Author: ginamazeau

Dear Muraoka Families,

Thank you Momongas for an incredible year! So many amazing memories created as a community, now it is time to enjoy summer vacation! Congratulations to all our 6th grade Momongas and families as they venture on to middle school-we will miss you! Our front office will close for the summer break on June 14th. Students return for the 2023-24 school year on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. We will host a Meet the Teacher event on July 18th from 1:30 pm to 3 pm.  You will find out your child’s classroom assignment at the Meet the Teacher event on the 18th.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Don’t forget to review our 2023-2024 CVESD calendar. Please plan around this calendar to ensure your child can receive the 180 days of instruction they deserve.

CONTINUING ENROLLMENT

Verification of Residency started on Tuesday, May 23, 2023, emails were sent from PowerSchool for each student. Emails were sent to the first (primary) email that we have on file. Please check all your inboxes including junk mail. This is for current students that are returning next school year. Enrollment must be completed by June 14 to secure a spot at Muraoka Elementary for the 23-24 school year.

Welcome Back

We hope everyone had a wonderful two weeks off and enjoyed the time with family and friends. Our staff has missed our Momongas and we are so excited to have all our students return on Monday, April 3rd. This Monday is a minimum day for all students, with our kindergarten students being dismissed at 1:00 pm and our 1st-6th grade students dismissed at 1:15 pm. Please wear you Momonga Spirit Wear or school colors on Monday and come through our Welcome Back Tunnel at the front gate at 8 am.

DASH Registration

Our DASH after-school registration for next year, is here! DASH enrollment for 2023-2024 is open until April 7.

Key Points:

• Results will be posted on April 19, 2023
• Priority will be allotted to our Unduplicated Students who fall in any one of these categories:
• Foster Youth
• McKinney Vento (Homeless) Act
• English Language Learners
• Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Students

For further details on what the program entails next year, please visit the website: https://www.ymcasd.org/programs/child-care/before-and-after-school/dash-chula-vista-elementary-school-district

If you are interested in joining the DASH program for the 2023-2024 school year, please apply here:
https://hipaa.jotform.com/230617115892153

VAPA Newsletters for Quarter 3

Please check out our VAPA Newsletters to learn more about what your children learned during Quarter 3 in VAPA!

VAPA Music Newsletter Muraoka Q3 22-23

THEATRE Newsletter Muraoka Q3 22-23

PE Newsletter Q3 – Muraoka

Media Arts Q3 (1)

DANCE Q3 Newsletter Muraoka 22-23

CVESD ThoughtExchange Survey

It is not too late to participate! This is your opportunity to share what is going well or what you believe could improve your student’s educational experience. We would love to see all our families participate. If you do not feel like sharing your thoughts, you can log in to read the thoughts of others and rate them as important to you or not that important to you.

Our annual ThoughtExchange for community input on the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) is now open! Please see the flyer (in English and Spanish) for more information. This year, we are asking the question: What are some things we are doing well, and what could improve the educational experience we provide students through the LCAP?

The LCAP shapes our District’s goals and guides our budgeting priorities at both the district and school levels. Please join in on the conversation from Feb. 1 through May 1, 2023.

Link to survey: https://my.thoughtexchange.com/scroll/629912727

Important Dates

April 3 ~ School Resumes for Quarter 4, Minimum Day

April 3 ~ Momonga Monday! Wear your Spirit Gear or School Colors!

April 3 ~ Welcome Back Tunnel @ 8 am

April 5 ~ Soccer Game vs. Liberty @ 4:15 at Liberty Elementary

Welcome Back Momongas!

Happy New Year to our Muraoka community! We hope you had a wonderful holiday season with your families! We miss all our Momongas and can’t wait to see them again on January 10th! January 10th will be a minimum day for all K-6 students. Kindergarten will be dismissed at 1 pm and 1-6 will be dismissed at 1:15 pm.  We are so excited to see you bright and early on Tuesday, January 10th. We will have a Welcome Back Tunnel at 8:00 am, so encourage your child to come through the front gates.

