Quail Mail
Biweekly SLV Charter Newsletter Vol 3.14 -April 19, 2026
From Principal Kerry le Roux
Hello Charter families!
STATE TESTING begins in a week's time, with Charter programs Coast Redwood High, Coast Redwood Middle and Quail Hollow Homeschool beginning the week of April 27, and Nature Academy and QHIA the week of May 4. If your child is in Grades 3 - 8 or 11th, please click here for the annual CAASPP Parent Notification Letter. (Note that students outside of the testing "band" in 2nd, 9th and 10th may still be coming in for Spring testing in Map Math/Reading or iReady Math/Reading, so consult your program newsletter for more detailed information.)
Thank you in advance for preparing your child to do their best, follow a healthy nutrition and sleep schedule (as always), and plan for on-time attendance during testing, which in most cases will take two weeks.
Students will take the following assessments:
1. English Language Arts - computer adaptive test (multiple choice)
2. English Language Arts - performance task (long-form typed response)
3. Math - computer adaptive task
4. Math - performance task
5. If your child is in 5th, 8th or 11th, they will also take the CST (Science Test) - multiple choice
COUNTY MATH CONTEST
If your child is in 5th - 8th grade, please look out for information from your program teacher regarding signing up to be on a Math Contest team to participate with other Charter students at this year's Santa Cruz County Math Contest on Saturday, May 9 at Aptos High School from 8:45am - 11am. There are two team practice dates offered with Teacher Advisor Ms Machnee which are highly recommended but not mandatory - on 4/29 and 5/6 from 2:30 - 3:30pm.
PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL and PRINCIPAL'S COFFEE
Please calendar the upcoming PAC meeting on April 30 at 9:30am in the Charter Library. We will be doing a first-read of the LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan). Thank you to all those who participated in the annual Parent Survey and/or attended the Superintendent's address to give your input on next year's LCAP. (We ended up winning the participation contest by 6% AND equaling our participation percentage from last year - we had 85% of families participating!). If you can't attend the PAC in person, please click here to join via Google Meet.
ONLINE REGISTRATION - PowerSchool registration is now open for 2026-2027 school year. Please follow these instructions to complete the online forms. We need your up-to-date contact preferences, student health data, parent/student permissions, as well as other important information verified or completed within one week of receipt or prior to the first day of school, whichever is first. Having all the necessary information will help us with student placement and scheduling. Your timely input and cooperation are greatly appreciated.
An email will have been sent to you already from PowerSchool Enrollment. Please follow the directions below to complete your registration form.
Directions to follow:
1. Please find in your email an email from PowerSchool Enrollment
2. Title of the email will read : SLVUSD POWERSCHOOL ENROLLMENT (ONLINE REGISTRATION)
3. Locate the yellow box on the email. In the yellow box will be the link for you to click to complete the online registration form.
4. You will use your student's date of birth to access the form, once you click the link in the yellow box.
5. Please use Google Chrome or a Firefox browser to complete the form
6. You will receive one email for every student you have that will be returning to SLVUSD. Each student will need to complete the registration process.
For any technical difficulties encountered during the enrollment process, please contact PowerSchool using the below channels:
- PowerSchool Support: https://help.powerschool.com/t5/reg
- Phone: (866) 752-6850, Listen carefully and follow the prompts; select Option 1; Monday through Friday, 8AM -5PM EST
School Contact Information:
- SLVUSD Charter School - 831-336-5167 x610
Please reach out to Janet Hendricks, our Registrar, and ask any general questions about the form or the Student Registration process. (Jhendricks@slvusd.org).
Have a wonderful week ahead!
Kerry
T. 831-335-0932
Redwood Mountain Faire - Please sign up to volunteer! (Corrected info!)
Hello SLV Charter Community!
The 2026 Redwood Mountain Faire is on May 30th & 31st, 2026 at Roaring Camp in Felton. Volunteering at this local music festival is the funnest way to raise funds for your child's Charter program! Our charter school has been invited back as a beneficiary because of our volunteers' ability to show up and be dependable. We have collectively raised thousands of dollars for our students each year by taking volunteer shifts at the Faire. This annual event is run by local nonprofit volunteers and the proceeds are distributed to beneficiaries in the SLV community like our school! So please sign up, spend a few hours helping out, enjoy the music, food, & fun, and watch our students' field trips and special events get funded. It's a win win win!
