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MVA Newsletter
MVA Newsletter
October 25, 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 HIGHLIGHTS include (click the title to jump to a section):
K-6 Spirit Day - Dress like a teacher Day Nov 4th
K-6 Spirit Day - Dress like a teacher Day Nov 4th
26-27 RCC Spirit Days - Jessica LaTour.pdfFinancial Aid Night for Seniors & Families - 11/5/26
Financial Aid Night for Seniors & Families - 11/5/26
MVA seniors and their families are invited to join a Financial Aid Night hosted by Montecito High School on Thursday, November 5, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in MHS’s Nico Diaz Multi-Purpose Room.
This evening will provide students and parents/guardians with important information about the financial aid process, including the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and California Dream Act Application (CADAA). We encourage families to attend together so that you can learn about the process and have your questions answered. A representative from California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) will be present to help parents through the process.
Please see the enclosed flyer for additional information.
MHS_FB Financial Aid Night 2026 (2).pdfFAFSA FAST FACTS_rev.12.25.pdfRCC Drive-in Movie Night - Friday, Nov 13th @5pm
RCC Drive-in Movie Night - Friday, Nov 13th @5pm
Join us on Friday, November 13th, for our Drive-In Movie Night!
At Fall Carnival, students had the opportunity to vote for the movie we would watch at Family Movie Night, and the votes are in… Sing 2!
PTSA is adding a fun twist this year! Build your own cardboard car, decorate it, and bring it along to drive into the fun. Get creative, grab your popcorn, and enjoy a great night with our school community!
New High School Club on Campus!
New High School Club on Campus!
Calling all creative 9th–12th graders! Join us on Fridays during 5th period in Mrs. Nelson's room for our new Knitting & Sewing Club. Bring your personal supplies or borrow basic supplies from the club. Whether you're a beginner or already love crafting, come create, learn, and connect with others! We can't wait to see what you make! 💚
HS ASB Spooky Movie Night - 10/30/26 @6pm
HS ASB Spooky Movie Night - 10/30/26 @6pm
Spooky Movie Night Flyer.pdfRCC Flag Gathering for Veteran's Day
RCC Flag Gathering for Veteran's Day
Wednesday, Nov. 18th
Wednesday, Nov. 18th
We would like to invite any parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends of our students to join us at our Flag Gathering to be recognized for their current or former service in our Armed Forces.
Wednesday, November 18, we will begin at 7:55, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. (We are hosting this on the Wednesday following Veteran's Day, as Wednesday, November 11th is holiday with no school attendance.)
The MVA choir will share patriotic songs. We will then invite any veterans or folks currently serving to introduce themselves and share which branch of the service they were involved in.
Our goal is to recognize those who serve, and thank them for their service. Our students will benefit from seeing our active duty personnel and veterans. We hope to see many of you at our Flag Gathering in a few weeks.
RUSD 2026-2027 Parent/Caregiver Survey
RUSD 2026-2027 Parent/Caregiver Survey
If you missed this important email from our Superintendent, please see below and participate in this very important Parent/Caregiver Survey!
Dear Parent/Caregiver,
As part of Ramona Unified's commitment to continuous improvement, we are conducting a survey (2nd year) 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. This year's survey has been updated to include the important survey questions from our annual LCAP (Local Control Accountability Plan) survey which you've been very helpful in completing and sending back to us each January. After you take this Parent/Caregiver Survey you will have answered important questions for both our continuous improvement efforts and the necessary questions for our LCAP process.
The survey will ask you to select the school your child(ren) attends. Once you complete the survey for 1 school, you will have the option to provide feedback on another school if you have a child at another school in the district. Providing feedback to each school should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. We encourage you to complete it in one sitting, as your responses will be saved once you click submit.
The Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey can be accessed here: https://surveys.studereducation.com/f/41851354/aa1d/
The survey is scheduled for 10/19/2026 - 11/2/2026.
To maintain confidentiality of the Parent/Caregiver Experience Survey, our partners at Studer Education will be administering the survey, managing the data collection, and aggregating the data to provide results reports to leaders.
Thank you for your commitment to our success!
Middle and High School VFW Essay Contests - deadline 10/31
Middle and High School VFW Essay Contests - deadline 10/31
Grades 7-8
Patriots Pen 26-27 - Kaarin Heap.pdfGrades 9-12
Voice of Democracy 26-27 - Kaarin Heap.pdfRCC Read-a-Thon - Let's get READING!!!
RCC Read-a-Thon - Let's get READING!!!
From Oct 26th -Nov 9th, students can log as many reading minutes as they can while raising funds for our school! Families and friends can pledge per minute or give a flat donation through each student's personalized online page.
Check your email where you will find a link to personalize your student's page and start sharing it with family and friends.
Donations are due by Nov 9th.
Proceeds go directly to support our School Library and this event is proudly brought to you by your RCC PTSA.
Let's open books, grow minds, and strengthen our school -- one page at a time!
We also just learned that the In-N-Out Burger Cover to Cover Club reading program is underway through the Ramona Community Library in town. Kids ages 4-12 can receive an award of one free hamburger or cheeseburger for every five books or 300 minutes read, up to three awards.
The program runs through November 14, 2026. Stop by the front desk at the Ramona Library to pick up a reading log or to get any questions answered!
So... students can get "double duty" for their reading.
HELP US CAPTURE CAMPUS LIFE!