Mrs. Rayray and Mrs. Mazeau

COVID -19 Information

If you are feeling sick or have COVID like symptoms, Campus Clinic Kiosks will be open over the break. Campus clinic is now offering flu and COVID testing at their kiosk locations. The kiosks will be open on the following dates:

• January 3-6
• January 9 & beyond.

If your child tests positive over the break and needs guidance you can email all questions to covtest4@cvesd.org. Please report positive home Covid test results over the break here.

2023-2024 School Year Calendar

Our School Board adopted the calendar for the 2023-2024 school year at their last meeting.  Please review the 2023-2024 calendar for important dates, the days for students to attend are highlighted in yellow. Please plan your vacations, family reunions, an other travel during school breaks.

Important Dates for quick reference:

Starting Date: July 19, 2023

Ending Date: June 5, 2024

Key breaks include:
Fall Break – September 25 – October 9, 2023
Thanksgiving Break –  November 20 – November 24, 2023
Winter Break –  December 18, 2023 – January 9, 2024
Spring Break – March 18 – April 1, 2024

CVESD Parent Workshop

Our district will be hosting another great parent workshop next week at our district office. The topic on Thursday, January 12 is 12 Tips for Effective Parenting. Dinner and childcare will be provided for all attendees, stop by and learn ways to support your child.

It was an incredible week for our Momongas as they returned to campus this week! Thank for ensuring your children come to school on time every day, ready to learn! We are grateful for your continued support for our school, and staff. We want to thank our wonderful PTO and amazing volunteers for such a fantastic Winter Fest on Friday! A great time was had by all! Thank you to our families for attending and supporting our PTO!  We are entering the final two weeks of our second quarter and have many events happening across campus, be sure to read our weekly updates and important information from your child(ren)’s teacher.  

Thank you,

Mrs. Rayray and Mrs. Mazeau

Momonga Spirit Wear Sale

Our PTO will be selling Momonga Spirit Wear on Monday both before and after school.   Please stop by the front of the school to purchase your Spirit Wear!

PTO Event at Barnes and Novo Brazil ~ 12/6 /22

Ww are looking forward to Tuesday! Please Join us from 4-9 at Barnes and Noble and Novo Brazil! A percentage of the proceeds will go back to our school!

Arrival and Dismissal Traffic

Traffic during arrival and dismissal requires everyone to have patience as we move through the pick-up and drop-off zones around campus. We are a large school with over 1,100 students coming and going before and after school.   It is important to remember we are in a dense neighborhood and traffic laws must be followed when navigating this area before and after school.  We need to keep all students safe!  You must wait for your child in the drop-off and pick-up zone in the line until reaching the designated yellow zone. It is important our students are not entering vehicles from the street or red zone and are picked-up a the curb in the appropriate yellow school zone. Cars should never park in the yellow or red zone!

It is important we be courteous and safe during these times, patience in understanding the traffic patterns and wait time during before and after-school is greatly appreciated. Remember, our children watch our example, so please always be safe and respectful. Our goal is to always keep all Momongas safe!

Middle of the Year Assessment Window

The assessment window for Achieve 3000 and iReady is now open until December 16th. Please note that teachers and grade levels have selected dates during December to administer the mid-year assessments. Please be on the look out for notices from your classroom teacher for the specific dates of your child’s assessment.

Testing Tips:

• Get enough sleep— 8-10 Hours of sleep per night helps children have the energy to do their best!
• Eat a healthy breakfast— Start the day with a meal that includes healthy energy-boosting foods such as eggs, healthy cereal, fruit and/or whole-wheat toast!
• Exercise— Physical activity helps improve attention!
• Think positive thoughts— You can encourage your child to take slow deep breaths and think of something that makes them happy when they feel stressed during a test.

New Report Cards for Quarter 2

This quarter the district has created a new Progress Report (report card)for reporting grades. There will be a revised rubrics utilized by teachers to identify your child’s progress towards the grade-level standards throughout the year. To assist with helping families understand the changes to the reporting process, we will be sending home resources and a parent guide to accompany the updates with the report card. We hope you find the updates beneficial to understanding your child’s academic progress throughout the year. You may reach out to your child’s teacher, if you have further questions. Report cards will be sent home by the end of the quarter on Friday, December 16, 2022.

