Welcome Back to School!
Supporting Students is a Community-wide Priority
As we begin the 2023-24 school year, there’s a lot to be excited about in Ventura County. The worst of the pandemic is behind us and students are receiving all of the academic, social and developmental benefits of an in-person education. The new Transitional Kindergarten grade level for four-year-olds is available to more students than ever. Many of our high schools and middle schools now have Wellness Centers to help students deal with emotional stress, so they can better focus on learning. And we’re celebrating the opening of the beautiful new Del Sol High School in Oxnard, the first new high school to be built in Ventura County since 2015.
But the new year is not without its challenges. More students are missing school than before the pandemic and our high cost of living continues to make teacher recruitment difficult. The good news is that our entire community is engaged in finding solutions to these problems for the benefit of our kids. I invite you to read more about this in my back-to-school message for the 2023-24 school year.
Middle School Wellness Centers
Over the past few years, Wellness Centers have opened their doors at many high schools and some middle schools throughout Ventura County. The centers are playing a vital role in addressing the current student mental health crisis, and they will soon be serving more students.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors recently approved new funding that will allow the expansion of Wellness Centers to several more local middle schools. The Board approved just over $2 million to pay for this effort, which is a joint project between the Ventura County Office of Education, Ventura County Behavioral Health and local school districts.
Keeping Kids Safe at School
An unprecedented effort to respond to the threat of violence on school campuses is entering its second year in Ventura County. During the last school year, all Ventura County school districts joined with local law enforcement agencies for a series of workshops designed to maximize safety on our campuses.
The US Secret Service provided insights and training on how to identify threats and proactively intervene. Participants also learned techniques to secure classrooms and protect students in the event of an active assailant incident.
This year, a new slate of workshops will provide additional resources and strategies to enhance school safety. And newly produced training videos will make this vital information available to all school employees.
Fentanyl Town Hall Meeting
The ongoing opioid crisis in our community is the topic of a town hall meeting that will take place in the VCOE conference center in Camarillo on Wednesday, September 27 at 6:00 PM.
Facing Down Fentanyl is geared toward parents, educators and anyone else who is concerned about this critical issue.
The town hall is being presented by the County Opioid Abuse Suppression Task Force (COAST). This free event includes a light dinner and Spanish language interpretation will be provided.
2023-24 Competitions & Events
We’re seeking student participants and community volunteers for a variety of student competitions and events that will be held in Ventura County during the new school year. They all provide excellent opportunities for students to have fun while learning. The events include Mock Trial, where students play the roles of participants in a simulated trial at the county courthouse. And Battle of the Books, a high-energy trivia game that tests students’ knowledge of books they have read.
You can learn more about the events at the links below. For information about how to participate, email Andrea Rubin at [email protected].
We also have upcoming opportunities to celebrate our amazing local educators. The Ventura County Teacher of the Year program will select one outstanding local teacher to be in the running for California Teacher of the Year. And the Impact II Awards provide cash grants to teachers who develop innovative ways to engage their students. Find out how to participate at the links below.
