PVSD Important Updates
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See Important Updates From Our Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Danielle Cortés
11/12/2024
PVSD Update #7
Good evening PVSD families,
I hope that you are safe and well. We are very excited to welcome students back tomorrow, Wednesday, November 13. We will have additional administrators at each school site to support the return to school.
Nearly all children will benefit from returning to school tomorrow to regain a sense of return to normalcy. At the same time, we are prepared knowing that the sound of wind, hearing a siren, and the first day returning to school can cause different emotional responses from our students. PVSD teachers, counselors, and staff are experts at comforting children and will have additional resources tailored to our needs and our community. Some children will need more time with their families, and some children may not be able to return immediately due to changes in living circumstances. There is independent studies information below for interested families who qualify. As always, please reach out to your school counselor for additional support. For students who need support during this difficult time, we also have short-term counseling available after hours by appointment. Please complete this form to request this support.
Please continue to be kind and patient with our team as we work to bring things back up to normal over the next few weeks. And please do not hesitate to reach out to your principal should you need any assistance.
Thank you and take good care.
Very sincerely,
Dr. Danielle Cortés
Superintendent of Schools
dcortes@pleasantvalleysd.org
Pleasant Valley School District
600 Temple Ave.
Camarillo, CA 93010
PVSD Recovery
As we continue to experience the Mountain Fire and the recovery from this event in our community for the days and weeks to come, we will all process this event in different ways. This is also true for children. For nearly all our children, they will benefit from returning to school and taking the steps to regain a sense of return to normalcy. At the same time, be prepared that the sound of wind, hearing a siren, and the first day back at school can cause different emotional responses from our students. PVSD teachers, counselors, and staff are experts at comforting children and will have additional resources tailored to our needs and our community. Some children will need more time with their families, and some children may not be able to return immediately due to changes in living circumstances. There is independent studies information below for families who qualify.
Safety During the Mountain Fire Recovery
District and site staff are working diligently for the return of students, taking additional measures at our most impacted sites. The following are some of the actions that have been taken at school sites in preparation for the return of staff and students:
- All sites and rooms have been inspected by site and district leadership.
- Air scrubbers have been placed in rooms where smell or debris in the air was a concern.
- Rooms are being wiped down, vacuumed (with HEPA filter-equipped vacuums), and have had trash removed.
- Rooms have had general cleaning in preparation for return of students and teachers.
- Grounds personnel have conducted site inspections, removed any debris that might contain ash, and have removed fallen tree branches.
- New! Face masks are available to students, upon parent request.
Looking forward, please know that as wind events continue to occur tonight, this week, and over the next few weeks, the air quality and level of debris will be changing regularly. We are operating in a disaster recovery zone. We will closely monitor the air quality and weather conditions for any predictions of conditions that will impact operations such as changing to an inclement weather schedule. To make our decisions we use the National Weather Service which has a weather station at Las Posas and Ponderosa and AirNow.gov for Air Quality as they have a station at the Camarillo Airport. When heat is a factor, we will also use the heat index from the National Weather Service.
Resources to Support Parents and Guardians in Discussing Difficult Events with Children
As you continue to have conversations with your children about the Mountain Fire, you may find the following resources helpful.
Helping Children Cope During and After a Disaster
How Families Can Cope with Relocation Stress After a Disaster
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events
Infographic National Association of School Psychologists (English)
Infographic National Association of School Psychologists (Spanish)
As always, please reach out to your school counselor for additional support. For students who need support during this difficult time, we also have short-term counseling available after hours by appointment. Please complete this form to request this support.
Community Meeting for Residents and Business Owners Impacted by the Mountain Fire
Ventura County and City of Camarillo will be hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center, located at 4235 Mar Vista Drive, Camarillo. Officials will provide updates on the incident and an overview of the Local Assistance Center being established. CLICK HERE HAGA CLIC AQUI
New! 25-26 TK/K/ New Student Night Rescheduled to November 20
Due to the community meeting, Pleasant Valley School District's TK, K, and New Student Information Night (originally scheduled for Nov. 13) has been rescheduled for November 20. PVSD invites all 25-26 TK, K, and new student families to our Information Night on its new date: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 at 6:00 PM.