Volunteer Coaches Needed for Winter Sports

We are looking for Volunteer Coaches for our Winter Sports. Please let us know if you are interested in Coaching Girls, Boys, and Co-Ed Basketball or Soccer.  We would like to have a few basketball and soccer teams, but we need several volunteers to make that happen. Please let Mrs. Mazeau or Mrs. Rayray know if you are interested in coaching or assisting. Please email us at gina.mazeau@cvesd.org  or felicitas.rayray@cvesd.org if you can help. The deadline to register our teams is quickly approaching!

New Parent Workshop This Week

We are excited to have our district offer another parent workshop this Thursday on December 8th @ 6 pm at our district office. Join us and about strategies to support parents with behavior. Don’t forget childcare and dinner will be provided for all who attend.

Upcoming Events

12/5  – Momonga Monday, Wear your Spirit Wear or School Colors

12/5 – Safety Patrol Meeting

12/6 – Kickball vs. CVLCC @Muraoka

12/6 – Matsuri and Growth Awards (K, 2^nd, 3^rd)

12/6 – PTO Event at Barnes and Noble and Novo Brazil

12/8 – Matsuri and Growth Awards (1^st, 4^th, 6^th)

12/9 – Matsuri and Growth Awards (5^th)

12/12  – Momonga Monday, Wear your Spirit Wear or School Colors

12/12-12/16 – Holiday Spirit Week (more information to come)

12/16 – Report cards sent home

12/19-1/9 – Winter Break

1/10 – Students Return, Minimum Day

Thanksgiving Break begins on Monday, November 21st!  We hope everyone enjoys the Thanksgiving Break with loved ones. We are so thankful for all our Momongas. They bring us so much joy!  A big thank you to all our families for their continued support at home in their learning. All students return on Monday, November 28th for a full-day of learning with regular dismissal times.

Muraoka Families,

We had such a wonderful week with our Momongas! We loved getting to honor all our Military Families and Veterans! We appreciate you all joining us for our Momonga Monday assembly! The students loved singing to you! We hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend! We are looking forward to another great week at Muraoka!

Mrs. Rayray and Mrs. Mazeau

Federal Survey Cards

Federal Impact Surveys were sent home on Friday, November 4 and are due back to your child’s teacher no later than Tuesday, November 15th.  Please ensure you complete, sign and turn these surveys in by the 15th.  We need to collect completed forms from every student at Muraoka. Thank you to all our families who have already turned in the yellow forms last week.

Canned Food Drive

The Chula Vista Elementary School District is sponsoring a district-wide food drive in collaboration with the Chula Vista Welfare Council through November 16. The food collected will be boxed and provided to families in Chula Vista. If you are interested in donating for the canned food drive, please drop off your donations in the front office. The season of giving is upon us and this is an easy way to help those in need, ideas for food donations can be found below. Please drop off your donations in the front office, no later than Wednesday, November 16.

• Proteins: Peanut butter, meat (chicken, tuna, spam, chili w/meat), and bagged dried beans.
• Healthy carbs: Mixed vegetables, carrots, sweet potatoes, soup, canned tomatoes, and green beans.
• Fruits:Any canned fruit.
• Milk: Canned or powdered.
• Sauces: Tomato, pasta, gravy, and broth.
• Pasta/carbs: Bagged rice, pasta, mac and cheese, stuffing, rice mix, mashed potatoes, canned pasta, and peas.

ELAC and SSC Meetings

We will be having our monthly English Learner Advisory Committee and School Site Council meetings this Thursday, November 17.   Our ELAC meeting is at 8:30 am and the SSC meeting is at 3:00 pm. Both meetings will be held on campus.  Our agenda items will include the new progress report, upcoming school year budget and site funded positions. Please attend either ELAC or SSC if you are available. We would love to have you join us!

Volunteer Coaches Needed for Winter Sports

We are looking for Volunteer Coaches for our Winter Sports. Please let us know if you are interested in Coaching Girls, Boys, and Co-Ed Basketball or Soccer.  We would like to have a few basketball and soccer teams, but we need several volunteers to make that happen. Please let Mrs. Mazeau or Mrs. Rayray know if you are interested in coaching or assisting. Please email us at gina.mazeau@cvesd.org  or felicitas.rayray@cvesd.org if you can help.

