AV UNIFIED NEWS
As we head into our three-week winter break, I want to extend my warmest holiday wishes to you and your loved ones.
This time away from school is an opportunity to pause, reflect, and reconnect. I sincerely hope the coming weeks provide space for rest, relaxation, and meaningful moments with family and friends. Our students, staff, and families have worked hard this year, and this break is well deserved.
Thank you for your continued partnership and support of Anderson Valley Unified School District. We are grateful to serve such a caring and resilient community.
On behalf of the Board of Trustees and our entire district team, I wish you a joyful holiday season and a healthy, peaceful start to the new year. We look forward to welcoming students back refreshed and ready to learn on January 12th, 2026!
Upcoming District Events
Dec. 11 - Jan. 9 Winter Break
Jan. 5-9 AVES Winter Camp
Jan. 12 First day back after Winter Break
Jan. 13 at 4:45 School Board Meeting
Jan. 20 at 4:00 AVJrSrHS Exhibitions
Jan. 29 at 4:30 AVJrSrHS School Site Council & ELAC
Feb. 09 at 4:00 AVES School Site Council
Feb. 10 at 4:45 School Board Meeting
Feb. 19 at 5:00 Districtwide DELAC (with fun activity TBD)
Winter Assembly and Volunteer Appreciation at AV Elementary
On Friday, AVES had two small concerts, Student of the Month awards, and an appreciation event for their volunteers. The festivities were fun and the musicians were fantastic! Many thanks to Mr. McMath for teaching our littlest musicians, to Mr. Corey-Moran for serving as emcee, and to all our volunteers for your tireless commitment to our students. We love all of you!
Community Engagement Initiative Team
Community Schools Coordinator, Nat Corey-Moran brought the CEI team to a Peer Learning and Leading Network conference in San Diego right before Winter Break. This is a group of students, parents, and staff, who will set goals and identify with new ways to involve our parents and community in our schools. Many thanks to Nat, Tere Malfavon, Ali Cook, Lili Chavez, Michael Nemeth, Nicholas Espinoza, Sharon Korn, Darlyn Barosa, Heath McNerney, Jenny Bailey, Analee Gatlin, Blanca Mendoza, Harlow Jette, and Noor Dawood for your commitment to this work. Together, we will do great things for the school community!
Instruction & Learning
Our teachers and staff have a lot going on in the coming months and we are excited about continuing to improve our student learning outcomes. Our educators are continuously refining their craft in order to keep learning fun and productive in AVUSD! We are deeply grateful for our educators’ commitment to teaching & learning.
The AV Jr/Sr High math department will be working with math specialists on Monday, January 12th. They are planning engaging lessons that require students to think critically.
At AV Jr/Sr High departmental teams (English, Math, Social Science, Science, Arts) will be working collaboratively on half-days, Jan. 26-30. These teams will endeavor to select essential or “focus” standards for each course. This ensures the entire departmental team is on the same page about key concepts learned in each course, in order to maximize student learning.
On Jan 27, AV Elementary teachers will work with math specialists as they take next steps in planning engaging lessons, with a special focus on student-to-student discourse as they persevere through solving challenging math problems.
Construction Updates
The AV Elementary Kitchen will be up and running when we return from Winter Break! This means the school will now be serving regular breakfast and also second chance breakfast, starting in January. Many thanks to Architect Don Alameida and Cupples Construction for their hard work troubleshooting through the challenges that arise with older buildings.
The New Caltrans Clean California Track and Field are already being used by the school and community! We have posted signs to remind visitors that animals and wheels should stay off the field, and that cleats or wheels should not go on the track, as they could damage it. Thank you for helping us keep the track in excellent condition for the whole community to enjoy for years to come!
The AV Jr/Sr High Gym project is still underway. Our architect is working with DSA to try to get the outdoor canopy over the walkway included as part of the project for the funding we will receive from the Office of Public School Construction (OPSC).
A New AV Elementary Construction Project will be going out to bid soon. We are excited to replace several very old windows in the main building. We also hope to create another adult restroom and to complete the mitigation of the mastic in the main cafeteria area, likely over summer break.
The AV Elementary Garden is the next area we’ll be working on at the elementary school; stay tuned for an invitation to another Family Work Party soon. We look forward to cleaning up the area and installing a strong fence, so students and classes can use the area when the weather is nice.
We in AV Unified look forward to a bright and wonderful 2026. Thank you for being on the journey with us!
Sincerely yours,
Kristin Larson Balliet, Superintendent
Anderson Valley Unified School District
UNITY CLUB NEWS
The AV Unity Club was happy to put on another joyous, successful Holiday Bazaar on December 6th at the Fairgrounds. There were lots of shoppers, children making crafts with the PTAV, and visits with Santa. Our generous donors provided silent auction items, the proceeds of which will provide scholarships for graduating seniors in the spring. The High School was well represented: the senior class sold delicious homemade posole and tamales for their senior trip, the FFA provided beautiful wreaths to raise money for their programs, and items sold from Service Learning students supported the community skatepark project.
Auction donors included The Boonville Hotel, Jeanne Eliades, Charlotte Triplett, Disco Ranch, Gowan's Oak Tree, Denisse Mattei, Handley Cellars, Evette LaPaille, Greenwood Ridge Vineyards, Jumbo's Win-Win, Husch Vineyards, Kathy Borst, Lemon's Philo Market, Kristen Walker, Lula Cellars, Navarro Vineyards & Winery, Rossi's Hardware, Pennyroyal Farm, Sun & Cricket, Roederer Estate, Anderson Valley Brewing Company, Farmhouse Mercantile, Mosswood Market, Cafe & Bakery, and several Unity members. A special thanks goes to Ray Langevin for making his long journey from the Far North!
We thank everyone for making this long-time community event special.
Alice Bonner and Elizabeth Wyant, Holiday Bazaar Co-Chairs
Be First to Comment