COVINA, CA – Covina-Valley Unified School District students were welcomed back to campuses with energy and enthusiasm for the first day of school on Aug. 18, setting the tone for a school year filled with achievement and continued student success.

Smiling teachers and staff, balloons, signs, welcome-back rallies, student-led activities, and more created a festive and supportive atmosphere as students returned to their classrooms, ready to learn and thrive.

“This school year is going to be so much fun,” Merwin Elementary first-grader Mailani Relles said. “I already met a lot of friends and I love my new teacher!”

Ahead of the first day of school, Covina-Valley Unified teachers, staff, and administrators gathered at South Hills High School for the annual Welcome Back Convocation. The event featured a Health and Wellness Fair, an inspiring keynote speaker, and celebrations honoring the 2025 Teacher, Classified Employee, and Volunteer of the Year. Team-building activities fostered connection and collaboration among staff, equipping them to support students in meaningful ways.

“I’m really excited to meet more people this school year,” Julien Cardenas, a Las Palmas seventh-grader, said. “I want to see what clubs and after-school activities I can get involved in to deepen my interests.”

Covina-Valley Unified offers a wide range of innovative, hands-on programs that prepare students for success in college, career, and life. Starting in elementary school, students can develop bi-cultural, bi-literate, and bilingual skills through Dual Language Immersion programs in Spanish or Mandarin.

In middle school, students explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-focused offerings such as robotics, coding, Project Lead the Way, and more. By high school, students dive deeper into their passions through 24 unique career technical education pathways, including aviation, medical sciences, business, cosmetology, film, and engineering.

Covina-Valley Unified also offers rigorous academic programs that prepare students for college, including Advanced Placement Capstone, International Baccalaureate, and Dual Enrollment opportunities.

The 2025-26 school year also brings two new administrators to Covina-Valley Unified: Manzanita Elementary principal Amanda Vanessa Noriega and Sierra Vista Middle School principal Grant Dineley. These administrators each bring decades of experience and a deep passion for education to the District.

“This is going to be another outstanding school year at Covina-Valley Unified,” Interim Superintendent Dr. Jonathan Blackmore said. “Our teachers, staff, and administrators are deeply committed to creating an environment where students feel supported, inspired, and empowered to pursue their unlimited potential. And our many outstanding programs ensure every student is equipped to and inspired to thrive – starting from day one.”

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

CVUSD_FIRSTDAY1: Covina-Valley Unified students were welcomed back to campuses with energy and enthusiasm for the first day of school on Aug. 18.

CVUSD_FIRSTDAY2: Covina-Valley Unified’s First Day of School on Aug. 18 set the tone for another school year filled with achievement and students reaching new heights.

CVUSD_FIRSTDAY3: Smiling teachers and staff, balloons, signs, welcome-back rallies, student-led activities, and more created a festive and supportive atmosphere as students returned to their classrooms on Aug. 18.