The festival organizers have assigned us the same three kinds of jobs as last year, but in great news, we've got six additional shifts! They've added another Band Merchandise Sales station at the Creekside Stage for us to manage! So we have a total of 49 shifts this year filling these roles β
- Trash & Recycling Monitors
- Selling Band Merchandise
- Volunteer "Floaters"
Here are the details on the three types of jobs and the links to their sign-up pages:
1) Trash/Recycling/Compost Monitors
Task description: Walk around the grounds and reline trash and recycling containers with fresh plastic bags. (Bags provided. Other volunteers will pick up and take away the full bags.) Help fairgoers figure out where to put their items in the bins. Pick up trash off the ground with trash grabbers and bags.
This may not be a glamorous role, but it is a super important one! The organizers were extremely appreciative of the work our teams did last year. This is a chance to help protect the environment and meet the county's strict trash separation requirements for festivals. This task is also a good fit for our family community, as these shifts are designed for students to volunteer together with their parent/guardian, and thus will count as two shifts! Volunteers will get to explore the whole Faire. (We need to fill 24 shifts.)
Recycling & Trash Management Sign-ups: https://slvrmf.ivolunteer.com/2026recylingandtrash_026
2) Sales at the Band Merch Tents
Task Description: Bands will be arriving at all different times dropping off their merchandise to sell. You will display and sell their merch. They also return to collect their merch and money at all different times. We are responsible for the cash and merch and only our volunteers are cleared to be in the booth hanging out. If a band member or their employee wants to stay and sell their own merch using their own change, that is fine. Only Charter volunteers should have their hands in the Charter cashbox. This is a fun job and close to the music. You may want to bring ear plugs. Adults over 21 only. (We need to fill 18 shifts.)
Band Merchandise Booth Sign-Ups: https://slvrmf.ivolunteer.com/2026bandmerch
3) Volunteer "Floaters"
Task Description: These shifts are for flexible volunteers who will fill in where needed at various booths. Volunteers may be assigned to the alcohol sales booths, so you must be over 21 and feel comfortable with the sales devices (Square readers, with onsite training), giving change, and/or may serve alcohol if needed. These will be busy and fun shifts, where the action is. (We need to fill 7 shifts).
Volunteer "Floater" Sign-Ups: https://slvrmf.ivolunteer.com/2026volfloater_026
PLEASE NOTE: When signing up, volunteers will receive an email to confirm your shift. You will need to CLICK A LINK on that confirmation within a certain time frame, or the shift will be put back into the system for others to sign up!
When signing up for your shift please put your program's initials in parentheses by your first name. e.g. "Tony Bananason (QHHS)". This way we can keep track of where to send the money earned when we get paid. Please use one of these abbreviations after your name:
(HW) for Heartwood Homeschool
(QHHS) for Quail Hollow Homeschool
(QHIA) for Quail Hollow Integrated Arts
(NA) for Nature Academy
(CRMS) for Coast Redwood Middle School
(CRHS) for Coast Redwood High School
Shifts are typically 4 hours, and all our volunteers will earn the same hourly rate based on the Faire's total profits ($70-100/shift). All volunteers get FREE Faire entry and parking for the day. You can stay all day to enjoy the music, food, & games!
It is critical that we get all our shifts filled so we are invited back next year for this fun fundraising opportunity! Ask your family members to work a shift if they can. For the Band Merch and Volunteer Floater shifts, we ask that they are filled by adults only. Your kids can check in with you from time to time, but cannot hang out at the booths during your shift.
If you just can't volunteer, you can still help by attending the Faire to help support the Charter's programs and SLV community! Please share this email with incoming families for next year and help promote the Faire on social media and with your friends. The better the Faire does, the more funds will be raised for all the local nonprofits. You can check out the musical line up at: https://www.redwoodmountainfaire.com/
Thank you for participating! I will be sending out more specific details to volunteers as we get closer to the Faire.
FOR ANY QUESTIONS, EMAIL MELISSA SNIFFEN, OUR SCHOOL'S RMF COORDINATOR DIRECTLY AT melissaRsniffen@gmail.com.
Looking forward to another fun Redwood Mountain Faire!
~ Melissa Sniffen, SLV Charter's RMF Volunteer Coordinator
Students in the News!
