WAVE Pod - Vista Unified School District

Episode 22: An AVID Roundtable On this episode we’ve got a roundtable conversation that focuses on the AVID program, which promotes college readiness, and offers students extra levels of support to help students succeed. Vista Unified offers AVID classes at all grade levels, and more information is available on the district website or from any of the schools. We’ll be talking with two recent AVID program graduates from Rancho Buena Vista High School: Isabel Ulibarri, who is planning on attending Cal Lutheran University to pursue a career in teaching, and Arleth Flores-Aparicio, who will be attending UC-Riverside, and plans on following a four year degree with law school. Arleth, we should mention, is also the 2018 AVID Founder Scholarship winner, which identifies her as the top AVID student in San Diego County, and also comes with a $25,000 scholarship. We’re also joined by Erica Glennon, a social studies teacher at Rancho Buena Vista as well as that school’s AVID coordinator, and Anne Green, Director of Secondary Curriculum & Instruction, and the district’s AVID leader. AVID stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination, and as you’ll hear, these recent AVID grads have determination in spades, and will be using the resources they’ve gained through the program to go on to great things, and inspire others to do the same.

Episode 21: Cheree McKean of Empresa Elementary School Today we’re talking with Cheree McKean, Principal of Empresa Elementary School, and I think you’ll be impressed and inspired with the culture of the school and how that fuels the learning taking place there. Empresa is probably most known for their robust music program and test scores. And while those are integral parts of the school, they are really representations of so much more.  We’ll talk about the music program, from when it started as teacher Rich Cook bringing a red wagon fro classroom to classroom, to the full-scale program the school now has. We’ll also talk about the myriad learning opportunities at the school, the staff that continually works to blend strong traditions with innovations to adapt to new learning and teaching methods. And make sure you stay to the end, where Cheree has some great words about simplicity and letting kids be kids. It’s a great conversation.

Episode 20: Heather Golly of Roosevelt Middle School Today we speak with Heather Golly, Principal of Roosevelt Middle School. Roosevelt has a long standing reputation as one of the county’s leading schools for music, with robust band and choir programs. We talked about that, as well as the school-wide implementation of a new curriculum called Artful Learning, developed by the Leonard Bernstein Organization. With a name like Artful Learning you might think that it’s an arts curriculum, but in reality it’s about using the arts as a lens to look at learning across disciplines, and we take time to talk about that.  We also delve into the ways that the Roosevelt staff works together to build lessons collaboratively to ensure that subject matter isn’t isolated, but integrated across students’ classes. We also talk about electives for students and how technology is used as a tool to expand the scope of learning.  That’s just a glimpse of our conversation, as well as the many things happening to empower student learning at Roosevelt. We hope you’ll find this conversation informative and inspiring.

Episode 19 en Español: Conciencia Cibernética    

Episode 19: Cyber Awareness  In the last five years access to mobile digital devices has increased exponentially at home and at school. Vista Unified School District is dedicated to supporting students and families navigate this digital landscape in a safe and responsible manner. This podcast is meant to accompany the VUSD Cyber Awareness Parent Night provided on April 26 at Vista High School. Today we will provide you with information on how the district is providing a safe digital environment at school and efforts to provide education on making good decisions online. We speak with Jon Moffat, local cyber education consultant, and the district's Marc Schroeder, to provide tips for the family to manage digital life at home, set limits and become more aware of usage trends for children and teens.

Episode 18: Music Round Table With Dr. Linda Kimble Today’s episode is a round table discussion led by Dr. Linda Kimble, Superintendent of Vista Unified School District, on the topic of music education in public schools. Dr. Kimble was part of a recent gathering of teachers and administrators in North County San Diego exploring the expansion of music education across the 78 corridor.  The gathering took place at the national headquarters of the National Association of Music Merchants, knows as NAMM, a site which also houses the Museum of Making Music. It was a perfect location for Dr. Kimble and her guests to share the vision and steps to broadening music education in Vista and the surrounding communities.  We hope you’ll find this conversation informative and inspiring, and that you’ll learn more about the ways you can be involved in bringing music education to every student in Vista Unified.    

