CVUSD's Communication Snapshot

Para español, haga clic en el botón traducir/"translate" arriba

In this week's snapshot of news, updates and events - you'll find information on the following topics:

Calendar Reminder: Winter Break Ahead
Showing Up is Always in Season: A Holiday Message from CVUSD's Superintendent
Our Child Nutrition Team Presents the December Harvest of the Month: Persimmons
Save the Date: High School Instructional Materials Preview Webinar
We Proudly Recognize Our Eleven 2025 CVUSD Inclusion Heroes!
Cultivating Kindness & Connected Communities: Inclusive Schools Week Highlights 📷
Leadership in Action: Conejo Academy Students Give Back
Congratulations Natalie Taylor of Westlake Elementary: CVUSD's December 2025 Teacher of the Month!

Calendar Reminder: Winter Break ahead! There is no school from Monday, December 22nd through Friday, January 2nd for all students.

➡️ Elementary Students: Classes resume on Monday, January 5th.

➡️ Secondary Students: Classes resume on Tuesday, January 6th. (Monday, January 5th is a Secondary Prep Day with no school for secondary students only.)

We wish the whole Conejo community a joyful Winter Break and a Happy New Year!

Click here to view the complete 2025-2026 CVUSD School Year Calendar.

Dear CVUSD Community:

This holiday season, I share my utmost gratitude for you: our community of learners, teachers, staff members, families, volunteers and partner organizations who, together, make our school district the exceptional place it is to learn and grow.

Excellence in the CVUSD takes shape in so many forms. Yet, none of it would be possible without the most important first step: showing up. Our students are working hard to attend school every day, with our districtwide average daily attendance currently at 96% for the year. In return, our teachers and staff members are showing up with innovative teaching strategies, engaging activities and community-building opportunities for students to learn, grow, be challenged and find belonging.

This shared commitment to showing up, for one another and for our students, comes to life in especially meaningful ways during December. This month, our students have delivered countless magical performances, shining on stages both big and small and showcasing their growing confidence, new skills, and the communities they’ve become invaluable members of since the school year began. Our campuses also recently participated in a variety of activities and special events for Inclusive Schools Week, celebrating cultures of belonging and embracing our differences as strengths.

I am immensely proud to lead this District because each and every one of our Conejo community members show up, together. We show up to learn, to grow, to improve and to make a positive impact in our community - this is how we will continue to move CVUSD forward and achieve success.

Thank you for being a valuable part of our CVUSD community. I hope you have a wonderful winter break, and I look forward to more exceptional educational experiences, together, in 2026!

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

Did You Know: Our Child Nutrition team offers a Harvest of Month featured item in our school cafeterias each month? The featured item for the month of December is Persimmons. Each Thursday, students have had the opportunity to taste this healthy fruit!

Persimmons are a great source of Vitamin A which supports healthy vision. Persimmons are in season from late September- December. They can be eaten raw, dried or baked. They have a unique taste some would describe as honey-sweet apricot with a hint of cinnamon.

The CVUSD community is invited to join the District’s Instructional Services team for two scheduled Preview Nights (virtual) to review the following proposed high school instructional materials:

Core Literature Title: James by Percival Everett (Gr 11CP - Extended)
Oxford Resources for IB Diploma Programme 2024 Edition Environmental Systems and Societies Course Companion (Newbury Park High School) - Sample content here

The Virtual Preview Nights will be held on the following dates with the listed materials to be reviewed:

January 8, 2026 at 5pm - 1st Virtual Parent Preview: Both Instructional Materials - Click Here to Register to Attend
January 22, 2026 at 5pm - 2nd Virtual Parent Preview: *Core Literature Title Only - Click Here to Register to Attend

Click here to learn more.

In celebration of National Inclusive Schools Week, we received a record 140 nominations from our community honoring our educators and staff members who make CVUSD a more inclusive, welcoming place for ALL students. From those nominations, 11 remarkable 2025 CVUSD Inclusion Heroes were selected:

⭐Amber Bowman, Coordinator, Student Support Services

⭐Amy Rolniak, Choir Teacher - Westlake High School

⭐Aneta Grochulska, Paraeducator III - Maple Elementary School

⭐Catherine Kalev, Nurse - Various Locations

⭐Kate "K" Scattergood, DLI Teacher - Conejo Academy of Leadership and Language Immersion

⭐Katherine Jan, Special Education Teacher - Sequoia Middle School

⭐Karla DiDomizio, Principal - Sequoia Middle School

⭐Mariela Avalos, Bilingual Facilitator - Madroña Academy of the Arts and Sciences

⭐Mindy Hostetter, Special Education Teacher - Banyan Elementary School

⭐Oonagh Gaynor, Office Assistant III - Aspen Elementary School

⭐Susan Frisoli, Paraeducator I - Newbury Park High School

Join us in celebrating our 2025 Inclusion Heroes and thanking them for the immeasurable, positive impact they make in our schools every day! Click here to learn more.