Quails of the Month (March)
Our Student Council has launched a positive campus culture and school spirit initiative this year - and we are so proud to announce March Quails of the Month! Students were nominated by classmates for showing great school spirit, as well as our Charter values of social responsibility and integrity. Winners received a certificate and some Quail "swag." Where there was more than one nominee, teachers made the final selection. At the end of the year monthly winners from each program will be in the running to win a Charter Quails T-shirt.
Noah Kurek
Kindergarten, Heartwood
Ramona Russell Hughes
5th grade, Quail Hollow Homeschool - Quails Class
River Curry
2nd grade, Quail Hollow Homeschool - Creeks Class
Poppy Monoogian
7th grade, QHIA
Eli Elliott
8th grade, CRMS
Nikolas Feldman
6th grade, Nature Academy
Coco Bradford
7th grade, Nature Academy
Charlotte Baillie
8th grade, Nature Academy
Santa Cruz County STEAM Expo 2026
Libuse Lukacova
This Heartwood first grader received an Honorable Mention in the Chemistry category for her experiment with fairy potions and the nature of color!
Jack True
QHHS 5th grader Jack True received Honorable Mention in the Environmental Sciences category for his study of coral reefs.
Charter News and Announcements
All Charter Talent Show
Please join us at the SLVHS Performing Arts Center (PAC) for the 2026 All Charter Talent Show!
As always, prepare to be amazed by the singing, dancing, musical, comedic and artistic talent wrapped up in each of our brilliant performers, representing our TK-12th grade programs.
When: Thursday, April 23 at 7pm and Friday, April 24 at 10:30am
Fashion Teens 2026
Celebrate the creativity of Santa Cruz County students (Grades 6β12) at this one-night runway event featuring original, upcycled wearable art and student-designed fashion.
Come and support our SLV Charter student designers and models: Lovina Wildermuth-Reyes, (8th grade, NA); Ilana Cruddas (6th grade, QHIA), Lyra Kadubec (6th grade, QHIA), Eliana Kasteen (6th grade, QHIA), Elia Kadubec (6th grade, NA), Louisa Gerlach (8th grade, NA), Evie Payne (8th grade, QHIA), and Amelia Amendolagine (8th grade, QHIA).
Where and When: At the Rio Theater in Santa Cruz
Friday, April 24 at 6:30pm
*New this year: This is a ticketed event, although it is still free. They are doing this because they are worried we will be over-capacity for the audience this year. Click on the link provided below, look for the Red βReserve a Spotβ button in the upper right corner.
Get your tickets on EventBrite using this link: https://sccoe.link/fashionteens26
(Pictured: Louisa Gerlach and Poppy Monoogian in their original creations from the 2025 event.)
SLV Charter Open House 2026 - with SC-Eatery Food Truck!
We look forward to welcoming current and future Charter families to our Open House on Tuesday, April 28 starting at 5:30pm in the MPR.
Program for the evening
5:30pm - Principal's Welcome and intro to team
5:40pm VAPA demos and performances
- Charter Band
Glee Club
Improv
Dance
6:00pm - Classrooms open for visits:
- Heartwood TK-1 (Room 24) - Amber Bauscher
- QHHS 2nd - 5th (Room 25 & 26) - Katie Parmenter and Alex Leovic
- Reading Intervention (Room 28) - Megan Zeitler
- CRMS 6th - 8th (Room 17) - Marcy Reynolds
- QHIA 6th - 8th (Room 16) - Amber Walker
- NA (Room 19) - Rosie Hope (6th grade and 7/8 elective)
- NA (Room 18) - Janelle Machnee (Math)
- NA (Room 20) - Cindy Pressley (Science and 7/8 PE)
- NA (Room 14) - Melissa Stockton (7/8 ELA, History, and elective)
- CRHS (Room 1) - Keidi Lewis (Spanish, History, Psych, Yearbook, Health)
- CRHS (Room 2) - Brian Heery (Math, Practical Arts)
- CRHS (Room 3) - Jeff Dagan (English Language Arts 9 - 12)
- CRHS (Room 4) - Micaiah Sutter (Bio, Marine Sci, Environmental Horticulture, Practical Arts)
- CRHS (Office) - Krista Perez and Rachelle Kenny (Resource TK - 12)
6:30pm - SC-Eatery - Local Charter family the Andersons' food truck will be set up with yummy food and soft drinks for sale in the quad - we'll gather as a community to eat together! (Menu includes a range of stirfry noodle plates, fried chicken and arguably the best flautas anywhere, plates run approx $10 for kids and $16 for adults.)
