We Tip Our Hats
La Vista Timberwolves
San Juan Unified School District's best kept secret…or are we? La Vista Center is an exclusive junior/senior high school for emotionally disturbed students. Our staff consists of ten fabulous, dedicated teachers, behaviorist David Schroeder, counselor Trudy Holleman, Principal Sherrie Marlette, school psychologist Lynne Koerner, and fifteen highly qualified support personnel. We operate a comprehensive academic, behavioral, and athletic school campus.
Yes, I said "Athletic." Being the only coach, and therefore the self-appointed athletic director, I must promote our sports program, which offers flag football, basketball, and softball through Capital Valley Athletic League. La Vista competes against mainly small, non-public schools. Along with a rigorous academic and compassionate counseling program, our athletic component makes La Vista truly unique within the San Juan Unified School District, and it's time people knew about us.
Our special education program is truly unique. Our students are primarily emotionally disturbed, with secondary learning disabled diagnoses. With a focused and academically based leadership from both Principal Sherrie Marlette and our newly appointed district leaders Carol Williams and Dale Cantrall, we are dedicated to improving the lives, learning abilities and educations status of approximately 120 students.
Our population is mostly diploma-track students with the same dreams, ideas, and future aspirations as any other teenagers within the San Juan Unified School District. La Vista students have emotional issues stemming from abuse, neglect, and/or organically based challenges. Because of our access to "wrap-around" services, La Vista staff can be truly focused on the individual student.
Many people are aware of the reputation of emotionally disturbed students as behavior problems; at La Vista our staff is equipped to deal with the causes and effects of the tragic obstacles these students have faced. We see ourselves as "future-savers." Our mission is to establish a safe, nurturing environment combined with academic and athletic rigor. We aim to take the fear out of learning, living and growing up.
Our goal is to graduate 100% of our students, if not on our campus, then by transitioning them back to their home campuses in the San Juan Unified School District. Our students leave La Vista more able, confident, and motivated to achieve their goals because we as teachers feel their pain, see their progress, and applaud their many successes.
Viva La Vista!