CVUSD's Communication Snapshot

• Welcome to the First Edition of the Communication Snapshot for the 2025-2026 School Year!
• A Welcome Message from CVUSD Superintendent Dr. Mark McLaughlin
• Reminder: The First Day of Classes for the New School Year is this Wednesday, August 20th!
• Available in Q on 8/18 & 8/19: Student Class and Teacher Assignments
• Free School Meals for All TK-12 Students
• CVUSD School Cafeterias to Go Cashless for All A La Carte Purchases
• Please Review: 2025-2026 Annual Notice for Students, Parents, and Staff and the 2025-2026 Discipline Policies and Procedures
  
• CVUSD Families Please Complete: Important, Required Annual Updates for the 2025-2026 School Year
• Now Available: Chromebook Accidental Damage Protection for the 2025-2026 School Year
• CVUSD's Updated Mobile Devices Policy Takes Effect this School Year
• Protect What Matters Most: Affordable Student Accident & Health Coverage Now Available
• Parent/Guardian Participation - A Top Priority: Learn About CVUSD's Advisory Councils/Committees
• How CVUSD Communicates With You
• "Where Do I Start?" - Communication Guidelines for Parents & Guardians
• Get the Facts: Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Events - What You Need to Know
• CYBHI: A New Initiative from the State of California Supports Mental Health Services Access in Schools
• Familiar Faces in New Places: Join Us in Welcoming CVUSD Leaders to their New Roles!
• A Voice for Students: Meet Finn Kerns, Student Board Trustee for the 25-26 School Year

Welcome to the first edition of the Communication Snapshot for the 2025-2026 school year! The purpose of this districtwide message is to provide you with a brief, weekly overview of updates, important information, news, events and highlights related to the CVUSD, our schools, our students and the community we serve. This message will be sent out via email, text and CVUSD app each Monday at 4:30pm, unless there is a holiday or school break, in which case the message will be sent on the day classes resume. Check out the "How CVUSD Communicates with You" section below to make sure you have opted in to receive text communications from your CVUSD school and the District.

Note:

• Language Translation: This newsletter features a built-in language translation feature by selecting the "Translate" button at the top of the newsletter.

Dear CVUSD Community:

Welcome to the start of the 2025-2026 school year! We are kicking off this school year with a new Board of Education developed and approved mission statement, which encapsulates the heart of what we do in the Conejo Valley Unified School District:

“Committed to providing exceptional educational experiences for all students, the CVUSD focuses on offering opportunities and choices that foster each student’s unique gifts and prepares them to reach their full potential for success in a diverse, challenging, and changing world.”

We encourage all members of our school community to embrace this mission as we jumpstart into what will be another year of exceptional educational experiences for all students and the core of our work: doing great things for kids!

Our school district thrives thanks to the strong partnership we share with our engaged families and the steadfast dedication of our teachers, staff, and administrators. Together, we create enriching learning experiences and cultivate inclusive, welcoming school communities where we work hard for every student to feel safe, valued, and supported. We recognize that this summer has been challenging for many of our students and families due to recent immigration activity within and around our community. We will continue to provide individualized support and resources for every student's unique needs in our Conejo community. We have always prioritized authentic engagement with families and we remain steadfast in our mission to serve and uplift every student, every day.

Together, this teamwork and commitment is the foundation of our vibrant educational environment that challenges, supports, and inspires. As we look to the future, our District remains focused on innovation—and we will continue to evolve to meet the ranging needs of our students, deliver targeted care and resources, and prepare them for success in college, career, and beyond.

As we approach the first day of school, please be sure to review all of the important information in this newsletter, along with the key information sent from your school sites about what you and your student(s) can expect for the first day of school and beyond.

We look forward to all of the great things our community of learners and leaders will achieve this school year! Thank you for being a part of our special community.

Sincerely,
Dr. Mark McLaughlin
Proud Superintendent of Conejo Valley Unified School District

📅 The complete 2025-2026 school year calendar is available to view online here.

