The Fire Breather
August 2023
Please read this entire newsletter. The information at the bottom is as important as the information at the top.
Principal’s Message - Mr. Manzer
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year. Our first day of school is Wednesday, August 23, 2023. The Conejo Valley High School faculty and staff are looking forward to greeting your student to campus and excited by the promise of a new academic year. We will begin distributing student schedules in our lobby by 8:30 A.M. Classes begin at 8:55, so please arrive early.
A major emphasis at CVHS in 2023-24 is to increase student and parent engagement. To achieve this goal, we will be implementing several new policies and practices. First, students who request to use the bathroom during class time will be required to leave their cell phones in the class. We anticipate that this will reduce the amount of instructional time lost due to students being out of the classroom.
Daily school attendance is also critical to student success. This past school year over 50% of our students were identified as chronically absent. A chronically absent student attends school less than 90% of the time. To reduce the number of chronically absent students in the 2023-24 school year, we will be providing additional recognition and rewards for positive attendance.
In October we will be piloting student/parent conferences. The idea of student/parent conferences is like the parent/teacher conferences held when students are in elementary school. During our parent/student conferences the parent, and their student, will meet with a faculty member to review progress toward graduation, discuss current performance levels, and set achievement goals. Additional information about scheduling one these conferences will be provided in September.
My focus is to keep our school community safe and to coordinate our resources to help students, parents, and staff be successful. If you are aware of an individual or condition that could negatively affect our school safety, please let me or our staff know as soon as possible. Also, if i can be of help in any way, please contact me.
Urgent: CVHS Needs Committee Members for the 2023-24 School Year
Conejo Valley High School urgently needs parents to serve on our School Site Council and the various CVUSD advisory councils. The CVHS School Site Council meets on the third Wednesday of the month from 8:00-8:45 A.M. Our first meeting is Wednesday, August 16, 2023. While all parents are welcome at our school site council meetings, CVHS must have four parents serve as voting members. If you are interested in serving as a voting member, please contact us by this Wednesday, August 9, before 3:00 PM so your name can be added to the ballot that will be sent to all CVHS parents on Thursday, August 10.
The commitment to each of the CVUSD Advisory Councils is typically one meeting per month. A short description of each is provided below. If you would be willing to serve on one or more of these committees, please return the Parent Involvement form located at the bottom of this newsletter and/or contact me directly. If I am not available, ask for our office manager, Dawn Stines.
Advisory Council Members Wanted
School Site Council: The purpose of the SSC is to review school data, set school goals, and approve the Single School Plan and the related budget. Additionally, it is an opportunity for parents and community members to learn about school and district happenings, provide suggestions and share concerns.
District Advisory Council: The District Advisory Council (DAC) meets monthly. All CVUSD schools have one parent representative on this committee. Note: CVHS currently has a parent representative for DAC.
Special Education District Advisory Council (SEDAC): SEDAC meets on the third Tuesday of the month to provide Special Education updates and address concerns related to Special Education services. Meetings begin at 9:15 AM. CVHS needs one parent to represent us on SEDAC and report back to the principal and/or SSC. CVHS currently has a parent representative for SEDAC.
District English Learner Advisory Council (DELAC): CVHS needs one parent to represent us on DELAC. DELAC meets once a month to provide district updates on programs and services for English Learners. CVHS needs one parent to represent us on DELAC and report back to the principal and/or SSC.
African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC): We are looking for parents/guardians who are interested in participating on this advisory council. CVHS needs at least one parent to represent us on AAPAC and report back to the principal and/or SSC.
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning and Others Advisory Council (LGBTQ+ AC): Advises the district on strategies and actions that can assist the district in becoming more welcoming, inclusive and informed in supporting our LGTBQ+ students in their academics, extracurriculars and social emotional development in school. CVHS needs one parent to represent us on this committee and report back to the principal and/or SSC.
CVHS School Calendar
Important Dates to Remember:
First Day of School August 23
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration August 29
Labor Day September 4 (Board Holiday)
Back to School Night September 14
Picture Day September 14
School Not in Session September 25 (Board Holiday)
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration September 26
School Not in Session October 5 (Board Holiday)
Quarter 1 Ends October 20
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration October 24
School Not in Session November 1 (Professional Learning)
Veteran’s Day Holiday November 10
Fall Break November 20-24
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration November 28
First Semester Ends December 22
Winter Break December 25 - January 5, 2024
Semester Prep Day (No School) January 8
Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday January 15
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration January 30
CVHS Student and Family Night February 13
Presidents’ Day Holidays February 16 & 19
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration February 27
School Not in Session March 18 (Professional Learning)
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration March 26
Quarter 3 Ends March 28
Spring Break March 29 – April 5
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration April 30
School Not in Session May 24 (Board Holiday)
Memorial Day May 27
Minimum Day/Faculty Collaboration May 28
Finals June 12 - 14 (Minimum Days)
Graduation June 13 @ 1pm
Last Day of School June 14
*Minimum Day dismissal @ 12:15
**Final Exam Schedule dismissal @12:03
PARENT CONNECT ANNUAL UPDATES
Dear CVUSD Family,
We look forward to welcoming your students back for the 2023-2024 school year in just a few weeks. As with each new school year, there are required Annual Updates that must be completed by parents/guardians prior to the first day of instruction. We are pleased to be able to provide all Annual Updates information including required acknowledgments and permissions within the Q-Parent Connect Portal again this year.
● Parents/Guardians are asked to please complete the required Annual Updates process for all CVUSD students by Monday, August 14, 2023
● Parents/Guardians are asked to complete the process in Q-Parent Connect
● For those that do not have access to the Q-Parent Connect Portal, paper copies of the required Annual Updates forms may be obtained from the CVHS office.
Protect Your School Device!
School-Based Counseling Services from the Conejo Valley Unified School District
The purpose of these services is to address social/emotional barriers that may
prevent a student from accessing their educational program. These services will be provided by a PPS credentialed counselor, PPS counseling intern, licensed LCSW or LMFT, MSW Associate or MSW student, or an MFT Intern or MFT Trainee, a School Psychologist or a School Psychologist Intern or Trainee in accordance with the Board of Behavioral Science regulations and California Code of Regulations, Title 5, Sec. 3051.9; 3051.10; 3051.11; and 3051.13
Please see the permission forms below for further information.
STUDENT ACCIDENT INSURANCE
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT IS SEPTEMBER 14 - SCHEDULE DETAILS TO FOLLOW
Please Complete the "More than a Meal" Online Free / Reduced Meal Eligibility Form for 2023-2024 School Year
Breakfast and lunch meal service will be available at all schools.
FREE MEALS FOR ALL STUDENTS
School meals for the 2023-2024 school year will be available to all students at no charge. Although all students will receive free meals through the duration of this school year, we request for all families to complete this Online Free / Reduced Meal Eligibility for School Year 2023-2024 form, as this form affects a variety of areas unrelated to school meals, including school funding, college application fees, SAT fees, bus passes and more. Even if your child does not plan to eat school lunches, it is important to fill out this form to help ensure our schools and families receive the available resources. Applications are also available in the office.
Student Fees, Donations, and Fundraising:
Interact with Conejo Valley High!
Email: dstines@conejousd.org
Website: www.conejousd.org/cvhs
Location: 1402 East Janss Road, Thousand Oaks, CA, USA
Phone: (805) 498-6646
Twitter: @CVHS_Dragons