Castro Valley Elementary School

Dear Castro Valley Elementary School Families, 

Welcome to the 2025-2026 school year! On behalf of the CVE staff, it is my pleasure to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to you as we begin the school year at Castro Valley Elementary School. Our staff’s goal is to create an equitable learning environment that engages each student and meets their academic and social emotional needs, while nurturing a sense of belonging for our students and community. We are excited to continue our work this year. A few important updates to start the year:

• This year we are happy to welcome CVE's new teachers and Speech Therapists.

  • Ivy Rosal- TK SDC (Mod)

  • Jessica Alvarez - TK (room 27)

  • Andrea Nassrallah - TK (room 4)

  • Jen Do - Kindergarten (room 2)

  • Sonal Rohom - 3rd Grade Job Share with Ms. Duncan

  • Bailey Jones - 5th Grade Long Term Sub for Ms. Rossillon

  • Alanna Afasiai - SLP 

  • Stephanie Ornellana - SLP 

In order to enhance security and safety for students and staff, all gates will be locked during the school day starting at 8:30 a.m. All visitors must come through Gate 2 (the main entrance) using our doorbell system. Gates will open 5 minutes prior to dismissal and will be locked again at 3:30 p.m.

The first day of school is Wednesday, August 6, 2025. The first bell will ring at 8:07 a.m. and classroom instruction starts at 8:10 a.m. Students are encouraged to arrive to school by 8:00 a.m. Daily supervised breakfast is available to all students each morning from 7:40 to 8:00 a.m. 

I would like to invite all families to actively participate in your child’s elementary school experience. I encourage you to become active in our Parent And Teacher Association (PATA). This active group of enthusiastic and committed parents meets on the first Tuesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Participating in PATA is a wonderful way for you to share ideas and support CVE students, teachers, and staff. 

In addition to PATA, we encourage you to be part of our other family groups – our Comité de padres Hispanos, Black/African American/African Family Group and our Chinese Discussion Group will all have meetings and events throughout the year. 

There are many opportunities to be involved at CVE. Parents and families are important partners in education as we work together to make CVE…the place to be! 

You may:

• Consider volunteering in the classroom or library 
• Volunteer to teach culture lessons in classrooms 
• Commit to reading with students each week 
• Participate in  Family Learning Nights and committee meetings
• Consider volunteering in our Multilingual Lending Library 
• Join the Garden Club after school to help maintain our school gardens
• Volunteer on a PATA committee
• Consider a parent leadership role on School Site Council, PATA or ELAC

The CVE Student/Parent Handbook, CVE and PATA Websites, Monthly Calendar, School Marquee, and the Bear Facts newsletter will provide you with dates and times of school events and committee meetings. The Bear Facts will be emailed the first week of the month.

Mark your calendars! 

• Registration Wednesday, July 30
• First Day of School Wednesday, Aug 6, 2025
• PATA Welcome Back Coffee for parents/guardians: Wednesday, August 6  at 8:10 a.m in the cafeteria.
• Back to School Night: Thursday, Aug 14, 2025

  • TK and Kindergarten: 4:30-5:30 p.m. in classrooms

  • General Session: 5:30-5:55 p.m. in the cafeteria

  • 1st-5th Grades: Session 1 - 6:00-6:30 p.m. Session 2 – 6:30-7:00 p.m. in classrooms 

I would like to thank you for your support and welcome you to the new school year. If you have questions, ideas, or concerns, please stop by the school office - my door is always open.

In partnership,

Elizabeth Duran Contreras

Principal