Conejo Valley Unified School District canceled gym ceremonies at all high schools' Back to School Night on Wednesday, Sept. 9, because of extreme heat.
The assemblies, which typically feature student performances and speeches from students and administrators, were cut district-wide. Classroom visits with teachers went ahead as planned, with parents walking their children's daily schedules and meeting educators face-to-face.
"The decision was made by district staff to not do the gym portion of the Back to School Night," Connor Smith, an English teacher and ASB advisor at Thousand Oaks High School, told The Lancer, the school's student newspaper. "So the pivot that was made was that it was canceled due to the heat."
The National Weather Service had issued an extreme heat warning through 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, for much of Los Angeles County. CBS Los Angeles reported that forecasters called conditions Wednesday and Thursday "very dangerous." Humidity from the remnants of Hurricane Marie intensified the danger. The weather service said the extra moisture would reduce the body's ability to cool itself, making the heat wave worse than previous ones.
Temperatures reached as high as 108 degrees in some parts of the region, according to Patch. The heat strained the power grid across Los Angeles, with the Department of Water and Power asking residents to cut electricity use.
The extreme conditions disrupted school activities beyond Back to School Night. Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village canceled a tennis match scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10, citing excessive heat in a post on X.
At Thousand Oaks High School, Principal Dr. Eric Bergmann told The Lancer that Wednesday marked his 34th Back to School Night. He urged parents to stay involved.
No makeup date for the canceled gym ceremonies has been announced. The district's next major family event is the College & Career Information Night, scheduled for Monday, Oct. 12, from 4:30 p.m. to 7:50 p.m. at Newbury Park High School, according to the CVUSD website. All CVUSD high school students and families are invited at no cost.
