Vista Volunteers of Vista de Las Cruces School

12/23/2021

From the Archives | A significant number of our students were from Mexican families who lived and worked on the surrounding ranches, and our music teacher decided to tap into a tradition of that culture and organize an annual Las Posadas procession.

Once upon a time, I taught at Vista de las Cruces, and never was the magic more apparent than during the holiday season.

12/05/2021

Dear Community,

We are reaching out to you to share that Vista De las Cruces School is thriving!

Vista has been saved through the hard work and dedication of our community members like you and by our new Superintendent/Principal, Dr. Lois Peterson.

Vista is now, once again an awesome, stable, growing, diverse, community TK-8th grade school. With small class sizes, a beautiful setting, outdoor learning programs, our Youth Cinema Project, after-school programs along with awesome teachers and strong academics, Vista is once again on the right path.

Each December we kick off our Annual Fund Campaign. This year’s funds will focus on bringing back extracurricular activities like theater, art, music, and sports. We have a $20,000 goal and you can help!

We call upon you, the Friends of Vista, to make a tax-deductible donation to this wonderful 501(c)(3) charity organization, The Vista Del Mar Foundation. We ask for your support to continue the mission of Vista de las Cruces School.

Giving to the school in someone’s name makes a perfect holiday gift!
If we receive your donation before December 15th, we can send a card with information to whoever you would like to receive the donation gift.

We will also mail the donator a tax deductible donation slip.

Please make donations to the Vista Del Mar Foundation and mail to:

The Vista Del Mar Foundation
9467 San Julian Road
Gaviota, CA 93117

We will be having community events in the near future and look forward to connecting with each and every one of you!

Wishing you all a wonderful ( and rain filled) holiday season.

Lauren Malloy
Vista Foundation President

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.”

– Dr. Seuss

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=GHJMH6LBVHGM4

10/16/2021

Vista alum, Leo Valencia, named player of the week.

The accolades keep rolling in for Santa Ynez placekicker Leo Valencia.

06/04/2020

A wonderful article on the history of Vista del Mar School.

A little school with a big history.

05/12/2020

Childcare for essential workers started May 4 on the Oak Valley Elementary School campus through a partnership with YMCA. For a PDF copy of the application or for any questions, please contact Stephanie Saucedo at [email protected]
You can also access the PDF application through the Vista de Las Cruces School Parentsquare post or contact Alex in the school office.

05/12/2020

May is Mental Health Matters month. Here are some wonderful activities available through Behavioral Wellness Community Services.

04/01/2020

Dear Vista School Community,

Today, Governor Newsom announced his expectation that all school districts in California continue with distance learning through the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. This means that while school campuses will be closed, distance learning will continue. While we understand this poses serious hardships to many families, it is the most effective way to slow the transmission of this pandemic and do our part by continuing to implement social distancing practices.

At Vista Del Mar Union School District we are following the guidance from the California Department of Education and are working collaboratively with all schools within Santa Barbara County to best serve our school communities. Although school buildings will not re-open this year, learning and school will still be in session. We recognize that the situation is not ideal, but we are working hard to ensure your child's success. We will continue distance learning plans and services the remainder of this week and when we return on April 14th after Spring Break.

I am proud of our school community and am deeply grateful to everyone for your flexibility and your efforts during this unprecedented time. We appreciate the tremendous resilience you’ve shown throughout the COVID-19 closures. We’ll continue to update you with information as it becomes available.

Please continue to follow advisements from the Public Health Department regarding physical distancing and sheltering-in-place as we work together during this crisis. The school grounds and play structures will be closed to gatherings and group activities until further notice.

Thank you for your understanding and support in these challenging times.

Sincerely,

Dr. Randy Haggard, Superintendent

03/14/2020

Dear Vista School Community,

School will be open on Monday, March 16, and Tuesday, March 17 for minimum school days (early release), though Parent Conferences are cancelled. Schools will be closed starting Wednesday, March 18. The current plan is for school to re-open on Monday, April 13. Staff will report to school, and the office will be open and practicing social distancing pending any further direction from Public Health. Please call the school office if you have questions.

I want to share information regarding why we are closing school, and as much information as possible regarding how we will take steps to move forward through this emergency.

Vista Del Mar USD and all Santa Barbara County school districts are closing school as a precaution to minimize infection and slow community transmission of the COVID-19 virus (novel coronavirus). These steps align with guidance from the Public Health Departments at the County and State level regarding public gatherings and social distancing to prevent spread of the virus. There are still no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Santa Barbara County.

School and district staff have worked hard to prepare exercises to keep students engaged with learning during this closure. We will do everything we can to continue to support student learning while school is closed. More details regarding these steps will be communicated as we respond to this changing situation. We will continue to use ParentSquare as our primary means of providing this information directly to parents and the school community.