Last week, we proudly celebrated Inclusive Schools Week, dedicated to honoring the unique strengths of every student and reinforcing our commitment to learning environments rooted in inclusivity, kindness, and respect. Our schools hosted a variety of activities and special events that highlighted how embracing differences enriches our school communities. Below are a few highlights!

At Aspen Elementary School, students enjoyed a series of uplifting events that showcased the Roadrunners’ culture of kindness and connection. During lunch, students stepped into an Acts of Kindness Phone Booth, pledged to become Aspen Inclusion Ambassadors, and spread positivity through All Abilities Rock Art and Chalk Art activities.

At Newbury Park High School, they proudly unveiled their Special Olympics Unified Champion School Banner as part of their Inclusive Schools Week celebration! This prestigious honor, awarded by Special Olympics North America, recognizes schools that go above and beyond to create inclusive environments where students learn, play, and lead together. All three of our comprehensive high schools have successfully met the ten standards of excellence to become National Banner Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools.

Serving up coffee, hot chocolate, and connection! Students from our Conejo Oaks Academy Post-Secondary Program brought their Coffee Cart to Aspen Elementary School to serve cups of coffee, hot chocolate and smiles prior to the school bell ringing. We're so proud of our Post-Secondary students for expertly sharing their talents while building skills, confidence and community during Inclusive Schools Week.

Congratulations to the six students from our Conejo Academy of Leadership and Language Immersion who used creative thinking to recognize a community need, developed a plan for how it could be addressed, and successfully received a grant through the Time for Change Youth Challenge to support their causes! At a special assembly last week, each student presented the items purchased by their grants to the organizations they support.

Way to go, Conejo - growing the changemakers of tomorrow! Click here to learn more about each student's grant and the cause it supports.

Natalie Taylor is a true cornerstone of the Westlake Elementary School community who constantly opens doors of opportunity for every learner by recognizing and embracing their diverse needs and goals. Ms. Taylor has been making a positive impact at Westlake Elementary as a Special Education-Mild/Moderate Teacher since 2022.

Ms. Taylor designs thoughtfully constructed lessons that are individualized to meet students exactly where they are. She uses data and collaboration to guide students toward success while creating a safe, supportive space where they can laugh, feel encouraged, be challenged, and grow.

At the Tuesday, December 9th, Westlake Elementary School staff meeting, Ms. Taylor was surprised with the December 2025 Teacher of the Month recognition. She was presented with a commemorative plaque from the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce, along with a $300 teacher grant from the Conejo Schools Foundation, and received congratulatory wishes from CVUSD’s leadership team and members of the Greater Conejo Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Education Committee.

Congratulations Ms. Taylor on this well-deserved honor, which celebrates how you make an immeasurable difference on the Wizards campus each and every day! Click here to learn more.

Communication Snapshot: Week of December 15, 2025 Communication Snapshot: Week of December 15, 2025

In this week's snapshot of news, updates and events - you'll find information on the following topics:

Calendar Reminder: Winter Break Ahead Calendar Reminder: Winter Break Ahead

Showing Up is Always in Season: A Holiday Message from CVUSD's Superintendent Showing Up is Always in Season: A Holiday Message from CVUSD's Superintendent

Our Child Nutrition Team Presents the December Harvest of the Month: Persimmons Our Child Nutrition Team Presents the December Harvest of the Month: Persimmons

Save the Date: High School Instructional Materials Preview Webinar Save the Date: High School Instructional Materials Preview Webinar

We Proudly Recognize Our Eleven 2025 CVUSD Inclusion Heroes! We Proudly Recognize Our Eleven 2025 CVUSD Inclusion Heroes!

Cultivating Kindness & Building Community: Inclusive Schools Week Highlights 📷 Cultivating Kindness & Building Community: Inclusive Schools Week Highlights 📷

Leadership in Action: Conejo Academy Students Give Back Leadership in Action: Conejo Academy Students Give Back

Congrats Natalie Taylor of Westlake Elem: CVUSD's December Teacher of the Month! Congrats Natalie Taylor of Westlake Elem: CVUSD's December Teacher of the Month!