We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 3/23/23

 

Hilos Visibles or Visible Threads was launched in 2021 by the Napa Valley Latino Heritage Committee as the Quilt Project. Its purpose was to celebrate the rich Hispanic Heritage of Napa Valley through the artistic expression of quilt squares. Kinnereth Winegarner’s classes at New Tech High School kicked this project off, as featured in the Napa Valley Register, and helped translate instructions used by the participants throughout the valley. Latino communities from American Canyon to Calistoga, including our students at Phillips Magnet Elementary, Snow Elementary, New Tech High School, and Valley Oak High School (Napa / American Canyon), produced over 400 squares, capturing Hispanic culture through icons, color, and statements, making visible the Hispanic Heritage of Napa Valley.

Caption: New Tech student Fernando Diaz was recognized by Congressman Mike Thompson for his contribution to the Hilos Visibles project, which he made as a student in Kinereth Winegarner's class. 

 

On Saturday, March 18, Congressman Mike Thompson and other locally elected officials joined the organizers and artists at the Napa Historical Society in downtown Napa for a reception. In recognition of their participation in the community-wide Hilos Visibles / Visible Threads project, Mike Thompson presented the artists with a certificate memorializing their contribution to the Hispanic heritage of Napa Valley.

If you haven’t already, we invite you to enjoy our students' quilts on display in the Napa Historical Society in downtown Napa, Tuesday-Thursday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm or Friday-Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. You can view all of our students' quilts in their online catalog. You can also enjoy more pictures from the event in our social media.

 

 

Posted 3/23/23

According to the California School Boards Association, “School board members are locally elected public officials entrusted with governing a community’s public schools. The role of the school board is to ensure that school districts are responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of their communities. Boards fulfill this role by performing five major responsibilities: setting direction, establishing an effective and efficient structure, providing support, ensuring accountability, and providing community leadership as advocates for children, the school district, and public schools.”

Many already know that NVUSD school board members hold board meetings twice per month or approximately 26 times a year. Board members also spend considerable time refining governance practices, carrying out the Superintendent evaluation process, and attending subcommittee meetings on finance, policy, and curriculum, to name a few. However, this is just the beginning of their work and commitment. Read more about the role our NVUSD’s Board takes in leading the Napa Valley Unified School District by scrolling down to see a few highlights from the last three months:

On January 31, 2023, NVUSD students, teachers, academic specialists, and district staff presented a study session to the NVUSD Board of Education focused on secondary literacy and shared the importance of reading and writing to learn across content areas (English Language Arts, science, social science, etc.). The secondary session was built on the data, research, and practice shared during the Elementary Literacy Study Session on November 10, 2022. To learn more about both, we invite you to review the presentation slides and listen to the session recordings in the NVUSD News.

Trustee Jankiewics joined Superintendent Mucetti at the convening of the California Collaborative for District Reform where they had the opportunity to present as panelists to researchers, policymakers, philanthropists, and colleague superintendents from across the state on how a school board can create coherence and alignment in a school district by having robust and effective governance practices, protocols, and commitments.

In early March, NVUSD Trustees’ President David T. Gracia, Vice President Cindy Watter, Clerk Eve Ryser, Elba Gonzalez-Mares, Robin Jankiewicz, and Lisa Chu attended a California Teachers Association Napa/Solano School Board Brunch with Napa Valley Educators Association (NVTA) President Gayle Young, two CTA Board members, the Redwood Service Center Chair, an NEA Board member, and school board trustees from Dixon and Fairfield. Sponsored by CTA, the goal was for attendees to develop an understanding of the relationship and perspective of CTA and its local associations, develop and improve positive relationships with school board members, provide information to school board members, and more. According to NVUSD Board President Gracia, “Our partnership with NVEA and CTA is incredibly important to achieving our mission of educating students, and we are grateful for opportunities like this to collaborate and grow with them. We look forward to continuing to foster these relationships now and into the future as part of our commitment to Strategic Plan Goal #2 (Effective Employee Relations).”

On Wednesday, March 15, NVUSD Board of Education Trustees attended a Special Board Meeting to better understand the importance of educational specifications. Assistant Superintendent of Operational Services Mike Pearson presented, sharing the importance of educational specifications and how creating these guidelines can ensure District-run construction projects meet the current and future needs of staff and students, bolster the vision of the District, set a high standard, and provide clear and concise direction. He was joined by experts in the field and partners across many NVUSD programs and projects. To learn alongside our Board of Trustees, watch the presentation by visiting NVUSD’s YouTube page or clicking here.

Students from across the Napa Valley Unified School District learned about and celebrated the Lunar New Year at Canyon Oaks Elementary School. Principal Stephanie Vasquez was pleased to see her 5th-grade teachers and students learning from parents, guests, and even NVUSD Board Members. Fifth Grade Teacher Mrs. Slavin welcomed NVUSD Trustee Lisa Chu to her class. There, Trustee Chu shared information about the Chinese traditions and activities of the last day of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration (Spring Festival), which is called the Lantern Festival. Trustee Chu shared, "This day falls on the first full moon of the new year. As a community, we pay tribute to our ancestors by decorating the town with lanterns, enjoying traditional Chinese foods, and enjoying the beauty of the lanterns lit up at night. Many children will make lanterns to contribute to the decorations and celebrations. The students were surprised to learn that Lunar New Year traditions differ depending on the Asian culture. For example, in the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the year of the rabbit while in Vietnamese culture, it is the cat." When asked for an important takeaway, Trustee Chu shared, "One important takeaway I wish the student to have is that there will likely be some unexpected and oftentimes fun surprises if we continue to be curious about cultures beyond our own." Read the entire story In the News on www.nvusd.org.

Trustee David T. Gracia was officially sworn in as California School Boards Association's Region 3 Director, one of 21 regional directors appointed by CSBA across California. As Region 3 Director, Trustee Gracia will represent the counties of Sonoma, Napa, Solano, and Marin as a member of the CSBA Board of Directors. According to CSBA, "Members of the Board of Directors establish the vision, mission, and goals for the association, and ensure that association activities and programs remain focused on those goals and the issues identified in CSBA’s Policy Platform. 

NVUSD Trustees President David T. Gracia, Vice President Cindy Watter, Clerk Eve Ryser, Robin Jankiewicz, and Lisa Chu and parents joined Dr. Mucetti at Northwood Elementary School for Coffee with the Superintendent. This informal meeting provided our parents the opportunity to interact one on one with Dr. Mucetti and to hear directly about important topics impacting the District and their students. This event also provided District leadership with the opportunity to hear questions, concerns, and suggestions from our committed parents. The meetings and the discussions that followed were informative and interesting and kept student learning in focus.

To continue to learn about the role NVUSD Trustees play, read the bi-weekly Family Newsletter.

Posted 3/22/23

Phillip Magnet Elementary School's 4th-grade lead teacher Shauna Kadel tries her best “to provide a warm, structured, and fun learning environment” - much like the one created by her Browns Valley Elementary School teachers, Alex Peters, Kay Soper, and June Bowen. 

Kadel attended Browns Valley Elementary School, Kindergarten through 4th grade, and was inspired by her 4th-grade teacher Mr. Peters to become a teacher herself. She shares, “At end of 4th grade, my family moved to Southern California. However, I kept in touch with Mr. Peters for many, many years.” Kadel continued her education in Southern California, ultimately graduating from Troy High School in Fullerton and attending the University of Califonia, Davis. She later worked at NVUSD schools for four years, as a teacher at Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District in Southern California for another three, and then returned to Napa and NVUSD as a teacher at Phillip Magnet.

Kadel’s history in education and with the District goes back even further than Kindergarten, however. Her mother Donna Kadel worked for NVUSD, her father Ed Kadel subbed in the District after a career in corporate human resources, Kadel met her husband Josh Buttny, a teacher, at NVUSD, and even taught her stepdaughter in 4th-grade reading. Her brother Ward Kadel also has ties to the District, as a graduate of Vintage High School.

“When I was getting my credential at night at Chapman University and subbing for NVUSD during the day,” she shared, “I finally got a call to substitute teach at Browns Valley Elementary. I was making copies in the staff room and Mr. Peters walked in. He looked at me and said, ‘Well Shauna...you made it!’ It was one of the happiest moments of my life!”

Ms. Kadel has made it and continues her family's legacy of education at NVUSD. Her commitment to her classes, her school, and to education is evidenced each day. 

Posted 3/14/23

Did you know there were 1,241 Napa Valley Unified School District students enrolled in dual enrollment courses through Napa Valley College during Fall 2022? In fact, two of every ten NVUSD high school students take college classes, more students than the statewide average of one out of every ten.

Dual enrollment provides students the opportunity to take college classes and earn college credit while still in high school, providing them the opportunity to earn credits toward their high school diploma, experience college-level coursework, and receive credit toward a college degree or certificate. According to Board Policy, NVUSD’s Board of Education offers these courses “to provide opportunities for eligible district students to enroll concurrently in courses offered at postsecondary institutions in order to foster individual student achievement, increase opportunities for students to complete college preparatory course requirements or career technical education preparation, and prepare students for a smooth transition into college by providing exposure to the collegiate environment.” Many of the dual enrollment classes are offered on NVUSD’s high school campuses and tuition is free through California’s College Promise Program.

Since dual enrollment courses began at NVUSD in the Fall of 2019, student course offerings have grown from five-course sections to 20-course sections as of the Fall of 2022. Courses offered included Intro to Administration of Justice at New Tech High School (NTHS), Voice I at American Canyon High School (ACHS), Calculus I & II at Napa High School (NHS), Intro to Business at ACHS, Intro to Entrepreneurship at ACHS, Intro to Hospitality Management at ACHS and Vintage High School (VHS), Sanitation & Safety/Culinary at ACHS and NHS, and Statistics at VHS. 

The benefits are not just seen among NVUSD students at NVUSD high schools. Nationwide studies show that dual enrollment students are more likely to graduate from high school, attend college after high school, and are more likely to complete a college degree or certificate. These students also save time and money by taking college-level courses while in high school. 

Questions about dual enrollment at NVUSD? Contact our Instructional Services Department at 707-253-3815.

Posted 3/10/23

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 3/9/23

Let’s celebrate! Veteran NVUSD teacher and current American Canyon High School (ACHS) economics instructor Scott Marsden was honored with the 2023 California Council for the Social Studies (CCSS) Economics Educator Award at the annual CCSS conference held this year in Santa Clara. 

Scott Marsden's dedication to teaching and passion for building relationships with his students is truly admirable. His ability to empower his students to use economic reasoning to make informed decisions about their future is a testament to his skill and dedication as an educator. His efforts in bringing real-world experiences to his economics classes through guest speakers and projects demonstrate his commitment to providing a well-rounded and engaging educational experience for his students.

Moreover, his recognition as the 2017 UC Davis C-STEM (Integrated Computing, Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) teacher of the year is a further testament to his excellence as an educator. His contributions to student empowerment and his dedication to strengthening students' mastery of economic reasoning have significantly impacted the lives of his students and the education community. ACHS principal Crystal Lopez emphasized, “Mr. Marsden is a tremendously hard-working teacher who puts the well-being of his students first. He is thoughtful, compassionate, and rigorous. He is much deserving of this recognition.”  There is no better place to see and hear his impact on students than the 2022 ACHS graduation ceremony, where he was honored as the Esteemed ACHS Teacher by the 2022 graduating class (watch the moment and his speech to the graduating class below). 

Scott Marsden's 2023 California Council for the Social Studies Economics Educator Award is a well-deserved recognition of his tireless efforts and contributions to the field of education. We invite you to join the entire NVUSD education community in congratulating him on this well-deserved achievement and thanking him for his exemplary work in empowering students and advancing education.

 

 

Posted 3/7/23

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 2/24/23

Recently, NVUSD's Expanded Learning Opportunities Program hosted a professional development training for afterschool program staff. Over 60 participants from the Napa Country Office of Education, Boys and Girls Club, and Napa Valley Unified School District, who work in after-school programs at our Elementary and Middle Schools, were able to fill their toolbelt with strategies to implement Toolbox on Social-Emotional Learning (also called SEL), Creating Ecosystems of Carino and Developmentally Appropriate Practices for TK/Kindergarten students.

Training our out-of-school-time staff to reinforce strategies that are taught during the school day is just the first step in promoting quality after-school programming. Take a peek and perhaps you will spot a familiar face.

 

 

Posted 2/24/23

Last week, six district schools welcomed JazzReach, a non-profit organization located in New York City dedicated to the promotion, performance, creation, and teaching of jazz music, to NVUSD elementary, middle,  and high schools. Over three days, four Jazz Reach musicians introduced students at Shearer TK-8, Browns Valley TK-8, and American Canyon Middle School (ACMS) to the jazz genre and also taught clinics for the jazz bands at American Canyon, Napa, and Vintage High Schools. 

Introduction to Jazz

The elementary school program focused on the basics of jazz. An ensemble including a saxophone, keyboard, bass, and drums began with a one-song performance. Prior to playing, students were asked to participate by carefully observing each musician and their collaboration as an ensemble. 

After each performance, students enthusiastically raised their hands, and with a little guidance, identified the three key musical elements of every song: rhythm, melody, and harmony.

To wrap up the experience, students expressed their own creativity using their voices to participate in a call and response exercise led by the saxophone that left miles on the students' faces. Jazz Reach specifically visited the ACMS 6th grade band class and after reviewing a few keynotes, invited them to participate in a call and response exercise with their instruments. 

The Clinic

Working with the American Canyon High School (ACHS), Napa High School (NHS), and Vintage High School (VHS)  Jazz Bands, the JazzReach ensemble underscored the same themes of collaboration and improvisation. The professional musicians played with the students–modeling how to make eye contact, listen, and improvise–followed by opportunities for the students to practice. After listening to each band play their selected songs,  each member of the JazzReach ensemble gave individualized and group feedback meeting each band where they were in their learning. 

