Hello SRVUSD AltEd Community,

We have had an amazing first quarter in Alternative Education! The “newness” of the school year has vanished and we are excited to see all of the positive relationships forming throughout our school communities. I sent an email last week to let students and parents know that we will now be giving credit to Venture students who attend and participate in Advisory (we already do this for Del Amigo). Student will receive a P/NP for their active engagement and participation.

For both Venture and Del Amigo, in order to earn a PASS, students are required to attend and participate in at least 60% of the Advisory days. Attendance and engagement are crucial because Advisory provides a valuable opportunity to:

• Build community

• Celebrate diversity and foster inclusion

• Engage in social-emotional learning (SEL) activities

• Explore college and career pathways

Venture 11th & 12th grade students- We will be having our first Venture Graduation Status Transcript Workshop THIS FRIDAY, October 18th at 11 am. All Venture Juniors and Seniors are required to attend. We will be reviewing your transcripts and graduation requirements, setting some post graduation plans and making any necessary adjustments. We want to make sure all of our students are A-G eligible and are taking the classes needed to meet their graduation and post graduation goals! We will also be celebrating successes! We look forward to seeing you then!

Ms. Castellano, Principal

Friday, October 18th - Venture Graduation Plan 11am

Wednesday, October 23rd - College Fair 6pm - 8pm - DVHS GYMS

Friday, October 25th - VENTURE Fall Fest 11:15am - 1pm

Thursday, October 31st - DEL AMIGO Fall Fest 11:15am - 1pm

Friday, November 1st - School Recess NO SCHOOL

Sunday, November 3rd - Fall Back! Set your clocks back 1 hour

We wanted to take a moment to recognize and celebrate our amazing principal, Ms. Lynsie Castellano, on Boss’s Day. To show our appreciation for her hard work and dedication, the staff decided to surprise her and gift her a special spa day at school, complete with relaxing spa music, lavender mister, water fountain, face treatments, cucumber water, tea and pampering. We also arranged for her to enjoy a well-deserved offsite massage experience. As you can see from the attached photos, our staff and students were more than happy to join in the celebration and make Ms. Castellano feel truly special! If you would like to donate towards her spa experience please email dbarnes@srvusd.net.

HAPPY PRINCIPAL'S DAY MS. CASTELLANO!

Dear Del Amigo & Venture Students/Families,

Hope your school year is going well!

Over the past two years, we have collaborated closely with Project Sankofa to implement the African American Scholars Project (AASP) in our high schools. This outstanding program has greatly benefited our students. However, due to changes in structures and staffing, our district will not be able to offer AASP workshops in the same format this school year.

With every new year brings new opportunities. This year, we are excited to bring a new opportunity to our African American and Black students called the African American & Black Facilitated Discussion Series. Each month, starting in October, students will be able to participate in engaging and thoughtful discussions during student support, access, or tutorial periods. The purpose of the facilitated discussion sessions is to:

• Build connections, belonging, and support

• Encourage self-awareness and growth

• Challenge stereotypes and expand perspectives

• Promote open dialogue

• Develop leadership skills

• Share resources

The African American and Black Facilitated Discussion Series will provide African American/Black students with a safe space to share their experiences, explore their cultural identities, and engage in meaningful conversations about issues impacting their communities. These discussions will foster a sense of belonging, support mental and emotional well-being, and empower students to navigate challenges related to race, identity, and systemic inequality. Additionally, the series aims to build a strong network of peer support and create opportunities for personal growth, leadership, and advocacy within both their academic and social environments. Our school will be partnering with NAACP (Hayward Chapter) to facilitate the discussion sessions.

Click here to view the facilitated discussion series details. Register here.

Dougherty Valley High School/Venture/Del Amigo

Thursdays from 11:30-12:09pm, Room _TDB___

Dates: 10/17, 11/21, 12/19, 1/23, 2/20, 3/27, 4/17

School Contact: Earvin Buckner (Assistant Principal), ebuckner@srvusd.net

Facilitators: Earvin Buckner (AP) and Pastor Anthony Woods (NAACP)

Students will be invited to join the African American and Black Facilitated Discussion Series and given an excused absence, if they decide to attend. Participating students will need to communicate with their teacher to make-up any work missed from class. The sessions will be during student support, access, or tutorial periods.

Interested students can register via this link.

If you have any questions about the African American and Black Facilitated Discussion Series, please feel free to reach out to Mr. Earvin Buckner at ebuckner@srvusd.net or Dr. Hong Nguyen at hnguyen2@srvusd.net.

