Who We Are
At Vegas Vista Academy, everyone has a seat at the table, and everyone has a voice. Our social emotional learning efforts focus on creating a comfortable and safe space for sharing emotions and experiences; our vision includes creating a brave and inclusive space where we will equitably respect and respond to the diverse voices of all students, families, staff, and community stakeholders. Together, we will welcome and celebrate those things that make each of us a unique member of the Vegas Vista Academy community.
Education Models
Inquiry Based Teaching & Learning
With the help of small class sizes, students are encouraged to engage with the materials, ask questions, become critical thinkers and flexible problem solvers with the end goal of creating a lifelong love of learning!
Dual Language
Studies show that studying a different language every day at an early age shows significant academic improvement. At VVA, students receive Spanish every single day, alongside their other studies!
Experiential Education
Through excursions and field experiences, we encourage our students to interact with their environment and learn more about their surrounding communities. Once a month, students embark on a field trip that correlates with their current unit of inquiry.
VVA Curriculum Overview
Introduction
Vegas Vista Academy focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world. In accordance with our inquiry model, VVA will incorporate project-based learning techniques addressing local and global topics. Students will work individually and collaboratively in small groups and larger teams. The class environment is a structured learning community where every student feels safe to take risks and explore topics. In short, at VVA we are focused on teaching students how to learn and instilling a personalized lifelong love of learning.
VVA Curriculum
Our pedagogy at Vegas Vista Academy is focused on teaching students how to learn. VVA will utilize a model of transdisciplinary learning, anchored by a strong foundational core curriculum. The VVA program of inquiry is organized and framed by six transdisciplinary themes at each grade level that connect all disciplines throughout each of the units: Who we are; where we are in place and time; how we express ourselves; how the world works; how we organize ourselves; and sharing the planet. Students will learn and incorporate interconnected skills that transcend all disciplines, including thinking skills, social skills, research skills, self-management skills, and communication skills. These interdisciplinary units will be supported by rigorous and standards based curricula for our core subject areas: English Language Arts, Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Spanish.
VVA Approved Core Curricula
The VVA core curricula are research based, highly rated, and aligned to the Nevada Academic Content Standards (NVACS). These include the following:
*Mathematics: Bridges in Mathematics (The Math Learning Center)
*Science: Amplify Science (Amplify Education)
*Spanish: Risas y Sonrisas
*English Language Arts/Writing: Wonders (McGraw-Hill)
**Language Acquisition: QTEL and WIDA Instructional Strategies Spanish
*Bridges in Mathematics, the Amplify Science program, and Wonders are all aligned to NVACS, and have earned the EdReports Green Standard; which is the highest rating across usability, focus & coherence, and rigor & practices.
**The pedagogical models of QTEL (Quality Teaching for English Learners) and WIDA (World-class Instructional Design and Assessment), have been demonstrated to be effective for all learners to grow in their multilingual ability.