Thanksgiving Break

Don’t forget there will be no classes November 21-November 25 for our Thanksgiving Break. All our students return on Monday, November 28 for a full-day of learning. Kinder students will be dismissed at 2:30 pm and 1st-6th grade students will be dismissed at 2:45 pm. We hope all our Momongas have a wonderful break with family and friends! We are so grateful for all our Muraoka students, staff, and families!

Parent Workshop Series

The Chula Vista Elementary School District is starting a new Family Focus Series for families to learn more about pressing topics such as bullying, social and emotional well-being, and more! This is a wonderful learning opportunity for our families to participate in upcoming workshops. Check out all the topics below! Free childcare and dinner are provided for all attendees.

The first workshop is on November 30.  Monique Myers with the San Diego District Attorney’s Office will present “Bullying Basics: What Families Need to Know.”

 

Muraoka Winter Fest

SAVE THE DATE!! Friday, December 2nd! Muraoka Winter Fest. 5:00-8:30 (gates open at 4:45) Join us to watch Elf, participate in crafts, games, food, and holiday vendor shopping! PRE SALE TICKETS START MONDAY!

Upcoming Dates:

11/14 – Momonga Monday Blacktop Assembly

11/14 –  Momonga Monday Spirit Day ~ Wear your Muraoka Spirit Wear or School Colors

11/15 –  District DAC/DELAC Meeting @ 12pm, ESSC

11/16 – PTO General Membership Meeting @ 3pm, MPR

11/16 – District BAC Meeting @ 6pm, ESSC

11/17 – ELAC  Meeting @ 8:30, MPR

11/17 – SSC Meeting @ 3, Conference Room

11/17 – Kickball game @ Muraoka 4pm

11/17 – BLAC Meeting @ 6 pm, Hedenkamp Elementary

11/21-11/25 – Thanksgiving Break (No School)

12/2 – Muraoka Winter Fest @ 5 pm

12/19-1/9 – Winter Break (No School)

FALL BREAK

Fall break begins on Monday, September 26 and continues through October 10.  School resumes on October 11, which is  a minimum day with dismissal at 1:00 pm for Kinder and 1:15 pm for 1st-6th grade.  We hope every enjoys the time off with family and friends.

Students can use all district online programs over break: i-Ready Math, Smarty Ants Reading (K-2nd grade), and Achieve3000 Reading (2nd-6th grade). Click here for the student sign on page. Also, make sure your child READS every day. Reading for pleasure is one of the best ways to get better at reading! Have a wonderful break! We look forward to seeing our Momongas on October 11th!

Dear Muraoka Families,

It is hard to believe that we are beginning our last week of the quarter! Our 1100 Momongas have been working diligently and will now be able to enjoy a well-deserved break! Don’t forget that district technology accelerators such as SmartyAnts, iReady and Achieve 3000 are still available for use over the break.  Please read below for new information regarding attendance rates, kickball team tryouts and newly elected SSC members.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Mrs. Rayray and Mrs. Mazeau

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

We will continue parent teacher conferences this week! Remember, all 1st-6th grade students will be dismissed at 1:15 p.m. and Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. Preschool schedules will remain the same.  Please make appropriate transportation and childcare arrangements. Your partnership is essential to your child’s success! Thank you for taking the time to meet with us, we look forward to seeing you at your child’s conference! If you have not scheduled your child’s conference yet, please reach out to your child’s teacher.  Virtual options are available upon request.

SSC Members:

Congratulations to Anna Davenport and Roxanna Cooper! They will be representing our Momonga parents on School Site Council. We are still in need of one more parent to serve on School Site Council, please contact Mrs. Rayray if you are interested in this opportunity.

BAC:

We are looking for a parent representative for our District Budget Advisory Committee (BAC).

2022-23 SCHOOL SITE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE

The first BAC meeting is scheduled as follows:

• DATE:    October 26, 2022
• TIME:    6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
• PLACE:  Room C, CVESD

Some of the key areas to be discussed at the October 26 BAC meeting will be:

• Introductions and BAC roles and responsibilities.
• Report on District and School Site budget process.
• BAC meeting dates.

