Community Update

I am excited to welcome you to the 2025–2026 school year. As we get ready to open our doors on August 13, I want to recognize the incredible learning that continued throughout the summer. Thousands of students from all grade levels stayed engaged through academic enrichment, extracurricular programs, and career pathway internships with local businesses. Their continued learning kept curiosity strong and opened new possibilities for their futures.

Meanwhile, our teachers and staff have been preparing classrooms, collaborating on lesson plans, and making sure every school is ready to welcome students into a supportive and inspiring environment.

Each year, we choose a theme that brings focus and energy to our work. This year, our theme is The Pulse of Possibility: Pedagogy and Pathways. It reflects our commitment to providing every student with high-quality learning experiences that feel meaningful and connected to their future. Whether a student is preparing for college, exploring a career, or discovering a path that is entirely their own, we want school to feel relevant and full of possibility. Read the entire letter HERE.

Dear Families, Teachers, Staff, and Community Partners,

Welcome back! As we begin a new school year, we’re excited to reconnect and welcome new faces into our Vista Unified community. PTA, Parent Teacher Association, brings families, educators, and community members together to support students and strengthen schools. Every Vista Unified school site has its own PTA, and together we form the Vista Unified Council PTA (VUCPTA). We’re volunteers, advocates, and partners working to help every child thrive. We invite you to connect with your school site PTA. Whether it’s joining, attending a meeting, volunteering, or simply saying hello, your voice matters.

Here’s how to get started:

• Join or renew your school site PTA membership

• Join SEPTA to support inclusive practices

Together, we’re building stronger schools and a more connected community. Thank you for your support. Let’s make this our best year yet, together!

Warmly,

Michael Fowlkes

President, VUCPTA

To ensure a great start of the year for students, and a solid year of exciting learning opportunities, our Certificated staff returned to work on August 7th to start planning for the new school year! There was a lot of exciting professional development that took place and collaboration!

At Vista Unified, we’re starting the year with energy and purpose through our theme: Pulse of Possibility: Pedagogy and Pathways. That means joyful, rigorous learning experiences (Pedagogy) and meaningful connections between school today and each student’s future (Pathways). We’re helping students see why what they’re learning matters; not just for a grade, but for the life they’re building.

To support your child during the first few days back:

• Create calm, consistent routines for mornings and evenings.

• Ask them about what they’re learning and how it connects to their goals or interests.

• Celebrate the effort they put in, not just the outcome.

• And always remind them: they have a team behind them, at home and at school, cheering them on every step of the way.

Easing Back-to-School Anxiety: Starting a new school year is exciting but can also bring stress for students and families. Vista Unified School District offers mental wellness support and resources to help ease the transition.

Tips for a Smooth Start:

• Re-establish school routines before school actually starts (waking up, bedtime, choosing clothes, chores, etc).

• Set up playdates with familiar peers to ease anxiousness.

• Visit the school beforehand and practice drop-offs.

• Use small rewards to encourage confidence.

• Acknowledge an anxious child’s feelings and reassure them that things get easier.

Additional Ways to Help:

• Create morning/afternoon checklists and use a calendar for school events.

• Limit major routine changes early on.

• Meet teachers early by attending Back to School Night and get involved as a volunteer.

• Find out what the school's clubs, activities, and other opportunities are for your student to get involved and connected!

• Talk about what excites or worries them about school.

• If applicable, review IEP plans before the school year begins.

For more support, reach out to your school's counselor, and visit Vista Unified School District's Student Wellbeing webpage, or seek more information through the San Diego County Office of Education's Health and Wellbeing webpage.

Back to School Night is a fantastic opportunity for parents & guardians to learn more about their student’s teacher(s) and classes. These are not parent conferences, but rather an exciting opportunity to hear about what students will learn for the year, communication protocols, and more details from each teacher! This is not only important for our youngest students, but also for our oldest students!

Please see specific information from your school regarding details. The general windows for Back to School Night in VUSD for 2025-26 are:

• Elementary: August 15-22

• Middle School: August 25-29

• High School: September 2-9

Specific Details coming from your school team soon.

What happens when a school district property is being considered for a change of use? How do community members have a voice in what the property might be used for? How does the Board officially hear from the community on this topic? These are common questions that come up when a Board of Education is considering what to do with a former school site or parcel of school district owned land as the Board considers some alternative uses for it.

