February 14, 2025

PRESIDENTS' DAY HOLIDAY

Please be reminded that the school will be closed this coming Monday, February 17, in observance of Presidents’ Day. We hope you enjoy the long weekend, and we look forward to seeing you back in class on Tuesday!

COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPALS

Parents/guardians: Are you interested in attending a morning meeting with Principal of Academics Nicole Read and Principal of Arts Dr. Stephen Cook for a “State of the School” presentation? We invite you to come have coffee with the principals on Monday, March 3 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the Cafeteria to learn more about the school’s academic standings, new programmatic initiatives, and an update on our school’s goals for improvement and progress towards those success indicators. To attend, please RSVP by Wednesday, February 26, so we can plan accordingly. Hope to see you there.

STUDENT DESIGN CONTEST FOR APPAREL

Students: Take advantage of the long weekend to create your design for the

apparel design contest! Students from all conservatories and grade levels are welcome to enter their design for the chance to be featured on the front of a t-shirt or sweatshirt in an upcoming schoolwide apparel sale. Be sure to submit your design through this form by Friday, February 28 at 11:59 p.m. Please review and follow all design guidelines listed on the Google form before submitting your creative design.

Once all submissions have been received, a panel of administrators and staff will be reviewing the designs to select a small group of finalists. Then these final designs will be shared on the @CSArtsSGV Instagram account so our CSArts-SGV community can vote and determine the winning design! Stay tuned for a future newsletter notifying the CSArts-SGV community of how and when to vote.

If you have any questions about this student design contest, please email communications@sgv.csarts.net. Good luck and happy designing!

2024 ANNUAL CONTRIBUTION RECEIPTS

Parents/guardians: We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to all our families that generously made a contribution in support of CSArts-SGV during the 2024 calendar year. Contribution receipts have been emailed to one of the parent/guardian email addresses in our system. Please be sure to check in both your inbox and your spam folder for an email from thank-you@donorperfect-mail.com. If you have questions, please contact Family Liaison Larry Ruiz at larry.ruiz@sgv.csarts.net or 657.321.4000 ext. 60061.

SAFETY REMINDERS

Morning Drop-Off

We want to ensure a smooth and safe arrival to campus for our students every day throughout the semester. Be sure to review our Campus Map, which outlines the designated drop-off and pick-up routes. Morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up will take place in the Highland Avenue Parking Lot at the back of the school. Please be reminded that the City of Duarte has implemented a right-turn-only rule when exiting the Highland Avenue Parking Lot. Be sure to plan your route accordingly.

Metro Train Safety

Students who ride the Metro Gold Line are encouraged to walk to and from the train station with a buddy or in a group. When on the train, they should sit with fellow CSArts-SGV students whenever possible and choose a car with multiple adults. Please avoid sitting alone for safety reasons. For late rehearsals or any instance where a student must walk to the station alone, a Security escort can be requested by calling Security at 626.205.4001. Security is also available to escort students to their cars parked on Central Avenue after rehearsals.

Cell Phone Use During Restroom/Water Breaks

Since our return from Winter Break, staff has observed that more students are using their cell phones during restroom and water breaks. Please remind your student that phones should be placed in the phone chart or teacher-designated storage area at the start of class and remain there until class ends. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a focused learning environment!

MIDDLE SCHOOL UPDATES & REMINDERS

School of Fine & Media Arts

Last week, 8th grade students in the School of Fine & Media Arts (SFMA) completed their course selection form for the 2025-2026 school year in their conservatory classes. If your student was absent, please see below to view the SFMA Pathway Presentation and complete the Course Selection Google Form.

SFMA Pathway Presentation

SFMA Course Selection Google Form

The course selection form for all 8th grade SFMA students is due on Thursday, February 20. Please ensure that your student submits their form promptly.

If your student applied for a conservatory transfer during the fall semester, they will need to complete the Conservatory Placement Activity, in addition to the course selection form above, since conservatory transfers are not guaranteed.

If you have any questions, please contact Middle School Coordinator for Royal Oaks Stephanie Maletz at stephanie.maletz@sgv.csarts.net.

School of Theatre

School of Theatre 8th graders will be given a presentation on Conservatory Selection on Thursday, March 6 during their conservatory classes. 8th grade parents/guardians: Please take some time to discuss with your student which conservatory they wish to select after the presentation.

Course selection forms will be due on Thursday, March 13.