Principal Message

Dear Casita families,

It brings me great joy and pleasure to welcome you to Casita Center, an International Baccalaureate World School focusing on STEM. Casita aims to provide rigorous teaching and learning and ultimately, our mission is to “develop a community of compassionate, responsible life-long learners who respect people’s differences and take action to create a more peaceful world.”

As a school of choice in Vista Unified, we strive to be the model of educational excellence and innovation. As an International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme authorized school, we align our framework for learning and teaching to not only the California state standards but also to the IB standards and practices.

Focusing on a learner-centered education, we nurture our students' curiosities, guide them through their inquiries, and cultivate their ideas to action. Through IB's 6 global transdisiciplinary themes, students at each grade level engage in relevant and meaningful learning where nimble thinking is fostered.

With our STEM focus, we have a variety of learning environments that provide opportunities for students to grow their curiosities. From the schoolyard habitat to our gardens and our indoor Sustainability Lab and Kitchen Lab, our students learn about the human impacts on our environment to grow their environmental literacy and take actions as green stewards. Students also develop critical thinking abilities in the Imagineering Lab with computer science and engineering experiences in the context of science phenomena. In the Communications Lab, students enrich their storytelling capabilities through video productions and broadcast journalism experiences. And lastly, in Expressions Lab, students are hands on with creative arts through ceramics, music, and other visual arts.

Our learning community is composed of dedicated and compassionate families, teachers, staff, and community members. With strong partnerships, I know our students will meet their potential and feel compelled to take action to make a more positive world.

I’m proud to be the principal of Casita and look forward to a fantastic year with you all.

Respectfully,

Jenny Chien