VC EMERGENCY.com
For the latest information on the Mountain Fire, please go to https://www.vcemergency.com/
Need Help? And How to Donate
The impact of the Mountain Fire is deep and far-reaching. If your family is in need of help and you are willing to share your information with the district, please fill out THIS FORM. We will work to connect you with assistance. for the best response. Please go to https://vccf.org/ and click on the NEED HELP? button if you are in need of assistance.
The Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) is partnering with Ventura County schools to provide relief and recovery assistance, accept donations, and connect those who need help. Please go to https://vccf.org/ to donate. On the website, click on the DONATE NOW button. We are so grateful for the support and partnership of VCCF and the Ventura County Office of Education. If you wish to make a different kind of donation, please consider the American Red Cross at https://www.redcross.org/local/california/central-california/ways-to-donate.html
Thank you to those who have reached out to see if you can donate to a PVSD fund to support and celebrate the efforts of PVSD staff. I am overwhelmed by this generous offer. If you are so inclined, checks can be made to Pleasant Valley School District and turned in to the school principal. Please write "PVSD Staff Appreciation" in the memo. We will follow up with a letter for your tax purposes.
Independent Studies Information
CLICK HERE or go to https://www.pleasantvalleysd.org/departments/student-services/attendance/independent-study
Camarillo Academic Olympics
Registration has been extended until December 13th for the Camarillo Academic Olympics (CAO). This is an academic competition for students in fourth to eighth grade. Students can sign up for exams in many academic disciplines, such as math, English, history, and art. Students will compete at the school level. If they move on, students will compete against students from all other PVSD and Camarillo area schools.
Sign-ups will run through December 13th. The competition will start in January and end in February. The sign-up links are below:
English: https://camarilloacademicolympics.com/registration/
Spanish: https://camarilloacademicolympics.com/registro/
11/11/2024
PVSD Update #6
Good evening PVSD families,
I hope that you are safe and have gotten some rest this weekend. We are on track for the return of students on Wednesday, November 13. We are very excited to welcome them back! Tomorrow, PVSD staff will work tomorrow to adjust and prepare plans as we will be operating in a large natural disaster area recovery zone.
As we continue to experience the Mountain Fire and the recovery from this event in our community for the days and weeks to come, we will all process this event in different ways. This is also true for children. For nearly all our children, they will benefit from returning to school and taking the steps to regain a sense of return to normalcy. At the same time, be prepared that the sound of wind, hearing a siren, and the first day back at school can cause different emotional responses from our students. PVSD teachers, counselors, and staff are experts at comforting children and will have additional resources tailored to our needs and our community. Some children will need more time with their families, and some children may not be able to return immediately due to changes in living circumstances. There is independent studies information below for families who qualify.
Looking forward, please know that as wind events continue to occur tonight, this week, and over the next few weeks, the air quality and level of debris will be changing regularly. We experienced this with the wind this afternoon which is expected to continue through the night. Although classrooms and office spaces will be clean when children arrive on Wednesday, changes in air quality and debris in the air in the community will impact indoor spaces each time a door is opened. We will monitor throughout the day and review cleaning needs daily. Our operating conditions will be safe and most likely not spotless given the totality of our current conditions. We appreciate your grace and patience.
All of us are processing the wind, fire, and power outages that we experienced last week and we are all in different places emotionally. I am sharing this Camarillo Heights Staff Welcome Back Video with you as a source of inspiration. While evacuating Camarillo Heights, visibility was less than 3 feet due to the smoke. CHSA, transportation, leadership, and the Camarillo Police Department did an incredible job of communicating and calmly getting all our students to safety. I am in awe of their resilience and their heartwarming message to students and families is incredible. CHSA and Transportation- YOU ROCK!
