Dear Mission Valley Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, November 12 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

Agenda items include the Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, Treasurer's Update, President’s Update, and VP Update. These will include a discussion of the MVSA presentation at the FUSD board meeting on Nov 20, and discussion of planning and budget for Movie Night, December Toy Drive, and Multicultural Celebrations for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year, and Eid.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, October 8 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

In addition to the typical agenda items (Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, Treasurer's Update, President’s Update, and VP Update), there will be an update on the Busy Beaver fundraiser and many upcoming events including Hispanic Heritage Month, the Halloween parade, Diwali, and Math Olympiad.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, September 10 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

In addition to the typical agenda items (Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, Treasurer's Update, President’s Update, and VP Update), there will be an update on the Busy Beaver fundraiser, a discussion of how to facilitate officer transitions from year to year, and the consideration of a new candidate for co-secretary.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, August 20 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

We will be discussing the MVSA budget for 2024-25, and plans for Back-to-School Night and the Busy Beaver Fundraiser. As usual, there will also be a Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, President’s Update, and Treasurer’s Update.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The May MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, May 14 from 7-8pm via Zoom. In addition to the Principal’s Update and Teacher’s Update, this will serve as the Annual Meeting of the MVSA.

As stipulated in the MVSA By-Laws:

• The President shall render a report on the activities and status of the MVSA.

• The Treasurer shall render a financial report

• Election of officers shall be held for the upcoming year.

 If you are interested in running for President, Vice President, Treasurer, or Secretary, please see the attached pdf.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The April MVSA meeting has been RESCHEDULED from Tuesday, April 9 to Tuesday, April 16 from 7-8pm via Zoom. That date works better with the teacher's schedule. Come join us to provide your input!

In addition to the typical agenda items (Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, President’s Update, and Treasurer’s Update), there will be a final update on Jog-a-thon, and a brief discussion of the MVSA board positions that will need to be filled in May.

The budget for the Multicultural Festival will be decided by email vote in the next few days. The MVSA members eligible to vote on budget issues are the Board of Directors (Principal, Teacher Representative, President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary), and the chairs of the standing committees.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, March 12 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

In addition to the typical agenda items (Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, President’s Update, and Treasurer’s Update), there will be an update on Jog-a-thon and a proposal for Multicultural Fest.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear Mission Valley community,

Planning is underway for the first ever Multicultural Festival at Mission Valley Elementary on Friday, April 26 from 6-9pm.

We are looking for volunteers to help showcase a wide variety of cultures. 

My children and I will set up a booth for Taiwan! We will serve samples of boba, have a map showing where Taiwan is, and a poster with information and pictures about Taiwan. Please let me know if you’d like to help at the Taiwan table. 

I’m sure other families can come up with great ideas for country booths, or maybe add to the music and dance performances, fashion show, or art activities. Please see the attachment for booth examples. There will also be food trucks.

We currently have volunteers representing India, Bangladesh, Mexico, Portugal, Guatemala, and New Zealand. 

If you are interested in volunteering, please email volunteer@mvsa-fremont.org or sign up on Konstella.

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, March 12 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

In addition to the typical agenda items (Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, President’s Update, and Treasurer’s Update), there will be an update on Jog-a-thon and a proposal for Multicultural Fest.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

• Click here for Jog-a-thon details and pledge form

Dear Mission Valley Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, February 13 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

In addition to the typical agenda items (Principal’s Update, Teacher’s Update, President’s Update, and Treasurer’s Update), there will be an update on Jog-a-thon and Multicultural celebrations.

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

All the best,

Nancy Huang

MVSA President

Dear MVSA Community,

The January MVSA meeting would typically be January 9 (2nd Tuesday of the month). The meeting has been tentatively rescheduled to Tuesday, January 16 from 7-8pm via Zoom to allow for ample time after the holiday break.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Dear MVSA Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, December12  from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

Agenda items will include:

1) Review of last meeting’s minutes

2) Principal’s Update

3) Teacher’s Update

4) President’s Update

5) Treasurer’s Update

6) Committee Updates - Multi-Cultural Celebrations

7) Potential New Budget Items

8) New Business?

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

----

Volunteers needed

• Green Team

  • Help the student gardening club care for the school garden

• Multicultural Celebrations

  • Plan activities for Lunar New Year in February

  • Plan activities for Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) in April

• Yearbook Committee

• Cook’s Night Out

• Details at https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/volunteer

----

MVSA is proud to support

• Printer cartridges for all classroom printers

• Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr. subscription for all students

• Emergency snack bags for all classrooms

• Multi-Cultural Celebrations

  • Diwali (completed in November)

  • Hanukkah (upcoming for December)

  • Kwanzaa (upcoming for December/January)

  • Lunar New Year (upcoming for February)

  • Eid al-Fitr (upcoming for April)

• Holiday Toy Drive (completed in November)

• Family Movie Night (first one occurred in December)

• Math Olympiad

• Science Olympiad

• 5th Grade Science Camp

Dear MVSA Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, November 14 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

Agenda items will include:

1) Review of last meeting’s minutes

2) Principal’s Update

3) Teacher’s Update

4) President’s Update - Busy Beaver fundraiser final results

5) Treasurer’s Update - Payments, Tax filing, Savings account

6) Committee Updates - (including Science Olympiad, Spelling Bee, Multi-Cultural Celebrations)

7) Potential New Budget Items

8) New Business?

