Taos Charter High Schools: Vista Grande Charter High School in Taos, New Mexico

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What Outdoor Adventure and Field Work Can I Expect?

Will There be Sports at Vista Grande?

What is Service Learning?

Junior and Senior Adventures

What Equipment is Provided?

Are There Activity Fees?


What outdoor adventure and field work can I expect?
All 9th and 10th grade students will participate in a week-long wilderness adventure during the fall in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. As adventure and safety go hand in hand, all VGHS faculty will be trained in wilderness first-aid or as wilderness first responders. Groups will be organized into teams of 2 adults and 15 students. Each group will be led by a trained wilderness professional and transportation will be provided by the school to and from all field experiences.

Our academic program is intertwined with wilderness adventures that support classroom activity. Students learn respect for self, care and compassion for others, social responsibility to the community, and sensitivity for the environment. On an adventure students are placed in challenging situations to teach them about self-discovery, perseverance, developing new skills, teamwork, and leadership.

There will be other opportunities for outdoor adventure which might include:

- Whitewater river rafting on the Rio Grande.
- Hot air ballooning.
- Snow shoeing and cross-country skiing.
- Winter camping.
- Skiing and snowboarding.
- Cross-cultural immersion experiences in Mexico.

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Will there be sports at Vista Grande?
All Vista Grande High School students will have the opportunity to participate in intramural sports, such as volleyball, basketball, and cycling through afternoon electives. These offerings allow students to participate in multi-day outdoor trips, and allow older students to develop leadership in other avenues that benefit the school. The Vista Grande curriculum includes a rigorous physical education component that consists of outdoor trips and adventures, as well as after school activities such as intramural sports.

Vista Grande will not offer Interscholastic sports, which necessitate student travel and interrupt the theme-based curriculum. State law does allow public charter school students to participate in local school district interscholastic sports teams. However, the time and travel required for participation in interscholastic sports would cause students to miss vital learning experiences with Vista Grande. Therefore, Vista Grande strongly encourages students and families to consider the strain that participation may cause the students, families, and schools involved.

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What equipment is provided?
Vista Grande High School will make outdoor gear available for student use. Any Vista Grande High School student participating in a school activity is fully responsible for equipment, outdoor gear, tools, computers and other school gear entrusted to him or her. If equipment used by a given student is not accounted for in a satisfactory manner--for example, in the case of theft, loss or damage-- participation and clearance to participate in other activities will be withheld until satisfactory resolution is achieved. In addition to short-term use of school items, each student may be entrusted with certain items for the entire school year, such as keyboarding machines, art supplies, and outdoor equipment.

These items may be issued to the student at the beginning of the school year, so the student as caretaker has both the freedom and responsibility to use and take care of the items as if they were his/her own. Students are free to use the items responsibly, take them home, maintain them, clean them, use them whenever they want, as long as they care for the items. Expected wear and tear due to normal use is expected; abuse, damage, loss or defacement will require the student to replace or repair the item in question.

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For more information, contact Vista Grande High School
at (575) 758-5100 (Main Office) or (575) 758-5102 (Fax)

Taos Charter High School: Vista Grande Charter High School in Taos, New Mexico

 


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Vista Grande High School
111 Paseo del Cañon West
Taos, NM 87571

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Taos Charter High School: Vista Grande Charter High School in Taos, New Mexico