5th Annual “Cops That Care” Holiday Gift Program

Calling all Toy Donations!

On Saturday, December 22, 2007, over 1700 children from the community will gather at the Mountain View Police Department for the 5th annual "Cops That Care" holiday gift giving event. This wildly successful event, founded by Officer Ron Cooper, provides gifts for children whose families may not have the means to purchase gifts on their own. Children who have an affiliation to the Mountain View community will be able to visit the North Pole (also known as the Police/Fire Auditorium at 1000 Villa St.) and select a toy from the thousands available.

Every year, the Mountain View Police Department relies on cash and toy donations from the community in order to make this event successful and fun for the children. The Department is now accepting new and unwrapped toys and clothing as well as gift cards and cash. Donations can be brought directly to the Police Department at 1000 Villa St.

This program is designed for the families in Mountain View that are unable to purchase gifts for their children this holiday season. Parents or guardians of participating children will be asked to present something that will show their child’s affiliation to Mountain View. Examples include, but are not limited to: driver’s license/ID card with a Mountain View address, school report card, school ID, child day care enrollment form or bill, utility bill, etc.

The North Pole will be open to children on Saturday, December 22, 2007, from 10:00am to 8:00pm. Children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information about this program, community members should contact Officer Ron Cooper at 650-903-6344.

Net Gain - After School Program Celebration

Congratulations to Net Gain organizers.

Net Gain is an after-school tennis program for at-risk/disadvantaged kids in Mountain View currently on-going at the Rengstorff Park tennis courts. It is a six week program that is meeting, rain (Community Center) or shine, Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30 to 5:30 PM; it started on November 5th and runs through December 12th. The goals of the program are to introduce tennis to other segments of the community that would not generally be exposed, promote "Community, Competition, and Character" as well as good sportsmanship and positive self-esteem.

Net Gain is the result of several members of the community teaming with the Mountain View Police Activities League, the city's Community Services Department Recreation Division, Mesa de la Comunidad, and the Mountain View Tennis Club. We currently have 15 coaches who are working with 29 children from Mountain View middle schools; we have aspirations of growth and expansion to include additional academic components. In addition to spending time on the courts with the children, the volunteers have put in many additional hours organizing and planning the clinic, and soliciting sponsors and donations from local businesses and individuals.

On the last day of the clinic, we are going to hold a fun tournament (weather permitting) at the Rengstorff Park tennis courts (3:30-5:30 PM). In addition we will be having an Awards Celebration Pizza Party at the end of the clinic for all the participants and their families. We would like to invite you to join us. It will be held Wednesday, Dec. 12th, 6:00–7:30 PM at the Mountain View Police Department Auditorium, 1000 Villa Street.

Choices Lite

CHOICES LITE
PRESENTED BY
COMMUNITY RELATIONS OFFICER LIZ WYLIE
MOUNTAIN VIEW POLICE DEPARTMENT

TUESDAY, JUNE 5, 2007
6:30 - 8:30 P.M.
CRITTENDEN MIDDLE SCHOOL
MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM
1701 ROCK STREET

This informative and entertaining program is designed to provide middle school students important information about safety and to provide parents some peace of mind as their children start early adulthood. The program is modeled after the department's award winning “Choices” program geared towards college-bound high school students.

This “lighter” version of the original Choices program features many interactive activities to educate participants about safety and law enforcement, but most importantly to realize the consequences of the Choices we make in life.

The Program includes interactive presentations and demonstrations regarding:

􀁺 Personal Safety
􀁺 Effects of Alcohol and Drugs
􀁺 Internet Safety
􀁺 Gang Awareness and Avoidance
􀁺 Role Playing
􀁺 And much more!

This program, a must for all middle school students and their parents, is offered for free. Spanish translation will be provided.

Immigration Forum: Inform, Educate & Plan

Mesa de la Comunidad, in collaboration with the Mountain View Whisman School District, the Mountain View/Los Altos Union High School District, St. Joseph Catholic Church, the Mountain View Police Department, the Day Worker Center, Mayview Community Health Center, the Office of Human Relations for Santa Clara County is hosting an immigration forum.


Inform: What is the role and responsibilities of local police, schools and
healthcare organizations regarding immigration?
What collaboration is there with ICE?

Educate: Understand the recent immigration proposals
What rights do immigrants have?

Plan: Do organizations and individuals have a plan in the event of a raid?

Location: St. Joseph Catholic Church-582 Hope Street, Mountain View

Date/Time: Sunday, June 3rd, 2007 from 2:30 PM to 4 PM

Spanish/English translation provided.

LASD English learner population

Hi Mesa Members,

I was asked to gather information about Los Altos School District’s (LASD’s) English Language Learner population. I have linked a pdf file containing information from the California Department of Education website about LASD’s English Language Learners. http://www.mesacomunidad.org/LASD_English_learner_population.pdf

If you find that I have missed some public data from the state’s site, please let me know. This was quickly done, so please forgive any omissions and give me the opportunity to make corrections.

