Designing and Opening a Language Academy
Three key groups will be fundamental in making decisions that will anchor our work around the mission and vision for UMS as we prepare for a smooth transition into the 2022-2023 school year.
Napa Valley Unified School District is opening a new middle school language academy in the 2022-2023 school year in order to strengthen the K-12 dual language immersion pathway. The design and opening of the new school will occur in phases and in alignment with the co-design a cohesive vision for the comprehensive middle schools in order to ensure an equitable learning environment for all middle school students in NVUSD.
Mission: Provide a global education that instills a love for learning and honors languages and cultures.
Vision: All students are empowered to achieve academic excellence while growing bilingualism, biliteracy, and interpersonal connections in a community that is responsive to the well-being of all learners.
July 14, 2021
Members of the NVLA, Pueblo Vista, Harvest Dual Language Immersion Program and River Middle School Community came together with Napa Valley Unified School District Staff and Principal Alejandra Uribe to begin the development of a mission for the middle school language academy.
July 27, 2021
August 6, 2021
After many weeks of reviewing important topics from our first meeting and assessing survey data collected from the community, the Middle School Language Academy Mission and Vision Design Team composed of students, staff, parents, and administrators from Napa Valley Language Academy, Pueblo Vista Magnet School, Harvest Magnet Middle School, River Middle School, Napa High School, and Napa Valley Unified School District, finalized the mission and vision for the new middle school language academy.
Under Board Policy 7310, a Citizen Advisory Committee must be appointed to review name suggestions and submit recommendations for the Board’s consideration. This Citizen Advisory Committee will present a name recommendation to the Napa Valley Unified School District Board of Education at its October 14, 2021 meeting.
Please use the following LINK to join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device:
| Middle School Design Meeting Link |
Tuesday, 8/31
Tuesday, 9/14
Tuesday, 9/28
Tuesday, 10/12
Tuesday, 10/14: Board of Education Meeting (7 pm)
The NVUSD Board of Trustees on October 14, formally adopted the name for the new middle school language academy, which will be housed at the current River School campus starting with the 2022/23 school year. Unidos Middle School was put forth as a formal recommendation from the Citizen Advisory Committee. Since August, the nine-member committee has met to identify a process for reviewing and recommending a potential name. Also, students from Pueblo Vista and Napa Valley Language Academy (NVLA) engaged in the process by providing name suggestions, drawings, and words that reflect the spirit of the new school. The name Unidos Middle School was suggested by 6th grade NVLA student Efrain Velasquez because it means “united.” His idea originated from the thought that students from different parts of the Napa area will come together in one school.
In order to develop a branding package for Unidos Middle School, principal, Alejandra Uribe, assembled an advisory group of students, parents, district staff, and graphic designer, Barbara Fredericks. The advisory group held five meetings that took place in January and February. After the fourth meeting, the advisory group sought input from the broader future Unidos community. In the last advisory meeting, after considering the input from over 209 future Unidos families, the advisory group decided upon the design featured at the top of this page.
Thank you to all participants in this process!
