Community Update
AUGUST 5, 2026
Vista Unified is taking a thoughtful look at student screen time and the role technology plays throughout the school day through a process we are calling the Tech Time Review. We want to better understand how much time students are spending on screens, what they are doing during that time, and the benefits and potential drawbacks at different ages. We will also consider the balance between technology use and reading, writing, discussion, collaboration, creativity, hands-on learning, physical activity, and human connection. In addition, we will be launching a family campaign focused on healthy and thoughtful screen use outside of school.
Over the next several months, we will examine current technology use across TK-12, review relevant research, and listen to the experiences and perspectives of students, families, teachers, staff, and administrators. What we learn will help shape recommendations for intentional, balanced, and developmentally appropriate technology use across our schools.
Our Timeline:
July-August: Audit how technology is currently being used across our schools, with specific emphasis on the amount of screen time for students by grade level.
September-October: Review research and explore the benefits and challenges associated with student technology use.
October-November: Listen to and gather feedback from students, families, teachers, staff, and administrators.
November-December: Develop recommendations based on what we learn from the audit, and community feedback.
December 2026: Share findings and recommendations with the School Board and community.
January-March 2027: Develop and consider updated Board policy.
Vista Unified is dedicated to helping every student become a confident reader through literacy instruction grounded in the Science of Reading & Phonics. We design instruction for diverse learners by anchoring to their strengths and interests and also by using literacy screeners to catch early signs of reading difficulty. Additionally, we utilize diagnostic assessments whenever a closer look is needed to pinpoint specific strengths and provide targeted prevention and intervention. By pairing this proactive support with structured phonics, rich, engaging texts, and collaborative classroom practices, we build strong comprehension alongside core decoding skills and a genuine interest in literature. Families play a vital role, too! You can foster a joyful love of ‘learning to read’ by exploring simple Science of Reading Strategies for Home, sharing stories, and celebrating every small milestone. Together, we empower every child to achieve lifelong reading success.
Vista Unified is continuing to raise the bar for mathematics in TK through 8th grade with our partners at Math Transformations. We are working to ensure every student develops strong foundational skills, mathematical fluency, and the ability to apply what they know to increasingly complex problems. Building on our teachers’ expertise and curriculum, grade-level teams continue to design rigorous word problems and performance tasks that require students to calculate accurately, reason mathematically, explain and defend their solutions, and persevere when an answer is not easy to find. Teachers use frequent checks for understanding, feedback, and opportunities for students to revise their work until they demonstrate proficiency, with targeted intervention and extension when needed. Collaboration within and across grade levels for teachers is an important part of our work, especially during the transitions from 5th to 6th grades and 8th to 9th grades. This helps to ensure that learning builds coherently and students are prepared for advanced mathematics. This focus on knowledge, precision, reasoning, and problem solving will help every student graduate from high school with all options and opportunities open to them for their futures.
Math at Home
Families play an important role in helping students see that mathematics is more than something that happens in a classroom. Everyday experiences provide opportunities for children and teenagers of all ages to estimate, calculate, measure, compare, reason, and solve problems. The goal is not to recreate school at home, but to help students recognize and use math in the world around them. Families do not need to be “good at math” to support math at home. We can all participate in math by asking questions, and solve everyday problems together. Some ideas are:
Cook together: Measure ingredients, double or halve a recipe, compare fractions, adjust serving sizes, etc.
Shop together: Estimate the total cost before checkout, figure out the impact of discounts and coupons, determine sales tax, or decide which items provide the best value and why.
Plan a trip or outing: Calculate distances, travel times, fuel costs, admission prices, and compare and contrast how much different outings might cost.
Use sports and games: Explore scores, statistics, averages, percentages, probability, strategy, and patterns. Sports games, puzzles, and board games are full of mathematical thinking.
Ask “How do you know?” When your child solves a problem, makes an estimate, or reaches a conclusion, ask them to explain their thinking. Being able to reason, explain, and defend an answer is important for brain growth.
Let kids wrestle with a problem: It is okay if an answer does not come immediately. Encourage your child to try another approach, look for a pattern, make an estimate, or explain what they already know. This is called “productive struggle” and builds their confidence and perseverance.
All Vista Unified schools use a program called Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). An important part of education is learning how to behave and treat each other. This means we focus on teaching good behavior before problems happen, rather than just reacting to them. We set clear expectations, teach students what we expect, and support them when they need help. We use information from our schools to decide what works best. Over 21 of our schools have earned Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum recognition for their PBIS programs!
Every school also teaches Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in the classroom. Teachers and counselors help students learn to:
Understand and manage their own feelings
Be aware of others' feelings and needs
Build strong friendships and work well with others
Make good choices
These skills help students in and out of the classroom.
Support for Families
We offer parent training to help you support your child at home using the same strategies we use at school. If you'd like to learn more about a specific topic, please contact your school's Community Liaison or email jaquelinebispo@vistausd.org for district-wide parent workshops. We'd love to hear what would help your family!
