Why New Vista? Please enjoy this video, created as a Culminating Project by Julia Casey, ('15) as she finds out the answer.
About
New vista high school
New Vista is a high school within the Boulder Valley School District. Located in Boulder, Colorado, this tuition-free co-educational public school serves 330 diverse students in grades 9-12.
We acknowledge that New Vista High School sits on land that was brutally taken from the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute tribal nations. While white settlers were originally peacefully welcomed by Chief Niwot into Boulder Valley in the fall of 1858, he and his people were forced off the land, and then attacked by Col. John Chivington and his cavalry in the horrific Sand Creek Massacre on November 29, 1864. As educators dedicated to the work of equity and social justice, we must face this ugly truth before we can begin.
How did New Vista "break the mold" of conventional schools?
New Vista High School was created in 1993 and approved by the Boulder Valley Board of Education to “break the mold” of conventional secondary school practice and to offer students another option for the high school experience.
New Vista provides a rigorous learning in a supportive culture. The school is designed to cultivate the unique talents, gifts, and interests of students who are ready to be more responsible for their own learning. We give students real choices in the program they take and the work they do in classes. In exchange, we require that all students do high quality work and earn a grade of A or B in core classes.
BVSD breaks ground on a new home for New Vista High School
Read all about our exciting news here!
Watch a video of the event on BVSD's YouTube channel: New Vista HS Groundbreaking
We asked some of our World Geography students to create cultural artifacts
that they feel best represent New Vista High School.
Open this link to see the results!
Why New Vista?
New Vista High School provides rigorous learning in a supportive culture. The school is designed to cultivate the unique talents, gifts, and interests of students who are ready to be more responsible for their own learning. We give students real choices in the program they take and the work they do in classes. In exchange, we require that all students do high quality work and earn a grade of A or B in core classes.
We emphasize student centered learning, project based learning, multi-cultural perspectives, active involvement in the community as well as individualized graduation plans and senior culminating projects.
New Vista works well for students who want more responsibility for their own learning, show that they can handle the responsibility, and want to consistently produce high quality work. Experience has shown that New Vista does not work well for students who do not usually make appropriate behavior choices, who need a great deal of adult supervision to do their school work, or who just want to "get by."
New Vista High School values diversity and prepares students to function well in a multi-cultural society. We do this by employing a diverse staff, personalizing learning, using heterogeneous and cross-age groups of students, and implementing a full inclusion model for students with disabilities and English language learners. We also offer a curriculum that actively includes perspectives from diverse cultures within the United States and across the globe and we explicitly teach the skills and understandings needed for cross-cultural competency.
What Puts the "NEW" in New Vista?
Equity Program
The Equity Program at New Vista High school is based on fostering a societal and individual commitment to a practice of respecting all individuals as complex thinking and feeling humans with different backgrounds, circumstances, and values. It seeks to educate students and staff on how to treat all individuals in accordance with uniform standards of rights and justice by taking into account the circumstances created by patterns of systematic mistreatment over the course of history and to compensate for the effects of that systematic mistreatment to ensure that each individual has the right, opportunity and support needed to live a fulfilling life.
Natural Highs
"Natural Highs" is a holistic, interactive program for teens created by local substance abuse specialist, Avani Dilger, LPC, CACIII, MINT. This interactive, strengths-based educational program integrates traditional and alternative approaches to substance abuse prevention and intervention.
For more information about the Natural Highs Program, please visit the Natural Highs website.
Restorative Justice
Restorative Justice (RJ)is a process that invites all persons involved in a disciplinary issue or conflict to have a voice in the justice process, by telling what happened, listening with an open hear to how others were affected and finally collaborating with participants in the circle on how the harm will be repaired. Our RJ program is based on the belief that traditional approaches to disciplinary methods don't always work to help people take responsibility for the harm they caused and to learn from it. Based on the 5 Rs: Respect, Relationships, Responsibility, Repair, Reintegration.
Wednesday Community Gathering
What better way is there to foster a sense of community than by bringing EVERYONE together in the Auditorium for 30 minutes of news on Wednesday morning?
Our agenda includes; inviting in outside speakers; announcements from students and staff about upcoming events; getting important information out to the entire school at the same time; and of course Sheryl's raffle!
Before we part, we send everyone out with the same message..."Go out and...MAKE GOOD CHOICES!"
Exhibition Day
In lieu of Finals Week, students at New Vista have the opportunity at the end of every quarter to demonstrate their learning by presenting something they've learned to their fellow students, staff and parents on Exhibition Day.
Students can choose to present in a classroom to a small group or to the entire school in our Auditorium. Students decide the topic of their presentation based on the content of the classes they are enrolled in.
Culminating Project
Every senior is required to
design and produce a rigorous
Culminating Project which builds
a bridge between high school
studies and the student’s chosen
future. The Culminating Project is an opportunity to undertake a major piece of rigorous, original work in an area of great interest and personal relevance to the student. It may involve work directly connected to the student’s intended path. It may involve exploration of path alternatives. Or it may be a personal passion unconnected to the student’s stated path.
New Vista at a Glance
- In order to actively engage every student in learning, our program includes:
- New Vista High School has reinvented high school so that all students:
- The New Vista community values:
- New Vista's unique graduation requirements expect that each student will:
- New Vista School Profile
- Our Stats
- Unique programmatic elements of New Vista High School include:
In order to actively engage every student in learning, our program includes:
New Vista High School has reinvented high school so that all students:
The New Vista community values:
New Vista's unique graduation requirements expect that each student will:
New Vista School Profile
Our Stats
Unique programmatic elements of New Vista High School include:
We asked our seniors:
What are some of the best things about New Vista?
See what some of our seniors had to say...
The teachers are so amazing. If every single school had teachers like NVHS, the world would be thriving. I appreciate the relationships I have with them, so much. Even though equity leans to one side, I appreciate the program and the different perspectives. I've learned to assume positive intent and try and have empathy for others.eden latham, class of 2020
Advisory- it builds a community that's closer than you'd get anywhere else. Having an advisor to help you get things done and hold you accountable. CE's and workshops are really beneficial- learning in the real world and getting real world experiences. ellie sullivan, class of 2020
Community is a major one. The teaching staff is the best. There's the most support from counselors. If you ever need help, the ratio of teachers to students is high. It's easy to get to. The classes are unlike the classes at other schools. I've been able to take classes about things that actually interest me. The lack of testing versus actually learning things, presenting and public speaking. You meet a diverse group of people, and you're forced to work with people you wouldnt otherwise work with. ellis ashmore, class of 2020
Maintaining that sense of community. Making sure that students needs are met. Core values, keeping everyone respectful. It's something really special about this community. Also the classes are just really cool. Allowing for students to take charge and make sense of their education in a way that fits them. sela dombrower, class of 2020
I will miss the connection that you get to have with the teachers at New Vista. I have always felt like the teachers at New Vista really want to make sure and at times go out of their way to make sure that you understand the content, and how to apply it outside of class. I feel like because of the small class size, you really get an opportunity to connect with your teachers on a different level.finn O'Sullivan, class of 2020