LAPS News:

Los Alamos Public Schools Interim Superintendent Jennifer Guy sent the following letter Tuesday to parents:

Yesterday, (Monday) I attended a meeting with superintendents from across the state. As I listened to the struggles other schools and communities are having, I realized that the challenges we are facing are not unique but I believe we can be unique in our ability to come together, tolerate differences, and support our children. We can continue to prioritize emotional, academic, and physical safety in our schools.

We currently have a robust political debate in Los Alamos and across the country. No matter how you vote, I encourage everyone to exercise their right to vote. This is a freedom that I believe in strongly. Regardless of your political beliefs, we can model civility for our children. I hope that we can continue to raise children in a community that allows for civil political discourse and diverse beliefs. The diversity in our community is one of our greatest assets.

At LAPS, we will continue to support all students and all staff. We will strive to meet every child’s unique learning needs. We will do our best support their social and emotional needs as well. We have committed to helping all of our children discover their unique strengths and thrive. This means something different for every child and every family in our district. It is ok for those needs to be diverse and look differently for different families. We will continue to celebrate diversity and respect each family’s right to make decisions about their child’s education.

Teachers and school leaders in this district are dedicated to helping our students learn and grow. I am grateful for the staff across our district that show up every day and care about children. I am thankful for the families that trust us with their children each day.

Students, families, teachers, and principals are all working hard to cope with this challenging school year. Communication is critical for all of us to work together to support children and learning. We will have parent conferences this week at the elementary schools. Teachers and school teams are looking forward to the opportunity to share about your child’s progress and to hear your feedback. If you are concerned about your child, please use this time to ask questions and share those concerns. At the secondary level, the first grading quarter is coming to a close. Teachers, principals, and counselors are available to talk with you about your child. Please email them, or call, if you have any questions or concerns. If you don’t know who to reach out to or where to start, just ask. We will find the resources that your family needs.

In the weeks ahead, I hope that we can all extend each other a little more grace, patience, kindness and respect.

Jennifer Guy