It’s Not Easy to Count Numbers of English Learners Because the State Has a Variety of Categories and Tests
What I found was that it is not easy to count the number of students with limited English because there are many different types of students who have very different types of needs, and the state lumps them together for one kind of count and then disaggregates the numbers for other types of counts.

For example, students who are proficient in English and redesignated out of English learner classification are still counted as English learners for a few years afterwards. The state asks the district to inflate the number of English learners in their count in case these students need extra services even after they are considered fluent.

This may explain why one of our Mesa members told me that there are only nine families served by the English Learner teacher at Almond and the district numbers are much higher.

CELDT Testing Outcomes Indicate High English Language Skills in LASD
The state requires school districts to give English learners a test called the CELDT test to determine the level of English language development. Students who are at the intermediate, early advanced and advanced are considered good English speakers, yet they are still considered English language learners.

English learners are “redesignated” when they do well on the CELDT test. (Doing well by state standards is high intermediate, early advanced or advanced). I do not know what LASD’s requirements or cut-offs are.

It also looks as if the state recommends that students can be below grade level proficient (high Basic) as English Learners and be redesignated. Obviously, given the high average API scores for English Learners and Hispanic students in Los Altos, it is likely that the majority are beyond high basic. However, when one sees averages, it is possible for one portion to be extremely low and another portion to be extremely high, so it is difficult to draw conclusions from the average APIs.

Some of the CELDT data is included in the following pages, but readers should link to the CELDT webpage and look at all of the data. (I did not include them all here.)

LASD’s English Learners and Hispanic Population Are High Performing By State Standards
The Los Altos School District’s English learner population has an average API of 834 (included are 242 second through eighth graders—kindergarten and first grade are not included in API.)

The state designates an 800 API as high performing, so on average, English learners in Los Altos test as high or higher than English speaking White students in many schools in California. (For example, White students at Lynnhaven Elementary in the Campbell district have an average API of 821. White students at Blackford Elementary in Cambrian district average 750 API.)

LASD’s Hispanic population had an average API of 797 (119 second through eighth graders), very close to that magic 800 number indicating high performance.

Here’s some averate API statewide comparisons for grades 2-6 (not including grades 7-8). The API averages below are the averages for all students in California:
English Learners average 676.
White students who are not Hispanic average 837
Hispanic students average 690.
Low socioeconomic students average 686
Students with disabilities average 567
http://api.cde.ca.gov/AcntRpt2007/2006Base_StAPI.aspx

We know that LASD is one of the top performing, if not the top test scoring district in the state, but I thought you would want to see how much higher than the state average.

Here's the link to the English learner data
http://www.mesacomunidad.org/LASD_English_learner_population.pdf

Vicki Hobel Schultz
May 15, 2007

MV's First City-Wide Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Cinco de Mayo Celebration in Pioneer Park in Mountain View

Saturday, May 5 from 1:00-4:00 pm

Entertainment Includes: Marco Romero's Dance Studio, Mariachi Aztlan, Castro School Folklorico Dance Group, Raises de Mexico Dance Group

Speakers: City of Mountain View Mayor, Laura Macias; Assemblywoman, 22nd Assembly District "Speaker Pro Tempore", Sally Lieber; County Supervisor, District 5, Liz Kniss

Activities: Arts and Crafts with Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA), Face Painting and Temporary Tattoos, Pinata Breaking, Games with Grant Road YMCA, Safety Lessons with Palo Alto Chapter of the American Red Cross, Learn Heatlthy Eating Habits with Healthy Ventures, Meet the Mountain View Police Departments "New" Mounted Police Division, Sit inside a real Mountain View Fire Department Fire Engine, and stop by the informational booths representing many local organizations.

Food and Drinks: Local restaurant Taqueria Los Charros will be grilling up fresh tacos and serving aguas frescas. Bottled water and sodas will be available for purchase as well.

Parking: We encourage walking or using public transportation when coming to this event. Since downtown parking is limited, we encourage guests to park at the City of Mountain View underground parking garage located on Mercy Street or in designated parking lots. Please do not park in library parking spaces or in the library's underground parking garage.

"Immigration: Opportunities and Challenges"

Peninsula Chapter of the World Affairs Council, Leagues of Women Voters of Palo Alto and Los Altos/Mountain View, Avenidas and Mesa de la Comunidad

Saturday, March 31, 2007
9:00 am Sign In and Refreshments
9:15 am to 12:15 pm Program

Hewlett Packard Headquarters
3000 Hanover Street
Bldg 20 Auditorium
Palo Alto, CA

"Immigration: Opportunities and Challenges"

Richard Hobbs, Director of the Office of Human Relations for Santa Clara County

Steve Levy, Director and Senior Economist of the Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy (CCSCE)

Alex M. Saragoza, Associate Professor of Chicano Studies in the Ethnic Studies Department at the University of California at Berkeley

Jayashri Srikantiah, Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Immigrants’ Rights Clinic at the Stanford University Law School

Larisa Casillas, Director of the Bay Area Immigrant Rights Coalition (BAIRC)

Immigration is intensely debated in America even though it is an essential contribution to our population growth and is needed for innovation and work force contributions. However, many immigrants enter the country illegally and regional entities express anxieties over their inability to deal with the impact on their societies, economies and services. Uniform and comprehensive laws that account for security, humanitarian concerns, that are enforceable, and that account for existing conditions are needed. This half-day conference will address the impact on social and economic trends, foreign relations, legal issues and legislative status, and the perspective of the immigrant community.

