Dear Parents,

As we wrap up our first quarter of the school year, I wanted to take a moment to update you on a few things happening around the district. Before we get there, I’d like to take just a moment to discuss the social media threats that have been circulating nationwide. Vail is not immune to them, and we have experienced a few of our own recently. I’d like to address the situation a little more personally. Please watch the following video…

Tim Steller of the Arizona Daily Star recently reported on the threats across the country and in Tucson. He reached out to me for a response to the issue. His article can be found HERE.

This month’s newsletter also contains an update on the recent Joint Site Council Meeting as well as a link where you can nominate staff who have made an impact for Vail Pride Day. It also contains important information regarding attendance issues. Please be sure to read to the end so you don’t miss anything!

Have a happy and safe fall break, and be on the lookout for the next newsletter coming in October.

Every school in Vail has a Site Council that serves as a shared-decision making body and advisory board to the school and to our Governing Board. The majority of the make-up of a Site Council must be parents and community members who are elected by parents at their respective schools. The Chair of the Site Council must also be a parent or community member. In essence, our Site Councils serve as a local decision making body and voice for the community that each school serves. 

At the beginning of each school year, we hold a Joint Site Council meeting to review the current state of our school district and to gather feedback on critical issues that we are facing as a district and community. That meeting occurred this past Tuesday evening and included more than 160 representatives from across our community. Safety and security, support for teachers, academic excellence, dealing with chronic absences, and student behavior topped the list of issues at the forefront of the minds of our Site Council members. 

Over the coming months, this feedback will help guide our decisions as we move through this school year and plan for the future. 

Thank you to all who were in attendance, and thank you to all of our parents, staff, and community members who continue to support the young people of our community and remind them of their tremendous value!

Encouraging words are powerful!

Our Vail Pride Day rookie, support staff, teacher, and volunteer of the year nominations are a wonderful way to recognize someone who has made an impact on you and/or your child. This process isn’t about winning the award, it’s really about the opportunity to honor and lift others up by sharing how they have impacted your life. Every nominee receives the words that you write about them. Some of our staff have years of nominations about them saved to pull out and read on those tough days.

Vail Pride Day nominations for rookie, support staff, teacher, and volunteer of the year are now open and close on October 25th. 

We are so very grateful to be surrounded by amazing people who embody the Power of Community. We want to hear all about them. Learn more about the nomination process and then click below to nominate that impactful person!

Last month, I shared some information about chronic absenteeism - when students miss nine or more days a semester. Nationwide chronic absenteeism doubled from 15% in 2018-2019 to 30% in 2021-2022. While not as high as the national average, the percentage of students who were chronically absent in Vail in 2018-2019 was 9%. Last school year, that rose to 21%. 

We know that learning is a social endeavor. It is the main reason that chronic absences have an outsized impact on learning. Together, we can reverse this trend and ensure the best education outcomes for our students (your children). Please ensure they come to school and avoid pulling them out when possible.

We also understand that life happens. If your family is in need of additional support, please reach out to your child’s counselor or principal. As VUSD parents, you also have access to Care Solace, an organization that provides care coordinators who quickly do the research on insurance, give lists of available providers, and even help schedule appointments if needed. Care Solace’s services are available at no cost to you because of their partnership with VUSD. If you’d like to get connected to Care Solace or learn more, visit HERE for more details.

We conducted a test of our emergency contact systems on August 15th. 

If you did not receive a text during that emergency test, please start by texting START to 98900. If you previously replied STOP to 98900, this is how you can opt back in. You can also verify that your phone number is correct by calling the school office. Please note that this number is used by ALL schools and the district. We use this system in emergency situations. If you did not receive an email, please call the school office to ensure your email address is correct in PowerSchool.

Further, we have a number of families who have not yet completed their Returning Student Registration. It is imperative that these are completed each year to ensure we have accurate information to reach you in emergency situations. To complete this registration:

Go to the PowerSchool Parent Portal. Once logged in to the Parent Portal:

• Select the student you wish to register along the top tabs. (Please fill out the form for each of your children. PowerSchool will give you the option to copy the information for each of your children once you have filled it out for your first child.)

• Select the Returning Annual Registration 24-25 icon on the left side for the current school year.

• Agree to the terms and conditions.

• Click Begin Forms.

• Please carefully ensure all information is accurate.

Be sure to check out VAIL EVENTS for upcoming events across Vail including District and Community Events. Click on the link to find out more about events and activities happening in Vail in the upcoming months.