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Meeting materials are posted on https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/meetings as they become available.

Halloween photos

Halloween parade videos and photo slideshows have been posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpdJr1R7Dr1igSKNtbdI3OwH5RqxHCTqt

The photos and videos can be downloaded from Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OUlQWrt6ITXYYBA6y_KLFOlCHMrsuQ5X?usp=sharing

Multicultural Celebrations

In light of recent world events, it is more important than ever for students to learn about different cultures.

MVSA will be hosting activities for Diwali at lunch time on Thursday, November 9.

The Multicultural Celebration committee also needs volunteers to help plan activities for:

·      Hanukkah in December

·      Kwanzaa in December

·      Lunar New Year in February

·      Eid al-Fitr (end of Ramadan) in April

·      Hispanic Heritage Month in September 2024 (we do hope to incorporate Hispanic culture in another activity for this school year).

All volunteers are welcome, but it would be especially helpful to have volunteers who celebrate these traditions. Sign up on Konstella (https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/konstella).

If you have questions or suggestions, please email vp@mvsa-fremont.org.

Happy November!

Click to view the update for October 31, 2023

Dear MVSA Community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, October 10 from 7-8pm via Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09

Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679

Passcode: 793325

Agenda items will include:

1) Review of last meeting’s minutes

2) Principal’s Update

3) Teacher’s Update

4) President’s Update - Science Camp, Payments, Fraud Case, State and Fed Tax filing, Busy Beaver fundraiser

5) Treasurer’s Update

6) New candidate for Co-Treasurer

7) Committee Updates

8) New Business - Discussion of how to use potential excess funds

Please email board@mvsa-fremont.org if you have agenda items to add, including committee updates.

Click to view the Busy Beaver update for September 23 

Dear MVE community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, September 12 from 7-8pm on Zoom. Come join us to provide your input!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09
Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679
Passcode: 793325

Agenda items will include:

1) Busy Beaver Update

2) Committee Updates

--------------------------------

The Busy Beaver fundraiser is off to a fantastic start! Please see the attached form or https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/donate if you haven’t donated yet. Donations fund the computer lab technician position, technology upgrades, classroom supplies, traffic safety, and other programs that benefit all Mission Valley students!

Donations of $200 or more will earn a free Bucky the Beaver keychain.

Classrooms with the highest percent participation will also receive a special award:

• Pizza party - Classroom with the highest percent participation

• Ice cream party - Classroom with the 2nd highest percent participation

• Cookie party - Classrooms with the 3rd and 4th highest percent participation

Please include the student name & room # as a note with each donation.

--------------------------------

If you haven’t done so this school year, please log in to Konstella (https://www.konstella.com/app) to select the appropriate classroom for your student(s)

• Click your name in the upper left corner, then “Your Children”

• For each child, select “Join Classroom” and select the appropriate classroom.

--------------------------------

Volunteers make great things happen at Mission Valley!

Explore volunteer opportunities on the MVSA website (https://www.mvsa-fremont.org/volunteer) or by logging into Konstella (https://www.konstella.com/app) and selecting “Committees” in the left sidebar.

Questions? Email volunteer@mvsa-fremont.org.

All the best,

Nancy Huang
MVSA President

Dear MVE community,

The next MVSA meeting will be Tuesday, August 22 from 7-8pm on Zoom. Come join us to provide your input! Volunteer as a committee chair to vote on MVSA financial matters!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09
Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679
Passcode: 793325

Agenda items will include:

1) Preliminary MVSA budget for 2023-24

2) Immediate funding needs (5th grade Science camp, Scholastic Weekly Reader subscription, classroom fund allocation, etc)

3) Plans for Back-to-School Night and Busy Beaver Fundraiser (Flyers, MVSA table at BTSN?, food trucks?, Gift with minimum donation, etc)

Meeting materials will be posted on the MVSA website (http://mvsa-fremont.org/) as they become available.

All the best,

Nancy Huang
MVSA President

Dear MVE community,

The first official MVSA meeting for 2023-24 will be Tuesday, August 8 from 7-8pm on Zoom. Come join us to provide your input! Volunteer as a committee chair to vote on MVSA financial matters!

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85050453679?pwd=ZkFndDhxektYMER0Q3Urcmh2RDU0dz09
Meeting ID: 850 5045 3679
Passcode: 793325

Agenda items will include:
1) Summary of the recent fraudulent activity targeting MVSA, and the steps being taken to safeguard against such attacks in the future.
2) Fundraising summary from past years
3) Review of the computer lab technician issue
4) Preliminary MVSA budget for 2023-24 (if time permits)

Please see the attached pdfs for a summary of past fundraising and the lab tech issue. Additional materials will be posted on the MVSA website (http://mvsa-fremont.org/) as they become available.

