Vista Unified School District (VUSD) is pleased to announce that Bobier, Foothill Oak, and Maryland elementary schools and Alta Vista and Major General Murray High Schools have all become community schools through the California Community Schools Partnership Program. This means that these schools will expand services for students and families through wrap-around mental and physical support, extended and enriched opportunities, active family and community engagement, and collaborative leadership.
With an emphasis on equity, community schools partner with families and community organizations to focus efforts on the whole child and remove barriers to learning and academic achievement. Students will have agency to make decisions about what they are learning and how they learn it.
To facilitate the transformation into community hubs, a community school coordinator will lead the way. Each school has been outfitted with an assistant principal and an additional counselor. Family liaisons will be the first point of contact for families to engage in the expanded services. As part of in-school enrichment, resource teachers provide students with additional enrichment opportunities such as multimedia design, STEM, and drama and visual arts. Teachers have the opportunity to increase their knowledge of building relationships and preventing conflict through restorative practices. They will also increase their knowledge of engaging effectively with people and groups from diverse backgrounds.
The schools will work collaboratively with educational partners to identify strengths and assets within the community and create continuous cycles of improvement based on comprehensive needs assessments. VUSD believes that the foundation for improving academic opportunities outcomes can only be realized through centering relationships, valuing the expertise of students and families as partners, and creating inclusive, relationship-centered school climates and cultures.