Episode 17: T.H.E. Leadership Academy's Kim Morton and Kerry Perez Today’s guests have just led their school through a historical change, renaming the school to better reflect the ways that it is teaching and guiding students. We’re talking with Kim Morton and Kerry Perez, Principal and Assistant Principal, respectively, of T.H.E. Leadership Academy, formerly known as Temple Heights Elementary School. We’ll talk about the name change, and more importantly, the thought and strategy behind that change. We’ll also talk about why the concept of leadership is so powerful, and what it equips students for throughout their lives. T.H.E. Leadership Academy has also been a leading school in Vista Unified’s adoption of Personalized Learning, and the school is gaining acclaim for its approach to implementing this learning model at an elementary school level. We cover a lot of ground here, and I hope you enjoy this conversation with T.H.E. Leadership Academy’s Kim Morton and Kerry Perez.

Episode 16: School Safety Roundtable Today we have a special episode: a roundtable on school safety. With so much of the nations’ attention focused on this topic, we wanted to take some time to hear from a few of the many people working daily to maintain safe school environments. We’ll hear from Dr. Linda Kimble, Superintendent of Vista Unified School District, Dr. Kyle Ruggles, Executive Director of Student Support Services, Jeff Geyer, the district’s safety and Environmental Manager, as well as members of the Oceanside Police Department and the San Diego County Sherriff’s department. They’ll share information as to how the district trains and equips teachers and staff in safety practices, how school facilities are optimized for safety, the many social and emotional support services available to students, as well as the importance of fostering kind and trusting cultures on school campuses. We cover a lot of ground on the topic, and hopefully that helps you, our listeners, to have a better sense of the breadth and depth of care and expertise that the district invests in when it comes to school safety. And listed here are a few of the details mentioned in the episode. Regular Drills - Fire Drills: K-8 monthly; 9-12 twice a year- Earthquake: twice a year- Intruder/secure campus or lockdown -- twice a year The podcast also includes brief comparisons of Secure Campus vs Lockdown, and how those terms help to identify what sort of situation may be happening. Recent Facilities Modifications To School CampusesAdditional perimeter fencing has been installed at:Beaumont ElementaryBobier ElementaryBreeze Hill ElementaryCalifornia Ave. ElementaryCasita Center Elementary Empresa ElementaryGrapevine ElementaryLake ElementaryMadison Middle SchoolMission Meadows ElementaryMission Vista High SchoolMonte Vista ElementaryRancho Buena Vista HSRancho Minerva Middle SchoolVista Academy (VAPA)Reconfigure school entrance to single point of entry at:Alamosa Park ElementaryBreeze Hill ElementaryLake ElementaryMission Meadows ElementaryRancho Minerva Middle SchoolVista Academy (VAPA)Installation of security cameras at all schools and district facilitiesUpgrade of District wide Emergency Radio system

Episode 15: Cindy Anderson of Alamosa Park Elementary Today we’re talking with Cindy Anderson, Principal of Alamosa Park Elementary School. In our conversation, Cindy share about the many exciting developments at Alamosa Park, including an expanded role for project based learning, Next Generation Science Standards, and how those help to reinforce the foundational skills in literacy, language and mathematics. We also talked about the changing role of teachers, and how the school equips and empowers it teachers in the way they approach guiding students in the learning process. We’re glad you’re here and hope that you enjoy this conversation with Cindy Anderson.