All the best,

Nancy Huang
MVSA President

Attachments:

Fundraising summary

Lab tech issue

Meeting Agenda

Mission Valley School Association (MVSA) needs volunteers!

The objective of the MVSA is to support the Mission Valley School, encourage better communication between parents and teachers of Mission Valley School Students, and raise funds in order to provide additional educational benefits beyond those provided by the Fremont Unified School District.

MVSA provides funding and/or support for:

-       Computer lab maintenance

-       Computer projectors and document cameras

-       Classroom supplies

-       School assemblies and other fun events

-       Award ceremonies

-       Traffic safety

-       Family movie night and other community events

-       Math and Science Olympiad

-       and much more!

Explore volunteer opportunities on the MVSA website (http://mvsa-fremont.org/about-mvsa/mvsa-committees/) or by logging into Konstella (https://www.konstella.com/app) and selecting “Committees” in the left sidebar. Committee chairs can vote on MVSA financial matters.

We have an immediate need for volunteers on the “Communications and Website,” “Busy Beaver Fundraiser,” and “Safety” committees.

We have a brand new MVSA board for 2023-24, which will prioritize making MVSA’s goals, issues, and opportunities more transparent and visible to the community to improve participation rates that have dropped by 50% since the pandemic. 

Dear MVSA Members, Teacher and Parent community,

We would like to take a moment to thank everyone who attended our last monthly meeting. We understand that the meeting went a bit longer than we had originally planned, and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. With heavy hearts, the Board of Directors of MVSA cast their votes to regretfully eliminate the lab technician position. Our hearts break to have to let go of them as an MVSA employee. While we will still be here to offer our assistance, our volunteer organization is unfortunately unable to handle the liabilities required for running her payroll. This issue is getting more serious after the new law passed in 2019. We will address the details and other concerns in the later part of the letter.

However, we will strive to make sure our kids continue to have zero learning loss and even enrich their learning continuously as always. MVSA will continue to support the Computer Lab and offer the following support:

1. Use MVSA funds to purchase new computers and equipment.

2. Provide volunteers to help maintain the computers and ensure they are functioning properly.

3. Promote the use of the computer lab to parents and the wider community with recommendation from teachers

4. Organize training sessions for teachers and staff to help them use the computer lab effectively.

5. Raise awareness of the importance of computer literacy and digital skills through certified computer professionals.

Factors behind this decision:

Please note the neighboring PTOs/PTAs or any other PTA organization country wide only provides resources and support to parents, teachers and students, these organizations do not run payroll for teachers, as this is the responsibility of the school district or state government. MVSA has been in this unique situation for years.

The primary liability for the MVSA if we run payroll for teachers would be to ensure that the payroll is accurate and compliant with all relevant laws, such as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This includes making sure that all wages are paid on time and that the correct deductions are taken from employees’ paychecks. MVSA may also be responsible for paying employment taxes, filing related paperwork and issuing pay stubs or other documents as required by law. MVSA will also be liable for any errors or omissions related to payroll, such as incorrect or late payments. Finally, MVSA should also be aware of any state or local laws that may apply to the payroll process.

Please note that the sudden law or employment change that triggered the discontinuation of payroll for Ms. Nagata was the implementation of the California – Domestic Workers Bill of Rights in 2019. This law requires employers of domestic workers, such as teachers, to provide benefits such as health insurance and paid time off, as well as comply with minimum wage, overtime, and other labor laws. In addition, California also requires employers to pay a portion of the employee’s Social Security and Medicare taxes. These new requirements were too burdensome for a school PTO, such as MVSA. So they decided to discontinue the payroll. In addition to increased paperwork and liability, it could also mean additional cost to MVSA for using PayChex for us to be compliant and ready for this.

The recent MVSA meeting stirred up a lot of emotion and miscommunication. We wanted to clarify a few important points:

• This was not a decision taken lightly or on the spur of the moment.

• We have discussed the topic in our monthly meetings, however, it’s unfortunate that we don’t see many attendees beyond the members.

• MVSA is not making a decision based on feelings, but rather a difficult decision motivated by facts and changes in employment regulations, which can be a lot of burden for any PTO organization. In addition, we did not have any nominations for the Treasurer for next year which posed a great risk in continuation of this employment.

• Please note while during the meeting we all only focused on the decreasing reserve funds, the Board of Directors voted yes to eliminate the role due to compliance and liability reasons primarily. However, if anyone wants to understand more about the depleting reserves, please feel free to reach us and we look forward to help you.

We deeply regret having to make the difficult decision to eliminate the lab technician role.

We understand that this decision was difficult for both parents and teachers and we are saddened by it as well. Unfortunately, due to the complex nature of employment regulations, the volunteer-run organization MVSA cannot take on the responsibility of employing directly.

We hope that parents and the community can understand our position and make a request to the school to employ the Lab Technician directly like they employ part-time yard duties and other positions. We will also continue to work with the Principal and the Lab Technician to explore different options so that they can continue to be part of our community and our kids’ lives.

Sincerely,

MVSA Board of Directors