Superintendent Mario Contini Over the past couple of weeks, winter officially began and families enjoyed the festivities of the holidays. I hope that everyone was able to enjoy quality time with family and friends.

I remember many cold winter evenings with my family gathered in the living room, the fireplace crackling and all of us attentively watching the Perry Como holiday special. My memory still plays back the song he always sang: “There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays.”

Likewise, I believe that the best education available for the residents of our community is right here at home in Conejo Valley Unified School District.

CVUSD is committed to its primary obligation and privilege of providing the best education possible for the residents of this community. It’s their tax dollars that support our local schools. By providing the best service to our residents, we’re also providing the best education available to students from other school districts who choose to attend our schools.

Everything a student needs to be happy and successful is right here. The district offers an abundance of the finest academic, cocurricular and extracurricular opportunities anywhere for its students. This is proven year after year by the district’s exceptionally high test scores; the highest number of California Distinguished Schools in Ventura County; many NCLB and National Blue Ribbon Schools; top recognition from some of the most well-respected journals and organizations in America (including The Wash ington Post , The Wall Street Journal and Standard and Poor’s); admission of district students to the finest colleges and universities in America; awards in the performing arts, science and technology; and outstanding achievements of former students in the workplace after graduation. CVUSD is continually regarded as one of the best school districts in America, and it’s right here in our own backyard.

If you’re a resident in our school boundaries with children attending our schools, congratulations and thank you for making the best decision for your children. If your children aren’t enrolled in Conejo Valley Unified School District, now is the time to take another look at our schools.

Please call my office at (805) 497-9511, ext. 202, to find out more about our new school choice policy and the wonderful educational opportunities all of our schools provide. School tours can be conveniently arranged as well.

Remember, there’s no place like home. In the Conejo Unified School District, every child matters.

Contini is superintendent of Conejo Valley Unified School District.