We invite you to enjoy the following pictures and sounds captured over the three days.

 

 

Posted 2/23/23

 

NVUSD recently expanded its successful Wellness Center programming to Napa High School and Vintage High School thanks to longstanding partnerships with the Napa Valley Education Foundation (NVEF) and through support from both Kaiser Permanente and the Napa Valley Vintners Association. The Napa Valley Unified School District and its partners have a history of investing in wellness resources and counseling through school-site Wellness Centers. Research shows that wellness services result in greater school and student outcomes, including improved academic performance, increased school engagement, reduction in suspensions and expulsions, decreased referrals to Special Education, and increased graduation rates.

"Having this space available to our students as a safe and calming option when they need a mental break has been incredible,” shared Napa High Assistant Principal Cheryl Lawton. “It allows students to stay in class and at school where they can remain productive and learning rather than needing to go home when they are feeling overwhelmed. We are also grateful to our art students and Wellness Center staff for creating such a welcoming environment. In only a few months' time, it has become the hub of our campus."

Seven campuses now house Wellness Centers, including American Canyon Middle School, Redwood Middle School, Silverado Middle School, Unidos Middle School, and American Canyon High School. The new high school Wellness Centers are youth-centered safe spaces, open before, during, and after school hours. Each Wellness Center is staffed with a wellness counselor, a school social worker, and a nurse. In addition, NVUSD is collaborating with VOICES to help our Wellness Centers engage students by providing full-time VOICES Youth Outreach Coordinators (YOC) at each high school campus. The YOC offers students onsite one-on-one supportive services, assists students in connecting to resources and service providers, and hosts workshops and events for and with students. 

Wellness Centers serve as crucial one-stop shops where students can check in with staff, connect with community providers and Peer Support, and receive support with academic, employment, housing, wellness services, and independent living skills. 

Want to learn more? 

Click here for an inside look at Vintage High School’s Wellness Center. Video created by VHS’s Peer Support students.   

Need to access support? Click Wellness Program Community Partners to obtain assistance directly or for a warm handoff from one of our trained school site mental health professionals. 

 

Posted 2/22/23

Vintage High School (VHS) High School Counselor Kelli Watkins entered the field of education and made it her career because of the wonderful education she received at VHS!

Kelli shared, “I had caring, supportive teachers that gave me the academic skills and confidence to be successful when I went to UC Berkeley. The English department helped me grow as a critical thinker and writer, skills I use each day. The Spanish department helped me become comfortable speaking Spanish. I use my Spanish skills daily when interacting with students and families.”

Watkins is honored to now work alongside some of her former teachers/mentors. Teachers like Jenny Lamonte, Newton Thomas, and Paul Brochard are inspirations to her. She shared her admiration for the passion they teach with, the love they have for their students, and their subject matter expertise, commenting, “They are still making a difference every year, and I hope to do the same.” 

Beyond her academic preparations, Watkins was also exposed to human rights and advocacy, specifically through her involvement with Amnesty International, a club run by teacher Sushanna Ellington. According to Watkins, “Ms. Ellington showed me the world without even traveling to these places; she helped me become a citizen of the world by exposing us to the realities of life in other countries.”

It was these formative individuals and experiences that Watkins credits with helping her become who she is today. She now works at Vintage High School and shared that she hopes to give her students what she was given, “I am doing my best to instill the same love and support in my students.” We are thankful for all she contributes to her students, VHS, and the NVUSD community!

Posted 2/21/23

In honor of Black History Month, we are sharing some of the projects NVUSD students are doing to learn about individuals and groups who have impacted our past and shaped our present.

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Napa Junction Magnet Elementary School 2nd grade students in Audrey Johnson’s class are reading excerpts from Young Gifted and Black by Jamia Wilson, a collection of 52 biographies of black heroes from the past. After reading and highlighting their biography, Ms. Johnson expects each student to use facts gathered from it to practice writing an informative paragraph in preparation for the District Writing Assessment.

After modeling the reading and writing process using the biography of Mary Seacole, Ms. Johnson gave each student a handout of a biography from Young Gifted and Black, and a reading partner. Before setting them to work with their partner, she carefully reviewed their non-fiction close reading skills. To focus their reading and scaffold their writing, she also gave them a handout with sentence starters including, “One amazing thing that (he/she) did was…” and “It was amazing because…”. To help them identify amazing acts in the biography, she encouraged them to highlight what their hero did to make America a better place.

In pairs, the students found a comfortable place to read and took turns reading their biography to one another. As the students worked together, stories about Louis Armstrong, Samuel Coleridge Taylor, Ava Duverbay, Esperanza Spaulding, Maurice Ashley, Cathy Freeman, Bessie Coleman, CJ Walker, Nina Simone, Sidney Poitier, Alexander Dumas, Shirley Chisholm, Yanick Noah, Toni Morrison, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Maya Angelou filled the room. 

To support the students, Ms. Johnson circulated from one group to another, asking questions to help them take the giant leap from learning to read to reading to learn by asking them comprehension questions about their biography, such as “What did the person overcome to be successful?” As students talked about their biographies with their partner and Ms. Johnson, their eyes lit up as they made connections between the hardships their heroes faced and why that made their accomplishments even more amazing. 

To wrap up the learning experience, once the students finished their informational paragraph about a black hero from the past, Mrs. Johnson had students read-aloud (an author's chair exercise) where they taught each other about their black hero.

Posted 2/17/23

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 2/9/23

Lunar New Year begins with the first new moon of the lunar calendar and ends on the first full moon, a 15-day period focused on preparing for the new year, celebrating the arrival of spring, and many festivals and parades. Students from across the Napa Valley Unified School District learned about and celebrated the Lunar New Year, read below to learn how!

According to Donaldson Way 3rd Grade Teacher Ms. Bridget Caldwell, her third-grade class enjoys learning about the holidays and cultural traditions that take place in their local community and around the world. This year, the class took an interest in Lunar New Year. Students researched and learned about Lunar New Year traditions, watched videos of the colorful and vibrant parades, and then utilized their painting and drawing skills to make fan art. Their fans included many of the designs and colors significant to various cultures, including red (which symbolizes good fortune) and gold (which is considered lucky). Ms. Caldwell shared, “My hope was for my students to have fun learning about the Lunar New Year while expressing their creativity through their fan art. I loved seeing the pride on their faces when they completed their beautiful fans.” 

The education and fun did not stop there. Canyon Oaks Principal Stephanie Vasquez was pleased to see her 5th-grade teachers and students learning about Lunar New Year. Fifth Grade Teacher Mrs. Slavin welcomed NVUSD Trustee Lisa Chu to her class. There, Trustee Chu shared information about the Chinese traditions and activities of the last day of the 15-day Chinese New Year celebration (Spring Festival), which is called the Lantern Festival. Trustee Chu shared, "This day falls on the first full moon of the new year. As a community, we pay tribute to our ancestors by decorating the town with lanterns, enjoying traditional Chinese foods, and enjoying the beauty of the lanterns lit up at night. Many children will make their own lanterns to contribute to the decorations and celebrations. The students were surprised to learn that Lunar New Year traditions differ depending on the Asian culture. In the Chinese zodiac, 2023 is the year of the rabbit while in the Vietnamese culture, it is the cat."

The Canyon Oaks 5th grade students made their own lanterns in the shape of a rabbit that was drawn by her son, one of their classmates, in honor of the Year of the Rabbit. When asked for an important takeaway, Trustee Chu shared, "One important takeaway I wish the student to have is there will likely be some unexpected and oftentimes fun surprises if we continue to be curious about cultures beyond our own."

Students in Ms. Meyer-Houston’s 5th-grade class also got into the spirit as they learned about and then constructed lanterns. Ms. Murphy-Crane at Snow Elementary School also enjoyed teaching her students about this special tradition using the TeachTown Encore curriculum. Together Ms. Murphy-Crane and her K/1 students read a newsletter with accompanying pictures, learned about the phases of the moon, and then did an activity where students cut out the different moon phases and matched them on a moon chart. According to Ms. Murphy, “We learned about the 15-day celebration and how powerful the color red is in the Chinese culture. We made red fans and red lanterns to celebrate. We also did an assignment where we learned about the different qualities of the rabbit (for the year of the rabbit) and then chose which of the qualities best described us.” 

A common theme to each of these Lunar New Year activities was an appreciation for each student, staff member, and visitor, and for the richness each individual's experience and culture brings to the learning of all at NVUSD!

 

Posted 2/9/23

On January 31, 2023, NVUSD students, teachers, academic specialists, and district staff presented a study session to the NVUSD Board of Education focused on secondary literacy and shared the importance of reading and writing to learn across content areas (English Language Arts, science, social science, etc.). The secondary session was built on the data, research, and practice shared during the Elementary Literacy Study Session on November 10, 2022.

At both study sessions, staff presented and facilitated analysis of local, State and National literacy data and engaged the Trustees in classroom lessons. In the elementary study session, the lessons were grounded in the research behind the Science of Reading and the K-5 English Language Arts curriculum, Benchmark. Director of Elementary Education Matt Manning presented the rationale for the adoption of the Science of Reading (SOR) in the NVUSD as well as the research behind the SOR. Finally, staff demonstrated how NVUSD is implementing this approach to K-5 literacy instruction before the NVUSD Board of Education. 

The secondary study session focused on language comprehension using the middle school science curriculum, Amplify. Director of Secondary Education, Monica Ready, presented the secondary literacy plan which focuses on providing updated curricular resources and professional development focused on language comprehension instructional strategies across content.  Lastly, staff shared the focus on continuous improvement by using learning sprints (data cycles) to determine the impact on student language comprehension. The presentation ended with Napa High School students sharing their experiences using literacy strategies to help them learn.

We look forward to expanding professional learning focused on language comprehension during the Professional Learning Day on March 10th.

To learn more we invite you to review the presentation slides and/or listen to the session recordings below.

Caption: Watch the November 10, 2022, study session above or view the presentation slides here. 

Caption: Watch the January, 31 2023, study session above or view the presentation slides here. 

Posted 2/8/23

In honor of Black History Month, we are sharing some of the projects NVUSD students are doing to learn about individuals and groups who have impacted our past and shaped our present.   

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Bel Aire Park Magnet Elementary School fifth-grade students in Pam Imbach’s ceramics classes are designing, sculpting, and glazing clay masks, a project inspired by well-known Black artist Kimmy Cantrell. Students learned about Mr. Cantrell’s life, his creative spirit, and the impact of his work and inquired into the techniques Mr. Cantrell utilizes in his own work with clay. They learned how to use found objects to add texture to the background of the masks and how bright colors help depict emotion. Students then set to work on their own pieces.

The student masks will be showcased in Bel Aire Park’s library as a fifth-grade legacy installment and a video about the project will be showcased at the Black History Month Celebration on February 11. The Black History Month event is sponsored by First Five Napa and People B4 Policy. It was founded and organized by James (JT) Thompson, a parent at Bel Aire.

“Mr. Cantrell’s work is a great way to connect Black History Month with our IB Exhibition unit of study on wellness, one of six units of study our students have in 5th grade,” shared 5th-grade teacher Leanna Alcayaga. “Because the IB Exhibition unit is focused on wellness, we actively research, read about, and write about ways to promote wellness. In 2020, the City of Napa declared that racism is a “public health crisis” stating that it is a contributing factor to lifespan and quality of life. “Making others aware of the existence of racism and working on ending it is a part of wellness for everyone,” continued Ms. Imbach. 

Another topic the class has been regularly discussing is joy. Recently, teachers asked students, how they find and share joy? Students shared incredibly thoughtful responses to this question, with many responding that art brings them joy and allows them to bring joy to others. “It brought our discussion full circle to hear Mr. Cantrell share the joy he felt after he completed his third mask and realized that he had a special talent to share with the world,” said Ms. Alcayaga. “We hope our students’ have enjoyed this learning experience and that their video and exhibit provide the entire community with a feeling of joy and empower them to share what they have learned with others.

Posted 2/3/23

American Canyon students are Academic Decathlon winners! Last week the team competed at the Bay Area Regional Competition. The team placed 5th of 17 teams, continuing an eight-year streak of placing among the top five teams in the region. They also received an award check from Travis Credit Union to help offset the costs to attend the state competition. The team will officially represent Napa Country at the State Competition in March.

The team earned six medals:

Katherine M., Honors: Gold in Speech, Gold in Social Science, Bronze in overall highest scoring Junior in the Honors Division. 

Mischa S., Scholastic: Silver in Interview

Ananya S., Varsity: Bronze in Interview, Bronze in Math

The following students compete in the state competition: 

Those attending as a team, are in bold.

Arianne A., Linda Colin J., Katherine M., Zachary Z. 

Scholastic: Joshua B., Ezekiel C., Jesus C., Elena C., Mischa S., Haylene S.

Varsity: Jayden B., Ananya S.

A huge thanks to Ms. Alma Gonzalez, the club's dedicated faculty advisor. Wondering how you might get involved and help these students? Volunteer as a mock speech or interview judge on Tuesday, March 14th, Friday, March 17th, or Monday, March 20th. Sign up here.

 

Posted 2/2/23

There will be a SELPA Executive Board Meeting on February 10, 2023, starting at 12:00 pm. 

 

 

 

Posted 2/2/23

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 1/26/23

Our wonderful staff give back to NVUSD as teachers, counselors, principals, and coaches - the list goes on and on! However, did you know that many also attended NVUSD schools growing up? Join us as we take a look back in time and learn about our NVUSD faculty and staff NOW and THEN.