Calendar - A Look Ahead
Upcoming events and important dates
You will find all these events and more on your student's Program google calendar and/or the General Public Calendar shared above.
April is Arab American Heritage Month and Autism Acceptance Month! Click the links provided for Learning Resources curated by our Library Media Specialist Amanda Baillie.
Mon, April 10
- Student Council meets in the Library at 1:30pm
Tues, April 21
- Gaga Ball pit reserved for elementary students
- Open House for SLVHS - 5:30pm
Wed, April 22
- GSA meets weekly in room 19 at lunch
- Charter Talent Show dress rehearsal - 3-4pm in the PAC
Thurs, April 23
- SLV Charter recognizes Earth Day - Spirit dress up day is Greens, Browns and Blues
- All Charter Talent Show at the PAC starting at 7pm
Fri, April 24
- All Charter Talent Show at the PAC starting at 10:30am
- Fashion Teen at the Rio - 6:30pm (see above for ticket details)
- Prom 2026!
Sat, April 25
- Regional ROV competition - Watsonville High School pool - Charter teams demo at 2 and 3pm
Mon, April 27
- SLV Charter starts State Testing this week
- Student Council meets in the Library at 1:30pm
Tues, April 28
- Gaga Ball pit reserved for elementary students
- All-Charter Open House - meet in MPR at 5:30pm; Community gathering and food truck at 6:30pm in the quad
Wed, April 29
- GSA meets weekly in room 19 at lunch
Thurs, April 30
-- Parent Advisory Council meets - 9:30am in the Charter Library (agenda)
- Open House at BCE and SLVE - 5:30pm
Fri, May 1
- Start of Jewish American Heritage Month, Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Mental Health Awareness Month
For planning further ahead:
Thurs, May 7 - Pet-assisted Therapy dogs visit Charter campus (lunch hour)
Fri, May 8 - All-Charter Outdoor Movie Night (NA fundraiser) - 6pm
Sat, May 9 - Santa Cruz County Math Contest (5th - 8th grade) - Aptos High School - 8:45 - 11am
Fri, May 15 - Attendance due for Month 11
Wed, May 20 - District Art & Music Festival - Roaring Camp 4 - 8pm
Thurs, May 21 - Last in person Homeschooling enrichment day
- Heartwood 1st grade advancement - 9am (details to come from Amanda)
- QHHS 5th grade advancement - 10:30am (details to come from Katie and Alex)
Mon, May 25 - Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL
Tues, May 26 - Fri, May 29 - NA outdoor adventure
Tues, May 26 - QHIA 8th grade Advancement - 10am (details to come from Amber)
Thurs, May 28 - CRMS 8th grade Advancement - 10:30am (details to come from Marcy)
Sat & Sun, May 30 and 31 - Redwood Mtn Faire at Roaring Camp
Sun, May 31 - Retirement celebration for Melissa Stockton - Natural Bridges Beach - 11am
Tues, June 2 - Last PAC and Principal's Coffee meeting - 9:30am - Library
Wed, June 3 - Nature Academy 8th grade Advancement - 10:30am (details to come from NA team)
All-Charter Volunteer Tea - 11:30am
Min Day for NA - dismissal 12:05 - NO pm BUS
Thurs, June 4 - Last day of school
- CRHS Graduation - 10am - Fall Creek amphitheater
- Min Day for NA - dismissal 12:05 - NO pm BUS
First day of school 2026-27 school year: Thursday, Aug 6, 2026
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nature Academy parents, here is the Bell Schedule for 2025-26. Don't forget to check the Nature Academy Google Calendar to be sure which bell schedule we're on each day! (You can also click here if you are not a Google Calendar subscriber)
- A1 days (typically Mon) dismissal 1:19pm at Nature Academy
- A2 days (typically Mon) dismissal 2:05pm at Nature Academy
- A3 days (typically Mon) dismissal 3:00pm at the tricampus
- O days (typically Tues/Thurs) dismissal 2:05pm at Nature Academy;
- E days (typically Wed/Fri) dismissal 2:20pm (Wed) and 2:05 (Fri) at Nature Acadeny;
- Minimum Days dismiss at 12:05 at Nature Academy;
- Excursion Days - times are individual to the excursion, but typically 3pm dismissal
Here are the links to all other Charter program calendars:
Please add the "General" Charter google calendar to yours, along with the one that links to your child's program. (In Google, you can switch calendars on and off as needed once you've added them.) This way you'll have up to the minute information about event dates and times.