Please contact Mrs. Rayray if you are interested!

Attendance Rates for Q1:

If you were able to attend our parent meeting on Thursday, you know that increasing attendance rates is a district wide goal.  Now that Covid is less prevalent, we are returning to monitoring attendance closely. We will be encouraging attendance for our all students through various incentives and programs. If your child is healthy, we want them at school and on time every day.

Attendance tip: Did you know that picking your child up early from school, without a doctor’s note, is considered an unexcused absence? Be sure to schedule appointments after school or bring in a doctor’s note to clear your early dismissal.

Congratulations to the following classrooms for having the highest attendance rate for Quarter 1! Amazing!

Rabine – Room 208 ~ 98%

Regalado – Room 224 ~ 97.4%

Gonzalez – Room 113 ~ 97%

Muraoka Intramural Sports

Thank you to Mr. Lopez, Impact Teacher, who has volunteered to coach a Muraoka Kickball Team. He will be holding tryouts this Wednesday, September 21^st for 5^th and 6^th grade students only. If your student is in the 5^th or 6^th grade and interested in trying out, please ensure they have a permission slip signed and submitted. Permission slips can be picked up in the front office.

Unfortunately, we did not secure volunteer coaches for Flag Football or Volleyball.

Parent Safety Patrol:

Are you interested in contributing to the safety of our Momongas? Do you have a morning or afternoon available to help with arrival or dismissal? If so, please consider volunteering for our Parent Safety Patrol. We will work around your schedule, and you can volunteer as many or as few days as you would like. Please contact Mrs. Rayray if you are interested!

FALL BREAK

Fall break begins on Monday, September 26 and continues through October 10.  School resumes on October 11, which is a minimum day with dismissal of 1:00 pm for Kinder and 1:15 pm for 1st-6th grade students.

Upcoming Events:

9/19 – Momonga Monday ~ Wear your Spirit Wear or School Colors

Model Momonga Assembly

9/19 3-4 pm PTO General Meeting: Please join us in MPR!

9/20 MATSURI Awards

• Kindergarten 8:20 am
• 3^rd Grade 9:00 am
• 2^nd Grade 10:00 am

9/22 MATSURI Awards

• 1^st Grade 8:20 am
• 4^th Grade 9:00 am
• 6^th Grade 9:40 am

9/21 Kickball Tryouts

• 2:50-3:20 5^th Grade
• 3:30-4:00 6^th Grade

9/23 MATSURI Awards

• 5^th Grade 8:20 am

****** 9/26 – 10/10 FALL BREAK ******

10/11 ~ School Resumes, Minimum Day

10/14 @ 5:30- 8:30 Fall Movie Night

10/28 @ TBD – Trunk or Treat!

Dear Muraoka Families,

We are so grateful for all your donations for our Staff Appreciation event last week!  Our staff absolutely loved the baseball themed treats for the 7th Inning Stretch! Our community is the best! We have just two weeks left in our first quarter.  We will finish the quarter strong with lots of Learning and Fun! Please read the parent bulletin for all the details and as always, reach out via email with any questions!

Mrs. Rayray and Mrs. Mazeau

PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCE

Parent Teacher Conferences begin this week on Thursday, September 15th.  Remember, all 1st-6th grade students will be dismissed at 1:15 p.m. starting on Thursday, September 15 through Thursday, September 22. Kindergarten students will be dismissed at 1:00 p.m. Preschool schedules will remain the same.  Please make appropriate transportation and child care arrangements. Your partnership is essential to your child’s success! Thank you for taking the time to meet with us, we look forward to seeing you at your child’s conference! If you have not scheduled your child’s conference yet, please reach out to your child’s teacher.  Virtual options are available upon request.

Scholastic Book Fair

Our Scholastic Book Fair starts Monday!!! The book fair runs from 9/12 through 9/16. Classes will have an opportunity to purchase when their classes visit, after school Monday- Tuesday until 3:30, and Wednesday at our Family Event! Easiest and most convenient way to shop at the fair is with an EWALLET! https://www.scholastic.com/bf/saburomuraokaelementary

Momongas mark your calendar: Wednesday, September 14th from 5 – 7 p.m.! All families are welcome to visit our book fair! There will be food, games, raffle baskets, merchandise, and so much more will be happening! Hope to see you there!