Past Spotlight: Cheri Flohr

New Spotlight: Terri Lynne Ricetti

Executive Director of Special Education Services

^{Caption: Terri Lynn Ricetti poses for a picture with the bowl she received in recognition for her selection as ACSA's Special Education Administrator of the Year.} 

NVUSD’s Executive Director of Special Education Services believes her Napa High teachers helped prepare her for a future as an educator. That future in education has benefited NVUSD students for nearly 20 years and has taken Ms. Ricetti through many meaningful positions and experiences. 

According to Ms. Ricetti, there were many Napa High teachers who reached out to support her when she needed it, they went “above and beyond to keep me engaged in school and on track to graduate. When I lost my way, they were the ones who took the extra time to reach out to me, to listen, to let me know that my presence in their classes was not just expected, but wanted. It is those relationships that I have kept in mind when I have had students who struggle and need an anchor of support.”

Since joining NVUSD in August 2003, Ms. Ricetti has been that anchor of support for the wonderful students and programs she oversees. It appears she has somewhat seamlessly traversed the role of specialist, coordinator, director, and now, executive director. Her accomplishments are reflected in so many areas, including her selection as the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA) Special Education Administrator of the Year for 2022. 

Ms. Ricetti hopes to continue that great work, sharing, “My hope now is that the work I do inspires teachers to be an anchor of support for the students they work with every day.” 

We know she inspires others every day. 

Learn more about how Ms. Ricetti responds to the needs of students here!

Posted 1/19/23

The SBE ignored the terms of the AB 1505 charter reform law and exceeded its authority in reversing charter petition denials by Napa Valley USD and the Napa COE

Napa, Calif. (January 13, 2023) - Earlier this week, the California School Boards Association’s Education Legal Alliance (CSBA), which represents nearly 1,000 school districts and county offices of education throughout California, filed a lawsuit against the California State Board of Education (SBE). CSBA’s lawsuit supports the Napa Valley Unified School District’s (NVUSD) position in its litigation related to the Mayacamas Charter School petition. Among other claims, CSBA challenged the SBE for “exceeding its authority and improperly substituting its judgment for the discretionary judgment of the governing board of the Napa Valley Unified School District and the Napa County Board of Education.”

The litigation involves the SBE decision reversing the denial of the Mayacamas Charter petition by both Napa Valley USD and the Napa COE per the terms of AB 1505, a charter reform bill signed into law in October 2019. AB 1505 was the subject of extended negotiations between legislators, the Governor’s office, the State Superintendent, labor unions, state education associations, parent groups and supporters and critics of charter schools. The final agreement established a new framework for transparency and delegation of authority related to charter schools, including the charter authorization and appeal process.

“It’s disheartening to see the State Board of Education disregard not only the law but also the work of stakeholders on all sides of the charter issue that produced the carefully crafted reforms sought by authorizers and charter proponents in AB 1505,” said CSBA CEO & Executive Director Vernon M. Billy. “A key provision of this bipartisan legislation was that local authorizers — both school districts and county offices of education — could more closely consider the impact of a charter school on a local community and tailor their decision-making processes regarding petitions and renewals accordingly. The SBE undermined this agreed-upon principle, overstepped its authority and sidestepped the law in reversing the denials of the petition by the local governing boards.”

In addition to setting aside the SBE’s approval of the Mayacamas charter, CSBA also seeks “declaratory relief confirming the SBE’s limited role when considering charter petition appeals” to stop the SBE from continuing to ignore the recent changes to the Charter School Act that were specifically designed to promote local control.

CSBA was actively involved in the legislative process leading to the enactment of AB 1505, which dramatically altered the process for charter appeals to the SBE, limiting its role and authority in appeals. According to the CSBA court filings, “SBE wholly failed to accept its limited role of reviewing for error as established by Legislature in AB 1505 and sought to create grounds for reversal which:

(1) were not supported by any written submission by petitioner [Napa Foundation] “detailing, with specific citations to the documentary record, how the governing board of the school district or the county board of education, or both, abused their discretion” as required by Education Code section 47605(k)(2)(A);

(2) did not establish an abuse of discretion by either the governing board of Napa Valley USD or the Napa County BOE;

(3) were unsupported by any factual findings reflecting a rational connection between the few citations to error identified by petitioner, the facts in the underlying record, and the SBE’s conclusion that an abuse of discretion occurred; and

(4) ostensibly relied upon evidence or considerations beyond the administrative record.”

“In doing so, the SBE violated the Charter School Act and undermined the Legislature’s express intent in enacting AB 1505 to give broad discretionary authority over the creation of new charter schools to the local education agencies that are in the best position to make decisions regarding the creation of new public charter schools in their communities.”

In November 2022, NVUSD pursued legal action against SBE, also challenging SBE’s unlawful reversal of decisions made by both NVUSD and NCOE to deny the Mayacamas Charter Middle School petition. NVUSD asserted that the SBE’s decision was an abuse of discretion with potentially calamitous statewide implications. NVUSD’s challenge was supported by virtually every major statewide educational association as demonstrated by the many letters NVUSD received. [Those letters can be accessed at this link .]

“CSBA’s lawsuit affirms NVUSD's position on this very critical issue regarding charter appeals and AB 1505 interpretation,” NVUSD Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti stated. “Such an overreach of authority by SBE sets a dangerous precedent at both the local and statewide levels, a precedent that is not in the best interest of the district or our students. We are appreciative of CSBA's decision to litigate this issue as our own lawsuit against the SBE advances through the courts.”

***

Posted 1/13/23

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 1/12/23

 

Veteran Phillips Magnet Elementary School teacher Jennifer Veveiros was honored as the 49ers Teacher of the Game on Saturday, December 24, at Levi’s® Stadium. During half-time, Jennifer was presented with a 49ers jersey.  Among the many contributions noted for her selection, from among many submissions throughout the North Bay Area, they cited her:

• support of students applying for 4H scholarships to attend summer camp

• focus on teaching students how to learn about their heritage and culture through art (see pictures below) 

• volunteer work as a life coach for Girls on the Run to empower girls to be healthy and confident

• annual summer program for historically underserved middle school students called Aim High

Caption: Jen Veveiros' students create quilt squares illustrating their cultural heritage (left and right) that are now on display at the Napa County Historical Society on 1st Street and their website (center). 

 

 

We invite you to enjoy pictures from the event below:

Posted 1/12/23

Julianna Hart

Board Member

Area 7

 

Trustee Julianna Hart was elected to the NVUSD Board of Education in December 2022 with the hope of giving back to her community by providing all children with a high-quality education. A graduate of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Trustee Hart worked for successful companies, including Harte-Hanks, the Napa Valley Register, Restoration Hardware, and Sephora, where she is currently the Senior Studio Manager for Marketing and Creative Operations LVMH. A third-generation Napan, she also regularly contributes to her community through volunteering. Over the last ten years, she has served in many roles, including Region 6 Director and National PR Committee Chair for the Active 20-30 Club US and Canada, as President, Board Member, and Graduate of Leadership Napa Valley, as President of NEWS Domestic Violence & Sexual Abuse Services Board of Directors, and as a member of the Kiwanis Club of Napa. Beyond working full-time and volunteering, Trustee Hart has four wonderful children, a 2021 graduate of New Tech High School and three younger children who attend Vintage High School and Pueblo Vista Elementary School.

 

Posted 1/11/23

 

At our December 15, 2022, annual Organization of the Board of Education Meeting, newly elected Julianna Hart and incumbents Robin Jankiewicz, Cindy Watter, and Elba Gonzalez-Mares were sworn into their roles by Napa City Council Member Liz Alessio. Following this, the board held the election for 2023 governing board officers. Trustee David T. Gracia became the new Board President, Trustee Cindy Watter became the Vice President, Trustee Eve Ryser became the Clerk, and Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti was appointed secretary to the Board of Education. After adjusting their seating to acknowledge their new roles, Board President Trustee David T. Gracia led the adoption of the 2023-2024 Board of Education calendar and the appointment of board members, liaisons, and representatives to specified committees for 2023. You can find more information about both on our Board of Education website by clicking here.

 

^{Caption: In the images above, Julianna Hart, Robin Jankiewicz, Cindy Watter, and Elba Gonzalez-Mares were sworn into their roles by Napa City Council Member Liz Alessio}

The board also recognized and presented service awards to Kasama Lee, Barbara Franco, Liz Alessio, and Leon Garcia for supporting Bond Measures A1 and A2. The outgoing board president, Robin Jankiewicz, said, “We would like to express our gratitude to campaign coordinators Barb Franco and Kasama Lee for their extraordinary, steadfast and exemplary work leading our campaigns. We would like to express our deepest appreciation to city councilmember Liz Alessio [Napa] and mayor Leon Garcia [American Canyon] for their incredible contributions as elected officials to the campaign efforts. We hope to cultivate a future desire for more elected officials to support our schools the way you both did during the 2022 campaign.”

 

^{Caption: Rosanna Mucetti poses with Kasama Lee (left) and American Canyon Mayor Leon Garcia (right) with the service awards.} 

 

^{Caption: Rosanna Mucetti poses with Barbara Franco (left) and Napa City Councilmember Liz Alessio (right) with the service awards.} 

 

On Thursday, January 19, 2023, the Napa Valley Unified School District presented the Service Award to Greg Payne, the Campaign Treasurer for Measure A1 & A2, in recognition of the extraordinary leadership and support he demonstrated during the campaign for Measure A1 and Measure A2. According to Trustee Jankiewicz, "Mr. Payne dedicated his expertise to managing the finances of the bond campaign, dedicated his time to this community, and lent his support to NVUSD. We, the Board of Trustees, want to extend our deep appreciation and gratitude for his service." 

 

^{Caption: Rosanna Mucetti (right) and Mike Pearson (left) pose with Greg Payne (center) holding his service award.} 

You can enjoy every moment of the December 15, 2022, Board of Education Meeting and the recognition of Greg Payne by watching the proceedings in the YouTube videos embedded below.

 

 

Posted 12/16/22

Dr. Rosanna Mucetti has been selected as a 2022 Superintendent to Watch by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). Dr. Mucetti joins just 24 other superintendents nationwide who were selected for the honor in recognition of their innovative and effective use of technology to engage and inform the school community and to expand two-way communication and outreach efforts. 

"This recognition is due to the collective efforts of our organization's strategic focus on communication and engagement," shared Dr. Mucetti. "I am grateful for our Board of Education and all our staff and parents who support goals centered around robust communication, community engagement, and advocacy. They show up and work hard for our students each day."

“This year’s honorees understand just how important effective communication is in building trust and relationships with families, employees, students, and community members in their districts,” said NSPRA Executive Director Barbara M. Hunter, APR. “These emerging leaders have proven to be dedicated champions of innovative communication efforts to advance their district’s success.”

NSPRA had a record number of nominations this year—nearly 60—and many exceptional candidates, making the selection process very competitive. Since the 2015-16 school year, NSPRA has recognized 127 school district leaders as Superintendents to Watch. Honorees must have fewer than five years of experience as a superintendent and must demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core.

Visit www.nspra.org/superintendents-watch to learn more about this award.

About NSPRA

As the leader in school communication, NSPRA serves more than 2,500 members who work primarily as communication directors in public school districts and education organizations throughout the United States and Canada. NSPRA provides high-quality professional development programming through on-demand learning, an annual National Seminar, webinars, online, forums, and resources. For more information, visit NSPRA’s website at www.nspra.org.

Posted 12/15/22

Dear NVUSD Community,

 

As winter break draws near, I want to take a moment to share my admiration and thankfulness for all our students and staff have accomplished this year and for all that is to come!

 

Please click here or below to enjoy the sounds of our American Canyon High School Choirs, Vintage High School Choirs and drumline, and Napa High School Choirs through a compilation of their most recent performances. They continue to make us so proud!

 

I wish you a warm, joyful winter break and look forward to welcoming our students back on January 9th!

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Posted 12/15/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 12/8/22

Napa Valley Unified School District Board of Education Trustees play an active role in various local, regional, and statewide efforts, from sharing leadership best practices at a statewide conference to serving on education-related committees. Learn about a few recent efforts by reading below.

 

Trustee Gracia Supports Napa Valley in California State Board Association (CSBA) Delegate Assembly

The Napa Valley Unified School District Board of Education voted unanimously to nominate Trustee David T. Gracia for the CSBA's Delegate Assembly during their December 10 Special Session. If re-elected in May, this would be Trustee Gracia's second term as a delegate assembly member. He is currently serving his first term, which spans May 2021-May 2023. The CSBA Delegate Assembly consists of approximately 280 delegates and the Board of Directors representing 21 geographic regions. The group sets the general policy direction for the CSBA and ensures it promotes the interests of school districts and county offices of education throughout the state. As a member over the last year and a half, Trustee Gracia has represented Napa County, meeting regularly with districts in Napa to better understand their interests prior to attending the two yearly district assembly meetings. He also regularly attends CSBA lobbying efforts and has twice facilitated meetings with our state-elected leaders. During the December Special Session, Trustee Gracia was also appointed to the CSBA's Legislative Action Committee, a group committed to focusing on the upcoming legislative session. Meetings begin in January 2023.

Board of Education Special Session Held on Elementary Literacy

During the Board of Education Special Session on November 17, Assistant Superintendent Pat Andry-Jennings; Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and English Learner Services (Elementary) Matt Manning; District Academic Specialists Kirsten Gerhardt, Karly Miller, and Tracy Weis; and classroom teachers Tracee Sims, Rebecca Lacau, and Christina Lawrence facilitated an immersive learning experience on elementary literacy. The Board of Trustees requested this session so they could better understand the science behind how students learn to read as well as how NVUSD teachers use research-backed best practices to help students along their reading journey. Interested in learning more, watch the Special Session on YouTube! At the request of the Trustees, a second special session will take place after the winter break centered on secondary, or middle and high school, literacy.