Reminder: Student class and teacher assignments will be available via the Student and Parent Q Portals this week, with the following schedule:

📍Students Entering Grades 6-8: Beginning at 12 p.m. on Monday, August 18th.

📍Students Entering Grades TK-5: Beginning at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, August 19th.

School meals for the 2025-2026 school year will be available to all students at no charge.

🍎 Click here to view your school's menus!

⭐ Although all students will receive free meals through the duration of this school year, we request for all families to please complete the Free / Reduced Meal Application for the 2025-2026 School Year - available online here. A PDF of this application is also available here.

The Free / Reduced Meal Application 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.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Plan Ahead: Beginning this school year, CVUSD school cafeterias will transition to a cashless payment system for all a la carte purchases. A la carte offerings, such as snacks and beverages, are available at all secondary schools and items range in price from $1.00 - $2.50.

Students will need to use funds preloaded onto their Parent Connect accounts to make all a la carte cafeteria purchases. Cash payments will no longer be accepted.

👉 Click here for more information and instructions for how to load funds to your student's account.

In accordance with California Education Code 48980, every school district must notify the parents and guardians of each pupil and staff annually of their rights and responsibilities related to school.

Please click here to review the 2025-2026 Annual Notice for Students, Parents, and Staff (English) / Aviso Anual para Estudiantes, Padres y Personal (Spanish) which provides a summary of those rights and responsibilities.

Please click here to review the 2025-2026 Discipline Policies and Procedures (English) / Disciplina Reglamentos y Procedimientos (Spanish) which provide parents and students with tools to help understand the importance of students conducting themselves in a manner that results in success for them and those around them, resulting in a positive and productive school year.

As with each new school year, required Annual Updates 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.

Click here to learn more, including to view a step-by-step instruction guide.

We are proud to provide all students with a Chromebook through the District’s 1:1 Program. While Chromebooks are provided at no cost to families, proper use and care of the Chromebook is the responsibility of the student and their parent/guardian. To support this program, CVUSD is offering Chromebook Accidental Damage Protection (ADP) program for families to eliminate the concern and costs of repairing or replacing damaged, or stolen Chromebooks.

💻 Click here to learn more about the Chromebook ADP program.

💻 Click here to purchase Chromebook ADP now.

The Conejo Valley Unified School District Board of Education recently approved an updated version of CVUSD Board Policy 5131.8 “Mobile Communication Devices,” which goes into effect this 2025-2026 school year.

For all CVUSD Students in Grades TK-8:

• Mobile communication devices shall be turned off and/or on silent mode and put away during instructional time.
• Students in grades Preschool through 8th grade 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).
  
  

For all CVUSD Students in Grades 9-12:

• Mobile communication devices shall be turned off and/or on silent mode and put away during instructional time.
• Students in Grades 9 through Post-Secondary 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.
  
  

Click here or check out the below flyer for more information about what this new policy will look like at our schools!

The safety of our students is of critical importance to all of us and we want to protect them from injury. Even so, accidents do happen (at school and elsewhere) and required medical care can be expensive. Please know that your school does not assume responsibility for such costs but does offer you access to several student accident insurance plans for voluntary purchase. Details can be found in this accompanying brochure/enrollment form.

Options are available to cover your child 24/7, anywhere in the world or you can limit coverage to school-related injuries only. The plans do not restrict your choice of doctors or hospitals. However, you’ll also have access to an extensive network of providers with discounted fees. Seeking care through contracted providers may further reduce your out-of-pocket costs, particularly if your child needs surgery or hospitalization.

Also offered is the pay-as-you-go Student Accident & Sickness Plan which covers sickness as well as injury, in and out of school. The Dental Accident plan can be of particular value with younger students as final treatment to injured teeth often needs to be deferred until after they mature.

Click here to learn more about Student Accident & Sickness Insurance.

Parent engagement and participation is a major priority of the CVUSD. Family involvement is encouraged through many formal and informal organizations and activities: including our six parent advisory councils. Learn more by reviewing the below flyers and/or by visiting the District's Parent Participation webpage.