Quail Hollow Homeschool Calendar
Quail Hollow Integrated Arts Calendar
Ongoing Announcements from previous newsletters
Melissa Stockton is retiring!
Nature Academy co-founder Melissa Stockton has mentored scores of students over her 28 years of exemplary service to the Nature Academy. Grounding the work in the 19 Lifeskills essential to academic success and character development, Melissa has ensured a lasting legacy for future generations of students looking for a way to blend academic rigor with outdoor adventure and cultural enrichment, to prepare them for "an ever-changing world."
Calling all current and former Nature Academy students and families: We want to recognise Melissa and her contribution to our school, by getting together on Sunday, May 31 at Natural Bridges beach/picnic area for a retirement celebration in her honor. Please join us there from 11am - 2pm! Bring a food item to share and your own drinks. (Students under 18 must be accompanied by a parent, as this is not a drop-off event.)
Ms Hope is collecting contributions to a retirement travel fund for Ms Stockton, so please feel free to contribute - (Venmo accont: @rosiehope - pls put "Stockton Gift" in the memo.)
Email Rosie at rhope@slvusd.org if you would like to include a personal message in the card!
Creating a safe and caring school for everyone
At SLVUSD Charter School, we do not allow any form of hate, bullying, harassment or discrimination in our schools. Every student and adult deserves to feel safe, respected, and welcomeβalways.
We are proud of the many different backgrounds, families, and identities that make up our school community. We believe every student should be treated with kindness, no matter their race, abilities, gender, religion, or family structure.
Hereβs how we support a safe and inclusive school:
We take all reports of bullying, body shaming, bias, or hateful actions/language seriously, and follow clear steps to address these.
We teach students about kindness, respect, how to treat others, and to understand the impact of their actions - through class lessons and school activities.
We provide counseling and support to students who need it.
We ask for your help at home, too. Please talk with your student about treating others with empathy and kindness.
Together, we can make sure our schools are places where every student can learn, grow, and feel proud of who they are.
Touch-Type Read and Spell
We are asking that throughout the school year parents of students in 2nd through 8th grade encourage 3 x a week 20 min keyboarding practice with Touch-Type Read Spell, the "award winning multi-sensory course that teaches typing, reading and spelling" aimed at students from elementary to high school.
Students can access it through the Launchpad if they're using a district chromebook, or use this link if accessing it on a private device: https://launchpad.classlink.com/slvusd. (Our younger students who don't yet use their district email/password, or any student having trouble getting in via launchpad, can access it directly at readandspell.com.) Ask your child's teacher or Kerry for their TTRS login ID and password if you don't have it yet - distinct from their district email address and password.
"Based on the average completion time, a student using TTRS for one hour per week should complete approximately 744 modules in a year. The main TTRS Course consists of 24 levels, with 31 modules in each level, totaling 744 modules. On average, students complete the entire course in about 12 months when dedicating one hour per week to the program. Individual progress may vary, and some learners might complete the course faster if they spend more than an hour per week on TTRS."
Chromebook Loans
Parents can sign out loaner Chromebooks through the library for their students to use at home. To check out a device and charger, please come to the library according to the times below:
Tues, Wed and Thurs: 8:15 -10:00am or 2:00-3:00pm
Please note that students canβt sign out a Chromebook without a parent; it requires a parent's signature. If thereβs a problem, parents can email Amanda at abaillie@slvusd.org to make arrangements.
Students should not be bringing a personal laptop to school unless itβs part of an IEP. All teachers have class sets of Chromebooks for students to use if it's required as part of the lesson.
(Note: Regular Library hours are Tues through Thurs 8am - 3pm.)
Athletics Information
Charter students are eligible to try out to play in all sports at SLVMS and SLVHS. Please keep an eye on the respective websites so your child is aware of the tryout schedule for each season's sports. We will also share that information as we receive it.
Athletes, remember that eligibility rules require you to carry at least a 2.0 GPA (C average) to remain eligible to complete in the middle school athletics practices and competitions.
MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS
Parents, please read this Spectator Code of Conduct from SLVMS Principal Shanna Urbancic.
Please click here for a link to the Panther Athletics website (SLVMS)
Athletics Director Lupita Alaniz has a newsletter she sends out regularly to Middle School parents who subscribe - please look for the first one to be emailed soon after this one! It contains the dates for Fall tryouts!
