March 1, 2026
Greetings MVA Community!
This newsletter comes out every Sunday evening to keep you informed of upcoming events and to celebrate highlights of recent happenings and celebrations. We also have a live link on the MVA Website. This week's KEY HIGHLIGHT include (click the title to jump to a section):
Dear Parent/Caregiver,
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, RUSD is conducting a survey in partnership with Studer Education to monitor our progress in creating a positive school experience for you and your child(ren). Your feedback is crucial in helping us identify areas for recognition and improvement.
Ramona Unified School District - Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey
The survey is scheduled for 2/17/2026 through 3/2/2026.
Have fun and celebrate the Ramona Country spirit with Wild West Spirit Day next Wednesday, March 4.
MVA Madness is almost here! On Friday, March 6, 2026 MVA ASB will host the annual MVA Madness - a fun field day of games and competition. Special Schedule this Friday for grades 8-12:
Period 1 8:30-8:58 am
Period 2 9:03-9:31 am
Period 3 9:36-10:04 am
Period 4 10:09-10:37 am
Period 5 10:42-11:10 am
Period 6 11:15-11:43 am
Lunch 11:43 am -12:28 pm
MVA Madness 12:30-2:30 pm
Join the RCC PTSA on March 14th for a fun night cheering on the SD Gulls. Click Here to get Tickets!
MVA ASB is hosting a See's Candy Fundraiser now through March 20! Scan the QR Code or follow the link below to place an order. Feel free to share with family, friends, and fellow chocolate fans!
https://www.yumraising.com/store/spring-2026-mva-sees-candies-3458/DanEdw1938
RCC PTSA is preparing for our annual Family Dinner Night coming up on March 20th. This is PTSA's primary fundraiser for the year and the proceeds will be used to help pay for school programs, supplies, and student enrichment.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
There are TWO ways you can contribute donations to this event:
Classroom Basket donations - themed by grade level (see "Help Wanted" flyer for details)
Individual Basket Donations from Corporate Sponsors or Individual Donors (see letter from PTSA for details) - please share with businesses and other connections you have
All donation commitments should be received by March 9th.
Scan the QR Code above or CLICK HERE
Thank You for Supporting Our School Community!
We are truly grateful to all the parents, teachers, staff and students who have joined the PTSA and taken part in our fundraising events throughout this school year. Your enthusiasm and commitment help build a stronger, more vibrant school community where our children can thrive.
Staying Connected
To keep everyone in the loop, we’ll be sharing regular updates on our fundraising achievements and how we plan to use these resources in our weekly newsletter. This way, you’ll always know how your incredible support is making a direct impact on our students and classrooms.
Celebrating Fundraising Success
Our most recent read-a-thon fundraiser, held last fall, was a fantastic achievement! Together, we raised about $2,500, which will go directly towards enhancing literacy for our children. We’re excited to be working hand-in-hand with teachers right now to order new book sets for classrooms—giving our students even more reasons to fall in love with reading.
Making a Difference Every Day
Thanks to your contributions, the PTSA was able to purchase a brand new laminator for the school, making it easier for teachers to create engaging materials and displays that support your child’s learning experience.
Bringing Learning to Life
In addition to supplies, PTSA funds help make school assemblies possible in both the fall and spring. This year, students enjoyed Mad Science and will soon participate in Peter and the Wolf—memorable experiences that spark curiosity and joy in learning.
Building for the Future
Looking ahead, we are excited to work with the school and district on long-term projects, such as improving the playground with fresh asphalt. Our goal is to create an even safer and more enjoyable space for your children to play, grow, and connect with friends.
New classes are opening soon, check it out.
Extras continue with great sessions this month!
Mar 4: Exploring Prisms with Dr. Karen - Students will learn how to bend light and see its component colors!
Mar 11: Ceramics with Mrs. Silva Part 1 - Students will start a multi-week project in clay by making small sculptures or vessels.
Mar 18: Improv Day - Students will have a chance to speak in front of the group, tell a joke, a monologue, do a Mad Lib.
Mar 25: Butter Making - Students will each make a bit of butter from cream, and some buttermilk, too!
We are so appreciative of Lesley Lay and Dustin Long, two wonderful parent volunteers and all they do to keep this enrichment experience running!
