Special Education Family Newsletter
October 2021
Congratulations to our VUSD Stars
Nicolas Garcia
Anette Messina
Susie Setran
Terri Ahlquist
Instructional Assistant
Vista Magnet Middle School
Marianne Merizalde
Preschool Ed Specialist
California Avenue
Parent Learning Opportunities
Canvas for Parents
Mental Health Resources for Teens
District Behavior Support Team
Purpose:
The purpose of the District Behavior Support Team (DBST) is to provide timely support to Vista Unified school sites with positive behavioral interventions for both general and special education students with social, emotional, and behavioral barriers to learning.
The DBST is designated to provide sites with program support, staff training, and student-specific intervention. The intent is to build the capacity of general education teachers, special education teachers, and family members to support the behavioral needs of all learners.
2 Behavior Specialists
Kathleen May - kathleenmay@vistausd.org
Kristen Perry - kristenperry@vistausd.org
3 Instructional Assistants (Intensive Behavior Interventionists)
The District Behavior Support Team (DBST) is part of Vista Unified's Blueprint Strategy 4 which promotes equitable access to high quality teaching and learning and supports an inclusive learning environment. Please reach out to your school site if you'd like more information about the DBST.
National School Psychology Week
Special Education Department Contacts
Nereida Gutierrez, Director, Special Education, nereidagutierrez@vistausd.org
Steffanie Rupp, Coordinator, Special Education, steffanierupp@vistausd.org
Chris Altona, Principal, Vista Adult Transition, chrisaltona@vistausd.org
Rachel Schmidt, Principal, California Avenue School, rachelschmidt@vistausd.org
Katherine Abraham, Program Supervisor, katherineabraham@vistausd.org
Tracy Zachry, Program Supervisor, tracyzachry@vistausd.org
Jennifer Gruman, Program Supervisor, jennifergruman@vistausd.org
Kursten Carlson, Program Supervisor, kurstencarlson@vistausd.org
Jean Potter, Administrative Secretary, Special Education, jeanpotter@vistausd.org
Special Education Department: specialeducationdept@vistausd.org