Episode 14: Dr. Linda Kimble, Superintendent This episode feastures a conversation with Dr. Linda Kimble, who recently began her role as Superintendent of Vista Unified. Dr. Kimble comes to Vista after five years as Superintendent of the Anaheim Elementary School District in Orange County, where she was granted a number of honors, including a Superintendent of the Year award, the 2017 Orange County Arts on the Rise Award form the Orange County Department of Education, A Woman of Distinction award for the 65th Assembly District, and Outstanding Administrator for the Los Angeles County Bilingual Directors Association. Dr. Kimble was a classroom teacher for 15 years before transitioning into administration, serving schools in a variety of settings. Dr. Kimble is an engaging person who enjoys and gains great value from listening to others and understanding the opportunities and challenges of various roles in the school district. In a short time we discussed what made her aware of and interested in Vista Unified, the challenge of innovation in education, change, the arts, language skills, and how her enjoyment of shadowing people on the job, as well as students, helps her to gain insight into how schools and students function.

Episode 13: Laura Smith of Casita Center Today we speak with Laura Smith, Principal of Casita Center for Technology, Science & Math, a magnet elementary school, and one of two elementary schools in Vista Unified to be certified as an International Baccalaureate World School. We’ll talk about what being an IB World School means for the students and teachers of Casita Center, as well as how that curriculum provides opportunities for students to become more internationally minded. We also talk about various unique learning opportunities at Casita, including the school’s several outdoor learning spaces, a broadcast journalism class, and what it’s like to have a CA Teacher of the Year on staff. So settle in and enjoy our conversation with Laura Smith of Casita Center.

Episode 12: Globally-Minded Students at Vista Magnet Middle School On this episode we talk with Steve Post, Principal of Vista Magnet Middle School. Vista Magnet has a rich learning environment, with an emphasis on math and science, as well as being an International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme school, which Steve explains a bit in our conversation. The IB program helps to develop students into global citizens, finding connections between their local school environment and other spaces around the world. This global-mindedness is a key difference-maker in the learning process, and also contributes to the school’s tradition of students involving themselves in a service project.VMMS students have also, for the past two years, won a contest to have an experiment run on the International Space Station, making the school's reach not just global, but galactic! Enjoy this conversation with Steve Post, and contact the school to set up a tour and see what students are learning first hand.

Episode 11: CA Avenue Elementary, building caring people through blending traditional and special needs students. In this episode we talk with with California Avenue Elementary Principal Rachel Schmidt. California Ave is a unique school in Vista Unified, serving special needs students in a manner second to none from pre-school onward. Classes are blended between students with special needs and more traditional students, which, as Rachel explains, provides phenomenal opportunities for all schools, and leads other schools in the district to notice a high level of compassion and empathy from students that have attended California Avenue. Rachel is a leader in the area, and I’m certain that you’ll find her insights and stories engaging and compelling. So without further ado, here’s a conversation with Rachel Schmidt from California Avenue Elementary.  

Episode 10: Infrastructure, Montessori-Inspired Approach and more with Stephanie Vasquez of Olive Elementary On this episode we talk with Olive Elementary Principal Stephanie Vasquez, and as with every school in Vista Unified, there’s a lot to cover and even more to be excited about. Olive has a number of innovative things happening, from having aeroponic tower gardens in classrooms that produce fresh produce for the school, to the planned shift to a Montessori-inspired approach to learning, to a full-day pre-school partnership. Infrastructure happens both in how teachers are prepared as well as the physical spaces of a school, and Olive has both things happening.

Episode 9: Ifrastructure - Building Teaching Methods and Physical Infrastructures to facilitate Learning with Sochie Schmitz of Beaumont Elementary School.   Today we’ll address both of these areas in a conversation with Beaumont Elementary School’s Principal Sochie Schmitz. Sochie is in her first year as Principal at Beaumont, but has a wealth of experience in Vista Unified, and is able to share her broad and deep understanding of how infrastructure affects all areas of learning.  We covered a lot of ground and it felt like we were just scratching the surface of the things happening at Beaumont, and the wisdom and insight that Sochie brings to the school and the district. Enjoy!

Episode 8: Looking Into Infrastructure, with Donna Caperton, Assistant Superintendent, Business Services This month, December 2017, we’re going to be talking about infrastructure, addressing both the physical structures of schools as well as changes and innovations in teaching and curriculum. On this episode we speak with Donna Caperton, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services for Vista Unified School District. She oversees the remarkable number of projects around the district, from large scale projects to smaller upgrades and improvements. You’ll be impressed by the process and thoughtfulness that go in to all of these decisions.