✋ Parent/Guardian Participation: A Top Priority - Overview Flyer (English/Spanish)

✋ District Advisory Councils/Committees: 2025-2026 Meeting Schedule (English/Spanish)

Our goal is to keep all stakeholders informed of all things CVUSD. Whether that’s via our website, social media channels, the CVUSD mobile app, or in more traditional settings – we hope you will find the perfect touchpoint for staying up to date on all things CVUSD.

📲 IMPORTANT: We strongly encourage all CVUSD families and staff members to double check the contact information (phone number, email, and SMS number) provided within their Q profile. If you do not provide a mobile/SMS number and check the box to opt in to receive text messages, you will not receive text message communication - which is a crucial communication method for urgent information to be shared. If you are unsure what contact information you've provided, need assistance to update contact information and/or need to add a mobile/SMS number, please contact your school site's main office.

🛑 Note: This message was deployed via email and text message. If you did not receive a text message communication, this likely means that our communication system does not have a mobile/SMS phone number in your profile and/or you did not check the box to receive text communication.

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As of this month, our CVUSD and school site Outreach text messages will be sent using a local 10-digit phone number.

🤳Our New Text Message Number for Outreach: 805-491-6616.

We recommend saving this number in your contacts as “[CVUSD/School Name] Alerts” so you always recognize messages from us. Click here to learn more.

Conejo Valley Unified School District is dedicated to providing you with transparent information about your child’s education in a timely manner. We want you to feel comfortable addressing your questions in our District. With direct and respectful communication, most issues are resolved at the school level.

Please use this "Where Do I Start?" Communication Guidelines for Parents & Guardians to help address any current or future questions and concerns you may have.

CVUSD school campuses will continue to be open when a school does not have power due to a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) initiated by Southern California Edison. Consideration to not open schools would include evacuation orders or if a school facility was deemed to be unsafe. Students and families rely on our schools to provide safe spaces, meaningful social connections, nutritious meals, engaging teaching and learning, and caring relationships with staff. Schools create a sense of stability amidst times of uncertainty.

Please review the below "Get the Facts: Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) Events" infographics for additional information. Click here to view this information as a PDF.

The Children and Youth Behavioral Health Initiative (CYBHI) is a transformative, five-year, multi-billion-dollar investment by the State of California aimed at overhauling the behavioral health system for individuals from birth through age 25. California public schools are now partnered with private health plans to reimburse schools for mental health and wellness services provided at school. Health plans are now required to reimburse schools for providing general education mental health and wellness services, separate from your personal health claims.

With your permission, CVUSD can begin the billing process for the mental health and wellness services your students receive at school. You will not receive a copay nor does this affect your deductible. If your student accesses these services a member of the CVUSD Mental Health & Wellness team will be in touch to share steps for how families can grant permission and provide health insurance information to the CVUSD.

By providing CVUSD with your health plan information, CVUSD can begin the process of billing for the mental health and wellness services your students receive. To learn more, please watch the informational videos below and click here to review a comprehensive FAQs document about CYBHI.

We also proudly welcome the following (previously announced) school principals and district administrators to their new roles:

• Jamie Ledezma, Director of Fiscal Services - Read the Announcement
• Sarah Phillips, Director of Child Nutrition - Read the Announcement
• Jason Klinger, Adult Education, Principal - Read the Announcement
• Brandy LaRue, Principal of Los Cerritos Middle School - Read the Announcement
• Meghann O'Weger, Principal of Maple Elementary School - Read the Announcement
• Jasson Przebieda, Principal of Madrona Academy of the Arts and Sciences - Read the Announcement

Mr. Kerns is a student at Thousand Oaks High School with a passion for public service. This is the seventh consecutive year that a student from the Student District Advisory Committee (SDAC) will serve as a Student Board of Education Representative. We look forward to having Mr. Kerns' unique perspective and input on the dais - click here to learn more.