundraising
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Provide valuable feedback
Who Can Join:
Parents, teachers, alumni, and community members — all are welcome!
Time Commitment:
Just 2–4 hours/month (flexible) + optional events
Perks:
Volunteer hours, MVEF swag, community connections, and more!
Interested? Contact us.
Let’s make a difference together!
MVEF Welcomes All Families to the 2025–26 School Year!
We hope you enjoyed BTS Nights at our elementary and middle schools. You likely heard from both your school’s PTA/PACT and MVEF leaders about the importance of family support.
Why give to both MVEF and PTA/PACT?
MVWSD is a community-funded district - most of our funding comes from local property taxes rather than the state. While this provides stability, it doesn’t cover all that our students need. That’s where family contributions make the difference.
PTA/PACT strengthens each individual school community with events, classroom support, and family engagement.
MVEF fills districtwide gaps by funding programs that benefit every student, at every school:
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CSMA Art & Music classes and performances TK-5
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Environmental Science: Living Classroom classes TK-7; 4th–5th grade field trips
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Two middle school ELA teachers (reducing class sizes by 25%+)
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Athletics, clubs, and instruments for grades 6–8
Together, MVEF and PTA/PACT ensure that every learner has access to a complete educational experience — in every classroom, every day.
Both organizations are 501(c)(3) nonprofits and rely on family donations (tax-deductible) and employer matches. Please consider supporting both:
From Our Community Partners
Free, Fun JRMF Math Festival - Flyer
Every student can be a mathematician! Join JRMF for a day of play and problem-solving. At the JRMF Math Festival at Sports Basement Sunnyvale, children and families drop in to enjoy a variety of fun, hands-on math puzzles and games.
The JRMF Math Festival at Sports Basement Sunnyvale is free, open to all, and an event where you can drop in and drop out whenever you’d like. Free snacks will be provided.
When: September 13th, 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Where: 1177 Kern Ave, Sunnyvale, CA 94085 in the Summit Room
Register here.
Make a Difference in Your Community: Volunteer with Mentor Tutor Connection! - Flyer
Are you passionate about helping students succeed? Mentor Tutor Connection is seeking dedicated volunteers to mentor high school students or tutor K-8 students in math, writing, or reading at local public schools in Los Altos and Mountain View.
Why Volunteer with MTC?
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Make a Lasting Impact: Help underserved students reach their full potential, both academically and personally.
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Support Future Leaders: Mentoring high school students or tutoring younger students can help students navigate challenges and build confidence.
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Join a Community of Like-minded Volunteers: Connect with other compassionate individuals and gain a deeper sense of purpose by helping others.
Get Involved: Join us for a Volunteer Information Session on September 18th at 12 pm online. During this session, you’ll learn about our mentoring and tutoring programs, and have the chance to ask any questions you might have.
To register for our Volunteer Information Session or to learn more about MTC, please email [email protected] or visit mentortutorconnection.org.
Upcoming Programs at Mountain View Public Library - (Flyer Improv and Flyer Model UN)
AMPLIFY: Improv-aganza Workshop
Enter the world of improv comedy with this workshop from the LAHS improv club! The program starts with a high-energy performance, followed by a workshop where you’ll rotate through stations and try out the games for yourself! Finally, you’ll get to show off what you learned with your own short performance for your friends. No prior experience is necessary for this fun and interactive program.
Saturday, September 13
4:30 p.m.-5:45 p.m.
Grades 4-8
First Floor Program Room
Register here or with the QR code on the attached flyer.
AMPLIFY: Model UN Workshop
This fun and engaging workshop introduces Model UN to students in grades 5-9. We will cover all the Model UN basics and build critical life skills, including public speaking, esearch, paper writing, and creative problem-solving. This is an interactive chance for students to learn more about global affairs, collaborate to create solutions on key issues, and practice public speaking in
learning environment.
Saturday, Sept. 20
2:00-4:00 p.m.
Grades 5-9
First Floor Program Room
Register here or with the QR code on the attached flyer.
Join MVLA for an evening with Jeff Selingo, author of Dream School: Finding the College That's Right For You
Attending college has long been a rite of passage for millions of teens and a bedrock of the American dream. But that well-worn path has lately taken a wrong turn, denying admission even to super-achievers and putting intolerable stress on family finances. Bestselling author Jeff Selingo shifts the spotlight from how colleges pick students to how students can better pick colleges in his new book coming out this September: Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right For You.
Wednesday, September 17, 2025, 7PM, Los Altos High School - Eagle Theater
Register for this free event
For more information, visit mvlaspeakerseries.org. Events are free thanks to our generous sponsors: MVLA High School Foundation, Los Altos Educational Foundation, Mountain View Educational Foundation, and the Los Altos-Mountain View PTA Council.
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.
Calm Down Kit Making Sessions
Volunteers will make Calm Down kits for classrooms throughout Mountain View and Los Altos and learn how to make their own for their home! Wednesday August 27 11-1, Thursday September 26 (5-7 pm), Tuesday September 30 5-7 pm. For location, contact [email protected].
Morning Let’s Talk Parent Support group
September 10, 10 am 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.
Learning Challenges Committee General Meeting
October 7, 7 pm in person (TBA) and Zoom hybrid
We will be finishing up the Wellness Wish List and will likely need a work session to finish up packing orders for delivery to classrooms! For more info, email [email protected].
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.