NVUSD Selected Again to Present at 2022 CSBA AEC Conference

Trustee David Gracia, Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti, NVEF President Gayle Young, and Assistant Superintendents Dana Page and Rob Mangewala recently presented at the California School Boards Association Annual Education Conference (CSBA AEC) in San Diego on topics related to funding, finance, and leadership through governance. You can enjoy pictures of them in action on the NVUSD Facebook and Instagram pages and learn more about the content of the presentations in the NVUSD News.

Hybrid Interest Based Problem Solving Training

In late October, NVUSD administrators, NVUSD Board members, NVEA site representatives, and NVEA Executive board members attended an Interest Based Problem Solving (IBPS) application training. Assistant Superintendent Dana Page and NVEA President Gayle Young organized this first hybrid IBPS training which included taking a course online before attending an in-person practical application training component held at Napa High School. Trustee Chu, Trustee Jankiewicz, and Trustee Gracia attended along with nearly 60 attendees representing other CA districts and the California Teachers’ Association.

Posted 12/6/22

Leadership takes many forms at the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD). From our principals and teachers who set the foundation for student learning to our student government representatives who support important grade-level initiatives, the opportunities for cultivating a leadership mindset are endless. Join us as we explore these opportunities below and discover innovative leadership programs and experiences across NVUSD.

Student Leadership at Alta Heights Elementary School

Fourth and Fifth-Grade Teacher Leslie Gracia and Education Specialist Ashley Cox know leadership. As the new Student Leadership Advisors at Alta Heights Elementary, they have joined together to shape and refine the leadership programming available to students, setting clear expectations in the process. Student leaders are asked to lead by example through their behavior, academics, and actions. Specifically, to be safe, kind, respectful, and responsible, participate in class and complete their classwork and homework, and take an active role in projects and programs. Gracia and Cox support students in this work, sometimes through gentle reminders and other times through thoughtful discussions about the importance of effort and resilience when working through an academic challenge or implementing one of their projects. 

To date, student leaders have accomplished much. They have picked up trash on the playground, participated in spirit days, lead the whole school in yearly give-back projects, acted as conflict managers at primary recess, participated in school assemblies by providing backup for Principal Ward as well as performing skits, songs, and chants to teach skills to their peers, and acted as school ambassadors during parent tours. “The framework Ms. Gracia and Ms. Cox have put in place provides clarity for students,” shares Alta Heights Principal Ted Ward. “They know what is expected of them and live up to those expectations in impressive ways.” 

Gracia takes this notion a bit further suggesting that learning these important skills not only leads to successes while in school but will translate into successes later in life. One new addition to the leadership framework that supports the growth of these lifelong skills is the addition of Student Leadership Supervisors. Four Student Leadership Supervisors are selected by fourth and fifth-grade teachers each year after being identified as caring, empathetic, and responsible. These Supervisors work to support other student leaders. 

According to Gracia, “Our Supervisors check in with students on a daily basis and provide supportive feedback to their peers. For example, Supervisors make sure our flag volunteers are raising the flag each morning to complete our flag salute, jumping in to assist when needed and giving them a note of praise for work well done. In addition, these students have That-a-Gators to pass out when they are moving through the school to any of our 300+ students that they witness being safe, kind, respectful, and/or responsible.” 

Both Gracia and Cox are appreciative of their student leaders. Cox shares, “We have a really wonderful group of Gators, and watching them rise to the occasion and lead their peers is not only exciting and fulfilling as an educator but also gives me hope for the future. Gracia concludes, “They are motivated to be leaders, and desire to make the world a better place which gives me great hope for our future generation of citizens.” 

Congratulations to these amazing student leaders and the impactful educators who make these opportunities possible.

 

Want to see more leaders in action? Read our related story about Safety Patrols at Donaldson Way Elementary School.

Safety Patrols

Enthusiastic 5th-graders wearing bright orange and yellow vests line the entrance to Donaldson Way Elementary School. There, they greet parents and help younger students out of their cars as they arrive for school drop-off. This is part of the 5th-grade Safety Patrol Program and 5th-grader Sophia, “Loves it!” She shares, “We do a lot besides just helping with drop off and pick up. We deliver breakfast to classrooms, stay after school to make sure all students have gone home, help the Kindergartners stay in line, and remind students to stop running.” 

These students volunteer their time and talents but must be selected for this leadership position. Fellow 5th-grade student Aaron explains that to be a safety patrol students have to do more than just turn in a permission slip. They also have to write an essay about why they want to join the safety patrol program. He concludes, “It’s not easy.”

Donaldson Way Grandparent and leader in his own right, Mr. Allen Quisenberry started the 5th-grade Safety Patrol Program over 11 years ago. He worked closely with Principal Marilyn Abelon and the American Canyon Police Department to develop a traffic flow pattern that would work for families who drive their children to school. He then worked with the Donaldson Way Team to put a system in place so students could give back. The program has taken off. 

Now, every morning at 7:30 am, he meets with the Safety Patrol Team to discuss their duties. He coaches them on leadership, self-confidence, and volunteerism and sometimes even throws in a vocabulary lesson on words such as Attitude, Resilience, and Positivity. Mr. Quisenberry motivates his patrols each day and in turn, their cheerful smiles and thoughtful “have a nice day(s)” make each school day a little safer and happier for all.

“Rain or shine, we can count on our safety patrols showing up,” shares Principal Abelon. Every member of our school community plays a critical role in making sure our campus is welcoming and safe, and that leadership and learning are priorities at our school. They remind me about how important community is at Donaldson Way. ”

Posted 11/30/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 11/17/22

The retirement of Debbie Walden at American Canyon Middle School (ACMS) last spring left big shoes to fill. Fortunately, Alan U'ren, a talented middle school music teacher with twenty-one years of experience, jumped at the opportunity.

Two factors were attractive to U'ren, the strong music program and the opportunity to collaborate. He noted, “American Canyon is known for their appreciation and support of music. Their support and Ms. Walden’s great work created a thriving program.”  With three choir classes and three band classes, the ACMS program also allows him to reach more students, creating a winning combination that U'ren wants.

The opportunity to collaborate with the American Canyon High School (ACHS) music program was another factor that attracted U'ren to ACMS. He is impressed with the ACHS music program, specifically how they invest in the middle school. U'ren observed, “Jamie Butler and Brendan Day work with the middle school to collaborate and support the program, and I wanted to be a part of that.” The admiration is mutual. “We are thrilled to have Mr. U'ren step into the ACMS Music Teacher position. Teaching all three disciplines (Band, Strings, and Choir) is so difficult and takes years of experience and loads of talent to pull off. Mr. U'ren has all of that and then some,” said Jaime Butler. Brendan Day added, “finding out he was filling the position in a program that had been built up over many years by Ms. Walden was a comfort to me. His years of experience teaching a similar program gives me confidence that he is well-suited and prepared to continue the success that ACMS had found under Walden's leadership.”

Caption: Pictured above, ACMS choir students performed for NVUSD staff at our October professional development. Read all about their new director in the NVUSD News.

U'ren sees vertical alignment and continued public performance in the American Canyon community as essential components of a robust middle school music program. Speaking to this point, U'ren shared ways the programs align, noting that 5th graders will get to work with middle schoolers and the middle schoolers will get to work with the high schoolers. “We are also planning concerts with the high school choirs that involve high school and middle school singing together-hopefully with band and strings, too.” Butler, who has already worked with the early flight (0 period) choir at ACMS described them as “fabulous,” adding, “We look forward to hosting the ACMS Choirs on our campus for the American Canyon Choral Day and at our March Festival Concert. ACMS and ACHS are very fortunate to have Mr. U'ren, and we are excited about the possibilities of collaboration for years to come!” Brendan also registered his excitement for collaborating with the ACMS music program, saying, “I am looking forward to coming in as a guest in his band and orchestra classes, and I'm excited to bring our students together to interact and play a piece as one large group.”

Since starting the position in August, U'ren has enjoyed the community support he has heard so much about. He particularly appreciates the many volunteers helping him this year. When asked how our community might continue to help and support this program, U'ren shared, “Attend the concerts to lend moral support to the students and donate old, unused/unwanted instruments of all types to the music program.” With the holiday season upon us, you can do this by attending their winter concert on December 6 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the American Canyon Middle School Gym. While the tickets are free, they ask all attendees to commit to enjoying the entire program. 

 

Posted 11/17/22

Our wonderful faculty and staff give back to NVUSD as teachers, counselors, principals, and coaches - the list goes on and on! However, did you know that many also attended NVUSD schools growing up? Join us as we take a trip back in time and learn about our NVUSD faculty and staff NOW and THEN.

Cheri Flohr

American Canyon High School Assistant Principal

American Canyon High School Assistant Principal Cheri Flohr is no stranger to NVUSD. NVUSD is family…literally! Her NVUSD lineage started with her maternal grandmother Georgina Swearingen and her paternal grandmother Bessie Agnew, one was a teacher at Vintage High School (VHS), and the other was a Librarian at Silverado Middle School and NHS. Her mother Sandy Swearingen followed, teaching at NHS. And as fate would have it, or require it, she then met her husband, Mike Flohr, a teacher at Vintage High School.

Ms. Flohr credits NVUSD for providing her with a solid foundation as she studied and competed her way through Snow Elementary School, Ridgeview Middle School, and then Napa High School. Ms. Flohr fell in love with athletics early on and participated as a member of the  Snow Elementary "RoadRunners" Track & Field Team (Coach Beverly Efishoff), Ridgeview Jr. High School Volleyball (Coaches Sue Sears/Teresa Gainer), Tennis and Track & Field Teams (Coaches Albie Gray/Pam Gray/Coach Schroeder), Napa High School Varsity Softball Team from 1982-1985 (Coach Les Franco), and the Napa High Volleyball Team from 1982-1985 (Coach Barb Franco). Cheri then went on to be the Varsity Volleyball Coach at Vintage High School from 1996-2000, was MEL Coach of the Year in 1996, and continued her coaching career at Redwood Middle School from 2001-2015 in volleyball, track and field, and Soccer. She shared, “I fell in love with fitness and athletics because of the outstanding teachers and coaches that supported me as a student-athlete.”

Now, Ms. Flohr takes all she’s learned and gives back to her ACHS community by “doing whatever it takes to offer as many positive educational experiences for students as possible!” We are grateful Ms. Flohr gives her time and talents back to our students and her NVUSD family. NVUSD is in her genes!

 

Posted 11/10/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 11/3/22

In observance of Día de los Muertos, students throughout the district read books, learned about artistic design, designed works of art, learned ballet florklórico, performed ballet folklórico, and set up Ofrendas. We invite you to read about and enjoy pictures of our students’ learning and artistic expression in a festive atmosphere. You can also view student contributions to the first Napa Día de los Muertos celebration in downtown Napa this Saturday, November 5, from 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm. 

 

NVLA

 

One of the 3 pillars of dual language education is sociocultural competence. To help foster this as a dual language school, students at NVLA learned about and created works of art in the celebration of Día de los Muertos. 

In Teresita Ayala’s classroom, students read different books about Día de los Muertos and how it's a time to remember our loved ones that have passed, and her students brought pictures of their loved ones to display on their classroom ofrenda.  

In Maestra Nummelin's class, students learned about the artistic design of papel picado, cutting along fold lines to create patterns of symmetry in their own unique pieces that were strung together to decorate the classroom. Students learned about papel picado as a symbol of wind and as an important addition to the celebratory atmosphere during Día de los Muertos. 

Students watched a video about Día de los Muertos and did papel picado (una calavera) in Maestra Vega’s.  

Fourth-grade students made papel picado banners for the Napa Día de los Muertos on Saturday, November 5th, in downtown Napa. Many learned ballet folklórico and will be performing on Saturday.  Fourth-grade students read about Día de los Muertos,  brought in items to set up an ofrenda, created papel picado, and colored in their Calaveras on paper. 

 

Pueblo Vista Magnet School 

 

Pueblo Vista is also a Dual Language Immersion elementary school that leveraged Día de los Muertos as a teachable moment to help kids develop their sociocultural competence.

According to principal Helen Roca, Maestra Montelongo is a visiting teacher from Mexico who shared with the students of Pueblo Vista the traditions of Día de los Muertos in Mexico. She worked collaboratively with the staff to create an ofrenda where Pueblo Vista families could participate. This provided students the opportunity to learn about the meaning of the ofrenda (each level). Students also created thier “Calaverita” with card paper (pictured below) and learned about “Alebrijes” that are part of the traditions on this day.

 

 

Willow Elementary School

 

Willow Elementary is a TK-5 Artful Learning School where students experience their academic learning through art. The Napa Dia de Los Muertos event allowed students to connect on a more personal level to their unit concept of "relationships."

After learning about the artist and author Carmen Lomas Garza (The Birthday Party), students were inspired by the papel picado that can be seen in her painting and decided to create papel picado of their own. Our first graders found joy in this activity and even invited their teachers to participate by creating colorful papel picado (which also connects to their learning of lines and shapes). Papel picado is used on ofrendas (alters) during Dia de los Muertos as a symbol of the “union between life and death” and “wind.” It was a wonderful opportunity to bring our community together, create our own Willow Ofrenda, and make connections to the relationships that we create and how they affect our everyday lives. 

 

Irene M. Snow Elementary School

 

At Snow Elementary School, a group of parents created a beautiful Día de los Muertos ofrenda in the multi-use room. The parents then gave a presentation to students about the history and components of the ofrenda (pictured below). 

 

 

Unidos Middle School

 

During advisory at Unidos Middle School, students learned about Spanish culture by creating art to display at the Napa Día de los Muertos event in downtown Napa on November 5.

