New Vista is a small public

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

Boulder, Colorado Boulder is a home rule city that is the county seat and most populous municipality of Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 108,250 at the 2020 United States census, making it the 12th most populous city in Color ...

, United States. It was founded in 1993 by Rona Wilensky.

Academics

NVHS runs on a quarter system. Unusual in public education is its grading standard, which requires a grade of B− or better in order to pass a class. New Vista maintains relationships with the nearby

University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University of Co ...

and both major high schools in Boulder,

Boulder High School Boulder High School is a high school in Boulder, Colorado, United States. It is part of the Boulder Valley School District. Boulder High School was founded in 1875 as a preparatory school to the University of Colorado. In 1876, it was the first ...

and Fairview High School, allowing students access to courses available through those institutions. New Vista works on a different credit system from other regional public schools, but transfer students are still accepted. Two NVHS credits are equal to either one year at a traditional high school or one MAPS (Minimum Academic Preparation Standards) credit. In order to graduate, NVHS students must complete a Culminating Project, a substantial work designed and executed independently by seniors.

Community

Every student at New Vista is assigned to a mixed-grade advisory class which they attend for all four years. Advisors help students stay on track with academics, scheduling and general support. Community Gatherings are held once a week every Wednesday. A mandatory opportunity for students and teachers to gather as a whole and discuss recent/upcoming events, any important announcements and other critical details.

Career development

On Wednesdays, school ends at 11:30 and the students can either do a workshop or a Community Experience. Workshops take place on and off campus, led by diverse professionals from the community on a variety of subjects. Past workshops have included

herbalism Herbal medicine (also herbalism) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. With worldwide research into pharmacology, some herbal medicines have been translated into modern reme ...

improvisation Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

embroidery Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...

, and

knitting Knitting is a method by which yarn is manipulated to create a textile, or fabric. It is used to create many types of garments. Knitting may be done by hand or by machine. Knitting creates stitches: loops of yarn in a row, either flat or i ...

. During Community Experiences, students seek out and then work quarter-long unpaid

internship An internship is a period of work experience offered by an organization for a limited period of time. Once confined to medical graduates, internship is used practice for a wide range of placements in businesses, non-profit organizations and gover ...

s at local businesses. NVHS also has service learning and extra-credit language programs.

Extracurricular activities

New Vista has a successful, award-winning

ultimate frisbee Ultimate, originally known as ultimate Frisbee, is a non-contact team sport played with a frisbee flung by hand. Ultimate was developed in 1968 by AJ Gator in Maplewood, New Jersey. Although ultimate resembles many traditional sports in its ath ...

program, open to all students. It is home to the only co-ed volleyball team in the state, which won a 2007 state championship.

Other athletics

Athletics at New Vista are limited, so many students participate in other schools' sports teams. Students who participate in Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) sports at other high schools can receive a fee waiver for 0.4 credit per season completed.

Earth Task Force

Earth Task Force is New Vista's environmental action group. Since its inception the program has received several grants and awards, including the $10,000 Green Prize in public education for its creativity in

greening Greening is the process of transforming living environments, and also artifacts such as a space, a lifestyle or a brand image, into a more environmentally friendly version (i.e. 'greening your home' or 'greening your office'). The act of greenin ...

the school using limited resources.

Renovations

The BVSD Bond Program has allowed New Vista to undergo facility renovations in the main office, the cafeteria and the study center.

References

External links

Official Web SiteBoulder Valley School District
{{authority control Coalition of Essential Schools Public high schools in Colorado Schools in Boulder County, Colorado Education in Boulder, Colorado Educational institutions established in 1993 1993 establishments in Colorado