By Dave Fehte, Director, Clayton Valley Charter High School
CVCHS is excited to welcome our new and returning students, teachers, and staff for the 2022-23 school year. The first day of instruction is August 9.
The Ugly Eagles are anticipating another exciting and promising school year as we return to campus from a fun and relaxing summer break. It is a great, positive environment when everyone is here at CVCHS and fortunate to be back in classrooms for a second, post-pandemic year.
CVHCS will be celebrating our 10th year anniversary as a public charter school. We plan to unveil numerous sponsored events and activities to commemorate our school’s great history and highlight the amazing achievements of our past and present students. If you have any connection with CVHCS – either pre-charter or current – we want you to be involved. Stay tuned for more announcements.
As we begin a new school year, CVCHS is ready to welcome our students and support their enthusiasm to take on new challenges and aspirations. Our Week of Welcome prepares incoming ninth graders and new students for a positive and enriching first year as an Ugly Eagle.
CVCHS recognizes the importance of a successful high school transition and why it matters. Consider the national statistics where freshmen are the largest at-risk population in schools:
* Most of the students who drop out of high school fail at least 25% of their ninth-grade courses.
* More students struggle in ninth grade than any other grade as transition to a larger high school can be challenging.
* Low attendance during the first 30 days of the ninth-grade year is a strong indicator that a student will drop out.
That is why we offer a unique transition program providing a structure to connect upper class students to underclassmen called Link Crew. It includes effective training and the necessary support to make the relationship meaningful and allow new students to focus on school – rather than “wondering” if they are going to fit into their new academic environment.
Link Crew is a national youth organization that assists school staff to train Link Crew leaders who guide first-year students to discover what it takes to be successful at CVCHS. All Link Crew leaders at CVCHS must maintain a 3.0 GPA and sign a code of conduct to be a part of the program.
Link Crew’s main goal is to address the fundamental needs of every student in order to understand the social, extracurricular, and academic climate of
CVCHS. Over the four-day process, new students participate in a variety of academic and social orientation activities to promote student safety, a sense of wellness, better communication among peers, and more importantly, to encourage students to think about the path they will take during the next four years, and beyond.
CVCHS owes a special thanks to teacher Sarah Lovick, Link Crew student leaders and our awesome school counselors for their tireless efforts hosting amazing activities at our Week of Welcome. It is a rewarding experience for our upper-class students who share advice and tips for a smooth and spirited opening to the school year. And our group of dedicated staff and volunteers provide the support and encouragement for all our new students to become proud Ugly Eagles.
Music and arts performances, extra-curricular programs, and athletic season.
CVCHS is fortunate to have an amazing group of committed student-performers who excel in their musical, theatrical and artistic talents. Thank you to our outstanding instructors – Kevin Cline, Chance Krause, Sunny Shergill, Elizabeth Emigh, Liz Abbott, Kelsey Power, Nick Hansen, Katie Nolan, Michael Bellew and Jennifer Moore – for their inspiration and encouragement to our students. Be sure to support these programs, performances and showcases here at CVCHS and throughout the Clayton/Concord community.
And finally, onto our Fall athletic teams. The Ugly Eagles football season begins August 26th when we host the Salinas High School Cowboys. I am excited to announce that Coach Tim Murphy is back leading our seasoned varsity team with Coach Nick Tisa running our masterful defensive schemes. CVCHS is poised to have another epic state championship run with an aggressive new look. But while the Ugly Eagles football has the highest profile of the Fall sports, Cross-Country, Volleyball, Tennis, Water Polo, and Golf are all in full swing (no pun intended). I encourage the Clayton/Concord community to join us and support all our Ugly Eagle student-athletes this year.