Calling All Green Thumbs! Join Our "Parent & Student Garden Project"

Get Ready to Grow Together!

We're excited to announce a brand new initiative launching on November 1st, 2024: the Parent & Student Garden Project!

This exciting project will see the transformation of our back parking lot into a vibrant and educational garden space for our entire school community. Imagine rows of colorful beautiful flowers climbing trellises, and the joy of learning and working our own garden.

Here's How You Can Be Part of the Fun!

To make this project a reality, we'll be building raised garden beds and planting a variety of plants. While we have the beds secured, we need your help to get everything flourishing!

Here's what we're currently seeking donations for:

• 12 bags of Miracle-Gro Raised Bed Soil (1.5 cu. ft.)
• 8 Tall Garden Trellises
• 50 Succulent Plants or Clippings
• 12 Climbing Plants (similar to Bougainvillea LaJolla)
• 8 Climbing Plants (similar to Glacier English Ivy)
• 2 Water Hose Storage Reels
• 2 Expandable Water Hoses (100ft)

Every donation, big or small, will help us grow a thriving garden!

Ways to Help:

• Drop off donations: If you purchase any of the listed items to donate, you can drop them off at the school office starting Nov 1st 9am to 3pm.
• Donate cash: If you would like to just donate $ we will do the shopping for you. You can drop CASH ONLY off at the school front office starting Nov 1st between the hours of 9am to 3pm.

This project is a fantastic opportunity for staff and students to work together, learn about gardening, and create a beautiful space for our school. Let's cultivate a love for learning and the environment, one seed at a time!

We look forward to growing together!

For any questions, please contact dbarnes@srvusd.net

Friday October 18th, Venture 11th and 12th graders will have a transcript workshop with Ms. Kruse to look at their transcript and work to understand the different parts of their transcript. These documents are difficult to understand, and it's important that students do understand them since they will be used in the future for any post high school endeavor.

Venture 11th and 12th grade students should be in attendance. If you you can not be here on Friday October 17 from 11-12, schedule a different IN PERSON meeting with Ms. Kruse using THIS link

Thank you,

Ms. Kruse

Safe Schools Month

San Ramon Valley Unified School District recognizes the month of October as Safe Schools Month. Safe schools provide an environment where teaching and learning can flourish and creating a safe environment for all students to thrive is the priority of our district and each of our schools.

We will continue to work with a broad spectrum of local community partners, law enforcement, mental health professionals, parents, students, teachers, and staff to take any threats of violence seriously and to develop, implement and monitor policies and programs that foster and support a positive school climate, free from harassment and violence.

National Bullying Prevention Month

San Ramon Valley Unified School District recognizes the month of October as National Bullying Prevention Month. Bullying is physical, verbal, nonverbal or written conduct, sexual or emotional harm, or intimidation with respect to sex, gender, ethnicity, race, ancestry, national origin, religion, color, physical or mental disability, marital or parental status, age, sexual orientation, or physical and social characteristics intended to cause harm.

SRVUSD, schools, classrooms, teachers, students, parents, and the broader community are encouraged to engage in a variety of awareness and prevention activities and curriculum designed to make our community safer for all children and adolescents.

Week of the School Administrator: Oct. 13-19

San Ramon Valley Unified School District recognizes the week of October 13-19 as School Administrator Week. Our administrators are dedicated and passionate lifelong learners who believe in the value of quality public education. SRVUSD appreciates our administrators and the incredible impact they make on the lives of our students. During this week we show appreciation for all school administrators and education leaders including principals, assistant principals, special education leaders, school business officials, classified leaders, the Superintendent, and assistant superintendents.

Red Ribbon Week: Oct. 23-31

San Ramon Valley Unified School District recognizes the week of October 23-31 as Red Ribbon Week. Red Ribbon Week is an alcohol, tobacco, smoking, and other drug and violence prevention awareness campaign. SRVUSD’s students, parents/caregivers, faculty, staff members, and administrators can symbolically honor their commitment to healthy, drug-free lifestyles by displaying red ribbons on their clothing and/or personal items, and by encouraging a drug-free lifestyle during the week of October 23 - October 31.

Email: dbarnes@srvusd.net
Website: https://veis.srvusd.net

Website: https://dahs.srvusd.net/
Location: 10540 Albion Road, San Ramon, CA, USA
Phone: 925-479-1200
Twitter: @venturevikings