HELP US CAPTURE CAMPUS LIFE!
The yearbook is looking for photos of campus life, field trips, and school events! If you have pictures that capture the fun, learning, and memories happening on campus, we’d love to include them.
Share your photos here: https://photos.jostens.com/R6BE7M
SCHOOL PICTURES
SCHOOL PICTURES
Lifetouch - School Pictures are ready!
Families who would like to order pictures can visit MyLifetouch and use an existing account or create a new one.
California Coastal Art & Poetry Contest
California Coastal Art & Poetry Contest
California students in kindergarten through 12th grade are invited to submit artwork or poetry with a California coastal or marine theme to the 25th annual Coastal Art & Poetry Contest. Entries can be submitted online by 5pm on January 28, 2027. For prize information, rules, contest flyer, entry form (and helpful links for teachers and students), please visit https://www.coastal.ca.gov/art-poetry/.
The California Coastal Commission, part of the State of California's Natural Resources Agency, also offers resources for educators and students throughout the year.
MVA Secondary Expectations (grades 7-12)
MVA Secondary Expectations (grades 7-12)
Mountain Valley Academy has a reputation for academic rigor and excellent citizenship. We believe that excellence begins with having clear expectations and being clear on how we live our values - Clear is Kind! Mrs. Sawada visited classrooms, grades 7-12, to review our campus expectations and discuss how our expectations play out in daily campus life.
You can review the Expectations discussion in the attached slides. In this discussion, we particularly emphasized the NO Cell Phone use during instructional time policy (unless directed by the teacher) and the dress code policy.
In the spirit of our belief that Clear is Kind, please let us know what further clarification we can provide to these expectations.
Edmentum Family Sensei
Edmentum Family Sensei
If your student is enrolled in an online course through Edmentum, you should have received an invite to Edmentum Family Sensei. Please click the link in your email and follow the directions to complete your profile registration. You will be able to view your student's progress and receive weekly updates in this system. We highly encourage you to register as soon as possible.
If you have questions, please email dedwards@ramonausd.net
🎓 MVA Class of 2027 Meeting
🎓 MVA Class of 2027 Meeting
If you were not able to join us for the Class of 2027 meeting on Sept. 15, we reviewed a variety of topics such as, college admissions essays, scholarships, end of the year activities, and more. You can check out the meeting notes with applicable links HERE. If you have questions please reach out to your advisor or Mrs. Sawada.
MVA Senior Information 2027.pdfOctober2026_Flyer_Ramona.pdfALL THINGS PTSA
ALL THINGS PTSA
(Parent Teacher Student Association)
(Parent Teacher Student Association)
HIGH SCHOOL SAT INFORMATION
HIGH SCHOOL SAT INFORMATION
The SAT provides more than just a test score. It offers career pathways aligned with your interests, personalized college guidance, and scholarship access. Visit sat.org/whytake for more information.
There are several opportunities to take the SAT at RHS (Test Center Code: 05594):
Oct 3 (registration deadline: Sept 18)
Nov 7 (registration deadline: Oct 23)
Dec 5 (registration deadline: Nov 20)
Seats are limited so register early!
Link to registration: https://mysat.collegeboard.org/dashboard
Registration price: $68
MVA School Code: 052959
Learn more about test fees.
MANDATORY CONFERENCES
MANDATORY CONFERENCES
Teachers will be contacting families to make appointments for our required independent study progress conferences. Conferences may be held virtually or in person – however you and your teacher are comfortable. We prefer that any in-person conferences be limited to the student and parent(s). If you are coming on campus with young children, please closely supervise them. Parents are required to check in at our office before going to a conference.
MVA Yearbook - on Sale Now
MVA Yearbook - on Sale Now
Ads due by Feb. 2, 2027
26-27 MVA Yearbook flyer.pdfBREAKFAST AND LUNCH at School
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH at School
Food Services continues to provide FREE breakfast and lunches for ALL students. Breakfast is served from 7:45-8:30 am for MVA students. Breakfast and lunch Menus are published monthly. They will be linked in this newsletter as soon as they become available.
If you plan to have your child eat breakfast, please arrive in time for the student to finish eating before the start of class.
Students are always welcome to bring lunch and snacks from home. We kindly ask families to consider avoiding peanut products when packing food for school. We have a few students with severe peanut allergies, and while we make every effort to prevent cross-contamination and keep these students safe, limiting peanut products on campus helps us create a safer environment for everyone.
October Cafeteria Menus
October Cafeteria Menus
RCC October 2025 Menus.pdfPARENT VOLUNTEERS
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
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.
START STRONG!!! Academic Standing Policy for MVA Middle and High School (Grades 7-12)
START STRONG!!! Academic Standing Policy for MVA Middle and High School (Grades 7-12)
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.
High School ADD / DROP Policy
High School ADD / DROP Policy
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.
Introduce NEW Families to MVA!
Introduce NEW Families to MVA!
We need your help to spread the word about our K-12 Independent Study Program!
Save this image and share on your socials.
2026-2027 MVA Applications
2026-2027 MVA Applications
Space is still available!
Share the news with friends and neighbors.
Available space at all grade levels, K-12.
Click on the application here or visit our website.
2026-2027 MVA Enrollment Application.pdfARRIVAL & DISMISSAL - Efficiently & Safely
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL - Efficiently & Safely
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
MVA Bullying Prevention and Reporting
MVA Bullying Prevention and Reporting
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.)
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