Dear Scotts Valley Community,
Welcome to the New Year!
We hope you had a nice winter break, including rest and rejuvenation. This month marks the New Year and various New Year celebrations that we acknowledge within our community. Our DEIB focus this month continues with holiday traditions, culminating in the recognition of the Lunar New Year at the end of the month. The Lunar New Year in 2025, Year of the Snake, begins on January 29, and celebrations continue through February 2. According to Chinese astrology, 2025 is the Year of the Wood Snake, which is a rare pairing that occurs every 60 years. The Year of the Snake symbolizes transformation, renewal, and spiritual growth. Students will have the opportunity to explore and celebrate the diverse cultures within our community.
In January, we also celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day with a holiday on Monday, January 20. Schools will honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his contributions to the civil rights movement in various ways. This day honors the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient. It is also a day to focus on volunteerism and community improvements. In 2025, this day will mark the 30th anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day as a National Day of Service.
Enrollment is now open for families who are NEW to SVUSD. For more information about registering your new student and reviewing our Welcome to SVUSD presentation at our SVUSD website, https://www.scottsvalleyusd.org/, click the Parent/Guardian Info dropdown menu and select Pre-Register Your New Student. This registration is not intended for students currently enrolled in SVUSD schools. All current students will be automatically enrolled for the next grade level, which includes moving from 5th to 6th grade and from 8th to 9th grade.
We look forward to welcoming current students back for the 2025-26 school year. As we plan for the upcoming school year, we ask that families complete the 2025-26 Intent to Return survey for each child attending an SVUSD school. We ask that families complete the survey before Friday, January 17.
We are pleased to announce that we are providing parent training and workshops. In January, SVUSD is presenting the:
Vigilant Parent Initiative Provided by the Scotts Valley Police Department
Is your child safe online?
Do you know who may try to befriend your child using apps such as Instagram, TikTok, or Snapchat?
Do you know what digital footprint your child is leaving on the internet?
How many hours a day is your child looking at a screen?
Join us for an interactive session to learn essential online safety tips and tools for your children in today’s digital age. Detective Ahrens, SVUSD’s School Resource Officer, will conduct a hands-on training session using the work of Vigilant Parent Initiative. This evening is highly recommended for parents with children who can access the internet and have social media apps on their phones or computers. You do not want to miss this opportunity to enhance your understanding of online safety.
● Parents will use the provided iPads to explore popular apps and learn about parental controls, increasing confidence in managing online safety.
● Parents will leave with practical tools and strategies to apply immediately that can help protect children from online predators.
Event Details:
When: Thursday, January 30, 2025, at 6:00 PM
Where: Scotts Valley High School Student Union (in the front of campus)
Who: SVUSD parents and caregivers of middle and high school students
SEATS are limited. Please RSVP here for your spot.
Note: Due to the sensitive nature, Vigilant Parent Initiative is for parents and guardians only.
Parent Workshop: Understanding ADHD and How to Support Our Children Who Have It
Join Vine Hill School Counselor Mackenzie Keller and Brook Knoll School Counselor Katie Feickert for an informative virtual workshop on ADHD on February 11th at 6:00 PM via Zoom. This session will cover essential topics, including strategies to support (elementary-age focus) children with ADHD, what teachers can do, and how parents can play a crucial role in helping their child succeed. Agenda highlights will include, understanding ADHD, strategies that can help, what teachers and parents can do, and questions/discussion. SIGN UP HERE
The workshop will also include a Q&A session, resources, and opportunities for community connection. Don’t miss this chance to learn more and support your child’s development.
Our Special Education Team hosted a productive and interactive workshop for our instructional aides in December. The session focused on refreshing and enhancing teaching strategies to support and engage our students better. Here are a few strategies we discussed that you can also use at home and learn more about:
Did You Know?
Specific praise, like "I love how you stayed focused during that activity!" is more effective than general praise. It helps students understand what behavior or action is being acknowledged and encourages them to repeat it. Please check out this video about a study of specific praise: Power of Praise.
Using a hierarchy of prompts (verbal, gestural, and physical) allows students to develop independence. Start with the least intrusive prompt and increase support only as needed, encouraging problem-solving and self-confidence. For more information, please visit prompt-hierarchy.
Teaching students to identify their emotions using the Zones of Regulation (Blue, Green, Yellow, and Red) helps them develop emotional awareness and self-regulation strategies. For example, “I see you’re in the yellow zone right now. Let’s take a deep breath to help us get back to green.” We encourage you to utilize the chart below with your students at home. This will allow for generalization and increased self-regulation.
As we enter 2025, our Business and IT departments continue to focus on enhancing operational efficiency and strengthening the District’s technological infrastructure. We are diligently preparing for the 2025-26 budget cycle.
Our IT department is upgrading network infrastructure across all school sites, transitioning to Cisco 3850 switches to improve connectivity and reliability. We plan to implement Google Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for enhanced security, ensuring stronger protection for staff and student accounts. Additionally, we continue to focus on improving cybersecurity measures district-wide to safeguard student and staff data as part of our ongoing commitment to digital safety.
We are nearly halfway through the school year and are already considering staffing for our schools next year. With the ongoing national educator shortage, it’s all hands on deck to find and train the next generation of teachers. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a teacher, please know there are programs and resources available. The Santa Cruz Office of Education has several grant opportunities and excellent information to help you.
Happy New Year!
Warm regards,
Tanya Krause, superintendent, and the District Office Team
Please visit school websites for important dates and events
Brook Knoll Elementary Website
Scotts Valley Middle School Website
Scotts Valley High School Website
Scotts Valley Unified School District Website