Mesa Verde Weekly Newsletter
August 14th, 2026
Here's What's Happening in November
November 6-10: Diwali
November 11: Veterans Day: (no school)
November 16: PUSD Professional Development (no school)
November 23-27: Fall Recess (no school)
Middle school can be a lot. Between friendships, schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and the everyday ups and downs of growing up, our students are navigating plenty. This week, I encourage families to take a few minutes to check in with your student. Ask them what made them smile, what challenged them, or what they are looking forward to this week. Sometimes the best conversations happen when we simply listen.
As we head into the week, let's continue reminding our Eagles that progress matters more than perfection, that mistakes are part of learning, and that they always have a community cheering them on.
Thank you for being part of what makes Mesa Verde such a special place.
Many of our MVMS teachers use DonorsChoose to help bring additional resources, materials, and learning opportunities to their classrooms. If you are interested in supporting our teachers and students, you can often find links to their DonorsChoose projects in teacher communications and email signature lines. Thank you for supporting our MVMS staff and helping create meaningful learning experiences for our students!
AVID Tip of the Week: Own Your Learning!
One of the most important AVID skills is learning to take ownership of your education. Being successful isn't about knowing all the answers. It's about knowing what to do when you don't.
This week, challenge yourself to:
Ask questions: If something doesn't make sense, speak up.
Stay organized: Keep track of assignments, notes, and upcoming deadlines.
Take effective notes: Write down important ideas, not just everything you hear.
Advocate for yourself: Ask for help when you need it. Your teachers want to see you succeed.
Reflect: Think about what is working, what isn't, and what you can do differently.
Remember, you don't have to be perfect. You just have to be willing to try, ask questions, and keep growing. Take ownership, be intentional, and make this week count.
Your success starts with you!
Attendance and OCIS Contracts: If you have a student who will not be in class for 5-14 days, please notify the office so we can have the parents fill out an OCIS contract for their child. The forms will have to be completed and signed by parents 5-10 days in advance of the absence.If you and your child would like to contract the OCIS, please contact the attendance office.
Parents are required to give 5 days notice for absences up to 5 days, 10 days notice for absences more than 5 days.
Prepping work for students who are absent is an incredible amount of work for our teaching staff and we ask that you give your child’s teacher as much advance notice as possible beyond the above guidelines.
We do not write contracts beyond 14 days. If you plan to be away for 15 or more days please contact the Office for the necessary procedures.
Attendance: To report your child's absence or early checkout, please notify l the attendance office at before 10:00 am on the day of the absence. Please include your child's name, dates of absence, and reason for absence. We kindly ask that you avoid checking out your student during the lunch period from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Please refer to the attendance section of our Mesa Verde website for protocols regarding reporting student absences and requesting early release for your student.'
California Education Code 48205 states that a student may be excused legally from school when the absence is due to:
- Personal illness or injury
- Quarantine under the direction of a county or city health office
- Medical, dental, or chiropractic services
- Attendance at funeral services for a member of the immediate family
- Justifiable personal reasons, including, but not limited to, an appearance in court, observance of a holiday or ceremony of his or her religion, attendance at religious retreats, attendance at an employment conference, when the pupil's absence has been requested in writing by the parent and approved by the principal or designated representative
- For the purpose of serving as a member of a precinct board for an election
- Exclusion for failure to present evidence of immunization
- Exclusion from school because student is either the carrier of a contagious disease or not immunized for a contagious disease
Communication with your Student If there is a need to communicate with your child during the school day, please send a message to the Office. Please refrain from communicating with them directly through text messages or phone calls as it disrupts their learning.
