Among our greatest achievements as a conversion charter school has been our partnership with our stakeholders. The support and collaboration that this school has is an incredible synergy focused on doing what is best for our students. This is not a unique idea, but the average public school has not been able to realize it to the same extent.

Perhaps most important and most powerful of all these partnerships has been that with our parents. CVCHS has been gifted with the most passionate and committed parent body that I have even seen in 30 plus years of education and administration. Parents have revealed their "Eagles Pride" in a multitude of ways this year and last and it never ceases to amaze me what a rich source of spirit and dedication these folks are.

Just recently, I discussed this phenomenon with my administrative team and some of my Governing Board members and we actually tried to quantify the parent participation - it turned out to be quite impossible as the list of names, activities, and results started to take up pages and pages in a rudimentary list. There are literary thousands of parents that have touched this school in one way or another in the last two years. Although I will surely leave many out, I want to recognize some of the things they contribute to:

We have an army of dedicated parent volunteers who come forth to fold open house brochures, distribute flyers, assist in the library, facilitate student groups at Challenge Day, assist with classroom and school projects like Cocoa & Cram and the Art Expo, and other odd jobs in the main office.

They spearhead special events for our teachers such as Teacher Thank You Days and for our students such as Challenge Day, Senior Picnic, Senior Brunch, Grad Night, and much more.

They sell game tickets and keep an eye on our students at football games and assist our Leadership Class at dances.

They are coaches, game announcers, scorekeepers, team moms and dads, awards banquet organizers, pasta feed hostesses, photographers, snack shack volunteers, and of course the best fans in the world at all our sporting events.

They sit on an endless list of committees and groups dedicated to improving our school (WASC, PFC, Student Services, Curriculum, Operations, Governing Board, etc.).

And they are the parents who buy one more CVCHS hoodie knowing that no one needs another sweatshirt but....

A list of names that come to mind:

Terry Newberry (announcing and DJ), Wendy Scholefield (administrative support), Sandi Svoboda (Music Booster), Susanne and Chip Renner (Challenge Day), Rick Ortiz (women's lacrosse), Bruce Winship (car pooler), Scott Anderson (team photography), Mike and Kim Abele (water polo team parents), Paul Kommer (women's basketball), Debra Meylan (Crab Feed and Senior Brunch), Deanne Carlson and Karen Carmen (PFC), April Winship and Megan Kommer (Governing Board) and the list could go on and on forever. I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to these parents and all the ones I did not mention. This school is forever indebted to you.

Parent involvement equals success. It's a win/win for everyone.