For information: (650) 327-9148 or World Affairs Council (415) 293-4600

Sizzlin' Latin Night

The City of Mountain View Recreation Division and Juan Aranda with additional support from the Mountain View Police Activities League (PAL) and Mesa de la Comunidad Mountain View would like to invite all Mountain View teens to attend "Sizzlin Latin Night".

What: A night of latin music, dance exhibition, lessons and lots of fun. Watch and learn the salsa, samba, waltz, merigue and more for middle and high school teens.

When: Saturday, March 10th

Where: The Whisman Sports Center in Mountain View

Time: 6:30pm-9pm

Age: Middle & High School Students

Why: This is a showcase for ongoing free Latin dance classes that will be offered every Saturday night during open gym hours at Whisman Sports Center.

Cost: Free ***School IDs are required at the door.***

Delia Ybarra honored at the 35th Annual Human Relations Awards Breakfast

Sixteen human relations leaders of the highest calling and caliber will be honored on Friday, February 23 at 7:30 a.m. at the 35th Annual Human Relations Awards Breakfast at the Wyndham Hotel. The theme for this year’s award breakfast is “A Journey of the Heart: From Intolerance to Acceptance”.

District Five, Liz Kniss: Delia Ybarra

Delia Ybarra was an educator in the Fremont School District for over 35 years. Delia is active with the Community Health Awareness Council, providing support to combat alcohol and drug abuse among young people in the greater Mt. View area. Delia also serves as the Social Policy Director for the League of Woman Voters in the Mountain View-Los Altos Area and is a member of “Mesa de la Comunidad”, facilitating understanding and cooperation between all groups for the betterment of the community. Delia is a tireless advocate and community bridge builder who facilitates open dialogue and communication between all groups regardless of race or economic differences.

KnowHow2Go: College Awareness night for all Mountain View residents

Parents and students are invited to learn about: the A-G requirements for California Universities, free money for college, and opportunities for special scholarships. There will be refreshments and giveaways. There will be a panel speaking on these topics and more.

Where: Graham Middle School Multi Use Room
When: Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

The MVWSD AVID program and The Campaign for College Opportunity are sponsoring this event.

Join us and receive valuable information!

KnowHow2Go: Noche del conocimiento de la universidad para todos los residentes de Mountain View.

Pardres y estudiantes estan todos invitados a aprender sobre: los requisitos del A-G para universidades de California, el dinero gratis para la universidad, y las oportunidades para becas especiales. Habrá refrescos y regalos. Habrá un panel que habla en estos asuntos y más.

Donde: Graham Middle School, Multi Use Room
Cuando: Miercoles, 28 de febrero de 6 PM - 8 PM
Ensámblenos y reciba información valiosa

El programa ÁVIDO de MVWSD y La Compaña Para La Oportunidad de la Universidad están patrocinando este acontecimiento.

"From High School to College"

Please Join Us at
"From High School to College"

When: Tuesday, February 6, 2006 from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Los Altos Youth Center, Civic Center Plaza, I North San Antonio Road, Los Altos
A downloadable flyer is at http://communitydialogues.org/

Michael Kirst, Stanford Education Professor, author, and national education expert, Martha Kanter, Chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, and Barry Groves , Superintendent of Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District, will discuss issues related to student achievement and educational opportunities. Audience participation includes small group discussion and conversation with the presenters.

Professor Kirst has recently written a book called From High School to College which raises issues of interest to anyone with a child or young adult in the education system and to anyone concerned about the future of our community and our country.

Professor Kirst, Chancellor Kanter, and Superintendent Groves will address relevant educational issues. For example:

•We think about a unified K-12 (kindergarten through twelfth grade), but what about K-16?
•Are our children inadequately or over-prepared for college?
•If the majority want a four year college education, why do so many leave before a degree?
•What about career opportunities, where do our children gain employable skills?
• What are we doing in the highly competitive, global, twenty-first century to ensure opportunities and success for each and every high school graduate?

Learn about programs, like MVLA Community Scholars and Partners for New Generations that are focused on greater opportunities for our community's youth. Meet and share ideas with community members who are concerned about the future of our youth, our region and our country.

A Community Dialogues Forum
Hosted By MVLA Community Scholars and Partners for New Generations
and co-sponsored by the Los Altos-Mtn View League of Women Voters and Mesa de la Comunidad

***Spanish Translation Available***

Congratulations Laura, Ronit & Margaret

Congratulations to Mesa members Laura Macias for being elected Mayor of Mountain View and to newly elected council members Ronit Bryant and Margaret Abe-Koga. We are honored that your are representing the residents of Mountain View. We wish you much success in your new positions.