In Maestro Hernandez’s class, students painted Calaveras (skulls) in bright colors. Shelby, a seventh-grade student, shared that she did not know much about Día de los Muertos before starting the project but learned that “the skulls are a celebration of loved ones who have passed away.” Sitting next to Shelby, Aly said that she has always celebrated Día de los Muertos with her family and added that “the bright colors carry meaning; red represents blood, orange is the sun, and yellow represents the Mexican flower marigold which means death.” Both girls look forward to attending the event in downtown Napa to see their Calaveras on exhibit. Maestro Hernandez said that the skulls will be added with colorful flowers to a wooden casket that together will be an ofrenda on display in downtown Napa. 

In Maestra Knutson’s Advisory, students assembled a grid drawing using oil pastels of La Catrina, Mexico’s Lady of Death, popularized by the work of José Guadalupe Posada. First, students learned about La Catrina, as well as techniques for using oil pastels. Then, students drew their pieces of the grid. Next, they expanded pieces of the original drawing into a larger portion of the work. Like Maestro Henandez’s Advisory, Maestra Knutson said that her advisory will assemble all of the pieces of La Catrina for display in downtown Napa.

 

 

Valley Oak High School

 

According to Ryan Strole, XicanX Literature Teacher, the theme for this year's celebration of Día de los Muertos at Valley Oak was education and inclusion. Members of the community who may have observed the festivities in the past but not felt personally included were invited to bring ofrendas for their loved ones. On Monday the 31st, a table with colored popsicle sticks and a printer turned paper and wood into framed color pictures. Each advisory class brought  papel picado and our XicanX Literature class made velas out of beeswax in the traditional Oaxacan style and created "found" poetry to lay on the table. The ofrenda went up on Friday, October 28, and was decorated with calacas, catrinas, and painted calaveras.

 

New Tech High School

 

At New Tech High School, students and staff brought items and pictures for a school ofrenda (pictured below). They also made papel de picado to decorate their common area where the ofrenda is displayed. 

 

 

Napa High School

 

In the library, Layla and Leadership made an ofrenda where students displayed pictures of their beloved deceased ones to honor them. The quad was decorated with papel picado and flowers, and on Wednesday, November 2, students painted faces, and a Catrin/Catrina contest with prizes was held (pictured below). During the lunchtime festivities, students also performed two types of ballet folklórico. Arianna V perform El Zapateado from Veracruz, and Abril M. performed El Son de la Negra while Isaiah V. demonstrated his Lasso skills. Afterward, Andrea B sang La Llorona, we were hoping our mariachi club could play, and many were dressed in traditional Mexican clothing and face paint. 

 

 

Vintage High School

At Vintage, the Spanish Club, made up of students from different levels of Spanish classes, set up ofrendas and did other cultural crafts for an exhibit in the center of the World Languages building, continuing the tradition established by retired Spanish teacher Azalea Aguilar. Students were invited to enjoy the exhibit throughout the week–see photos below.

 

Posted 11/3/22

With students back in school last fall, but many COVID restrictions still in place, Vichy Elementary School teacher Ginette Ilsley worried that students might not get to celebrate Halloween. She recognized that Vichy’s garden presented the perfect place to host their very own pumpkin patch. Her sister-in-law and fellow Vichy teacher, Lorrie Ilsley, were inspired by the idea and suggested that they turn it into a class scarecrow contest! 

Principal Sally Zikmund loved the idea and helped bring it before the parents and staff. According to Principal Zikmund, "while this came together, Ginette and Lorrie fronted the money for pumpkins to ensure that the event was possible." Thus, a new Vichy Elementary School Halloween tradition was born in the garden. 

Each class envisioned and created a scarecrow with a special Halloween theme. Parents donated items from home, and the Parent Club helped collect donations from all that were able to cover the cost of the pumpkins. In preparation for the big day, teachers put up their class scarecrow and layed out all the pumpkins. Then,  on the last day of school before Halloween, each class visited the garden to enjoy the scarecrows and select their pumpkin. Mrs. Johnson’s Frida Khalo scarecrow stole the show.

 

The event was a smashing hit this year too! Chris Hattich, the Vichy garden and STEM teacher, along with student helpers prepared the garden for the event. On the Friday before Halloween, students visited the garden, class by class, with two tickets to cast as votes for their favorite scarecrows. Then they chose a pumpkin to take home. This year featured two winners, the Michael Jackson scarecrow from room 14 and Yodacrow from room 6.

We invite you to enjoy this new Vichy Elementary School tradition through the pictures below. You can enjoy more photos of students voting for their favorite scarecrow and picking out their pumpkin in the Vichy garden, along with Halloween pictures from schools throughout the district on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

 

Posted 11/1/22

Dear NVUSD Families,

It’s hard to believe our students have been back in the classroom for over 100 days! What a gift it has been to witness their learning firsthand. From our middle school students analyzing microscopic organisms during labs to our high school students collaborating in wonderful and grand performances during athletic events, their growth has been tremendous. We should all be incredibly proud. I’ve also enjoyed meeting with you during Superintendent Coffee Talks, board meetings, and around Napa and American Canyon as we continue working together to educate children. 

As the end of the calendar year approaches, please make note of a few important dates. Open Enrollment, the process for offering families school choice, where possible, continues until November 30, 2022. For additional information on the enrollment process or to contact our staff, please visit www.nvusd.org/enroll. Also, take a moment to make sure you have the latest information on Measures A1 and A2, two bond measures up for vote on the November 8, 2022 ballot. Lastly, please remember that collaboration and learning don’t stop over winter break. Winter break day camp options will be shared in the next Family Newsletter. 

Thank you for all you do to instill and inspire lifelong learning in each of our students. Go NVUSD!

Sincerely,

Posted 10/31/22

We had the honor of welcoming the Chef Ann Foundation that hosted California’s First Partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom State Senator Nancy Skinner Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, school board members Cindy Watter and Robin Jankiewicz, and many others at our NOSH - Napa’s Operative for School Food Health Central Kitchen for a working lunch, prepared by our Central Kitchen.

The event's purpose was to better understand the potential impact of California’s Healthy School Food Pathway Program, which aims to increase scratch cooking in California K-12 school food programs and establish a pathway for pre-apprentices and apprentices in their districts.

We are proud that our Central Kitchen was selected as the location for the event because we stand as an example of a district that is successfully transitioning from processed heat-and-serve food to a self-operated scratch-cook food program.

We invite you to catch a glimpse of the event on our Facebook  or Instagram.  

Read more here.

Posted 10/26/22

Leadership takes many forms at the Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD). From our principals and teachers who set the foundation for student learning to our student government representatives who support important grade-level initiatives, the opportunities for cultivating a leadership mindset are endless. Join us as we explore these opportunities below and discover innovative leadership programs and experiences across NVUSD. Up first, safety patrols.

Safety Patrols

Enthusiastic 5th-graders wearing bright orange and yellow vests line the entrance to Donaldson Way Elementary School. There, they greet parents and help younger students out of their cars as they arrive for school drop-off. This is part of the 5th-grade Safety Patrol Program and 5th-grader Sophia, “Loves it!” She shares, “We do a lot besides just helping with drop off and pick up. We deliver breakfast to classrooms, stay after school to make sure all students have gone home, help the Kindergartners stay in line, and remind students to stop running.” 

These students volunteer their time and talents but must be selected for this leadership position. Fellow 5th-grade student Aaron explains that to be a safety patrol students have to do more than just turn in a permission slip. They also have to write an essay about why they want to join the safety patrol program. He concludes, “It’s not easy.”

Donaldson Way Grandparent and leader in his own right, Mr. Allen Quisenberry started the 5th-grade Safety Patrol Program over 11 years ago. He worked closely with Principal Marilyn Abelon and the American Canyon Police Department to develop a traffic flow pattern that would work for families who drive their children to school. He then worked with the Donaldson Way Team to put a system in place so students could give back. The program has taken off. 

Now, every morning at 7:30 am, he meets with the Safety Patrol Team to discuss their duties. He coaches them on leadership, self-confidence, and volunteerism and sometimes even throws in a vocabulary lesson on words such as Attitude, Resilience, and Positivity. Mr. Quisenberry motivates his patrols each day and in turn, their cheerful smiles and thoughtful “have a nice day(s)” make each school day a little safer and happier for all.

“Rain or shine, we can count on our safety patrols showing up,” shares Principal Abelon. Every member of our school community plays a critical role in making sure our campus is welcoming and safe, and that leadership and learning are priorities at our school. They remind me about how important community is at Donaldson Way. ”

Posted 10/26/22

NVUSD’s Open Enrollment period has begun and runs from October 15 - November 30, 2022. Open Enrollment is a process for offering families school choice, where possible. This includes welcoming new families from inside and outside the Napa Valley Unified School District’s geographical boundaries. 

Click here to learn more about our Middle School and TK - 8 School Open Enrollment Information Sessions and Tours for 2022-2023.

Read below for some frequently asked questions, or visit  www.nvusd.org/enroll  to learn more. 

• What is open enrollment?  
  • Open enrollment is an option to apply to a school other than a student’s school of residence.
• Can anyone enroll their child during open enrollment?  
  • Yes! Now is a wonderful time to get your student started in the enrollment process.
• Can out-of-district families participate in open enrollment?  
  • Yes! Families who do not live in the NVUSD attendance boundary are welcome and encouraged to complete an open enrollment application.  
• How do families complete open enrollment?  
  • Families use the online enrollment system at nvusd.schoolmint.net.   
• What if I have questions? 
  •  Our Enrollment Team is available Monday and Thursday, 8 am-6 pm, and Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8 am - 4 pm, for questions. You can also call (707) 253-3435 or email our team.

Posted 10/21/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 10/21/22

Napa and Vintage High Schools will compete in Big Game 51 on Friday, October 28, 2022, at 4:45 pm (JV) and 7:00 pm (Varsity) in Memorial Stadium. Tickets are required for entry and can be purchased at the game.

Big Game

Date: Friday, October 28, 2022

Location: Memorial Stadium, 1400 Menlo Avenue, Napa, CA

Gates Open: 4:00 pm

Time: 4:45 pm Junior Varsity, 7:00 pm Varsity

Tickets: Cash only. Purchase tickets at Napa High’s or Vintage High’s front office during school hours through 1:30 pm on Friday, October 28. The Memorial Stadium box office will open at 3:00 pm on game day for ticket sales. 

The Napa Valley Unified School District reminds our community of the importance of good sportsmanship and safe, respectful, and responsible student behavior before, during, and after the football game. 

Reminders:

• Tickets are required for entry

• Memorial Stadium is divided for this game and fans will not be allowed to cross over once they have entered the stadium

• NEW: If one side of the stadium exceeds capacity, we are required to fill the other side of the stadium

• No re-entry is allowed

• Backpacks, reusable water bottles, YETIs, coolers, outside food, music devices, etc. are not allowed

• NEW: Only clear bags or small clutches are allowed and are subject to search by Administration, view the NVUSD Bag Policy

• All bags will be searched

• No alcoholic beverages, tobacco or tobacco-like products, or sunflower seeds

• NEW:  Only unopened, clear, store-purchased beverage containers are permitted

• All students must have their school IDs and are not allowed to have a backpack of any kind

• NEW: A parent or legal guardian must accompany and supervise elementary and middle school students 

• No spectators will be admitted after the start of the 4th quarter of the game 

• Out of an abundance of caution, no spectators are allowed on the field during the game

Thank you for your support! Go NVUSD!

Posted 10/20/22

Jacob Butler, a senior and drum major at Napa High School, is following in the steps of his father, Jamie Butler, former Napa High drum major (1996) and current American Canyon High School Choir Director. 

 

Read all about this "family tradition" in Jennifer Huffman's article with some great pictures by Nick Otto in the Napa Register! 

 

If you don't subscribe, you can still catch a picture on social media. Click here to view the Napa High Band post on Instagram or click here to view the Napa High Instrumental Music post on Facebook.

 

 

Posted 10/16/22

 

Cindy Kobylka, a West Park Elementary School teacher, starts each year by getting to know her new group of students. This year she has the pleasure of teaching a mathematically talented young man with perfect pitch and a keen interest in mechanical things. So, when Mike Pearson, Assistant Superintendent of Operational Services, visited West Park in September for NOSH’s fruit and vegetable of the month tasting (tomatoes and grapes), Cindy decided to introduce the two.

 

Growing up close to the school, the hum of the air conditioners at West Park always resonated with James. Given his interest in all things mechanical, James became interested in how they worked. “He became so interested that he found videos on YouTube to learn how they work,” Cecily, James’ mother, noted.  

 

When Mike met James and learned about his interest in air conditioners, he saw a teachable moment and invited James to turn his inquiry into a guided real world experience with one of NVUSD’s HVAC technicians, Sergio Rodriguez. Every three months, Sergio, along with three other technicians, replaces the filters and belts on each air conditioning unit at every site in the district. On Wednesday, October 12, West Park’s units were due for maintenance, and Mike invited James to assist. We invite you to enjoy the pictures below capturing his experience with Sergio.

 

Posted 10/13/22

NVUSD’s middle schools strive to foster an inclusive, equitable, responsive, restorative, and rigorous education, where students have a sense of belonging. This is done through many thoughtful and research-based approaches, one of which is “teaming.” In teaming, students are grouped in a cohort and share the same teachers for the entire school year in English, social studies, math, and science. Teachers meet a minimum of two times per week to discuss how they are meeting students’ needs, plan integrated curriculum and personalized learning, analyze and reflect on data and student work, discuss current research and reflect on practices, and address individual student concerns and daily operations. This approach allows teachers to effectively address and collaborate on the best ways to support students' academic and socio-emotional needs. 

Teaming has been in place for 6th-8th-grade students at Redwood Middle School and was added at Silverado and American Canyon Middle Schools (ACMS) this academic year. Providing the individualized attention and support of a small school environment within our larger comprehensive schools, with expansive programming and elective courses, is beneficial for students. Principal Peter Hartnack sees the positive impact of teaming at Redwood, sharing, “Teaming provides our students time and space to form positive connections with teachers and peers over their middle school years. These connections are especially important because middle school is a time when our student's brains are rapidly growing and developing.” 

