Vista Grande High School: Answers for ParentsHow will parents be included, engaged in student’s education? How can I access my student’s records? Who will administer my student's medication? Are the campus and events going
to comply What kind of lunch program do you offer? Will There be vending machines at VGHS? Is there student transportation to and from school? What is the yearly, weekly and daily schedule? Are there any fees to go to VGHS? Will I have to buy equipment for my child to go to VGHS? How will Vista Grande High
School prepare How
will parents be included, engaged in student’s education? VGHS will communicate regularly with you concerning
your student. VGHS encourages parents to take an active role in their child’s academic and behavioral program. Speak to the VGHS office about volunteer opportunities with the school. How can I access
my student’s records? A copy of these records is held in the office at the school. Make arraignments with the school office to review these files. Who will administer
my student's medication? In the case of trips away from campus and extended wilderness trips, leaders are prepared and trained to administer necessary emergency and non-emergency medication and will do so unless specifically instructed not to do so by parents/guardians in writing. During on campus school time, teachers will make medication available at prescribed times. Vista Grande High School encourages parents to arrange with the physician to give medications either before or after school hours. Are the campus and
events going to comply with American Disabilities Act? The school’s facility will be handicap accessible and all activities will be adapted to meet the need for access. What kind of lunch
will be provided? Perhaps students will be able to receive a free or reduced
lunch at Vista Grande High School beginning with the 2007-2008
school year. Arrangements are being made with the Taos Municipal
Schools to provide a nutritious meal each day. The New Mexico Student Nutrition Program Unit is providing services to support the local school districts in designing food services that incorporate, healthy wholesome food. Healthy food will include the option for vegetarian meals, and a substantial reduction in fats, sugars, salt, and white flour products. It also will make fresh fruit and salad available daily on open bars from which students may select what they like. Two main entrees will be offered daily at the high school level. High school students may have seconds if they are still hungry. Due to logistics and delivery challenges, charter schools are not able to receive a breakfast program through Taos Municipal Schools at this time. Taking into consideration that students may arrive at school without having breakfast, a committee made up of Vista Grande staff will supervise the donations of food items from local businesses in order to provide early morning nutrition for our students. We feel this is a crucial aspect of promoting performance. Students need a balanced meal in order to feel content to study and participate. This is supported by research in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. There is a possibility y that Vista Grande will make a decision to provide lunches through an independent contractor. The contractor may be a local restaurant that would guarantee natural and fresh foods daily. This has been explored due to the concerns about meeting quality standards for our students, but not in any negotiation stage. According to current public law students will not be given access to vending machines which may sell soda or snacks. This includes any agreement for services that may be made between Vista Grande and an independent contractor. Students may bring their own snacks or food to school but it is recommended that the food be such as nuts, cheese, granola bars, sandwiches, fruit, etc. that are easily transported and consumed. For further information visit the New Mexico Public Education Department website: http://www.ped.state.nm.us/div/sipds/snp/lunch.html Is there student transportation to and from school? Taos Municipal Schools will provide daily transporation to VGHS for the proposed 8:00-2:30 pm school day. Students participating in afterschool activities will be responsible for making arrangements for their own transportation. VGHS students in the 9th and 10th grades will
not be permitted to drive themselves to school. We expect that
many 11th and 12th grade students will choose to drive themselves
to and from school or to carpool. Vista Grande will be located within proximity of the Taos Municipal School District facilities core which includes The school district administrative office, Taos High School, Taos Middle School, as well as being near the Taos Youth and Family Center. What is the yearly, weekly and daily schedule? • Vista Grande High School will operate on a semester system with a calendar year similar to other public schools in Taos County in order to accommodate families with siblings in those schools. There will be some differences in the schedule to allow for additional teacher in-service, extended wilderness trips and fieldwork out of the classroom. • The first day of school is August 21, 2007. • Intended daily schedule is q8:00am and end at 2:30pm. • Afternoon Electives will be scheduled