We are pleased to be able to provide our students, parents, staff and community with the latest information about our Mt. Pleasant Elementary School District community through this newsletter. Please join us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to connect with us daily!
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Dear Mt. Pleasant Community,
We are excited to welcome the start of the holiday season, while continuing to work hard to reach our goals and support our students, staff and families. In this newsletter, you will learn about the extracurricular activities, including the band and sports programs, that are providing our students with new spaces to enjoy and learn in a way that was not possible last year due to the pandemic.
Parents can make a difference for their students at home as well. Among the variety of opportunities to help children advance their education, reading books together is a critical activity that boosts child development. The San Jose Public Library has re-opened its site at Robert Sanders Elementary School. The Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library is now providing a selection of materials, resources and services. We hope this wonderful partnership will inspire a love of reading in our students and families.
We appreciate you following safety protocols as we do our best to protect everyone’s health and keep our schools open. Wearing masks, doing a symptom screening before coming to school, and washing hands frequently are important safety measures. We highly encourage those eligible, 12 years and older, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and get tested in case of exposure or suspicion of coronavirus. Prevention is key. Thank you for doing your part!
In community spirit,
Dr. Elida MacArthur
Superintendent
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Please watch a special message from the Superintendent! |
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Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
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Our MPESD schools dedicated time and creativity to recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month! Each year, we observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 and celebrate the stories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
This recognition started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15.
The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for some Latin American countries - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively. Also, Indigenous People’s Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30-day period.
Please see some of the memories we captured of this celebration! Here are students at work honoring Hispanic Heritage Month!
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Back to Sports and Playing Music
with the Band!
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Let the music play! With the return of more activities at MPESD following safety measures, programs like band and athletics have brought back a huge number of opportunities for students.
Extracurricular activities are thriving.
Ms. Cadence Love, director of the music department and band, explains that students practice outdoors and play the instruments spaced apart. Music is already a wonderful treat, but playing with others, being part of a team and sharing that special moment when the melodies come to life is an even better experience. Students are thrilled to participate in this program!
Ms. Love says they play all sorts of music: traditional, popular, and the children also bring their own music. The district provides the instruments, and in order to be included in the band, parent permission is required.
Teaching how to read music is also part of the curriculum for all students, regardless of them being members of the band. To learn more about the music program and the band, please contact Ms. Love at clove@mpesd.org.
At the same time, students are very excited because athletic activities have made a comeback at MPESD. All sports are returning this school year, points out Ms. Jeannine Valenti, Physical Education teacher and one of the two directors of athletics, along with Mr. Alejando Masias. Students can participate and compete in softball, cross country, basketball, soccer, volleyball, track and field. Safety measures are followed, and spectators are not allowed.
Ms. Valenti says it is important to note that there are requirements for students who want to play sports. They need to meet an academic criteria of having at least a 2.0 GPA. Students participating in sports cannot have any F’s or suspensions. Students also need to commit to attend practice. Overall, it’s important to remember the three Bs: Be respectful, be responsible, be safe!
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Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library is Open at Robert Sanders Elementary
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We are excited to remind our community about a wonderful resource at MPESD! It is a great incentive to be able to walk to the library and explore all the programs and services available. The
San Jose Public Library has re-opened the location at Robert Sanders Elementary School. The Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library includes story time for children, and materials to learn and advance educational opportunities for all ages.
Recently, the San Jose Public Library launched a new storytelling program for preschoolers called Telephone Tales. Anyone can call their phone lines 24/7 to hear stories, songs, rhymes, and more in English, Spanish, Vietnamese or Mandarin. The stories are selected and read by their amazing library staff. Telephone Tales offers a great selection of stories for children from birth through 5 years old. You can listen as many times as you want! Dial (408) 889-8987 and follow the instructions to find your preferred language or listen to them all!
The Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library is located at 3411 Rocky Mountain Drive, San Jose. Please note the days and times it is open:
- Monday 2 pm - 6 pm
- Tuesday 2 pm - 6 pm
- Wednesday 2 pm - 6 pm
- Thursday 2 pm - 6 pm
- Friday 9 am - 1 pm
- Saturday 10 am - 2 pm
- Sunday Closed
It was 2019 when the Mt. Pleasant Neighborhood Library had its grand opening celebration! Watch the video below with the highlights!
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By reading a book and sharing stories, you can open up a world of possibilities and new ideas! In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we invite you to watch the following video of Rolando Bonilla, Chair of the San Jose Planning Commission, reading “Turning Pages”, a book written by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. An inspiring tale for all ages! Please click below. .
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A New COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic at August Boeger Middle School on October 21 |
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Are you or your family members eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? We encourage vaccination of eligible individuals (currently, 12 years and older) to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, save lives and keep our schools open!
Please note that there will be a vaccination clinic at August Boeger Middle School on Thursday, October 21, 2021, from 12:30pm to 6:30pm at 1944 Flint Avenue, San Jose. No appointment is needed! Please see details below.
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