ACMS parent and Community Liaison Karina Servente agrees the teaming approach is helpful adding, “My 8th grader has benefited greatly from teaming! Besides the academic side of it, which he likes a lot, the social-emotional side of teaming was a welcome and much-needed addition to his daily routine. He can be with friends during lunch, they are not split anymore like in past years…This helps him reconnect.” Another 8th-grade ACMS parent adds to Servente’s sentiments, “I'm seeing my daughter’s attention to her classes improve. I'm seeing her checking in online for her grades and her assignments, and she likes having the same people to go to when she has questions.”

Teachers echo these parent observations. Silverado Middle School English Teacher Miriam Kauffman believes her students are benefiting from teaming by getting to know each other better, building as a community, and growing as collaborators in class. She shares, “I think they are also benefiting from their teachers working together to troubleshoot and problem-solve around issues that come up with our shared students. Sometimes students are surprised when they realize their teachers have been talking about them, to their benefit!”

From enhancing students’ sense of belonging, social bonding, and connectedness to improving student achievement, family engagement, and outcomes, teachers and parents agree that teaming is enhancing the educational experience of NVUSD middle school students. That matters.

Posted 10/11/22

PUBLIC NOTICE

The following items will be included on the agenda of the Napa Valley Unified School District Board of Education regular meeting on October 13th at 7:00 p.m. in the Board Room of the Napa Valley Unified School’s Education Center, 2425 Jefferson Street, Napa Ca 94558:

 

1. Public Hearing and Adoption of Resolution Certifying Compliance with Education Code Section 60119 – A public hearing and Board Certification of Compliance are required in order to be eligible to receive instructional materials funds from the State of California.  The Governing Board will hold a public hearing in which parents, teachers, and community members are encouraged to discuss the sufficiency of the district’s textbooks and instructional materials for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. 

 

2. Public Hearing and Certification of Compliance with Education Code Section 60422 – Education Code Section 60422 requires local education agencies to certify that they have provided each pupil with standards-aligned textbooks or basic instructional materials and that they have done so within the time limit stated.  

 

You may call into the meeting to provide public comment via Zoom. You can join the Zoom Meeting from a computer, mobile device, or tablet. The Zoom meeting information will be provided on the district’s website for every board meeting agenda.

 

Remote Online Public Participation Instructions

 

Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, or Android device: https://zoom.us/j/92442664987

 

Or join by phone: 

US: 1 720 707 2699 or 1 253 215 8782 or 1 346 248 7799 or 1 646 558 8656 or 1 301 715 8592 or 1 312 626 6799

Webinar ID: 924 4266 4987

International numbers available: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdkysGpKOz

 

---

AVISO PÚBLICO

Los siguientes puntos se incluirán en el orden del día de la reunión ordinaria del Consejo de Educación del Distrito Escolar Unificado del Valle de Napa el 13 de octubre a las 7:00 p.m. en la Sala de Juntas del Centro de Educación del Distrito Escolar Unificado del Valle de Napa, 2425 Jefferson Street, Napa Ca 94558:

 

1. Audiencia Pública y Adopción de Resolución que Acredite el Cumplimiento con la Sección 60119 del Código de Educación – Se requieren una audiencia pública y un Certificado de Cumplimiento del Consejo para ser elegibles para recibir fondos para materiales de enseñanza del Estado de California.  El Consejo Directivo tendrá una audiencia pública en la que se anima a participar a padres, madres, maestros y miembros de la comunidad para debatir sobre la suficiencia de los libros de texto y materiales de enseñanza del distrito para el año fiscal 2022-2023. 

 

2. Audiencia Pública y Certificación de Cumplimiento con la Sección 60422 del Código de Educación – La Sección 60422 del Código de Educación requiere que las agencias de educación locales certifiquen que han proporcionado a cada estudiante libros de texto o materiales de enseñanza básicos alineados con los estándares y que lo han hecho dentro del plazo de tiempo indicado.  

 

Pueden participar en la reunión para realizar un comentario público mediante Zoom. Pueden unirse a la Reunión Zoom desde una computadora, dispositivo móvil o tableta. La información sobre la reunión en Zoom se indicará en la página web del distrito para cada agenda del consejo directivo.

 

Instrucciones de Participación Pública Remota Online

 

Únanse desde un PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone  o dispositivo Android: https://zoom.us/j/92442664987

 

O participen por teléfono: 

EE.UU.: 1 720 707 2699 o 1 253 215 8782 o 1 346 248 7799 o 1 646 558 8656 o 1 301 715 8592 o 1 312 626 6799

ID Webinario: 924 4266 4987

Números internacionales disponibles: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kdkysGpKOz

Posted 10/7/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 10/6/22

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we are sharing some of the projects NVUSD students are doing to learn, share, participate in and reflect on Hispanic Heritage. We invite you to read about their learning and enjoy the associated media. 

 

Pueblo Vista

Unidos Middle School

Vintage Highschool

 

Pueblo Vista

TK through fifth-grade students at Pueblo Vista Magnet School celebrated the Spanish language and culture as they danced and sang along to a live performance with the Grammy-winning Latin music duo 123 Andrés.  

Principal Helen Rocca was thrilled that the Parent Faculty Club (PFC) provided this fun, engaging, and language-rich experience. Yearly, Kathleen Burroughs helps the PFC book 123 Andrés to celebrate bilingualism and sociocultural competence. In NVUSD’s Dual Language Immersion schools, students learn in both Spanish and English daily. Kindergarten through second grade spends the majority of their instructional day engaged in the Spanish language. The students participate in phonics lessons while singing to 123 Andrés on the Promethean Boards. The duo also incorporates counting, spelling, and sign language in their presentations. Principal Rocca said, “The live performance was like having real celebrities show up to school! Teachers and students were lining up to have their pictures taken with the group.” 

For third through fifth grade, 123 Andrés dove deeper into the socio-cultural competencies that are key pillars of the Dual Language Immersion experience. They shared music and dances from Spanish-speaking countries throughout Latin America, showed the students a flute from Bogota, and taught them how to make a map of the Americas with their hands.  

Reflecting on the event, Ms. Rocca said, “I couldn’t tell who was more excited, the students or the teachers!”  You can see for yourself by watching this short video of the concert on Pueblo Vista’s Facebook page.

Caption: Pueblo Vista student, Clara, dances on stage with 123 Andrés.

Caption: Pueblo Vista staff dance in front of the stage with 123 Andrés.

Unidos Middle School

During advisory at Unidos Middle School, students learned about Spanish culture by creating art to display at the Napa Día de los Muertos event in downtown Napa on November 5.

In Maestro Hernandez’s class, students painted Calaveras (skulls) in bright colors. Shelby, a seventh-grade student who attended Browns Valley Elementary, shared that she did not know much about Día de los Muertos before starting the project but learned that “the skulls are a celebration of loved ones who have passed away.” Sitting next to Shelby, Aly, who attended Pueblo Vista Elementary, said that she has always celebrated Día de los Muertos with her family and added that “the bright colors carry meaning; red represents blood, orange is the sun, and yellow represents the Mexican flower marigold which means death.” Both girls look forward to attending the event in downtown Napa to see their Calaveras on exhibit.

Maestro Hernandez said that the skulls will be added with colorful flowers to a wooden casket that together will be an Ofrenda on display in downtown Napa. 

In Maestra Knutson’s Advisory, students are assembling a grid drawing using oil pastels of La Catrina, Mexico’s Lady of Death popularized by the work of José Guadalupe Posada. First, students learned about La Catrina, as well as techniques for using oil pastels. Then, students drew their pieces of the grid. Next, they expanded pieces of the original drawing into a larger portion of the work.

Like Maestro Henandez’s Advisory, Maestra Knutson said that her advisory will assemble all of the pieces of La Catrina for display in downtown Napa. 

Caption: Shelby and Aly pose with their art. 
        
Caption: Aman poses with his art. 

Vintage High School

The World Language Department at Vintage had students complete projects to learn about different Hispanic countries. 

In Maestra Quiroz’s classes, students were expected to research several countries and share what they learned with their classmates. When asked about the most interesting thing they learned Kai, Ben, Victor, Gracie, Will, and Mahila were well prepared, sharing:

• Cinco de Mayo is not Mexico’s independence day, it is September 16.

• Puerto Rico has 300 miles of beaches and was governed by the Spanish until 1898.

• Latino and Hispanic are not synonymous.

• Cuba has a rich food culture including the Sandwich Cubano.

• The Dominican Republic shares an island with the country Haiti.

• Panama has an archipelago, San Blas, with 365 islands. 

Isn’t it great to know that there is always something more to learn! 

Caption: Matthew, William, Gracie Maliha, and Victor point at the flags of the country they drew, on display in the library, for their project. 

       
Caption: Ben, Kai, and Noah point at the flags of the country they drew, on display in the library, for their project. 

Posted 9/29/22

Last year Redwood Middle School received the 2022 Youth Garden Grant from Kids Gardening, and this year our inaugural gardening class is off and running! Students are building new raised beds, replanting the garden area, and will be creating an on-site composting system!

 

Recently, Napa Register reporter, Jennifer Huffman, visited the new garden class at Redwood Middle School to see what RMS students are learning. Read all about her experience in the story Napa students get to work - in the garden.

Posted 9/25/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 9/22/22

What did you have for lunch today?

Chicken pozole!

BBQ chicken drumsticks!

Bean and cheese pupusas!

Carnitas burrito!

…and a favorite, beef hamburgers!

 

Students across the Napa Valley Unified School District started this school year with access to free, hot lunches prepared using the “scratch” cooking model. This means that NVUSD lunches are prepared with fresh, raw, local ingredients and only incorporate premade or precooked items when necessary.

This is explained in more detail in the image below.

 

This is possible due to recent facility improvements such as the construction of the central kitchen, finishing kitchens at individual school sites, and partnerships with organizations such as the Chef Ann Foundation. As NVUSD’s scratch cooking program evolves, more and more meals will be made exclusively from scratch, not just “speed scratch.” These partnerships and facilities allow great things to happen and ensure more equitable outcomes for students in the lunchroom by offering appealing, palatable food that can be tailored to student's unique cultural backgrounds, better control of flavor and ingredients, meals that are healthier and more cost-effective (as economies of scale are realized), and meals that utilize locally sourced products. It’s a win-win. 

Here are some fun facts about our lunch program.

• NVUSD utilizes a speed scratch/scratch cooking model for lunch.

• Students are provided a daily vegetarian option at lunch and have access to a salad bar every day!

• Lunch is the focus of the central and finishing kitchens. 

• All produce served is fresh and 98 percent comes from California.

• Food is procured locally whenever possible.

To learn more, check out the menu or visit the NOSH website.

 

 

Posted 9/22/22

 

The Napa Valley Unified School District (NVUSD) recently launched its Breakfast in the Classroom program, allowing all TK-12th grade students the opportunity to eat a free, nutritious breakfast each school day after the bell has rung. While breakfast has been offered for some students, this program ensures all students have access to the morning meal and does not require them to arrive at school early.

McPherson Elementary School Principal Troy Knox has noticed the positive impact. He shares, “In just the first few weeks of this school year, I have already seen an increase in student attention, fewer behavior issues, and better attitudes because students are provided a healthy, nutritious meal to start their day. Plus, I have not made any trips this year to a grocery store to make sure I had enough snacks for students.” 

West Park Elementary Principal Katelyn Bennett shares similar sentiments, “We were nervous at first. Change can be hard, but our community rose to the occasion. Students and teachers can now be found in their classroom or outside on a beautiful day eating breakfast while they participate in community circle time or other aspects of their morning routine. What’s most surprising is now almost every student is eating every morning! Students are getting the fuel they need to learn.”

California is the first state in the nation to pass free universal meals. This state mandate coupled with a strong commitment from NVUSD resulted in this research-backed program, one that will only continue to be finetuned and evolved to best serve our students.

So, wondering what’s for breakfast tomorrow? Visit the NOSH website to learn more about our meal program and future meal offerings.

Posted 9/22/22

 

 

There are many ways a school community works together to keep its students, faculty, and staff safe and supported. Beyond providing the necessary physical infrastructure and training, NVUSD cares for its students through a multifaceted social-emotional framework. This framework helps create an environment where students are seen, known, and cared for. As we near the end of September and suicide awareness month, the importance of being known feels more crucial than ever. Here are a few ways our schools have successfully built on this framework to educate and support students.

Napa High School Counselor Wendy Sommers shared, “In our high school, counseling teams found creative ways to share information on mental health, managing stress, and suicide prevention and provided this content for teachers to use in their classrooms during intervention blocks.” A similar age-appropriate tact was also taken at middle schools during student advisory periods. At that time, counselors and teachers shared ways for students to communicate concerns with trusted adults so resources could be made available before, during, and after a difficult situation. Many NVUSD middle and high schools also hung informative student-centered posters around their campuses, such as the poster you see here. At the elementary level, teachers and counselors helped facilitate mindfulness of emotions lessons that incorporated TOOLBOX resources and then shared additional information with parents in the school newsletter. This work bolstered existing programs such as the BEST (Building Effective Schools Together) program in elementary schools and the Second Step program in elementary and middle schools. 

Together NVUSD’s principals, teachers, nurses, counselors, social workers, and therapists provide our students with a solid social-emotional framework, one with meaningful learning that cascades through grade levels. 

 

Read about the many ways NVUSD keeps its community safe here.

Posted 9/19/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today; read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 9/9/22

Click Here to View More

Posted 9/9/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today, read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 8/25/22

 

Earlier this month, the Napa Valley Unified School District’s Operational Services team celebrated the completion of its first summer internship program. Three NVUSD high school students worked with the Maintenance and Operations and Transportation Services departments on real-world projects including the installation of new HVAC/electrical units in schools, maintenance of equipment, and installation of a bus camera system, to name a few. According to Maintenance Director Albert DeSousa Jr., a common theme emerged over the eight-week program, that of great learners. “All our interns were great learners.”

