The Community School Communicator

Our community high schools continue to flourish, with a host of exciting initiatives and accomplishments.

Recent highlights include:

• More Collaboration: Our staff have begun to meet in Subject-Alike Collaboration Meetings. These events have launched to foster collaboration and professional development among teachers and counselors to better meet the needs of Alta/MGM students, as well as VUSD students districtwide in our PM Program.

• PM Program: Tuesday nights at Alta and Thursday nights at MGM from 4-7pm are credit-earning hubs for VUSD high school students, and vibrant community spaces with an array of offerings. Contact us to find out what offerings are available at the PM Program you plan to attend, but could include music lessons, 

• Community Engagement: Alta/MGM have secured a grant to expand community engagement efforts, and the VUSD team for the Community Engagement Initiative is now meeting regularly.

• Student Success: The Rising Star Seniors, VVA's Jonathan Carrasco and Alta's Rafael Cabrera Escobedo, were celebrated at a recent event honoring their achievements.

• School Events: Thank you to all who attended our Back-to-School nights the first week of September.  

• Soccer season:  Our first game for our Alta/MGM combined soccer team kicked off this month! Our first game ended with a resounding victory (6-1) over Trade Tech High. 

Other notable updates:

• Pipeline Implementation Ideas: MGM/Alta advisors and staff are discussing co-created pipeline ideas for the new school year. Our "pipeline" is the process we use to get students into internship opportunities, which relies on the willingness of community members to serve as mentors. If you're interested in serving as a mentor at your workplace or business, please contact us! 

• Advisory: MGM and Alta teachers continue to meet to refine the advisory period and structure to better meet students' needs, both academically and socially/emotionally. 

• Coffee with the Principal: Murray and Alta held their first Coffee with the Principal events of the year! Take a look at the fliers to the left for upcoming dates. 

• Animal Career Explorations: MGM's Animal Career Explorations, led by advisors, Erik Conklin and Sam Franczyk, have visited the San Diego Zoo, the Safari Park, and participated in job shadowing at the Kerckhoff Marine Laboratory, as well as with the City Park Rangers.

• Leaving to Learn (L2L): Students participated in L2Ls, including a sleepover at Safari Park and a film screening at Palomar College.

• Big Picture Book Club: The first Big Picture Book Club meeting was held on September 11. Our teachers and staff are reading Learning to Leave: How Real-World Learning Transforms Education by Elliot Washor & Scott Boldt, a book on giving students unique learning experiences outside of their normal classrooms. 

• Guidance Team Meetings: Guidance team meetings are being held biweekly with teachers and staff to address student needs.

• Intervention Teacher: A new intervention teacher position has been filled to support students and teachers.

• Medical Mini-Grant: Rebekka Kinder secured a $13,000 grant for swim lessons for students and maybe even families! More info on that soon.