SEPTEMBER IS ATTENDANCE AWARENESS MONTH

Every minute counts when students are at school. This year we are working on improving attendance for all our students. Let’s help all our Momongas build a habit of good attendance early to set them up for success as they move into middle school and high school. Review our Attendance Pro Tips provided:

• Make sure students come to school well rested with a good night’s sleep.
• Allow plenty of time to get ready, get out the door, and transition to school.
• Have clothes and shoes ready and homework in the backpack the night before.
• Call the school for each day of illness or injury.
• Bring doctor notes to the school office the day after an appointment.
• Respond to school messages about your student’s attendance.
• Talk with the teacher and principal if your student has concerns about attending school.

Learn more about chronic absenteeism and truancy here

We receive frequent requests for early release of students. We ask that you try to schedule appointments after school when possible and remember that if your child is being pulled out of school early, their absence is unexcused unless accompanied by a doctor’s note.

SSC & ELAC MEETINGS

We will host our School Site Council and English Learner Advisory Committee meetings on Thursday, September 15.  Our ELAC meeting takes place at 8:30 am and our SSC meeting  takes place at 3;00 pm.  Both meetings will be held on campus.  We will ask for approval of our Single Plan for Student Achievement and our Comprehensive School Safety Plan. We will have an opportunity for all families and staff to provide input on both plans before any approval. All are welcome to attend! We hope you can join us!

Coaches Needed

We are looking for coaches to provide 4^th-6^th Muraoka students the opportunity to participate in CVESD co-ed volleyball or flag football league. The leagues for these sports run October – December. If you are interested in being a volunteer coach, please contact Mrs. Rayray by September 9.  If we can secure coaches, then notification about trying out will be sent out to families in grades 4^th-6^th..

Traffic and Safety:

We recently met with CVESD’s Emergency Preparedness and Security Manager regarding the traffic concerns surrounding Muraoka. We are working on putting a plan in place that includes School Resource Officer presence on campus, Student Safety Patrol and Traffic Parent volunteers. Please reach out to Mrs. Mazeau or Mrs. Rayray if you can volunteer before or after school 1-5 days a week.

Here are the most critical reminders for this week:

• Red Curbs – “as required under California Vehicle Code Section 21458(a)(1), a curb painted red shall indicate no stopping, standing, or parking whether the vehicle is attended or unattended.” 
• Yellow curbs are for loading and unloading only – cars should not be parked and left unattended.  If you are on a yellow curb, you should be in your vehicle.
• Use crosswalks for crossing the street and parking lot.
• When dropping students off, please be sure that they exit the vehicle on the right so that they get out directly onto the sidewalk closest to the school building.
• Follow traffic patterns and do not double park along parking spaces

It is important we be courteous and safe during these times, patience in understanding the traffic patterns and wait time during before and after-school is greatly appreciated. Remember, our children watch our example, so please always be safe and respectful. Our goal is to always keep all Momongas safe!

FALL BREAK

Fall break will start on Monday, September 26 and continue through October 10.  School resumes on October 11, which is  a minimum day with dismissal of 1:00 pm for Kinder and 1:15 pm for 1st-6th grade students.  We hope every takes time to enjoy family and the wonderful area we live in.

 

Upcoming Events

9/12 – 9/16 BOOK FAIR

9/12 – Momonga Monday ~ Wear your Spirit Wear or School Colors

9/14 @ 5-7 Book Fair Family Night – Field/ MPR

9/15 @ 8:30 am ELAC Meeting

9/15 @ 3:00 pm School Site Council Meeting

9/15-9/22 Parent Teacher Conferences Minimum Days

9/26 – 10/10 – FALL BREAK

10/14 @ 5:30- 8:30 Fall Movie Night – Field

10/28 @ TBD – Trunk or Treat

Welcome Back Families and Students!

We are looking forward to welcoming you all back to school next week! We missed all your smiling faces! As we shared at the end of the year, our Meet the Teacher Event for students and families will take place on Tuesday, June 19th and our first day will be Wednesday July 20th. Please review the flyer for details! We are so excited to see you all soon!