Learn More
For details about your school's PBIS program, check your child's Parent/Student handbook or visit your school's website by clicking HERE. We're here to support you and your child. Feel free to reach out to your school counselor with any questions!
As we enter the fall season, the risk of wildfires increases throughout our Vista and Oceanside communities. Vista Unified School District remains committed to taking proactive steps to PLAN, PREPARE, and PREVENT while helping our students, staff, families, and community stay informed and ready.
PLAN
At the beginning of each school year, site administrators and staff review and update emergency procedures, including each school’s Comprehensive School Safety Plan and related safety documents. Schools also review evacuation procedures and designated assembly areas so everyone knows what to do in an emergency.
PREPARE
Each school conducts fire drills throughout the year to help students and staff practice appropriate emergency behaviors and become familiar with their designated assembly areas. If a significant wildfire threatens a school or surrounding community, Vista Unified will work closely with local fire agencies to assess conditions and determine the appropriate response. If an evacuation or other significant action is necessary, families will receive updates through the District website and ParentSquare.
RED FLAG AWARENESS
As another way to help keep our community informed, Vista Unified began its Red Flag Notification Program last school year in partnership with Vista Fire Rescue. When the National Weather Service issues a Red Flag Warning for our area, Vista Unified will raise a red flag at all school sites. The flags provide a highly visible reminder to students, staff, families, and community members that critical fire weather conditions—such as strong winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation—may be present.
We appreciate our continued partnership with Vista Fire Rescue in promoting wildfire awareness and preparedness throughout our community.
PREVENT
Our Maintenance and Grounds Departments also play an important role in reducing fire risks by maintaining school buildings, landscaping, and surrounding areas.
Families can help protect their homes and loved ones by taking a few simple steps:
Test your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.
Keep a fire extinguisher readily accessible, especially near the kitchen.
Have flashlights and backup lighting available for power outages. Avoid using candles.
Maintain at least a 72-hour supply of food, water, and necessary medications.
Know your family’s evacuation routes and have an emergency plan.
Avoid overloading electrical circuits and check ovens for grease, food buildup, or items left inside before use.
Review your homeowners or renters insurance to make sure you have appropriate coverage.
For additional information about preparing your home and family for wildfire, visit Cal Fire’s Ready for Wildfire website.
Preparedness starts with all of us. By staying informed, practicing emergency procedures, and taking simple steps at home, we can help protect our students, families, schools, and community.
For current Red Flag Warnings and local weather information, visit the National Weather Service Southern California Region.
We are excited to welcome all returning and new families to the new school year! We have many school and district-based activities planned for the year and look forward to seeing you at all of them (raise your hand if you’re headed to your school’s first big school event after Back-to-School Night! If you’re unsure, check the weekly newsletter!) Add these to your calendar now for two major district activities: (1) Annual Día de los Muertos will be on Tuesday, October 27 from 3-7 p.m. and (2) Annual Early Childhood Education Fair on Saturday, April 24, 2027. All are welcome! Look out for announcements from the district and schools for all upcoming events.
Please make sure to utilize our various communication systems so you receive all notices as they are sent (links and information on this page):
Aeries: Make sure all contact information is up-to-date (phone, e-mail). The information here is used in all of our communications systems, so make sure all is current! You can update this immediately when needed.
Make sure to set your “Automated Notification Preferences” to General and Emergency Announcements so you receive all communications promptly!
Parent Square: This platform is used to send out important school and district information, including weekly Principal Newsletters and periodic Superintendent Community Updates. (There is an app version!)
Peachjar: Virtual flyers
Some teachers and coaches use other platforms, like Class Dojo, to communicate with parents. Please make sure to sign up for these also. Contact your teachers & coaches for more information.
For specific school or district support related to Family and Community Engagement, communications, and our events, please see this contact sheet or e-mail FamilyEngagement@vistausd.org.
We had our first RIDE to school safety session for this school year with over 100 attendees! Thank you students, staff, and families for your participation in this important program. Thank you to the City of Vista, OTS, and San Diego County Bicycle Coalition for making these safety sessions possible. Our next sessions will be on Wednesday, September 16th at Rancho Buena Vista High and Wednesday, September 30th at Vista High School. Both events begin promptly at 5pm and last one hour. Click here to RSVP. As a reminder all middle and high school students who RIDE (bikes, e-bikes, scooters, or skateboards) to school need to attend one of these sessions to get a permit sticker. After the session, students submit a signed acknowledgement sheet after they have read the protocol to their school site. Then a permit sticker will be issued to the student. Thank you for your continued support in keeping our students safe while riding to and from school! Visit our website for up to date information.
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.
Vista Unified School District
Email: webmaster@vistausd.org
Website: vistausd.org
Location: 1234 Arcadia Avenue, Vista, CA, USA
Phone: (760) 726-2170
Twitter: @VistaBlueprint