Please see the important updates below.
Thank you all for your support as we grapple with this devastating event in our community. Please continue to be kind and patient with staff as they help to bring things back up to speed over the next few weeks. Thank you to those who have reached out to see if you can donate to a PVSD fund to support and celebrate the efforts of PVSD staff. I am overwhelmed by this generous offer. If you are so inclined, checks can be made to Pleasant Valley School District and turned in to the school principal. Please write "PVSD Staff Appreciation" in the memo. We will follow up with a letter for your tax purposes.
Thank you and take good care.
In partnership,
Dr. Danielle Cortés
Superintendent of Schools
dcortes@pleasantvalleysd.org
Pleasant Valley School District
600 Temple Ave.
Camarillo, CA 93010
New! PVSD Safety During the Mountain Fire Recovery
District and site staff are working diligently for the return of students, taking additional measures at our most impacted sites. The following are some of the actions that have been taken at school sites in preparation for the return of staff and students:
- All sites and rooms have been inspected by site and district leadership.
- Air scrubbers have been placed in rooms where smell or debris in the air was a concern.
- Rooms are being wiped down, vacuumed (with HEPA filter-equipped vacuums), and have had trash removed.
- Rooms have had general cleaning in preparation for return of students and teachers.
- Grounds personnel have conducted site inspections, removed any debris that might contain ash, and have removed fallen tree branches.
Looking forward, please know that as wind events continue to occur tonight, this week, and over the next few weeks, the air quality and level of debris will be changing regularly. We are operating in a disaster recovery zone. We will closely monitor the air quality and weather conditions for any predictions of conditions that will impact operations such as changing to an inclement weather schedule. To make our decisions we use the National Weather Service which has a weather station at Las Posas and Ponderosa and AirNow.gov for Air Quality as they have a station at the Camarillo Airport. When heat is a factor, we will also use the heat index from the National Weather Service.
Updated! Resources to Support Parents and Guardians in Discussing Difficult Events with Children
As you continue to have conversations with your children about the Mountain Fire, you may find the following resources helpful.
Helping Children Cope During and After a Disaster
How Families Can Cope with Relocation Stress After a Disaster
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Traumatic Events
Infographic National Association of School Psychologists (English)
Infographic National Association of School Psychologists (Spanish)
As always, please reach out to your school counselor for additional support. For students who need support during this difficult time, we also have short-term counseling available after hours by appointment. Please complete this form to request this support.
New! Community Meeting for Residents and Business Owners Impacted by the Mountain Fire
Ventura County and City of Camarillo will be hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, November 13, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. at the Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center, located at 4235 Mar Vista Drive, Camarillo. Officials will provide updates on the incident and an overview of the Local Assistance Center being established.
New! 25-26 TK/K/ New Student Night Rescheduled to November 20
Due to the community Pleasant Valley School District's TK, K, and New Student Information Night (originally scheduled for Nov. 13) has been rescheduled for November 20. PVSD invites all 25-26 TK, K, and new student families to our Information Night on its new date: WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20 at 6:00 PM.
VC EMERGENCY.com
For the latest information on the Mountain Fire, please go to https://www.vcemergency.com/
Need Help? And How to Donate
The impact of the Mountain Fire is deep and far-reaching. If your family is in need of help and you are willing to share your information with the district, please fill out THIS FORM. We will work to connect you with assistance. for the best response. Please go to https://vccf.org/ and click on the NEED HELP? button if you are in need of assistance.
