THE Leadership Academy School News
November 27, 2022
2nd Contact List
Principal's Message
Hello Leadership Academy Parents,
We hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for our Leadership Academy family and appreciate your support of our awesome school. We love working together as a team to create an amazing space for students to learn and grow.
Please read below for important information regarding:
*FREE pizza dinner this week for DADS and students
*FREE soccer or Hip Hop dance classes
*Opportunity to "adopt" a family in need through our "Giving Tree" program
*Upcoming Book Fair
Please help keep our students healthy! You should have received a Covid home test kit before break. We request that you take a moment to test your kids before they return to school. Thank you for your cooperation!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Morton
Principal
Calling all Dads! FREE Pizza dinner with your kids!


FREE Covid Tests
Soccer and Hip-Hop Dance Classes
· December – 12/7, 12/9, 12/14, 12/16
· January – 1/11, 1/13, 1/18, 1/20
If you are interested in signing up, please email kimmorton@vistausd.org.
Include the following:
1. Name of your child and their classroom teacher
2. Class you are interested in: Soccer or Dance
3. Session dates you are interested in: December or January session
*Please note:
- Classes are twice a week (Wednesday and Friday) from 2:30-3:30 (immediately after school).
- Your child must be able to attend all four classes
- Parents are responsible for picking up students at 3:30PM (if they attend AMPM, they will be sent there after class).
- Space is limited to 20 students per class. You will be notified with details of the class when you are accepted. We will start a wait list once we enroll 20 students.


ROAR! Our positive behavior expectations

Tools to support learning at home
Important Dates
December 5-9: Book Fair
December 21: Last Day of School before winter break
December 22-January 10: No School, winter break
January 11: First day back of the new year

Habit 3: Put First Things First
HERE is a video you can watch with your family.

Cheerleading Club
Meet our new Community Liaison!
You can read more about Ms. Mendoza below:
Hi There,
My name is Shaina Mendoza and I am so excited to be a part of THE Leadership Academy team as the new Community Liaison. I’ve had the privilege of getting my feet wet on campus by having a short period as an instructional assistant. It was bittersweet to step out of the classroom but I am looking forward to stepping into the shoes of this new role. Before joining this team, I had worked in social work for seven years and just wrapped up taking a year off to settle in as a new wife and step mom. If you’re ever on campus please feel free to stop in and say hi, I am here for anything you may need.
Warmly,
Shaina Mendoza
Hola,
Me llamo Shaina Mendoza y estoy muy emocionada de ser parte del equipo de THE Leadership Academy como la nueva Enlace Comunitaria. He tenido el privilegio de familiarizarme con la escuela mientras trabajé como asistente de maestra por un corto tiempo. Se me hizo un poco triste salir del aula con los niños pero estoy feliz y lista para asumir esta nueva posición. Antes de unirme a este equipo tomé un año de descanso como ama de casa. Antes de eso, trabajé siete años en trabajo social. Si se encuentran por la oficina por favor ven a saludar, estoy aquí para servirles.
Sinceramente,
Shaina Mendoza
Weekly COVID-19 Testing in Schools has ended
Since COVID-19 restrictions continue to be lifted and positive cases within our Vista Unified schools reflect a downward trend, we feel it is a safe time to sunset weekly COVID-19 testing for students during the school day. Therefore, October 28th was the last day of COVID-19 testing with Inspire Diagnostics on our school campus.
For anyone seeking COVID-19 testing, the clinics at the Vista Innovation Center, Rancho Buena Vista High School, and Vista High School will remain open. The testing clinic at Mission Vista High School will close as of Friday, October 7th. For your convenience, we have provided the most updated flyers on COVID-19 testing and vaccinations.


Go Green!
Great job by our Go Green club! They save the earth one water bottle at a time!





Students enjoy Dance, Theater and Music every week!


Thank you PTA! Lunch time games
iPad Acceptable Use Policy and Cost Replacement Insurance
*Important! The deadline for iPad device insurance is Friday, September 30. Please make sure you have signed the acceptable use policy and paid for your cost replacement insurance.
The $20 device insurance protects the iPads for the entire school year so students can bring them home. There are two options to pay.
1. Save time and pay online! Please click HERE to access the acceptable use agreement and pay with your credit card.
2. Click HERE to fill out the acceptable use agreement form. Pay $20 cash in the front office at Back to School Night.
Follow us on Social Media!