The summer intern program was developed in collaboration with The Napa Valley Education Foundation and NVUSD’s Student Support Department and supported by Work Based Learning Specialist Amber Cleveland. Amber shared, “We were grateful to offer this amazing opportunity to our NVUSD students. This paid work-based program merged their interests with real-world experiences. This was just one more way we prepare our students to be career and college ready!” 

The student interns reported to work daily and partnered directly with NVUSD staff. Staff members helped educate the interns on different equipment types and how to use the equipment, and then provided direction and support as projects were underway. The collaborative aspect was special, shared DeSousa. “It was a great teaching opportunity all around. Usually, teaching happens in the classroom and maintenance and operations are typically in the background. This program changed that dynamic and we enjoyed the opportunity to interact with students.”

Director of Transportation Justin Binion elaborated, “Although we had work to get done each day, we wanted to understand the interests and goals of our interns so we set some goals around what our interns wanted to learn. Myron, our Transportation Services Intern, wanted to take ownership and install a camera system so he worked directly with the mechanics in our shop and ended up installing a camera system in one of our buses. Seeing him accomplish his goals, and his excitement and eagerness to learn were immensely gratifying. He was a great addition to our team.”

Myron continued, “What inspired me to set goals for myself was that I would see and hear the other bus drivers on goals they wanted to complete over the summer. I want to set goals now and when I meet those goals, I want to set new ones and then meet those!”

Beyond the on-the-job learning, instruction was also scaffolded into the program through a weekly workshop where students learned resume-building techniques, about local opportunities at colleges and trade schools, and other transferable skills directly from professionals. (For some, this work even resulted in course credit from Napa Valley College.) Both DeSousa and Binion agree that the internships were a true success, one that allowed “three great kids, great learners, to get their hands into real work.”

 

 

Posted 8/25/22

Napa kids head back to school for 2022-2023 academic year--Read Jennifer Huffman's interviews with students on the first day of school at McPherson Elementary School and view Nick Otto's photos of students on their way to class at McPherson Elementary on the first day. 

Posted 8/17/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today, read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 8/11/22

August, 2022

NVUSD is Honored with National Golden Achievement Award for Communication

This summer, the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) announced the winners of the 2022 Golden Achievement Awards and 2022 Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards. NSPRA named Napa Valley Unified School District as a winner of their “Golden Achievement Award” which recognizes outstanding, strategic work in all aspects of school public relations, communication, marketing and engagement. 

NVUSD was named for the district’s communication campaign, “Stronger Together, Better Than Ever.” The campaign was established in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide clear and engaging communication through new and existing channels, which included a video series, virtual town-hall chats, as well as social media and digital communications. 

A public award ceremony took place during the NSPRA conference in Chicago in June. Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti and the communication team accepted the award. 

“As one of the first school districts in the state of California to open for in-person learning, NVUSD remained committed to frequent and effective communication to our school community of 16,500 students and 2,000 employees,” said Superintendent Dr. Rosanna Mucetti. “We have worked hard to provide frequent and open communications to our parents and community, and I am proud to accept this award on behalf of the district.”

NVUSD also participated in “listen and learn” round table discussions with conference attendees to share insights on its communication strategy approach.

​​​​​​​

Posted 8/11/22

Recently, our Food Services program, NOSH, was featured as a "bright spot" in the food-to-school movement in a report released by the California Department of Food & Agriculture and the Office of First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Read all about it in the EDCAL article, New report ‘plants the seeds’ for California farm-to-school movement. 

Posted 7/29/22

This summer, in partnership with the Boys and Girls Club Napa Valley, Cool School, and EDMO, the Napa Valley Unified School District has had over 2,800 students participating in summer enrichment programs at 13 sites throughout Napa and American Canyon. This is all thanks to Bill 130 that Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law last summer during a visit to Shearer Elementary School. The bill gives school districts more funds to offer additional learning opportunities throughout the school year and over the summer. 

 

All students participating in these expansive programs engage in activities for learning and play provided by our partners daily. Throughout the morning, small groups of students rotate through classrooms with NVUSD teachers to receive targeted individual and small group instruction in language arts and math. 

 

At Phillips Elementary, Jennifer Ellison teaches “rising 1st graders” to prepare them for second grade. Describing the program she points out, ”Students develop skills at different paces, and these students were selected because they have shown that they would benefit from more time to develop their skills fully.” She highlighted, “They become better prepared for the upcoming school year as they gain confidence in their abilities. We play games with numbers, letters, and writing to accomplish this. As they play, students are given opportunities to read, write, and solve math equations.” 

 

At Willow Elementary, Lynette Young teaches “rising first graders” too. Describing their time together she said, “My students are learning phonics and reading skills for language arts as well as writing every day.” She made special note of the fact that she has “a chance to read with each student individually each day.” The students also work daily on basic math skills. According to Lynette, “They are reviewing number concepts, practicing number writing, addition, subtraction, and word problems.” Before the end of summer school, “they will work on measurement and shapes.” She finds the curriculum provided by the district to be “very helpful,” but like all great teachers, she says “I am adding to it for additional practice in skills my students need.” 

 

Also funded by the bill are the District’s before and after school care and winter break programming. If parents are interested, they can sign up for before and after school programming now. Additional information regarding the onsite before and after school provider can be found on the district webpage.  Parents should also keep an eye out for information in our Family Newsletter, social media, and website. For specific questions about these upcoming opportunities, please email Audrey Chubbs at nvusdchildcare@nvusd.org.

 

Caption: “Rising 1st grade students” preparing for 2nd grade at Willow Elementary.

 

Caption: “Rising 1st grade students” preparing for 2nd grade at Phillips Elementary.

 

 

Posted 7/22/22

Together with our talented faculty, staff, and students, our principals empower our school community to realize its mission of transforming lives by instilling and inspiring lifelong learning in every student. As we look towards the 2022-2023 school year, the Napa Valley Unified School District is ready for meaningful collaboration, scaffolded challenges, and the continued academic, athletic, and social/emotional advancement of each of our students. Use the links below to learn more about these transformative leaders and their hopes for the exciting year ahead.

 

Amy Martinez

Jessica Mautner

Kim Title

Martha Franco

Peter Hartnack

Alejandra Uribe

Abhinav Dev

Jessica Hutchinson

 

 

Napa Valley Language Academy (NVLA) is pleased to welcome Principal Amy Martinez to campus this fall. Ms. Martinez comes to NVUSD from San Rafael City Schools where she served as assistant principal. She brings an extensive background in language development, including work as an ELD department chair, BTSA provider, Spanish teacher, elementary teacher, and bilingual teacher. She also spent four years teaching first grade in Monterrey, Mexico. Ms. Martinez is dedicated to dynamic leadership that promotes creativity, unity, and a love of learning. We are confident about the year ahead as Ms. Martinez continues this great work at NVLA.

 

 

Jessica Mautner joins Snow Elementary School as principal, bringing with her a wealth of training and leadership experience. Jessica has over 20 years of experience teaching Kindergarten, 1st grade, 4th grade, and intervention in the Napa Valley and Calistoga Unified School Districts. She started developing her leadership experience in Calistoga where she was the summer school principal for grades K-12. She continued to develop her leadership experience at the Solano County Office of Education as the curriculum, instruction, and assessment program manager. Since 2015 she has taught as a kindergarten, and 1st grade classroom teacher at Snow Elementary School where she has guided current Snow teachers through the beginning teacher support and assessment program. 

 

She is also an Association of California School Administrators Leading Edge certified administrator, a SeeSaw ambassador, teacher trainer, and has completed multiple Buck Institute Problem Based Learning training academies. Among these myriad accomplishments, Ms. Mautner was also a finalist for the 2019 Napa County “Teacher of the Year.” Ms. Mautner earned her master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Cal State Northridge, graduating with distinction.

 

 

As the Interim Principal of Bel Aire Park Magnet Elementary for the 2022-2023 school year, Kim Title brings over 29 years of Napa Valley Unified School District teaching and coordinating experience, specifically with the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. She started her teaching career at Bel Aire Elementary School before moving to Mt. George Elementary for 20 years. Recently she returned to Bel Aire Park where she has continued to hone and develop her instructional leadership experience, IB curriculum knowledge, and focused on building strong relationships with the Bel Aire Elementary community. 

 

 

 

Martha Franco joins Willow Elementary School as principal, bringing with her 25 years of experience as a teacher at Shearer and NVLA, assistant principal at El Centro and Salvador Elementary Schools, data coach/intervention coordinator, and, most recently, as assistant principal and then principal at Harvest Middle School. In addition to her strong bilingual instructional leadership experience, she is committed to continuing to build and strengthen the Artful Learning Program. We are confident that with her experience, Ms. Franco will lead Willow Elementary School with a focus on growing a positive school climate and culture, initiating innovative practices that promote student achievement, and building strong relationships with all stakeholders.

 

 

 

Redwood Middle School Principal Peter Harnack is highly skilled and draws on over a decade of experience as a site administrator and teacher leader in both high school and middle school. He currently serves as assistant principal at Redwood where his student-centered approach and calm, positive attitude have been hallmarks of his leadership style. Peter attributes his early formative years in education to building his philosophy that school should “focus equally on building bright minds and great people.”  He brings his strengths in promoting social emotional learning and leading through change to Redwood at the perfect time. We are thrilled that Peter will be able to provide excellent leadership and continuity at Redwood through this time of great transition.

 

 

 

After 22 years as a teacher and leader of the Napa Valley Language Academy (NVLA), Alejandra Uribe will take the next step in her career by becoming the principal at Unidos Middle School. Ms. Uribe’s expertise with dual language immersion, developed at NVLA, will benefit our Unidos students and families while strengthening the program across all of NVUSD. Her experience also makes her the ideal leader to guide non-dual immersion students taking a Spanish class for the first time at Unidos. Ms. Uribe is honored to lead this important work with the community, work that offers educational richness, budding opportunities for students, and builds the social and cultural competence of our entire school community. Ms. Uribe will foster the same culture she cultivated at NVLA, one where student leaders bring authentic integration and voice to our community through shared experiences rooted in language, culture, and art integration.

 

 

 

Abhinav Dev begins as interim principal of New Technology High School (NTHS). Mr. Dev most recently served as an education specialist and credit recovery lead teacher at NTHS. He was the special education department chair and a member of the multi-tiered system of support team and the leadership team. Before coming to NVUSD, Mr. Dev was a special education program specialist in charge of special education programs at multiple locations across three school districts as part of KIPP Bay Area Public Schools. Mr. Dev is well respected by staff, students, and the community of New Tech. His unique perspective and strong relationship-building skills will serve him as he embarks on this new leadership role.

 

Jessica Hutchinson returns to Vintage High School to take the helm as principal, having many years ago taught French and advancement via individual determination at Vintage. Ms. Hutchinson has nine years of experience as a high school administrator and 12 years as a teacher, coach, and coordinator of college readiness programs like AVID. She uses her deep skill set in analyzing data, building systems, and executing detailed implementation plans to ensure high achievement for all students while remaining a thoughtful and measured individual who strives to understand all points of view. She does not shy away from tough decisions. Ms. Hutchinson has a high degree of integrity and is committed to putting the welfare of students and staff first.

Posted 7/1/22

Click on the following link to read the Napa Valley Register's article: Two NVUSD school bond measures to go before Napa voters in November

Posted 6/28/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today, read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 6/17/22

You can read the whole story about our draft budeget in the Napa Valley Register by using this link. 

Posted 6/17/22

Recently, 36 NVUSD students were honored along with other Napa County students for outstanding academic achievements while overcoming personal challenges. The Every Student Succeeding program is a statewide awards program sponsored by the Association of California School Administrators (ACSA.)  The regional event, sponsored by the Napa County Office of Education (NCOE) and the Association of Napa County School Administrators (ANCSA), took place on May 31 and was attended by families, principals, and local dignitaries.

 

NVUSD students were nominated by their principal or school counselor and at the event received certificates and were featured in a slideshow presentation. Troy Knox, principal of McPherson Elementary has been involved in ANCSA and believes in the importance of “recognizing these students who have persevered and demonstrated success in school despite having to overcome personal challenges.” 

 

Here is what a few of our administrators said about their school’s student award winners:

 

Evelyn Guia Flores

Napa High

“​​Evelyn Guia Flores is a current senior at Napa High. She has persevered given an extraordinary amount of challenges. During 9th grade, Evelyn’s mother passed away. Since then, she and her family have experienced different setbacks. Nonetheless, Evelyn has continued to serve as a role model to her two younger siblings. She has pushed herself academically, taken college classes, participated in AVID and athletics, while still serving at our site as a tutor, and active club member and officer of a few groups. She was accepted to various universities and will be a first-gen student at Cal in August.”

 

Javier Soto

American Canyon Middle School 

"Javier has a strength of character that is unwavering.  He has pushed and worked to gain academic skills that were at times far out of his reach.  He never backs away from a challenge and at the same time worries and cares for everyone around him. Javier has surpassed expectations set for him and accomplished so much in middle school." 

 

Jesus Guzman Rendon

Bel Air Elementary

“Jesus has grown tremendously this year despite the challenges of coming back to school after a pandemic. He has made the decision to change past habits to become an active inquirer and thinker. He collaborates with his peers and adds to the classroom conversation about significant concepts that affect our world. He enjoys sharing his thinking in new ways through the arts and writing. All of us at Bel Aire are proud of his progress and his commitment to becoming a principled and caring member of our community.” 

 

To see a list of all the Every Student Succeeding award winners please click here. 