Other resources which may be helpful to you and your family include the following:

Santa Barbara County Public Health Department https://www.countyofsb.org/phd/dcp/novel-corona-virus.sbc
California Department of Public Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus

We all appreciate your patience and support as we respond to circumstances that are new for all of us. Our school and the community are strong, and together we will find solutions and support each other through these difficult times.

Sincerely,

Dr. Randy Haggard, Superintendent

Novel Corona Virus Providers All Facilities Letter contains the latest Centers for Disease Con

03/13/2020

Vista de Las Cruces is open Monday and Tuesday. We will be closed Wednesday, March 18-April 13.

Santa Barbara County K-12 Public School Closure, effective Wednesday, March 18th.

Closure Begins No Later than March 18 and continues through the end of March

With the COVID-19 situation changing rapidly, the Santa Barbara County K-12 Public School Superintendents, charter school administrators, and Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido have been carefully evaluating the possibility of school closure for students throughout Santa Barbara County. Leaders have been meeting regularly to evaluate this complex issue. Today, in cooperation with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department (SBCPHD), the decision has been made to close all schools by Wednesday, March 18. By proactively making this difficult decision, districts can implement their plans in light of their individual community needs.

“The closure of any school has real consequences beyond the loss of instruction, social connection and cognitive engagement. This was a very difficult decision, which was not made lightly,” said Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susan Salcido. “Our school leaders recognize that this closure has widespread ramifications and are working to address impacts such as nutrition for students who typically receive meals during the school day.”

At this time, there are no confirmed cases in Santa Barbara County.

Santa Barbara County Public Health Director Van Do-Reynoso said, “We support the decision to close public schools. While there are no confirmed cases at this time, this demonstration of social distancing will help to slow the spread of the virus and minimize the public health impacts in our community.”

Some of our districts have 20,000 students in suburban areas and others operate in rural locations with fewer than 100 students. This plan allows for some flexibility for each district to implement their closure plan with their communities in mind.

Classes will not resume before the end of March. Given the dynamic situation, decisions related to reconvening will be made in conjunction with SBCPHD.

03/09/2020

Tomorrow 3/10/20 we will be having a Vista Volunteers Meeting at 8:05am at the Vista de las Cruces Library. Please check in at the office for a visitor pass.

We will also be having our Board meeting at 5:30pm on 3/10/2020 at the Vista de las Cruces Library.

The agenda for the board meetings is posted on campus and also available at https://vista-vdm-ca.schoolloop.com/pf4/cms2/view_page?d=x&group_id=1537515160829&vdid=i31g1ziek94jx

We would love for you to join us!

The official copy of the Board of Education meeting agenda is posted the District/School office located at 9467 San Julian Road, Gaviota, CA 93117. The agenda is posted 72 hours in advance of a regular board meeting. Agenda attachments are generally available for inspection in the office reception...

02/12/2020

Please see this important notice below..

After many years of service, Vicki Wedmore (President), Ron Cortopassi (Treasurer), and Jillian Knight (Secretary) have given their 30 day notice of resignation from the Vista del Mar Foundation Board of Directors. They have all agreed to stay on for an additional 30 days to help with a smooth transition with the new board.

Ron was the impetus behind launching the Vista Foundation in 2008 and was responsible for filing all required documents to establish the VDMF for the betterment of the Vista de Las Cruces School community. Vicki was appointed to the Board shortly after the VDMF became officially in operation. They have served on the VDMF Board over the last 12 years. Through their efforts with events, fundraising, and direct donations, they have helped to bring in over $100,000 to the Foundation. Jillian joined the Foundation in the end of 2017 to help with events, fundraising, grant writing, and social media. She has been a driving force in fundraising since her appointment to the Board, helping to bring in over $20,000 through events and grant writing.

We will need new board members for all three positions of President, Treasurer, and Secretary to keep the Foundation from dissolving. The VDMF Board schedules meetings quarterly, with additional meetings scheduled to address specific fundraising or granting requests throughout the year, as needed. Business is usually conducted in an hour timeframe. The VDMF banks with Union Bank in Solvang, so at least two new members must be willing to travel to the bank with proper documentation to be authorized to make deposits, write checks and monitor bank activity.

If you are part of the Vista or Gaviota Community, or have a special interest in our school, please consider joining the Vista del Mar Foundation board. If you are interested, please contact us through Facebook or message us for our email contact information so we can add you to our March 30th agenda. New board appointments will be on Monday, March 30th at 5:30pm at the Vista school library.

02/04/2020

Please join us today in the library at 8:05am for our Vista Volunteers meeting. We will also be discussing a wellness committee meeting, please join us and find out what it's all about!