Principal's Message

Welcome to New Vista!

Dear New Vista Community and beyond!

We are thrilled to share that we have officially moved into our new building! A heartfelt
thank you to our taxpayers and the broader community for making this possible. Our students are beginning to make the space their own, filling it with creativity, energy,
and heart. It’s more than just a building—it’s a space where we feel truly seen and supported
by a community that believes in who we are and what we do.

As we settle into our new home, the work of shaping our learning culture continues.
This year, we’ve taken a deep dive into Grading for Equity, a powerful book study that is beginning to transform how teachers and students experience school. By focusing
more on learning and
less on grade-getting, we’re seeing classrooms shift—students are feeling more empowered, and teachers are re-centering their work around what matters most: growth.

Like any living, breathing school community, change is inevitable. Some staff members will be moving on, and new ones will join us. But our commitment remains constant: to find educators and staff who truly understand and live into our purpose.

And speaking of purpose—we spent the year in deep reflection with students, staff, parents, and community members to revisit why New Vista exists. Here’s the result of that collective wisdom:

New Vista offers an innovative, student-centered approach to high school.
Designed for learners who thrive in a small, equity-focused, and relationship-based environment, our school community is a place where students are willing to be seen, and are inspired to grow through high academic expectations into confident, capable individuals.

This vision builds upon our long-standing Core Values, which continue to guide our everyday actions:

• Practice Respect
  Listen, speak and act in helpful, kind ways. Value individual differences and mix with people who are not like you.

• It’s About Teaching and Learning
  Students: attend, engage, pass classes with your personal best work
  Teachers: make it interesting and interactive.

• Support Each Other
  Teachers and students provide positive encouragement to teachers and students.

• Do School and School Activities Substance Free
  Keep NVHS non-traditional by keeping it substance free

• Keep It Clean
  Support the work done by our custodians. Be kind to the building and ground. Clean up your own mess.

• Have Fun Together
  Take time out of the school day and year to have fun together as a school, in advisory and across advisories.

• Participate
  Make these values real every day. Help each other become better members of the community. Take the time to plan, organize, be on committees and improve our school.

Coupled with our core values, our renewed purpose, and our new building—and as we welcome new faculty and staff—we are poised to continue growing, innovating, and thriving, even in challenging times. New Vista represents a school experience that is deeply personalized and inclusive, where all types of learners can feel safe and seen. In that environment, their intellects, creativity, and compassion can flourish—and make a difference in a world that urgently needs problem solvers and peacemakers.

Thank you for continuing to be part of this journey with us.

In gratitude and hope,
John McCluskey
Principal, New Vista High School