Community Day FAQs

CAVAs Community Day program has many different sites throughout the state. The goal of the
Community Day program remains the same from site to site; provide quality instruction and
social opportunities for students in a safe environment.
1. Can the parent stay on site? Can
the parent leave the site?

2. What grade(s) are in each

classroom?

3. How many days a week does

Community Day meet?
4. If we switch to Community Day,
will we have the same teacher as
last year?
5. What subject(s) are taught?

6. Do you cover OLS lessons?

7. When I get home from Community

Day, do I still need to do OLS
work?

8. Do you celebrate the holidays?

It is up to you if youd like to stay on site or leave. Parents

are welcome to stay in a designated lounge area,
volunteer in any of the classrooms, or participate in
parent-specific activities. We ask that volunteers spend no
more than 1 hour in any classroom and please do not use
cell phones. You can also participate in parent-specific
activities at the site as well, which can include, parent
training (hosted by the site coordinator), a PTO meeting, or
a coffee break social time. More information will be
shared by the site coordinator. You can also just sign your
student in, leave after the assembly, and return at the
pick-up time.
All Community Day sites serve students in grades K-8 and
some of our sites have a high school class. Typically there
is a K-1 class, 2nd-3rd grade class, 4th-5th grade class, and a
middle school class. Each Community Day site looks a little
different depending on the needs of the students.
Most sites meet once a week. For the 2015-16 school
year, Fresno, Redlands, Santa Rosa and Glendora sites
meet twice weekly.
No, all Community Day students are placed with a CD
teacher.
Each week, the class will cover Math, Language Arts
(writing focus), and an elective. The elective varies
depending on the site and teacher. Examples of electives
sites have chosen include; art, science, history, student
government, choir, and music. Your teacher will provide
you with a detailed syllabus.
Community Day teachers work to align their instruction
with OLS lessons. The syllabus provided to you will identify
the OLS units, lessons, standards, or objectives being
taught each day. You may mark those lessons off if your
student has mastered the objectives of the lesson.
We encourage you to complete 1-2 more lessons at home
after Community Day so you dont get far behind in your
OLS progress. Your teacher can help you design a schedule
and routine that works best for you on the day your
student attends Community Day.
At Community Day we have a variety of celebrations that
could take place at the site. For example, a Harvest

9. What does a typical day look like

at Community Day?

10. What happens if we miss a

Community Day?

11. What other things take place at

Community Day throughout the
year?

12. I want to help in my childs class,

but I have a younger child. Is their
childcare available?

13. What if my child is working ahead

or behind of the lessons being
taught?

14. Many sites are located at

churches. Why?

Festival in the fall. You will be made aware of any holiday

celebrations being held at Community Day and
participation is optional in these activities.
Students will receive one hour of instruction in math, one
hour of instruction in language arts, an elective period, and
time for a hearty snack that was brought from home and
recess. There will also be a morning assembly before
students are dismissed to their classes to go over any
announcements and other miscellaneous items. Parents
are encouraged to participate in the assembly.
We encourage students enrolled in Community Day to be
absent only when absolutely necessary. Your teacher will
help you and your student cover what was missed. Your
syllabus will also serve as a guide for what lessons your
student missed while absent.
There are many fun events happening at Community
Day. Community Day sites typically host the spelling bee
and the science fair. Community Day sites also offer
workshops for parents to attend to become more familiar
with the curriculum and learn from other CAVA
parents. Assemblies and other events are often held
throughout the year. Each site varies and offers fun and
innovative educational experiences for your students.
Each Community Day site offers childcare for children ages
2-5 for parents who would like to participate at
Community Day. If there is space, you may drop your child
off and volunteer in your childs class or stay on campus
for other events. You can check with the site coordinator
for more information.
Your teacher(s) will work with you to develop a strategic
plan to make sure attending Community Day is beneficial
to your student. If necessary, this may mean having your
student attend a different grade level class for certain
subjects. Often times a student who has already
mastered the OLS objective enjoys a different type of
activity and social interaction with their peers.
Churches often become a location for a site for a variety of
reasons, which can include:
Multiple rooms to use as classrooms
Ample parking
Work within our budget
Available during our school hours
Please know that although we use the facility, we do not
promote any religious beliefs at any sites functioning at a
church.

15. I do not see a CD location in my

area

We are always looking to expand our program throughout

the state. We have 14 established sites for the 2015-16
school year with the hope to add more.

16. What can my high schooler

expect?

The students work with their homeroom teacher getting

general help with their courses and progress. The teacher
helps them prioritize their schedules and gives advice to
help them be successful virtual students. It really helps
with accountability.
The teacher also does lessons with the group that helps
with school and life skills.
Students do have access to the internet at CD in case they
have an online class scheduled during CD.
A big part of the high school class at CD is the benefit of
our high schoolers being together. Students often crave
companionship while studying. This is a chance for
students to build friendships with their peers, as well as
form a good working relationship with their homeroom
teacher. We find the Community Day students are more
likely to stay on track with their work as they know they
will be seeing their homeroom teacher weekly.

17. Which sites are available for the

2015-16 school year? If I have
more questions or I would like to
register my student for the site in
my area, who do I contact?

Bakersfield (K-8) sarahelliott@caliva.org

Burbank (K-12) dharney@caliva.org
Downey (K-12) spocinich@caliva.org
Fountain Valley(K-12) ggarland@caliva.org
Fresno (K-8) mfitzgerald@caliva.org
Glendora (K-12) jsamuelian@caliva.org
Hesperia (K-8) wchambers@caliva.org
Lancaster (K-8)ssmith@caliva.org
Lodi (K-12) kscherzinger@caliva.org
Redlands (K-12) svigrass@caliva.org
San Marcos (K-12) charris@caliva.org
Santee (K-12) kmartin@caliva.org
Santa Rosa (K-8) pgandy@caliva.org
Simi Valley (K-12) mgillespie@caliva.org