If you have questions, please reach out to Lesley Lay, Wednesday Extras coordinator: Leslay@cox.net
Please share the attached information with friends and family who may be interested in Mountain Valley Academy. New student applications open February 2, 2026.
Please check out the Class of 2026 Information with applicable links HERE. If you have questions please reach out to your advisor or Mrs. Sawada.
MVA is a rare and unique place for learning. Our alternative school incorporates a non-threatening, flexible environment that fosters self-motivation and responsibility for students' own learning. Parents are considered partners in their child’s education, working actively with teachers for the good of the student.
We want to make sure that all students complete each semester earning full credits and are on track for graduation and beyond. We are here to provide extra support to students needing to raise their grades.
To participate in privileges associated with the Independent Study program, students must remain in good academic standing, with no more than two Ds and/or no Fs. Students not in good academic standing, will not be permitted to leave campus early without a parent signing out the student, study hall and tutorials will be required during any free periods, cell phone use will not be permitted while on campus, and the student will not be able to participate in extracurricular activities or school-sponsored events.
Please communicate often with your teachers and advisor to ensure your student is on track.
Adding a course must occur within the first two weeks of each semester. After two weeks, you will not be allowed to add any courses.
Students in grades 9 and 10 must take a minimum of six (6) classes. Students in grades 9 and 10 may not drop a course if it will take them below the 6 class minimum.
Courses may be dropped through the fourth (4th) week of each semester. By tracking the student progress/grade earned in each course, families have the opportunity to evaluate whether or not the student desires to continue to be enrolled in a specific class. MVA high school students have until the end of the fourth week of each semester to drop classes without earning a failing grade. Students who drop a class after the fourth week will have a Withdrawal/Fail on their transcript for that course.
If you have any questions regarding your student’s schedule, please make an appointment to meet with your advising teacher immediately.
We are very happy to welcome volunteers to our campus.
Level One volunteers must go through a clearance process which includes: photo identification, negative tuberculosis test, the clearance process takes a few days. Pick up a volunteer packet in our main office if you are interested.
Level Two volunteers also require a physical and fingerprint clearance. Not all classrooms use parent volunteers, and some teachers prefer to wait a few weeks before introducing another adult in the classroom.
Just ask your child’s teacher how you can help if you are interested in volunteering.
Please take a moment to review the protocols below to ensure that we keep all students safe and maintain maximum efficiency.
It is no secret that our parking lot can be a challenge during drop off and pick up times. As we share the campus with our sister school, Mountain Valley Academy, we have strategically timed our RCMS and MVA arrival and dismissal times in order to minimize the traffic as much as possible. Please show extra grace and courtesy during the busiest times in the parking lot and follow these protocols:
The middle row in the parking lot is one way (southbound) only. If you pass through the middle parking row, please exit at the south into the inside lane for flowing traffic.
The inside lane is for flowing traffic only - students may not enter or exit cars from the inside lane, only the outside lane (curbside).
If using the pick up lane, you may only pick up at the curb in one of the 4 marked spaces. There is no loading unless your are in one of these 4 spaces.
Handicapped spaces are for vehicles with handicapped placards only. Please do not idle or park in these spaces unless you have a valid handicapped placard on display.
The school-side curb is for IMMEDIATE loading and unloading ONLY.
Please remain inside your vehicle when picking up at the curb. If your child is not yet able to get in the car and/or buckled on their own, you need to park and then walk up to meet your child.
If your student is not in front of the school ready and waiting for pick up, please park in an available parking space to wait for their arrival.
Please abide by all traffic laws. Do not enter the parking lot using the exit lane, and do not turn left when exiting the parking lot.
Pedestrians, please use the blue crosswalk in the parking lot to enter and exit campus. Do not walk in-between cars in the pick up line. This is not only dangerous for you and drivers, this also slows down the flow of traffic.
If a friend or family member is picking up your student, please make sure they are aware of and follow the parking lot protocols.
Please review the complete Ramona Community Campus Parking Lot Protocols HERE
We encourage our students to be up-standers and if they "See Something, Say Something" to reduce bullying on our campus. We investigate all instances of bullying that are reported to our school site. If there are any concerns please email our counselor, Ms. Bishop or Principal, Mrs. Sawada, and/or complete the bullying reporting form: Online Bullying Reporting Form (If you are a parent assisting your child with completing the form, you must be signed in to their student email.)