from 2:35pm – 4:30pm. Students will need to choose two eight-week afternoon Electives across the school year. • Lunch time will be12:05 – 12:45 pm. • Vista Grande High School intends to operate on a modified block schedule with 100-minute blocks for integrated courses such as Humanities and Math/Science. Other courses will meet daily for 50 minutes. • Flexible block scheduling supports fieldwork and project-based learning. At VGHS our scheduling policies reflect what is best for learning, rather than what is most efficient or cost-effective. • Anticipated length of school year for 2007 -08 will be 171 school days. Several of these days will include extended afternoons, evenings or nights. The length of future school years may be variable, due to extended field research and overnight trips, but will always exceed the state required amount of 1080 hours per year for high school. • Out-of-class curricular experiences are regular occurrences in the Vista Grande High School calendar year. Some of these are research and fieldwork that is scheduled during normal school hours, while some are overnight, multi-day educational experiences in wilderness or urban locations. Mountain, canyon and river travel are integral parts of some Learning Expeditions, as well as trips to larger urban centers such as Denver or Albuquerque. Will There be vending machines at VGHS? VGHS will not have vending machines serving food constituting junk food. This is prohibited by state law. Will I have to pay any fees for my child to go to VGHS? Vista Grande High School students are involved in many activities beyond the experience of typical high school students—extended outdoor trips, other field experiences, evening activities, and more. Because of these enriching experiences, each year there are a few costs involved for each family: a small fee for comprehensive student insurance; fees for special supplies, subscriptions and activities specific to that year’s curriculum; and food and fuel costs associated with our extended trips. These fees will be slightly different each year and will be specifically detailed prior to the start of the school year. Each year, fees can be paid in advance at the beginning of the year, or spread out in payments. Also, new opportunities come up throughout the year—performances, museums, etc—that may require small additional costs not announced at the beginning of the year. For further information regarding student fees, contact the Director’s office. Will I have to buy equipment for my child to go to VGHS? 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, and if 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. If my student transfers to another school, will he/she still be at the same level as other students in his/her grade? Yes, students will be at the same grade level as students at other schools. As a public charter school, Vista Grande High School will be an accredited high school that follows all New Mexico rules and regulations. Vista Grande High School’s curriculum is aligned with the New Mexico Content Standards and Benchmarks and performance standards so you will be learning what other students are learning at other schools, but in a different way. How will Vista
Grande High School prepare my student
• Creates a Digital Portfolio showcasing his/her best academic work. This portfolio will demonstrate skills the student possesses and will be an invaluable tool when applying to colleges, jobs, and other post-secondary endeavors. The portfolio will contain a resume, work history, letters of recommendation, and samples of each student’s best work. • Applies to college or other post-secondary institution. Although it will not be a requirement to attend, research shows that students who apply are more likely to pursue post-secondary education including four-year universities, trade schools, and other formal career training. • Meets all VGHS Expectations of Student Proficiency that directly relate to state standards and benchmarks and will be showcased in their Digital Portfolio. These skills will transfer directly to real world applications and prepare students to be valuable contributors to society. • Engages in service learning projects through Crew. Many colleges, universities, and employers look for student involvement in the community. • Follows the Precepts that Guide our Community. We believe that there is more to student success and to life success than merely academics. • Passes the New Mexico High School Competency Exam, takes the SAT and/or ACT exams, and graduates with a high school diploma. • Chooses a Leadership Strand for his/her junior year with a focus in Wilderness, Language, or Technology. As a process of career exploration, students will participate in an Internship and act as an apprentice to an expert in the field of their choice. • Develops an independent Senior Project as a cross-curricular illustration of student knowledge and skills. This process of planning and carrying out a complex project demonstrates a student’s ability to be a self-directed learner.
For more information, contact
Vista Grande High School Taos Charter High School: Vista Grande High School in Taos, New Mexico |
Copyright © 2007, Vista Grande High School. All Rights Reserved.
Vista Grande High School
P.O. Box 850
Taos, NM 87571
TaosWebGuru