At Alta Vista, we place a strong emphasis on the development of character, asking our students to be kind, respectful, and proud of all their actions, and to take responsibility in their communities around them.  That includes individual responsibility, cooperation with peers, and tools for effective and peaceful conflict resolution.  Building a strong sense of community is an integral part of Alta Vista School for all of us – students, faculty, families.  An important part of our curriculum is learning to be a contributing community member – at Alta Vista and beyond.   We know these learned traits act as a moral valence that will serve our Alta Vista students well in school and throughout life.

A few examples:

Each of our students has a community/classroom job for which they are responsible (rotating each week).  

Additionally, our students are engaged in service projects focused on our greater community for which they (not adults) are the contributors:

• Making peanut butter & jelly sandwiches with the Salvation Army to feed the homeless