CVUSD's Communication Snapshot

• 50 Years of CVUSD: Thanks for Sharing Your Favorite Memories!
• Stay Informed: Mobile Devices Policy Update for the 2025-2026 School Year
• CVUSD Recognizes the Tulsa Race Massacre that Occurred May 31 - June 1, 1921
• Save the Date: Instructional Materials Preview Webinar on May 28th
• Westlake High's Jennifer Boyd Named 2025 California Finalist, Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
• Congratulations to the Class of 2025 Scholar-Athletes Committed to Collegiate Sports!
• The Thousand Oaks Rotary Honors 22 CVUSD Students at Annual Youth Citizenship Awards
• 📸 A Memorable Day of Learning & Community Celebration at Nuestra Cosecha, CVUSD's Parent Outreach Program's Annual Parent Conference

Established on July 1, 1974, this school year, the Conejo Valley Unified School District proudly celebrates 50 years of providing exceptional educational experiences to all students! From a vast ranch land to one of the most distinguished and awarded districts in California, we cherish the nurturing, innovative, and premier learning community we have built over the past five decades.

Earlier this school year, we put out a call to you, our Conejo community to share your favorite CVUSD memories with us, and below are a few highlights:

"I love living in the Conejo Valley so much that I chose to raise my family here, continuing a tradition that the generation before me started. It's a privilege to teach at my Alma mater, Sequoia Middle School, where I work as a science teacher. With deep roots in the community, my son and daughter are third-generation CVUSD students.

One of my favorite moments with CVUSD happened recently when my daughter had her Panther Preview Night to get ready for high school. To mark this special occasion, my mother gave her class ring from 1978, from her own time at Newbury Park High School to my daughter. It was a touching moment for us as we celebrated the halls we’re walking together at different ages—65, 45, and 13—yet forging our unique paths through these same halls when we were/are 13.

Many in my family have been part of CVUSD, and it brings me joy to teach in the town where I grew up. Seeing the children of friends and classmates wander these same halls adds to the sense of community and connection. As a tribute to this multi-generational journey, I'm sharing some elementary class photos from our family's school days." - Maribel R.

"My sister's first day of school and the first year of Cypress being open - 1974." - Katharine G.

"1978 - Planting a tree on Arbor Day at Cypress Elementary." - Katharine G.

🌟"Meeting all my friends." - Grace & Vivian D.

🌟 "Playing softball." - Baylee B.

🌟 "Outdoor School." - Stella H.

📍Did You Know: California Assembly Bill 3216 amended Education Code 48901.7, and was recently amended to read: “The governing body of a school district, a county office of education, or a charter school shall, no later than July 1, 2026, develop and adopt, and shall update every five years, a policy to limit or prohibit the use by its pupils of smartphones while the pupils are at a school site or while the pupils are under the supervision and control of an employee or employees of that school district, county office of education, or charter school. The goal of the policy shall be to promote evidence-based use of smartphone practices to support pupil learning and well-being. The development of the policy shall involve significant stakeholder participation in order to ensure that the policies are responsive to the unique needs and desires of pupils, parents, and educators in each community."

📍Action: On September 4, 2024, the CVUSD Board of Education had a preliminary discussion regarding the District's Mobile Devices Policy and, in accordance with amendments to Education Code 48901.7, requested additional feedback and input from educational partners. On February 5, 2025, and February 19, 2025, the Board of Education reviewed this input from educational partners and, through consensus, provided direction to staff to amend CVUSD Board Policy 5131.8 "Mobile Communication Devices".

📍Policy Updates for the 2025-2026 School Year:

Preschool to 8th Grade Students: Shall not use cell phones, smart watches, pagers or other mobile communication devices on campus during instructional and non-instructional time (e.g. recess, passing periods, nutrition, lunch).

9th Grade to Post-Secondary Students: May use cell phones, smart watches, pagers, or other mobile communication devices on campus during non-instructional time (e.g. passing periods, nutrition, lunch) as long as the device is utilized in accordance with law and any rules that individual school sites may impose.

The Tulsa Race Massacre took place on May 31 and June 1, 1921, in a prosperous Black community in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma. The event is considered one of the worst incidents of racial violence in American History. The Conejo Valley Unified School District stands in solidarity with the victims and the survivors of the Tulsa Race Massacre and commits to contributing to the education of this American tragedy. Click here to learn more.

The CVUSD community is invited to join the District’s Instructional Services team for an upcoming Preview Webinar on this Wednesday, May 28th from 5pm to 6pm to review and learn more about new, proposed Instructional Materials for the following courses:

• Grades 10-12: Math - Statistics

• Grades 10-12: History - AP World History

• Grades 6-12: English Language Development (ELD)
  
  

👉 Click here to register to attend this Webinar event.

👉 Click here to learn more.

Congratulations to Westlake High School’s Jennifer Boyd who, last week, was announced by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond as one of the five outstanding math and science teachers from California who are finalists for the 2025 Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.

Ms. Boyd has been teaching for 18 years and currently teaches three sections of AP Environmental Science (grades ten through twelve) and two sections of Honors Environmental Field Studies (grades eleven through twelve) at Westlake High School. She has been the science department chair for the last 10 years.

The National Science Foundation administers the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The PAEMST is the highest honor bestowed by the US government specifically for kindergarten through grade twelve science, mathematics, engineering, and computer science teaching. For 2024–25, those who teach grades seven through twelve were eligible to apply for the PAEMST.

Click here to learn more.

The CVUSD is proud to provide students with the opportunity to join a diverse array of athletic teams during their educational journeys. This school year more than 50 scholar-athletes from the Class of 2025 have committed to playing more than a dozen different sports at the collegiate level. This achievement is a testament to the hard work, perseverance and dedication of these scholar-athletes. We celebrate their accomplishments and look forward to watching them continue to grow and succeed in their athletic and academic endeavors at the next level.

⭐Click here to view a list of 2025 Scholar-Athletes and where they plan to compete in collegiate sports after graduation day.

*Note: a complete list of post-secondary destinations for the Class of 2025 will be available later this spring.

Last week, the Thousand Oaks Rotary hosted the 39th Annual Youth Citizenship Awards to honor one student from every CVUSD elementary and middle school for their demonstration of integrity, goodwill and service to others. The Thousand Oaks Rotary defines Citizenship as, “the quality of an individual’s response to membership in a community.”

Students were nominated by their teachers, counselors and administrators for outstanding achievements such as volunteerism, leadership, school projects, and being role models in their schools.

With local dignitaries and their parents/guardians, each student received a special plaque to commemorate their recognition during the midday Youth Citizenship Awards Program.

Congratulations to the 2025 CVUSD Youth Citizenship Awardees!
Click here to learn more and to view the complete list of honorees.

Our CVUSD Parent Outreach Program recently hosted its 11th Annual Family Conference: Nuestra Cosecha. At this cost-free event presented in Spanish, parents heard inspirational presentations from other parents and community leaders. Welcoming remarks were shared from: Dr. Cesar Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools, Erik Nasarenko, Ventura County District Attorney, Lana Clark, Conejo Schools Foundation Executive Director, James Fryhoff, Ventura County Sheriff, and Ricardo Santana Velazquez, Ambassador and Mexican Consul in Oxnard. Presentations on Resilience and Positive Discipline were also shared.

While parents attended the conference, children in grades TK-6th had the opportunity to participate in a bilingual music workshop, reptile presentations, robotics, and language arts activities. Students in grades 4-6th grade were invited to join a math tournament.

Congratulations to the CVUSD Parent Outreach team on another impactful event showcasing that our community members are engaged, life-long learners!