Fall Sports (August - October)
Boys Soccer
Girls Basketball
Cross Country (No cuts)
Winter I Sports (October - December)
Girls Soccer
Boys Basketball
Winter II Sports (January-March)
Girls Volleyball
Wrestling (no cuts)
Flag Football
Spring Sports (March- May)
Girls Softball
Boys Volleyball
Golf
Track and Field (no cuts)
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
Please click here for a link to the Cougar Athletics website (SLVHS).
Emergency/School Safety update
From Superintendent Chris Schiermeyer: "Providing a safe place for students to learn and grow is one of the most important responsibilities of our school system. All San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District schools have a School Safety Plan in place. Drill procedures for emergencies and disasters are regularly practiced at each school.
Last school year we changed our countywide codes for emergency drills in collaboration with law enforcement and the fire departments. Our new codes are as follows: Evacuation, Reverse Evacuation, Hall Check, and Lockdown. Please see the Standard Command Emergency Response Poster for more details on these types of drills that will be practiced at our school sites as required by law.
Along with school staff, your family plays a critical role in preventing and responding to school emergencies. The information posted on the Emergency Information website page is intended to provide parents/guardians with the steps you can take βbeforeβ, βduringβ, and βafterβ an emergency. Please note the emergency information has been revised to be in alignment with the newly adopted codes. Please take a moment to review this information."
SLV Charter will be starting our monthly/quarterly evacuation drills (elementary/secondary) shortly. Please be sure to sign in to get a visitor sticker if you're coming on campus so that if you're on site for a drill we can account for you. Please contact Kerry if you have any questions!
Schoology
If your child is in 6 - 12th grade, your teacher most likely uses Schoology to record assignment and test scores.
How a parent logs into Schoology:
- Get your parent access code from your teacher or administrator.
- When you have your parent access code, go to app.schoology.com/register.php.
- Click the βParentβ button below the βInstructorβ and βStudentβ buttonsβ in the βSign Up for Schoologyβ section.
- Enter the access code you received, and click Continue.
- Enter your name and email (not the studentβs) and choose a password.
Refer to the Parent Schoology Handbook to learn more.
Parent Volunteers/Chaperones
Volunteer application hours - PLEASE NOTE: The Charter Office and SLVUSD Human Resources Office hours will process volunteer registrations at the following times:
Tuesdays from 8:00-11:00 am
Thursdays from 1:00-3:30 pm
The Charter Office is located behind the shade structure on the elementary Charter campus, and Human Resources is located at the front of the District Office (both at 325 Marion Ave. Ben Lomond).
All Charter parents are encouraged to register with the District as a volunteer and a field trip driver. (All parents are asked to drive on excursions...)
Please click here to access the required volunteer paperwork. Hard copy paperwork is also available at the Charter Office.
To use your personal vehicle to transport your own or other students, we will need updated driver information on file as well - please click here for the form.
Γ New Volunteer: You will be required to fill out the volunteer paperwork and obtain a signature from the principal. Once complete, please bring your signed paperwork to the Human Resources Office. You will be required to provide a current TB result. Also, all new volunteers will be required to be fingerprinted.
Γ Returning Volunteer: You will be required to provide current TB results (within the last 4 years). If you don't know whether your TB is current, check with the Charter office. If you are turning in updated TB info, you can bring it to the Charter office or directly to the Human Resources Office.
Note that the District is offering more dates this year for our District Nurse to assist with TB clearance, an essential step in the volunteer clearance process. Please see the dates below:
Nurse at DO-HR
Thurs 8/28 12:30-3:30pm
Tues 9/2 8-11am
Thurs 9/4 12:30-3:30pm
Tues 9/16 8-11am
Thurs 9/18 12:30-3:30pm
Tues: 9/30 8-11am
Student Nutrition Information (Breakfast and Lunch)
- All SLVUSD students are eligible to receive a free breakfast and lunch through the cafeteria. Starting this year, Breakfast is served at BRUNCH (see your child's program details) so please make sure your child eats something before school if the wait for Brunch will be a hardship for them. The Charter office will keep some emergency provisions on hand for this as well :)
- Lunch is not ordered online any more. Our nutrition service coordinator typically brings enough of the daily hot lunches for that day's menu for everyone who wants one, but should these run out we will always have healthy cold alternatives available (salads, sandwiches, etc.)