Meet Coco!
Here are some facts I shared with the students about Coco:
- Coco was born on July 9, 2019
- She is a lab and retriever cross
- She is specifically bred to be a service dog and has a calm and gentle demeanor
- She has been trained since she was a little puppy to know many commands
- Mrs. Morton went through two weeks of training to learn how to work with Coco
- Coco and Mrs. Morton graduated together and now Coco is a member of our school team
- Coco comes to school every day. When she is at school she is working.
- Coco wears a vest to show she is on duty
- When Coco is not working, she goes home with Mrs. Morton. At home, she is a regular pet and does not wear her vest. She likes to play, walk and snuggle.
- When students see Coco on campus, they should give her a calm finger wave
- Students should not yell at Coco, run towards her or feed her any treats
- Coco can work with individual students, visit classrooms, read with students, and play fetch
We all love Coco! Feel free to say "hi" when you see her!
Safety Protocols
1. There will be only one entrance into school for general education students (Main Gate). This includes Kindergarten and TK students. We will no longer utilize the Kindergarten gate.
2. Gates open at 7:30AM. Breakfast will be available at 7:30AM each morning. This is the earliest a student should be dropped off at school.
3. Gates will be supervised at all times.
4. All general education students will exit through the main gate. The upper parking lot will no longer be utilized for 4th/5th pickup.
5. Special Education students will continue to use the upper gate for entrance and exit. The gate will be supervised at all times and open only to let students in and out.
6. TK and Kindergarten students will continue to be dismissed through the Kindergarten Gate.
7. Only authorized individuals are able to check students out from the office early. Please make sure to bring your ID when picking up your student.
**Parents are welcome to come onto campus on the first day of school to accompany their students to the playground for lineup. Parents will be asked to say goodbye to their students on the playground as they are not permitted in the classrooms.
Kiss at the Gate
Office Support
The office will be open to assist families from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM beginning August 2. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. We are here to help in any way we can.
Phone: 760-631-6242
Email:
Registration/General Questions: caroleconom@vistausd.org
Registration/Health/Attendance Concerns: rebecaalvarez@vistausd.org
Registration/General Information: patricialanderos@vistausd.org
Anything at all: kimmorton@vistausd.org (principal)
School Bell Schedule
Mondays:
8:00 AM - 12:54 PM
Tuesdays to Fridays:
8:00 AM - 2:21 PM
Breakfast:
Gates open at 7:30 AM
Free Breakfast and Lunch for All Learners
Fruit and salad bar is also available. For menus and more information, please visit: https://wavecrestcafe.com/
PTA at T.H.E. Leadership Academy
Please support our PTA by joining today!
Click HERE to join!
Our COVID Protocols
According to the very latest CDPH guidance for schools, indoor masking in K-12 school settings continues to be a strong recommendation, but not required.
In addition to routine cleaning, VUSD has installed maximum air filters and air cleaners in our classrooms and buildings.
If you or your child is displaying symptoms or tests positive, please stay home and notify us immediately.
All Vista Unified schools will be implementing the Group-Tracing Approach for students.
- When students are exposed to a COVID-19 positive person in a school setting, we will notify parents in writing of the exposure; however, all students may remain in school unless they are experiencing symptoms or have tested positive.
- As a condition to remain in school, parents are required to have their student tested with at least one diagnostic test obtained within three to five days of exposure and inform the school of a positive result.
- The following test methods are acceptable for staying in school after exposure at school: home test, rapid antigen test, or PCR test.
- Parents are only required to inform the school if their student tests positive for COVID-19.
- Only students who have symptoms or test positive must be isolated at home.
Families, in order to help us prioritize health and safety for all of our students and staff, please communicate with us. We appreciate you notifying us in any of the following scenarios:
- If you notice any symptoms, please keep your child at home. Notify the school immediately.
- If you have been exposed to someone who tested positive, please keep your child at home and inform the school immediately.
- If you have taken a PCR or NAAT test and it is positive, please inform the school immediately.
You will share your information with:
- Lisa Franck, Nurse: lisafranck@vistausd.org
- Rebeca Alvarez, Attendance/Health Tech: rebecaalvarez@vistausd.org
- Kim Morton, Principal: kimmorton@vistausd.org
- Phone: 760-631-6242
To return to school after having symptoms, a negative PCR or two negative antigen (rapid or home tests) are now acceptable. The two antigen tests must be at least one day apart. Each test must have the student's name, the date, and their date of birth on the cassette.
If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep your child at home and notify our school immediately. COVID symptoms may include:
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of Breath or Difficulty Breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or Body Aches
- Headache
- New Loss of Taste or Smell
- Sore Throat
- Congestion or Runny Nose
- Nausea or Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Thank you for your communication in helping to keep our learning community safe.To view Covid-19 cases, visit the VUSD Covid-19 Case Dashboard.