Episode 7: Early Childhood Education and more with Rafael Olavide of Grapevine Elementary School On this episoide we speak with Grapevine Elementary School’s principal, Rafael Olavide. Grapevine has been serving the Vista community for over 50 years, and has deep and meaningful roots with the community. Grapevine is also a leader in early childhood education, working with district partner Educational Enrichment systems to provide a seamless path from preschool into kindergarten and beyond. Rafael explains just what P-3 education is, and how students and families benefit greatly from this opportunity. You’ll also hear about Grapevine’s work to develop a dual language immersion program, which is an exciting development for the school and the district.

Episode 6: Dr. Jenifer Golden of Bobier Elementary School Today we speak with Dr. Jenifer Golden, Principal of Bobier Elementary School. Dr. Golden leads a team that has developed an inspiring culture of engaging students, families and the community in a holistic effort to provide opportunities to students that are second to none. You’ll hear the student excitement in the background, as we recorded this interview during lunch time.  You’ll also hear about how the school engages with its community, about their preschool and TK programs, and academic opportunities that give Bobier students chances to tour the world form their classrooms, and how opening students and families up to opportunities has created a dynamic learning and growing environment. Enjoy!

Episode 5: Family & Community Engagement with Carol McKane of Maryland Elementary School On this episode we talk with Carol McKane, Principal of Maryland Elementary. Carol and her team have a wide-ranging vision that sees Maryland not just as a school, but as a community hub. With a reading room that is open to families as well as students, a robust summer program, and partnerships with community leaders, Maryland is pioneering ways to engage with families.  A result of greater parent engagement is increased student achievement, and in this conversation you’ll hear about many of the ways that Maryland is innovating in this space.

Episode 4: Tracy Zachry Our guest today is Tracy Zachry, Principal of Hannalei Elementary school. Tracy and her team have done a remarkable job of bringing together diverse groups of parents and family members to create a special environment at the school. Getting a wide range of family members together can be tough, based on various work and family schedules, but Hannalei has been very intentional about doing this and you’ll hear from Tracy just how impactful and meaningful it’s been. One of the heroes of her story is the school’s Community Liaison, and we’re thrilled to share that story. The community liaison is a position that Vista Unified has invested in as part of the Blueprint for educational excellence and innovation, and the investment is paying off with greater lines of communication and understanding between families and schools.

Nicole Miller: Mission Vista High School Our guest today is Nicole Miller, Principal of Mission Vista High School, a dual magnet high school that is the youngest of the high schools in Vista Unified. As a dual magnet school, Mission Vista offers students the ability to dig deeper into arts and communication, as well as science and technology. From a celebrated, award-winning music program, to multiple levels of computer science and engineering classes, and innovative classes like the very popular Socioeconomic History of Rock & Roll, Mission Vista has earned a reputation as a place where deep learning and creative thinking go hand in hand.

Krista Berntsen, principal of Lake Elementary, joins the show to share her thoughts on the culture and traditions of Lake Elementary. With a rich legacy of family engagement and a connected community, Lake has established a culture that sees every teacher, staff member, administrator and volunteer working together to create the best learning environment for every child. Lake is also a great example of a school that builds on its traditions by forging new paths of learning for its students. They are a leader in the district's shift to Personal Learning, building models for connecting foundational aspects of education to real world situations that engage and inspire students to become lifelong learners.

Episode 1: Chuck Schindler On this, our debut episode, we talk with the Principal of Rancho Buena Vista High School, Chuck Schindler. Chuck will share about the special culture at RBV, the character of the school’s students and staff, as well as the remarkable number of opportunities for students to engage in learning.    From legacy strengths like RBV’s arts programs and the International Baccalaureate diploma pathway, to newer offerings such as robotics and coding, RBV is committed to developing well-rounded learners who can pursue their passions through any number of courses.