Leadership Napa Valley Visits NVUSD: A Day of Inspiration and Vision

Last week, NVUSD was proud to host Leadership Napa Valley for an inspiring and insightful day exploring our schools and learning directly from our students. The visit offered a firsthand look at NVUSD’s efforts to enhance student success, improve facilities, and deepen community partnerships.

At Phillips Magnet Elementary School, Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti welcomed the group and introduced NVUSD’s 2024–2029 Strategic Plan, Transforming Our Future Together. Dr. Mucetti also celebrated the recent passage of Measure B, highlighting the critical role it will play in improving district facilities, including schools like Phillips.

Principal Julie Jones and Community School Program Administrator Jessica Di Gregorio, who is dedicated to Phillips, shared how the school’s magnet focus on leadership, engineering, art, and design (LEAD) is providing students with dynamic learning opportunities. They also highlighted how the Community Schools grant is helping strengthen services for students and families, further supporting the school’s vision and growth.

The group toured K-3 classrooms at Phillips, where they observed students engaging in hands-on, creative learning experiences aligned with the school’s magnet focus. They also visited the school’s wellness center, where staff shared how they are supporting the social-emotional needs of students and families.

The visit continued at Silverado Middle School, where Principal Anne Vallerga greeted the group in the school’s new Wellness Center and shared Silverado’s focus on three key themes: progress, purpose, and passion.

• The theme of progress is reflected in how the school uses proficiency scales to empower students to take ownership of their learning. By understanding what they are striving to “get good at,” what “good” looks like, where they currently stand on the proficiency scale, and what steps they need to take to level up, students are guided to make meaningful academic growth.
• The theme of purpose emphasizes making a “Smart Start” to each day and each class by being ready, engaged, and focused on learning.
• The theme of passion is about fostering connection, curiosity, and joy in the school experience, encouraging students to discover what excites and motivates them.

The group also toured classrooms and explored Silverado’s newly renovated E-Wing, a thoughtfully redesigned space. Just as Alta Heights Elementary’s interior refresh now serves as the model for future elementary school renovations that the passage of Measure B will make possible, Silverado’s E-Wing makeover—though not funded by Measure B—will serve as the model for secondary school interior redesigns that Measure B makes possible in the years ahead.

The day concluded at Camille Creek Community School, operated by Napa County, for the highlight of the visit: a student panel discussion. Students from across NVUSD, including one from Camille Creek, shared their experiences and reflections on a variety of topics.

Panelists explored key questions about the future, including how schools are preparing them for college and careers, the role of mental health resources like wellness centers, and how social media and technology are impacting education. They also shared candid thoughts on what they need most from adults and the broader community to thrive.

The insights and passion from these students were truly inspiring, underscoring NVUSD’s Strategic Plan priorities of student agency, success, and belonging. The visit also brought NVUSD’s other Core Values—equity, excellence, innovation, wellness, and community—to life. From the innovative classrooms and magnet programs to the focus on mental health and community partnerships, the Leadership Napa Valley visit reflected how these values shape every aspect of the NVUSD experience.

We are grateful to Leadership Napa Valley for visiting our schools, learning from our staff and students, and helping our future leaders better understand our vision, our facilities, and the student learning experience. Together, we are transforming the future!