3V - Family Edition

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We're off to a great start to the school year at Vista! Our students have really hit the ground running. Many are picking up right where they left off last year with our building expectations, while our newcomers have quickly learned the routines and expectations of their new school and classrooms. 

The time our staff invests in frontloading expectations, routines and procedures pays off throughout the year, helping classrooms and the school run more smoothly as students know what is expected and are ready to learn.

We’re also already seeing wonderful examples of student leadership. Students have been involved in activities recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month and Orange Shirt Day, and plans are already in the works for our first Spirit Week. It’s exciting to see our students taking ownership and helping make Vista a place where everyone feels like they belong.

We’re seeing positive momentum academically as well, including the impact of the district’s reboot of our Academics and Athletics policy. We’re continuing to emphasize that students can, and should, strive for success both in the classroom and in the activities they love.

We look forward to seeing many of you at Open House, Oct. 7, and continuing to partner with you throughout the year. Thanks for your support as we work together to make this a strong year for our students at Whatcom County’s best middle school! Go Vikes!

Sincerely,

J.J. Jensen

Principal

Vista Middle School

360-383-9370

Students in Mr. Walker and Mrs. Entz’s advisory class took the lead in helping our Vista community recognize Orange Shirt Day, on Sept. 30. 

The students organized a schoolwide video explaining the meaning and significance of Orange Shirt Day, which honors Indigenous children who were taken from their families and communities and sent to residential schools. The day raises awareness of the lasting impacts of the residential school system and carries the message that Every Child Matters. The students also created a meaningful display at the front of the school, including stuffed animals representing the Indigenous children who never returned home from residential schools.

"I think this is important, because it's something you can't ignore," said 7th grader Anthony Wilson, who helped with the awareness activities. "All these children were taken from their homes and stripped of their language and heritage."

Orange Shirt Day began in British Columbia, in 2013. It's recognized at other schools in the district, region, U.S. and Canada. The day can be an opportunity to learn about the experience of Indigenous peoples, reflect, ask questions and recognize the importance of making sure every student feels seen, valued and like they belong.

We're grateful to these students for using their voices and leadership to help our entire school community learn and remember.

-- Mr. Jensen 

We're excited to have two Latinos in Action (LIA) classes at Vista again this year! We've been busy celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in many ways. First, we studied maps of Latin America to learn geography and to identify the many countries of heritage represented by our class. We learned that Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15 because five Central American countries declared their independence from Spain on that date, and Mexico declared its independence on September 16th. Next, we learned that Hispanic relates to Spanish speakers, culture, or heritage, while Latino relates to Latin American culture or heritage.

This week we completed our Latino Leaders Project, where we learned about Latino community leaders and their lessons in hard work and cultural pride. We presented our projects in class to learn from each other and to practice public speaking skills. Then, we used the projects to create posters and murals around the school. We did this to celebrate Hispanic heritage and to educate Vista students about Hispanic leaders and their accomplishments.

During morning announcements each day, we share facts about Hispanic leaders and remind Vista to celebrate Hispanic Heritage month. Not only do student speakers read these announcements in Spanish and English, but they also research and write the script. At the most recent school-wide assembly, Latinos in Action students wrote and presented a short script in English and Spanish to recognize Hispanic Heritage Month. In the coming weeks, LIA students will share a student-created PowerPoint and video during Advisory classes to spread cultural knowledge and awareness.

Throughout these activities, LIA students are following this year's theme of "Rooted and Rising" by exploring their roots to gain skills in communication, technology, planning, and organization that will help them rise toward their future goals.

-- Mrs. Lafortune, Social Studies/Latinos in Action teacher

🏫 Vista Middle School Open House

📅 October 7th

⏰ 5:30–6:30 p.m.

Come meet our staff, check out the school and get to know the Vista Middle School community! 💙🤍

We look forward to seeing you there!

Our students kicked off the year by showing what it truly means to SAIL; to be Safe, Accountable, Inclusive, Learners every single day. Each recipient below was nominated by their 1st‑period teacher for demonstrating one of these expectations with consistency all month long. We are proud of their leadership, kindness, and commitment to our school community.

Below are our honorees, grouped by grade level and SAIL expectation. These students were also recognized at an all-school assembly on Oct. 2. We appreciate their leadership.