The Ventura County Community Foundation (VCCF) is partnering with Ventura County schools to provide relief and recovery assistance, accept donations, and connect those who need help. Please go to https://vccf.org/ to donate. On the website, click on the DONATE NOW button. We are so grateful for the support and partnership of VCCF and the Ventura County Office of Education. If you wish to make a different kind of donation, please consider the American Red Cross at https://www.redcross.org/local/california/central-california/ways-to-donate.html
Independent Studies Information
CLICK HERE or go to https://www.pleasantvalleysd.org/departments/student-services/attendance/independent-study
New! Camarillo Academic Olympics
Registration has been extended until December 13th for the Camarillo Academic Olympics (CAO). This is an academic competition for students in fourth to eighth grade. Students can sign up for exams in many academic disciplines, such as math, English, history, and art. Students will compete at the school level. If they move on, students will compete against students from all other PVSD and Camarillo area schools. Our LPSSA staff encourages all students to sign up, show what they know, and display our Panther Pride.
Sign-ups will run through December 13th. The competition will start in January and end in February. The sign-up links are below:
English: https://camarilloacademicolympics.com/registration/
Spanish: https://camarilloacademicolympics.com/registro/
11/7/2024
PVSD Update #5- PVSD Schools to Open Wednesday, November 13th
Good afternoon PVSD families,
As promised, I am providing an evening update. We have been in communication with our incredible first responder leaders as we continue to assess our plans for Tuesday, November 12th.
Much of Camarillo remains in the epicenter of crisis. As of 1:00 pm today, the fire was at 0% containment with 19,643 acres burned. Winds are projected to return to more normal conditions until after 6:00 pm at the earliest. We have several hundred students and at least 70 staff members residing in heavily impacted areas. Camarillo Heights has been used as staging location for emergency workers and equipment. Our dedicated staff has provided mechanical assistance on fire trucks. Our first responders are saving lives day in and day out and we are proud to assist them in any way possible.
Our plan is for schools to be closed on Tuesday, November 12. Conditions permitting, PVSD staff will work on site Tuesday to prepare for the return of students on Wednesday, November 13. Teachers will adjust lesson plans to focus on supporting students, counselors will get prepared, and staff will get us back up to operating capacity.
FREE Child Supervision for Families
On Tuesday, free child supervision through PVSD student dismissal time will be provided for any student with a family in need. Grades TK-5 will be hosted at La Mariposa, Pleasant Valley School of Engineering and Arts (EEC), Rancho Rosal, and Tierra Linda. Middle school student supervision will be provided at the Pleasant Valley School of Engineering and Arts main campus. We will also offer spots to Camarillo families that work in neighboring school districts that are not as impacted by the fire and could be opening in a different timeline. Currently enrolled childcare students may attend until 6:00 pm. Food services will provide snack and lunch during child supervision. Transportation for child supervision will not be provided on Tuesday. Director Lawson will coordinate with the staff that will run these programs. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER
Safety and Cleaning
District and site staff are working diligently for the return of students, taking additional measures at our most impacted sites. The following are some of the actions that have been taken at school site in preparation for the return of staff and students:
- All sites and rooms have been inspected by site and district leadership.
- Air scrubbers have been placed in rooms where smell or debris in the air was a concern.
- Rooms are being wiped down, vacuumed (with HEPA filter-equipped vacuums), and have had trash removed.
- Rooms have had general cleaning in preparation for return of students and teachers.
- Grounds personnel have conducted site inspections, removed any debris that might contain ash, and have removed fallen tree branches.
Support for PVSD Families in Need
If your family is in need of assistance and you are willing to share your information with your supervisor and Human Resources, please fill out THIS FORM. We will work to connect you with assistance. For those of your patiently waiting to help, we are working on that aspect next.
Emergency Food Distribution
CLICK HERE for information from Food Share
I know that you have questions about why we made the decisions we made on November 6th. The short answer is that since the safety of our students and staff is my responsibility, these decisions ultimately fall to me as your imperfect leader. I make the best decisions I can with the information that I have. I reflect, learn, and I accept responsibility. I will also share that when we have parts of our town that are the epicenter of the crisis, our response needs to be different than those districts that have the good fortune to watch us safely from afar. I will take time over the next week to provide a more detailed, thoughtful response to this complex question.
We look forward to working as a PVSD community to welcome back our staff and students. We are here to help and support. Please reach out to your principals with any questions.
