CARLSBAD UNIFIED CONNECTIONS

It has been a whirlwind Back To School for Aviara Oaks Elementary School’s new principal, Emily Yamasaki. Her very first day on campus was the day before school started—but, from the beginning, she felt the warmth of the AOE community.

“People have been so wonderful and welcoming,” she shared. “The staff has been phenomenal, and the families have been so warm and supportive.”

As when she navigated her first back-to-school challenge—helping families adjust to the confusing traffic flow during ongoing campus construction—Ms. Yamasaki has been a positive, inspiring presence from day one. She starts and ends the day greeting families at drop-off and pick up, and visits classrooms to share supportive words with teachers and students.

Ms. Yamasaki looks forward to continuing some of AOE’s most popular traditions. When a student asked if she would be willing to be “slimed” at the Jogathon, she replied with a smile, “It sounds like a lot of fun!”

“Throughout her career Ms. Yamasaki has exemplified outstanding instructional leadership,” said Assistant Superintendent, Personnel Services, Megan Arias. ”Aviara Oaks Elementary will benefit from her wealth of experience, her enthusiasm for serving students, and her warm and engaging demeanor.”

Most recently, Ms. Yamasaki served as Associate Director of Academic Achievement at San Diego Global Vision Academy, a TK–8 charter school grounded in inquiry-based learning, social-emotional leadership, and service learning. She also spent several years as an Instructional Coach, guiding professional learning and helping teachers implement student-centered practices. Earlier in her career, she taught multiple grade levels from TK through 6th grade, and also served as an Administrative Lead Educator, supporting grades 3–8 in curriculum alignment, instructional planning, and professional development.

Because of her commitment to the education of every child, she helped her school in their development of Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) practices. Her contributions helped her school earn recognition as California Distinguished School and Golden Ribbon Awards for narrowing achievement gaps.

Her leadership extends beyond the classroom as well. Ms. Yamasaki serves as a teacher consultant with the San Diego Area Writing Project at UC San Diego, providing professional development in literacy instruction across the San Diego region.

Ms. Yamasaki’s leadership philosophy centers on relationships, collaboration, and curiosity-driven learning. Her main goals this year include building strong and open partnerships with staff and families and, with preschool and the new TK program, fostering vertical collaboration across all grade levels to ensure student success.

She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Education Studies from UC San Diego, a Master’s degree in Education from UCLA, and achieved National Board Certification in 2022 — a distinction held by fewer than 3% of California teachers.

Outside of school, Ms. Yamasaki is the proud mother of two children, ages six and two. She cherishes her family time, and enjoys reading, visiting coffee shops, and catching up with friends.

Reflecting on her first weeks at Aviara Oaks Elementary, Ms. Yamasaki said, “I want to express to the school and the community how grateful I am to be here at AOE, and for the support I have felt. From my very first day, at our introductory team meeting, I realized how fortunate I am to be part of this school. I’ve been accepted with so much grace, and I am filled with positive anticipation for the year ahead.”

Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Principal Emily Yamasaki. We are excited to see Aviara Oaks Elementary thrive under her leadership!