 

Posted 6/9/22

Check out the story about Snow Elementary School's participation in the Youth Cinema Project and their award winning entries to Los Angeles International Latino Film Festival in The Napa Valley Register--Napa students win at Los Angeles Latino Film Festival. 

 

If you'd like to know more, you can read Ready, Set. Action! Snow Elementary Students Unlock the Power of Learning Through Filmmaking (use this link) about the beginning of the project in the fall. You can also scroll down to watch each of the films submitted by our students. 

 

Baby Bird 

 

Camping Trip

 

Ghost Girl

 

Haunted School

 

Living with Luci

 

Night of the Buddha

 

Sunny & the Sick Mom

 

The Walking Ghost

 

Snow Slideshow

Posted 6/9/22

We distributed a new edition of our Family eNewsletter today, read it wherever you receive your ParentSquare messages or click here. 

Posted 6/3/22

 

There is no better way to understand the magnitude and value of the investment we make in our students than to learn about our graduates. Over the past few months we put a spotlight on some of our graduates and we encourage you to read about all of their educational journeys and future plans. 

 

Ilyaz Nathan Alvarez (ACHS)

Alison Watson (NTHS)

Erick Castro Jimenez (NHS)

Sophia Elizabeth Martin (VHS)

Karla Dominguez (NHS)

Yizel Solano Gonzalez and Itzel Solano Gonzalez (VHS)

Kyla Martin (ACHS)

 

Meet Ilyaz Nathan Alvarez

 

Nathan found hope for a better future and a path to college through the AVID program at American Canyon High School (ACHS). AVID, an elective program offered at each comprehensive high school in the district, stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination. 

 

Prepared for the Future

 

Starting his freshman year, Nathan joined the AVID program at ACHS and met a group of students motivated by a common goal.  At the heart of the AVID program are the relationships forged between classmates and the teacher through the common purpose of pursuing success in achieving college and career goals. In reflecting upon her four years as Nathan’s AVID teacher, Katy O’Brien, said, “Nathan has one of the biggest hearts. Since meeting him freshman year he has been invested fully in the AVID program as well as his extracurriculars.” 

 

This investment included developing key academic skills such writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading–what AVID refers to as WICOR. As a result of this work Nathan says, “I’m basically primed and ready to go off to college.” He also expressed gratitude for his time at ACHS saying, “the Napa Valley Unified School District gave me an opportunity to become something better and to further my education.”

 

Post Graduate Plans

As Nathan celebrates graduating from high school, his investment has paid off. In the fall he will attend Sacramento State University to further his education in the field of medical sciences. This will be the next step in his journey of realizing his career goal which he describes as “learning how I can help people as a nurse.” Speaking confidently of his future, Mrs. O’Brien said, “Nathan is going to be an incredible nurse that every patient will look forward to seeing. I cannot wait to see where life takes him.”

Caption: Ilyaz (Nathan) Alvarez sitting for his graduation photo.

Meet Alison Watson

 

NVUSD fosters safe and rigorous learning environments for all students – including those with exceptional knowledge and skills. Alison Watson, a Canyon Oaks Elementary alumna and one of New Tech High School’s 2022 valedictorians is one such student. 

 

Reflecting on his experience with Alison, Jon Southam, a New Tech math teacher, described how she started freshman year in Math 3 (most students start in Math 1) “Alison would ask me questions about our work in class that made me question my own thinking,” recalls Mr. Southam. “That's a good thing, as all of us educators know. Alison has a mind that I haven't seen in a student before and I'm excited to see what she does next."

 

Prepared for the Future

 

In Alison’s graduation speech she listed a series of memorable experiences in which she was challenged through inquiry. Among these was “the Trial Project” in which world history teacher Andrew Biggs held “verbal sparring matches” to put Enlightenment Era historical figures on trial for crimes against humanity.  She also recalled the “awesome projects” of senior year including “engineering mind controlled cybernetic limbs, and prototyping satellites for national design competitions.”

 

Thinking of Alison and the satellite competition, Angelene Warnock, New Tech chemistry, Maker Space and leadership teacher said, “She is curious, hardworking, and always willing to jump into a new adventure. Case in point: I found an opportunity for my students to work with mentors from MIT to design a prototype microsatellite and program it to detect small scale plastics polluting the ocean. At the time, we knew next to nothing about the topic.” According to Ms. Warnock, when she brought the opportunity before the class, Alison said, "I have no idea, but that sounds interesting. I bet we can figure it out!" 

 

“And we did, '' said Ms. Warnock.“We taught ourselves about satellites, power and imaging systems, orbital mechanics, and the programming language, Python.”

 

Reflecting on these opportunities and experiences Alison said, “NVUSD has provided me with invaluable life experiences, such as the chance to apply for college, take hard classes in a safe environment, and allowed me to meet such great role models as my teachers.”

 

Post Graduate Plans

 

One of Alison’s great role models, New Tech English teacher SuzAnne Regalia, observed that “Alison has jumped into the universe with wide-eyed wonder, eager not only to see everything but to understand it in a deep and meaningful way.” 

 

No doubt, Alison will jump with that same wide-eyed wonder into her studies at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. It is not hard to draw lines between the experiences she has had as an NVUSD student and her plans to major in math and get more involved in the computer sciences.

 

Caption: Alison Watson delivers her Valedictorian speech at Memorial Stadium. Watch all of the great speeches in our livestream archive on our YouTube Channel.

 

Meet Erick Castro Jimenez
 

Whether you start in our district as a transitional kindergarten student or enroll in high school, our schools are ready to welcome and support you on your journey. Case in point, senior Erick Castro Jimenez immigrated to California from Mexico and took his first class in our district at Napa High School as a sophomore. He remembers that “the teachers and [my] classmates received me in a positive way and supported me at all times, making me feel at home, and happy.”

 

It is worth noting that Erick gave as much positivity as he received. Speaking of Erick his AP Spanish Language and Culture teacher, Esther Colorado said, “The Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh once said ‘Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy’ that is exactly how I used to feel every day whenever Erick was in my class.” Continuing she said, “He was a source of joy for me and for his classmates. He lives his life without letting obstacles put a frown on his face. He is definitely a joy to be around and I always remember him because of that.”

 

Prepared for the Future

As an immigrant and English Language Learner, Erick has certainly faced his share of obstacles and he credits his experience with NVUSD staff and programs with his success. He shared with us that “the teachers, NVUSD programs, and counselors always look for a way in which the student has an approach to overcome himself,  motivating me to be a better person who prepares myself for life's obstacles.” Elaborating, he said,   “Upon my arrival at NVUSD, the district gave me the necessary tools to be a successful student, opening ways for me to attend a 4-year university.” 

 

Post Graduate Plans

In fact, next year, Erick is excited to attend Menlo College in Silicon Valley. He knows it will be a challenge and plans to establish good work habits early because, he said, “I will need to be a mentally strong person to carry out the challenge of university life.” While at Menlo he looks forward to, “experimenting with meeting people from different places which is an incredible way for me to expand my world and get more knowledge about the corporate world.” His social studies teacher, Rosalinda Hurtado, is confident he will meet this next challenge with success saying, “he is such an amazing young man. He has surpassed and succeeded all expectations for a student that has been in the country for such a short period of time. He is kind, intelligent and an amazing friend. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. I know he will do great things.”

 

Caption: Erick Castro Jimenez with Napa High Assistant Principal Ana Andrilla at the 11th Annual Every Student Succeeding Awards Ceremony. You can read more about the awards here. 

 

 

Meet Sophia Elizabeth Martin 

 

Recently, Sophia Elizabeth Martin graduated with her associate's degree from Napa Valley College and graduated from Vintage High School on June 15. You read that correctly, she earned her associated degree before graduating from high school. Read more about her story in the Napa Valley Register by clicking here.  

 

 

 

Meet Karla Dominguez

 

The Napa Valley Unified School District provides students the chance to excel in ways meaningful to them. For Class of 2022 senior Karla Dominguez, Napa High provided opportunities to refine her athletic and artistic talents as a Spiritleader. Summing up the experience Karla shared, “I was met with the most supportive and loving coaches and teammates. They not only helped me with dance, but helped me become a leader as a captain of the team, gain confidence, and grow as a person.” 

 

Hollie Johnson, director of the Napa High Spiritleaders program, continued from a coach's perspective. She remembers Karla as “an absolute joy to teach and coach. Karla pushed herself every day with hard work and a positive attitude to become the best dancer she could be. I also selected Karla as a Dance Officer where she mentors our Jazz 1 students. Karla loves giving back to our beginning dancers. She is an incredible role model for them.”

 

Karla attended McPherson and Shearer Elementary Schools, Harvest Middle School, and will graduate from Napa High School. 

 

Prepared for the Future

Looking to the future, Karla expressed confidence, observing that “NVUSD provided me with multiple opportunities to come out of my shell and be involved while staying academically challenged. I have been co-president of a club for three years, in AVID for six years, and a Spiritleader Captain, a Dance Officer, on the Breakers team, and a Girls on the Run junior coach.” Further explaining her preparation she noted, ”I have also presented to the NVUSD Board of Education about Bring Change to Mind and our fight to end the stigma surrounding mental health.” 

 

Post Graduate Plans

Karla is excited to attend UC Berkeley next year where she plans to double major in Psychology and Sociology and minor in Spanish. Her AVID teacher Brian King believes in her sharing, “Karla has always shown herself to be one hundred percent dedicated to her academics and to changing the paradigm of her family's future.” Elaborating, he said, “Her accomplishments inspire all of us at NHS AVID to reach for goals we might once have thought were unattainable."

 

It is fitting that upon graduation from Berkeley, Karla plans to pursue a career working for a mental health non-profit.

 

Caption: Karla cheering on the Napa High football team at Memorial Stadium.

 

 

Double Feature

Meet Yizel Solano Gonzalez and Itzel Solano Gonzalez

 

Yizel and Itzel are twins that attended Salvador Elementary School, Redwood Middle School, and will graduate in June from Vintage High School. Summer Search, AVID, Migrant Education and music are programs that shaped their journey throughout their time in our district. According to the sisters, the programs provided an outlet to express themselves, explore their interests, and discover their strengths. 

 

Both have fond memories of their four years in the Vintage High School band. Yizel vividly recalls her first day of band camp under the hot sun with sweat dripping down her face, singing on bus trips at the top of her lungs, and playing under the Friday night lights in front of what she describes as, “the enormous stadium filled with thunderous crowds.” Yizel also sentimentally remembers “the fierce chanting of ‘We believe we will win, we believe we will win!’ during [marching band] competitions.”  These are but a few of the memories that Yizel shared that she says, “are kept in my heart.”

 

Itzel’s experience leading the flute section was a cherished memory. “When I walked into Memorial Stadium, all I could hear was the loud rumble of the audience and the stadium lights reflecting on the field,” she said. “Leading the flute section and marching to the cadence of the drum as we walked in with the football team. The crowd went wild…it was surreal.”

 

Prepared for the Future

Reflecting on her time at NVUSD Yizel said, “The district prepared me for my future by having amazing programs, teachers, and community. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for my teachers who have always encouraged me to strive for more.”

 

Itzel noted that she has been a student at NVUSD for seventeen years. “[It has] helped me flourish into an adult ready to take on the next chapter of my life,” she said. “It has offered me many opportunities and support during my learning years. I was introduced to the music program in 5th grade, and from there I had opportunities to meet wonderful teachers and counselors that have shaped who I am today.” She continued, “not only that, but the Napa Valley Community has supported me with scholarships and volunteering opportunities.”

 

While Yizel and Itzel credit their success to their teachers, programs and community, their teachers provide their own lens. Yizel’s band director at Vintage High School, Brendan Galvin, describes her as, “One of the most hard working students in the music program during her four years at Vintage. While seemingly reserved, after talking with Yizel, one without a doubt realizes that she has extremely mindful insights to share with the world.”

 

Jen LaMonte, an English teacher at Vintage High School, made a similar observation about Itzel. “In person, Itzel carries herself with a quiet gravitas. She is not given to careless chatter in class, but when it is time to speak, people listen,” said Ms. LaMonte. “In January of 2018, Itzel blew us away during the schoolwide Poetry Out Loud recitation contest. On stage, her presence was remarkable and electric. The understanding and emotional depth she communicated through her performance showed compassion, maturity and courage.  Whatever her achievements will be after graduating from Vintage, they are sure to be dazzling.”

 

Post Graduate Plans 

Discussing her future plans, Yizel says that she was raised by her mother to value education. She remembers her mother saying to her, “Mija tienes que estudiar para tener una carrera y un buen futuro.” This translates to: “Daughter, you have to study to have a career and have a great future.” She hopes to honor her mothers words and her fathers “deep callused hands, from making cement all of his life” by prioritizing her education. 

 

She is well on her way to fulfilling this commitment, having received a full ride to UC Davis where she plans to major in viticulture and enology. Equipped with this education, Yizel says, “someday, I will own my own winery and provide jobs to many immigrant people who have come to this land for an opportunity to thrive for a better future; as my parents did for me.”

 

Itzel received a full ride scholarship to Dominican University of California where she plans to study biology in a pre-med program. She looks forward to taking on internships and forming connections that will help her become a doctor. However, like Yizel, her ambition goes beyond a career. She says,  “As a Latina, I want to represent my culture and my native town Oaxaca because that is really where my roots are from. Becoming a doctor is not only for me, it's for my family and siblings who are looking up to me.”

Caption: Yizel and Itzel Solano Gonzalez outside of Castello di Amorosa

 

 

 

Meet Kyla Martin 

 

Kyla started as a ninth-grade student at American Canyon High School (ACHS). Over the past four years, she has earned a reputation as a successful multi-sport student-athlete and community leader in the school and surrounding community.

 

Reflecting on her time as an NVUSD student, the memories she has from playing soc