The superintendent welcomed families to the 2013-14 school year and shared information about improvements to technology infrastructure and online resources to expand learning opportunities. Vista Unified has upgraded network equipment and wireless access, implemented Google Apps for Education and a learning management system called My Big Campus for online collaboration. The district has also updated its student information system portal to provide progress reports and allow online access from any device. These changes are designed to improve connectivity and transition to new academic standards.
1. August 12, 2013
Esteemed Vista Unified Families
Welcome to the 201314 school year! We are eager to have students return to class, meet the
teachers, and reunite with their friends. For me, last year was an eventful first cycle as the
Superintendent and I am very enthusiastic about the upcoming year. In addition to providing a
warm welcome, the purpose of this letter is to share some information that will be helpful as we
focus our collective efforts on ensuring the success of our students.
Our vision in Vista Unified is to be the model of education excellence and innovation. Our
purpose is to inspire each and every student to persevere as a criticallythinking individual who
collaborates to solve real world problems. Our guiding values are respect, trust, and
collaboration.
All schools and the district have converted to new websites that are organized to provide families
and students with current information. The Vista Unified website (www.vistausd.org) includes
specifics about student safety, special education,and other important services. Each of the
webpages can be translated into many languages, including Spanish, by using a button at the
bottom of each page. Some of the more common informational items families need to get ready
for the 201314 school year are posted on the district website:
● 201314 School Calendar
● 201314 Bell Schedule
● 20132014 Transportation Schedule
● Free and Reduced Online Meal Application
● Basic information about Child Nutrition Services
As we pursue the ideal future of excellence and innovation and seek to actualize our purpose
and values, we have focused a significant amount of effort on developing the infrastructure and
creating a collaborative platform for learning. To that end, you should be aware of the following:
● Network equipment and wireless access point upgrades will be completed at every
school site. Wireless speeds will be 10 times faster than they have been and three times
faster than the wired connection. In addition, the new equipment can support
simultaneous connections for every student in the district.
● Vista Unified is now using Google Apps for Education for staff and students. This will
provide a connected online suite of email, calendars, and webbased documents that can
be accessed from any device that has internet access. For more information:
http://www.google.com/enterprise/apps/education/