News

The NVUSD Board of Trustees on October 14, formally adopted the new name for the new middle school language academy, which will be housed at the current River School campus, located at 1850 Salvador Ave, starting with the 2022/23 school year. Unidos Middle School was put forth as a formal recommendation from the Citizen Advisory Committee, formed specifically to review name suggestions and submit recommendations for the Board’s consideration. Since August, the nine-member committee has met to identify a process for reviewing and recommending a potential name.  Also, students from Pueblo Vista and Napa Valley Language Academy (NVLA) engaged in the process of visioning a new name for the location by providing name suggestions, drawings, and words that reflect the spirit of the new school. 

"The name Unidos Middle School was actually suggested by one of my students and then it was adopted by the committee as the final choice,” said Franklin Hernandez, a teacher at NVLA and a member of the Citizen Advisory Committee. “The student suggested the name because it means “united” in Spanish and he believes this school will bring students together from all over the Napa area. I definitely agree and it’s a name that can bring forward the idea of unity for so many in our community who have struggled with so many changes the past two years,” said Hernandez. 

Unidos Middle School will open with a rich dual-immersion language program, serving as a connecting pathway between elementary and high school dual language immersion (DLI) programming. Current DLI students matriculating to middle school from Pueblo Vista, Napa Valley Language Academy (NVLA), and Harvest, as well as current River students, will be automatically enrolled in Unidos but have the option to enroll elsewhere. Students who are not in the groups automatically enrolled can choose Unidos during the Open Enrollment process from November 1-30. 

Alejandra Uribe has been chosen to lead Unidos Middle School as its first principal. A veteran principal and expert in dual immersion language programs, Ms. Uribe currently serves as the principal of NVLA where she has worked for the last 20 years. She will continue in that role while she leads the preparations for the launch of Unidos.

“We look forward to Unidos Middle School bringing together students and staff who are committed to the goals of bilingualism, biliteracy, and biculturalism. Our new middle school solidifies our very sought-after dual language pathway, offering families a unique educational opportunity to learn in two languages seamlessly and simultaneously,” said Pat Andry-Jennings, Assistant Superintendent, Instructional Services.