Aspen Elementary School GATE Teacher Courtney Smith and Los Alamos Online Learning Academy and third and fourth grade Teacher Jacqueline Griego of Los Alamos Online Learning Academy are recipients of the 2023 NMSBA Excellence in Student Achievement Awards. Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS News:
The New Mexico School Boards Association (NMSBA) recently announced the recipients of the 2023 Excellence in Student Achievement Awards including Jacqueline Griego and Courtney Smith of Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS).
The awards, sponsored by NMSBA, are presented to individuals selected by local boards of education throughout New Mexico who have played an important role in improving student achievement in their local school district. Sixty-three school boards participated in this year’s program and 168 award recipients were selected. Recipients are honored at local school board meetings throughout New Mexico.
This year, the Los Alamos Public Schools Board received 27 nominations for the Excellence in Student Achievement Award. School Board President Antonio Jaurigue and board member Sondra Wyman comprised the selection committee and said the nominees this year were all excellent candidates. Ultimately, they selected and the board approved Griego and Smith as the recipients for Los Alamos.
Griego teaches third and fourth grade at the Los Alamos Online Learning Academy. She received two nominations for the award. In her nomination, she is described as “a teacher that goes above and beyond for her students in their learning progress and growth that also encourages parent involvement. Griego not just recognizes every student, but also sees them as the person they are. She is patient in their learning and actually listens to them with empathy. She most definitely does not leave a student behind. She is there for students to help them with their independent work with office hours and fills in the gaps of learning a student may need. She is a teacher that is excited about teaching and her students are then excited about learning as well.”
A second nomination stated that “Mrs. Greigo deeply cares about her students and will do everything she can to help them. Mrs. Griego is full of passion and truly enjoys herself when she teaches.”
Smith is the GATE teacher at Aspen Elementary and at the Los Alamos Online Learning Academy. “Ms. Smith not only helps find and ignite the fire of the desire to learn in children, but fans the flames so that our children can be eternal flames and never have their love for learning extinguished,” her nomination stated. “She is the epitome of an advocate for gifted education for children. She takes such special interest in ensuring all of her students, whether identified as gifted or not, are seen and challenged to think critically. She meets them where they are with grace and understanding and challenges them to be their best. She is truly a gift to the Los Alamos School district, even those she has never met.”