An Asset Management Advisory Committee (AMAC) is a legal requirement of a school District to gather community voice. This type of committee is established to explore and make recommendations on options for District owned real property that is being considered by the Board of Education. According to the law, this committee must comprise no less than seven (7) and no more than eleven (11) members with specific backgrounds and qualifications that are representative of the committee. So what is the process of setting up the AMAC to review these properties?

• Step 1: The Board Passes a Resolution for an AMAC

• Step 2: Open up applications for community members who want to participate in the AMAC

• Step 3: Review applications of potential AMAC members

• Step 4: Board of Education selects AMAC members

• Step 5: Board of Education defines the session scope of the AMAC

• Step 6: The AMAC members meet to review topics specified by the Board of Education

• Step 7: The AMAC makes recommendations to the Board of Education via an official report

• Step 8: Repeat Steps 5-7 as called upon by the Board of Education

Interested? Applications are currently open! Learn more about the AMAC and how to apply on their website by clicking here! You will be able to download the PDF copy of the application in both English and en español on the Membership tab. It is anticipated that the AMAC will be fully formed and reviewing items as specified by the Board of Education in the upcoming months. If you have questions about the application process you can email Ms. Berenice Guzman at bereniceguzman@vistausd.org.

Vista Unified School District has a dual obligation to keep students and staff safe and to provide the very best learning environment for all students. During the start of the school year, we take important steps to support a safe and welcoming environment for students. All school sites review and update their Comprehensive School Safety Plans and go over key procedures with staff. Our Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team works with designated personnel to review emergency roles and responsibilities. VUSD staff across departments also participate in safety-focused professional development. In addition, safety drills, including fire and evacuation drills, are scheduled early in the year to help students and staff practice safe responses at their school sites. These safety drills continue throughout the year. These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to maintaining a secure and supportive learning environment. We also encourage everyone to stay safe and prepared at home. Create a family emergency plan and take advantage of these resources to be Ready!

Vista Unified is excited to share our new Artificial Intelligence (AI) Guidance. As AI becomes a part of everyday life, our responsibility is clear—equip students to innovate, think critically, and use technology responsibly while nurturing the curiosity and human connection that make learning meaningful. With updated board policy, administrative regulations, and our student Acceptable Use Policy, we are committed to promoting innovation while ensuring safety. Learn more by clicking here.

At Vista Unified we are committed to keeping schools safe and welcoming for our students and their families. In light of immigration policy changes at the national level, we know that there is heightened sensitivity in our community. We want to reassure families that Vista Unified is committed to the following protocols:

• Schools must protect the privacy of their students. Schools are prohibited from sharing directory information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth for immigration-enforcement purposes in the absence of parent/guardian consent, a court order, or judicial subpoena.

• School employees are prohibited from asking or sharing information about a child or their family’s immigration status, unless ordered to do so by a court (subpoena, judicial warrant) or where an officer declares exigent circumstances exist (emergency pursuit by law enforcement or imminent threat to safety).

• Current state law prohibits school staff from providing access to students, providing information about students, or granting permission to immigration agents to enter non-public areas of the campus (classrooms, cafeteria, playgrounds, etc.), unless compelled to do so by a court order or exigent circumstances.

• Information about citizenship/immigration status is never needed for school enrollment. A Social Security number is never needed for school enrollment.

Resources for Families and Students: Please see our “Response to Immigration Issues” for general resources for families and students. Additionally, the Attorney General’s website has up-to-date information, guidance and resources, and will be a hub for current information in the coming weeks and months.

We encourage all families to have an extended list of Emergency Contacts, and Family Preparedness Plan, in case of any type of unforeseen situation. Please view examples: Step-by-Step Family Preparedness Plan - (English) and Step-by-Step Family Preparedness Plan - (Spanish).

In an effort to keep students safe, we started a bike safety program in the 2023/2024 school year. If you are a middle or high school student and you ride to school (bike, e-bike, scooter, e-scooter) you need to attend a one hour training session to obtain a permit sticker. These courses are offered monthly through the City of Vista and taught by San Diego County Bike Coalition (SDCBC). Our website has all the links and up to date information. The next virtual bike safety course is on August 23rd from 9:00am-10:00am through Zoom, register today!

Did you know you have access to all of the past Community Updates? Click here to check them out! Another way to access those is by going to our website: vistausd.org/news and clicking on Archived Community Updates.

Email: webmaster@vistausd.org
Website: vistausd.org
Location: 1234 Arcadia Avenue, Vista, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 726-2170
Twitter: @VistaBlueprint