Ameer Rahman, Weston Burdette, Hannah Ebbesen, Verity Wilcox, Henry Denadel, Derrick Ballew

Ophelia Thomason, Kendra Mattson, Mauricio Romero‑Rodriguez, Neiva Brubaker, Tony Triano, Angelica Javed, Aleksey Gorun, Alonzo Peters‑Holeso

George Collins, Elizabeth Stephenson, Sophia Watson, Nick Refol, Caleb Martinson, Harvee Holman, Ivan Bazante‑Nunez

Sehaj Johal, Aurora Uldrich, Isla Ludtke, Silvia Galati, Peyton Gibbs

Ella Terry, Opal Fickeisen, Elena Bybe, David Pallares, Aaron Gandy, Saiya Nijjar, jasleen Brar, Quinn Murray

Sarbatjit Pooni, Leo Poehls, Scar Stewart, Mason Clizbe, Everly Dilorenzo, Aubrey Kernan, Kaden Scholl‑Justice, Audrey Clausen

Richard Ayers, Gurfateh Singh, Elise Thibert, Zlata Slobodeniuk, Tovin Ross

Abby Radar, Samwise Victorson, Mason Mendoza, Wilder Rawls, Luceli Govea, Olivia Woodenlegs‑Kurtz, Terrance Lawrence, Yesmy Rodriguez

Lyla Dexter, Nikelle Acton, Grant Healey, Joshua Nunez, Toni Day, Emsley Rafferty, Gabrielle Kirkland

Eclipse Bennett, Renata Lasso Guerrero, ASHMEET SINGH, Landon Lewis, Prince Doctor, Soren Hunter, Beatrice Nuckolls

Juan De La Torre, Danilo Gonzalez‑, Zepha Boychuk, Rosemary Snyder, Nam Le, Arturo Misanes, Jeremiah Wages

Haylee Plagerman, Sylas Tomlin, Charles Robertson, Sarai Toussaint, Logan McNeil, Layla Greene, Max Pickerill

Ferndale Families,

Thank you for helping us keep our school facilities safe and available to our entire community.

We are seeing many students make responsible choices by getting off their e-bikes and other motorized vehicles and walking them once they arrive on school property. During the school day, we are having a great deal of success, and we appreciate our students for following these expectations.

We continue, however, to receive calls about e-bikes, motorcycles, and other motorized vehicles being ridden on district property during evenings and weekends. We have also seen some resulting damage, particularly at some of our elementary schools. Our fields, tracks, and other outdoor surfaces are not designed for motorized vehicle use.

Our schools are important community spaces, and we want to keep them open and accessible for everyone. We are simply asking that our fields, tracks, and school grounds be used as intended, so they remain safe and in good condition for our students and community. Repairs to these spaces also use resources that we would much rather dedicate to supporting students.

Please help us by reminding your children that e-bikes, motorcycles, and other motorized vehicles may not be operated on school district property. When arriving at school, students should turn them off and walk them onto the property.

Thank you for partnering with us to take care of these shared community spaces.

Kristi Dominguez, FSD Superintendent

We want to share a quick reminder about our school dress code, as we’ve recently noticed a few fashion trends that don’t align with our expectations for a safe and respectful learning environment.

Some students have begun:

While we encourage individuality, our dress code requires that clothing cover the main torso, midriff, backside, and that undergarments are not visible. These expectations help us maintain a positive, inclusive environment where students can focus on learning.

We appreciate your partnership in reviewing these guidelines with your student and helping ensure they come to school dressed appropriately for a school and workplace setting.

At this time we have not fully addressed these issues other than on a case by case basis which we will continue to do rather than whole school messaging which we will be doing soon. If you have any questions, please reach out.

We recognize that consistently applying these expectations has required some adjustment, and we sincerely appreciate the patience, communication, and cooperation of our students and families. Our purpose is not simply to determine eligibility. These expectations are intended to reinforce the habits that contribute to student success: attending school regularly, staying engaged in learning, communicating proactively, and maintaining academic progress.

Participating in athletics and clubs comes with high expectations both in and outside of the classroom. Our students are students first, and we appreciate your continued partnership in supporting their success academically and through the activities they value.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

Oct. 6 -- Chocolate Fundraiser Kickoff

Oct. 7 -- Early Release

Oct. 7 -- Open House, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Oct. 12 -- Indigenous Peoples Day

Oct. 12 -- VMS PTSO meeting, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., VMS library

Oct. 28 -- Early Release

Nov. 5 - Fall Dance