- Meals are be served from our Multi-Purpose Room in the central area of the campus
- Lunch times vary per program, but generally happen in the 11:50 - 12:30 window
- Elementary students will have lunch cards (kept in the MPR).
- Secondary students will need to key in their student ID on a keypad.
- A-la-carte items like Izzy drinks and chips can be purchased for cash or on account, but only after the primary brunch or lunch has been served to all. (See information for account set up on the SLVUSD Nutrition Services website below.)
IMPORTANT: Please will all families complete the Free/Reduced Lunch Application at https://family.titank12.com/
Although a meal application is not necessary for your child to receive free meals during the 2025-26 school year, households are asked to complete a meal application to ensure that your school receives accurate funding. As well, your childβs eligibility for free or reduced lunch could qualify you for additional outside services or benefits including Free/Reduced Bus passes, student fee waivers, P-EBT, discounted utilities, and more.
- Link to SLVUSD Student Nutrition Services website
Transportation Information
SLV Charter no longer offers Nature Academy morning bus transportation as the bus arrives too late for the start of school at 8:15am; if your child is in QHIA or CRMS they are able to ride the bus back to the depot here at the D.O. from the tricampus.
If your child takes the bus after school, please remember you will need to purchase a bus pass.
ALL Nature Academy students have to be registered to take bus transportation on A3 days to the tricampus. (No need to pay.) Registration form link.
Students at Coast Redwood High who need afternoon transportation to the tricampus for concurrent enrollment classes can take the TK bus that leaves the District Office at noon each day. They will not need to pay for a bus pass. However, they still need to register. Rides will be denied if students are not registered.)
Please click here to access the Transportation web page for route information, bus pass applicationss, and any other information you need.
The Charter Office staff ask families to call in before 1:50pm if they have a message for their student about changing that day's bus transportation arrangement.
If youβre interested in following our Instagram account, showcasing news and events from SLVUSD Charter School, here is the info:
βI'm on Instagram as slvcharterschool. Install the app to follow my photos and videos, or click this link: https://instagram.com/slvcharterschool?igshid=MzMyNGUyNmU2YQ==
(Please know that we will be very careful not to post pictures of students on the "Do not Photograph" list.)
And if you haven't started following the District Instagram accoount, look for "slvusd" and click "Follow!"
Community Opportunities
Did you know that our district maintains a "Community Opportunities" website? This is for parents / students to receive information about current local events and opportunities for adults and/or children.
Note: The San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District does not sponsor or endorse any of the organizations or events that are located here. They are non-school sponsored events and are not being promoted by the school district. All postings are provided as a courtesy to the parents/students.
Homework Help at the Public Library
Bring your assignments to one of the FREE drop-in Homework Help sessions at one of the following public libraries.
Tuesdays from 3:00p to 5:00p.
Downtown, 224 Church St., Santa Cruz
Felton, 6121 Gushee St.
Capitola, 2005 Wharf Rd.
La Selva Beach, 316 Estrella Ave.
Open to all students up to grade 12.
Call 831.427.7713 for more information.
And also from the Santa Cruz Public Libraries:
SCPL are particularly excited to offer a new resource from Brainfuse called CollegeNow, which offers support with college applications, essays and more. This is in addition to HelpNow live tutoring.
Please click here for a press release containing comprehensive information on the many resources SCPL offers to all students. SCPL looks forward to welcoming your students to any of their 10 branches, Annex and Bookmobile during this new school year!
Guide to Resources for Families in SLV
Here's a handy one-pager listing various organizations and resources for families in the San Lorenzo Valley.
Mental Health resources
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - with a link to their March newseltter
Brightlife Kids, an organization that provides free online support in behavioral coaching for parents, caregivers and students aged 0 - 12.
Please click here for a link to a flier from the Community Action Board of Santa Cruz, containing a number of useful resources for families. CAB's mission is to "partner with the community to eliminate poverty and create social change through advocacy and social service. "
Parent/family engagement/involvement and education opportunities
Triple P
Triple P/First Five of Santa Cruz County offer ongoing parenting classes for parents of students of all ages. Please click here to see their workshop offerings.
Triple P also offers 1:1 sessions for parents who are needing intensive 10 week session and add-on sessions for people who are divorcing or separating (Family Transitions), for couples wanting to work on their relationship (Enhanced) and for people wanting to work on their strong emotions, like anger (Pathways). If interested in 1:1 sessions, please contact First 5 of Santa Cruz: https://www.first5scc.org/contact