Alta Vista High School

OCTOBER 2026

Campus and Community

HELLO!

I’m Dr. Velia Huerta, and I’m excited to step into my new role as Community School Site Lead at AVHS. Having already been part of the AVHS community, I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue working alongside our students, families, staff, and community partners while building on the great work already happening.

We’ve had a strong start to the year! Back-to-School Night brought together 91 attendees, including students, families, staff, and community partners. Our PM Program is underway, offering students additional opportunities for credit recovery after the school day, and 31 students have been accepted into apprenticeship programs in automotive, cosmetology, EMR, construction, and welding. Our Translation & Interpretation class, open to community members, has completed four sessions with 10 participants, including two Murray students. Students have also enjoyed experiences beyond the classroom, including the Museum of Tolerance, a fishing trip, a ropes course, and Super Girl Pro Surf.

Coming Up

September 29 | Vista Community Clinic Mobile Medical
Students: 10:30 AM–1:00 PM | Open to the Community: 2:30–5:00 PM

September 30 | Student Fishing Trip

October 6 | Safari Park Field Trip

October 6 | Community School Advisory & School Site Council Meeting | 4:30 PM

October 8 | Dunkin’ Cruiser | 11:15 AM

It has been an exciting start to the year, and I look forward to continuing to connect our students and families with meaningful opportunities, experiences, and resources throughout the year!

COLLEGE & CAREER News

Welcome to the Alternative Education College and Career Center!

My name is Merry Riebau, and I am the College & Career Tech at Alta Vista and Vista Visions Academy.

We have some wonderful updates to share from across our campus and career pathways for September:

Civic Engagement in Action: On September 21st, we hosted a Voter Registration Event on campus. We are proud to announce that 16 students signed up to vote and took a major step toward making their voices heard!
PM Cosmetology is Booming: Our evening Cosmetology class has grown so much that we currently have a waitlist. The students were incredibly excited to receive their professional kits and have officially jumped right into hands-on learning.
North County Ford Partnership: Our ongoing partnership continues this year, giving our automotive students an exclusive, firsthand look at how a professional mechanic spends their day.

Coming Up Next Month (October):

Driver’s Education: I will be signing up eligible students for our online classroom driver's education program.
College & Career Interest Surveys: I will be meeting with students who were absent during our initial survey window. This survey is critical because it helps us gauge student interest, allowing us to plan tailored guest speakers and campus tours that directly benefit our students.

As a reminder, your student always has full access to the College & Career Canvas page. This digital hub is packed with helpful resources to guide them through career exploration, college course enrollment while still in high school, and future planning tools. Encourage your student to log into Canvas and explore these amazing resources today!

Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you need assistance with college or career exploration—

you can connect with me at 760-724-2775 x 82204 or merryriebau@vistausd.org

A Message from your Community Liaison

Welcome Back, Alta Vista Families!

Happy New School Year! Welcome back to campus and to our first newsletter of the school year!

We have had a very successful start to the new school year, and we want to thank all of the families who joined us for our Back-to-School Night (B2SN). We had a wonderful turnout and were excited to welcome some new parents and students to our campus.

A special thank you to all of our amazing community partners who joined us and helped make the evening so much fun! Our community partner, Primos, generously catered our B2SN with delicious tacos and refreshing aguas frescas.

We are also celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month! Our students and staff have been showing their school spirit by wearing festive colors, and our campus has been decorated with fun, vibrant colors to celebrate our culture and community.

To wrap up the month, we hosted our first Coffee with the Principal, and we were thrilled with the wonderful turnout! We welcomed several new families to campus, and our amazing principal, Dr. Miller, gave families a small tour of our school. Parents loved the opportunity to see our campus and watch students engaged in their classrooms.

It was a wonderful morning filled with coffee, pastries, fruit, and great conversations with our families. We also provided families with information packets highlighting important dates and upcoming events for the school year.

We are looking forward to a wonderful year filled with community, connection, and opportunities for our students and families.

Thank you for being part of the Alta Vista High School community!

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me

Xochitl Tejada Robles, Community Liaison

xochitltejadaroble@vistausd.org (760) 724-3775 ext. 82018

Beatriz Barron: Social Worker Ángel Chavarrín: Counselor

Lydia T. Contreras: Community School Counselor Johanna Shieh: Pass/Ameri Corps Mentor

If You See Something, Say Something
Is something or someone bothering your student at school?

If it upsets your student, makes them feel unsafe, or affects their safety at school, let us know.

It is a secure, anonymous, and confidential safety tip line.
You do not have to provide your name unless you want to. The report will be forwarded to
the proper staff to help resolve the situation.

Reminder: Tips are only monitored during your school's operational hours. If this is an emergency or your student or someone you know is in danger or harm's way, please call 911 immediately.