News in Brief
New superintendent welcomed to CVUSD
On May 19, the Conejo Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) welcomed Dr. Ann Bonitatibus, Ph.D. to her new position as superintendent of the district. The current superintendent, Dr. Jeff Baarstad, is retiring, and Bonitatibus will be taking over his position starting next school year. In a written statement, Dr. Betsy Connolly, President of the CVUSD Board of Education, said that “we are all looking forward to meeting with her in the weeks and months to come and to showing her why we are so proud of our district.”
Ronald Reagan Scholarship Federation recognizes semifinalists
On May 22, 100 semifinalists were honored at the Ronald Reagan Library during a special awards dinner, with some receiving scholarships of up to $8000. Semifinalists included seniors Margaux Jones, Jayne Avendano, Preston Hill, Brett Coker, Ciaran Lynch, and Grace O’Toole. Courtney Brousseau, senior, received a scholarship of $5000 and Henry Horita, senior, received a $2000 scholarship.
NPHS garden flourishes
The NPHS garden has developed significantly since it was planted in January of last year. According to special education teacher Anne Alvarez, who supervises the development of the garden, it now features a retaining wall, garden planters, a garden shed, scarecrows made by the Eco Art and special education classes, and more wheelchair-accessible areas. In the future, Alvarez hopes to build picnic tables, make more of the planter boxes wheelchair accessible, and sustain a butterfly habitat. In addition to extra garden features, Alvarez hopes that the garden will help the school be officially recognized as an eco-green school.
Award winners announced at Senior scholarship night
On June 3, seniors who have received scholarships from organizations, foundations, and elementary and middle schools were awarded these scholarships at the annual scholarship night. The military honored students as well, with the Marines and the Navy recognizing Nathaly Ruiz and Samuel Whipple as Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) recipients. Ruiz and Whipple were awarded full tuition scholarships to their respective universities, San Diego State University and University of Southern California. In addition to these scholarships, several families awarded scholarships in memory of lost loved ones.
