Moreno Valley's Newest Addition

On Monday March 31st, Alta Vista Public Charter School opened a new location in Moreno Valley. Faculty, students, and families came out to celebrate the event and attend an awards ceremony. Learn4Life is a concept charter school that includes a high school diploma program, independent study for 14-19 year olds, a credit recovery program and free tutoring to students. Their mission is to engage students who are no longer part of the traditional high school setting and develop personalized learning plans that encourage students to graduate high school. Summer Morris is a student at Alta Vista and was sitting in front handing out programs to people, giving out name tags and encouraging guests to sign in. There was food set out and balloons put up around the building to celebrate the grand opening. Dinesh Palimar is one of the teachers at Alta Vista and said, “students can earn credits in different ways, students go home and do the work and then come back to take tests. Students can come at any time and work with tutors one-on-one to complete their assignments.” He is currently working on developing a computer class for the students. Students are required to come at least one day a week, and Palimar says, “they get a lesson from a credentialed teacher, and classes are offered in science and Spanish. The school is WASC accredited and has A-G UC College Board approved classes.” Shellie Dansby is the Principal at Alta Vista Public Charter South and was recently promoted on Jan 1st. She shared, “this program focuses on at risk youth who were kicked out or dropped out from the comprehensive high school or for students who are lagging behind on credits, we also offer summer school for students to make up work.” The enrollment at the school has gone from 67 students from 2012 to 300 students this year, this year 100 students from Rialto, Fontana, San Bernardino and Moreno Valley are graduating. Zaire Woodard graduated from Alta Vista in 2013 and said, “it was easy, it was less stressful than regular high school, the one-on-one time really helped me. If I had a question, I wouldn’t have to wait for other students to ask and then forget, I could ask my questions [when I had them]. I didn’t want to go to school at the regular high school, but here I wanted to finish.” Woodard is working at a warehouse and working towards his goal to become a firefighter. Michelle Sepulveda is a mother who has invested in the program and the Moreno Valley community. Her daughter, Selena, 16, and son Malik, 17, are enrolled at the school. She said she was investigating alternative education choices for her children when she came across Alta Vista. Sepulveda was passionate and said, “this program runs so smoothly, it’s just the way it transitions through the course material and when you find a technique that works with a student, it can help them when you get a student on an individual level, [rather] than at schools where there are a lot of students in the classroom, Alta Vista guides students to their high school diploma and helps them on their career path afterwards with the individual attention they really need to succeed." Sepulveda is happy that her daughter Selena is attending the school and said she “is excited and proud for what her daughter has done, and for someone who didn’t want to go to school, I’ve seen such a transformation because she wants to go to school now. She told me she wants to be a doctor and has been applying for schools and grants and has learned so much by being here, I think it was the best decision I could have made for her.” Carlos Jr. is 18 and came with his family, he shares, “I didn’t finish high school, I tried to enter my high school again, but they wouldn’t let me so this was a good alternative. I finished a lot quicker than if I had gone to a regular high school.” He is working and hopes to attend Riverside City College in the fall and try out for the football team as he pursues higher education. Iaesha Stanton is a new teacher and teaches at the Rialto and Fontana campuses. She shared, “I think it’s a great alternative for students, it empowers them to take charge of their education.” Jennifer Graham has been teaching special education for 5 years, “for students, we provide the flexibility for all students, for students who have a trigger for sports or acting, who don’t have time to go to school 5 days a week and we work with them. Some of the students need to work to help their families, so we do an independent study to work with them.” The Mistress of Ceremonies, Susan Garland, opened up with a few words about the school and Summer Morris led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance. The teachers introduced themselves and their backgrounds to the crowd and shared their roles in the program. Armando Yepes is part of the Latino Business Alliance of the Inland Empire and spoke to the audience a portion of his life to encourage them to finish high school. He told students and families, “You’re never too old to learn” and encouraged them to get an education and further their career.” Students were handed out awards before the ceremony ended to recognize their accomplishments and achievements. Jennifer Graham summed up the event by saying, “It’s beneficial, I see a lot of students who come in with no hope and we can work with them to graduate and inspire them to graduate, we try to get their confidence back and to realize they can fulfill their dream whether it's for college or go to trade school.”