Principal's Message

FROM THE PRINCIPALS​​​​​​​

2026-2027 Principals’ Message

Dear Monte Vista TK-8 Families and Community,

We are excited to usher in the 2026-2027 school year here at Monte Vista TK-8! Last year we hit unprecedented enrollment numbers and continued to build out our programs and curriculum integrity as well as our school model that is centered in inquiry-based instruction. Ms. Wessel and I are looking forward to this year’s MPUSD theme, which focuses on the MPUSD Way values as well as digging deep with the GLEAM instructional framework.

The MPUSD Way includes the following five values:

• Every person matters
• Each day counts
• Learn something new every day
• Improve with purpose
• We're better together

Each value signals for us as school leaders what we want to improve about our work to elevate our school vision, mission, and model, which are linked HEREGLEAM framework. See some guiding questions below for our work with each value in the MPUSD Way as it relates to our Monte Vista TK-8 community. These questions may also apply to our students, staff, family, and community stakeholders as well:

• Every person matters- Who in our community might be overlooked, and how will we ensure they feel seen, valued, and supported?
• Each day counts- What leadership habit or action will we consistently practice every day, even when things get busy?
• Learn something new every day- What beliefs, skills, or practices do we want to grow this year?
• Improve with purpose- What are a few of the most important improvements we want to create for students this year?
• We're better together- Whose partnership will be essential to our success, and how will we strengthen these partnerships?

These values closely align to MPUSD’s vision and mission and MPUSD six pillars, which focuses on service mindset, commitment to equity, powerful teaching and learning, positive culture, creativity and innovation, and leadership as the lever. 

This year our school district and school site will be building awareness and implementing training around the GLEAM instructional framework (Unbound Education, Lacey Robinson) that will support norming and access to high quality instructional experiences in the day-to-day lessons within and across all grade levels and subject matter. Below is a description of GLEAM:

Grade-Level: Provide texts, tasks, and materials aligned to the appropriate college and career standards.

Engaging: Foster persistence in grade-level work that builds students’ interests tied to knowledge and culture, helping them see themselves as learners with agency.

Affirming Practices: Honor all students and their varied experiences and backgrounds in the context of grade-level learning, creating space where students feel safe, supported, and immersed in their learning. 

Meaningful: Understand and critique new and long-standing norms, stories, and ideas-and examine their community’s social position to foster a sense of advocacy and change.

Similar to the questions we asked ourselves around the MPUSD Way, we as a staff want to further explore through inquiry the following question around GLEAM:

How do we build coherent, schoolwide implementation of instruction that is grade level rigorous as well as engaging, affirmative, and meaningful through collectively efficacious teams and structures? How do we do this to ensure that every classroom consistently experiences effectively intentional, inquiry-based learning aligned to our high quality instructional materials, resulting in transformational growth and achievement of grade-level standards for all students?

Furthermore, as we continue to develop our approach to learning through inquiry, our staff will be reading the book, The Power of Inquiry: Teaching and Learning with Curiosity, Creativity, and Purpose in the Contemporary Classroom by Kate Murdoch. This book study will help us as a community synthesize the learning across the subjects, deepen and connect student thinking in relevant and transformational ways, and further support the GLEAM framework and curriculum implementation work at our site.

We look forward to strengthening the MPUSD Way on our campus as well as elevating the quality of our instruction through the GLEAM framework this upcoming 2026-2027 school year. We also look forward to creating more pathways and outlets for students and families to feel successful and connected to our community for years to come! Jay jay, chirp chirp!