The above is my operational message to you with intentional brevity for clarity. What follows is what I shared on social media about you yesterday, from my heart. I am honored to serve this remarkable community
With gratitude,
Dr. Danielle Cortés
Superintendent of Schools
Pleasant Valley School District
600 Temple Ave.
dcortes@pleasantvalleysd.org
11/7/2024
PVSD Update- PVSD Schools Closed Friday, November 8th
PVSD schools will be closed tomorrow, Friday, November 8th. We will send a more detailed message this evening with what we are working on to support students and staff. Stay safe and take good care. Dr. Danielle Cortés Superintendent of Schools
11/6/2024
PVSD Update #4- All Schools Closed 11/7/2024
Good evening PVSD,
Given the fires and evacuation orders in the community, power outages at three schools, and the National Weather Service High Wind warning through 4pm tomorrow, all PVSD schools will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 7th.
By 6pm tomorrow, we will share our plans for Friday, November 8th.
All of our staff did an AMAZING job caring for our students today. I am so proud. Thank you to our families who have been so very cooperative and gracious.
Our hearts break for our Camarillo families that have lost their homes. Soon, we will be sending out information on how to donate to help impacted staff and families. PVSD is unable to accept direct donations so please be patient as we work to get a system ready.
We know that our students have been impacted by the events of the day. When we return to school, all schools will have plans to support the mental health needs of our students. We know that our students have been impacted by the events of the day. When we return to school, all schools will have plans to support the mental health needs of our students. CLICK HERE for information on how to talk to your child about wildfires.
11/6/2024
PVSD Update #3- Wind Event 1:45pm
IMPORTANT Bus Transportation information
Expect delays on all bus transportation due to road closures and heavy traffic congestion
- Northbound Lewis Road at Las Posas
- Eastbound Highway 118 at Wells Road
- Westbound Highway 118 at Tierra Rejada Road
Students who ride the bus who live in the evacuation zones LISTED HERE will be transported to PVSEA Gym at 700 Temple Avenue. Parents in the evacuation zones that are expecting their child to ride the bus home, need to pick up their children at PVSEA.
PVSD and Camarillo Police Department are asking for your cooperation in avoiding Las Posas Road, in general, to allow access for emergency responders
Sports and Activities
All afternoon sports and activities are canceled for today and tomorrow.
Tomorrow
The National Weather Service is reporting that the high wind warning remains in effect until 4pm Thursday. Although the situation is dynamic, our current plan is for all schools not in an evacuation zone to be open tomorrow.
We will provide an update on PVSD plans for tomorrow by 7:30pm this evening.
11/6/2024
PVSD Update #2- Wind Event 11:00am
Good morning PVSD,
UPDATE-
Camarillo Heights is being evacuated. Remaining students will be transported to Monte Vista via bus.
All PVSD Child Care services will end at 4:30pm today. Children in Child Care need to be picked up at 4:30pm today due to staffing shortages caused evacuation orders.
Cafeteria lunches at Las Posas and Monte Vista will be modified due to the power outage.
11/6/2024
PVSD Update #1- Wind Event 10:23am
Good morning PVSD,
Due to the wind event and related fires in surrounding communities, students will be on indoor activity schedule. All PVSD schools remain open. All students and staff and school sites are safe. Child Care at Las Posas and SRTMS will be closing early. Parents who use services at those sites will be receiving more information momentarily. Monte Vista and Las Posas are currently experiencing power outages. SRTMS is on a watch list for power outages. We will continue to monitor the situation and will remain in contact with local officials.
Please follow our communications via ParentSquare and on our official social media channels throughout the day.
Consider signing up for VC Alert for emergency information. Updates can be found HERE.
We appreciate your partnership.
Stay safe.
Thank you.
Dr. Danielle Cortés
Superintendent of Schools
dcortes@pleasantvalleysd.org
Pleasant Valley School District
600 Temple Ave.
Camarillo, CA 93010