School Board President Melanie Colgan, left, recognized Los Alamos High School senior Maddi Baker on her logo design for the Public Schools Building Act. Courtesy/LAPS
LAPS News:
The Los Alamos School Board met Tuesday in the Board Room on Trinity Drive. The meeting also was broadcast via Zoom.
The logo designed by LAHS senior Maddi Baker. Courtesy/LAPS
School Board President Melanie Colgan began the meeting by recognizing Maddi Baker, a senior at Los Alamos High School (LAHS), who designed the logo for the Public Schools Building Act campaign. Baker was presented with a campaign t-shirt signed by all members of the School Board.
Colgan also recognized members of the iVote Club and their sponsor, LAHS English teacher Tacarra Lake. The club recently published the first issue of the student newspaper, The Topper Times, in which they interviewed each of the school board candidates and published a non-partisan report in The Topper Times to raise civic awareness about the election.
Piñon Elementary School Principal Ivanna Austell gave a presentation on Piñon at Work, noting that the school is focusing on academics wellness and safety. Despite the low percentages of 3rd through 6th grade students testing at grade level proficiency in math after the iMSSA beginning of the year assessments, Austell said that she expects the scores to be higher when end of year assessments are given. She explained that current data is based upon testing of grade level skills that students will be introduced to during the current school year. Reading proficiency scores were higher with most grades above 83 percent.
Austell discussed the math interventions available to students including the CUBES system for word problem analysis and Reflex Math for math fact fluency. She also cited the MLSS (multi-layered system of support) resources in place to help students including Early Bird Cub Tutoring, Homework Club and a Reading Intervention Instructor. In addition, Pinon has implemented several opportunities to promote student wellness, including the Early Bird Club, a Maker-Space, and Second Step, a curriculum that engages students in activities to build independence, resiliency, positive mindset and emotional regulation.
School Board Vice President Ellen Specter commented that she is “impressed with how everyone is embracing the new curriculum”, and glad to see that “the long-standing traditions at Piñon are still there”.
The Board next heard a COVID-19 Update from Interim Superintendent Jennifer Guy who showed them the most recent COVID-19 Toolkit from the New Mexico Public Education Department and pointed out that there is now a Test to Stay option. This allows for unvaccinated or vaccinated close contacts to be tested for COVID-19 or quarantine at home. Students would be tested on the first, third, fifth and 10th days following a close contact exposure. Guy explained that LAPS added the 10th day of testing because the district has been seeing some positive cases on day 10.
“We added this in to be extra safe,” she said.
In addition, the district has teamed with Premier Medical Group to host rapid testing 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays at Pinon Elementary School and by Duane Smith Auditorium at Los Alamos High School. This opportunity is only available to LAPS students and staff at this time.
The Board then unanimously approved the Resolution in support of Native American Heritage Month, which is recognized every November. The Resolution states that “the Los Alamos School Board recognizes the rich and diverse cultures, and contributions of Native Americans and supports work to preserve the language, history and traditions of tribes and pueblos and that its schools sit on Native American Ancestral Homelands”, and that “the Board encourages all students, staff and parents to honor and celebrate the accomplishments of Native Americans and reflect on how we can further strengthen tribal communities in New Mexico”.
Members of the Native American clubs at the middle school and high school, along with the Native American Parent Advisory Council, are planning several events next week, including Rock Your Mocs, to celebrate Native American Heritage Month.
School board members wrapped up the meeting by approving the annual review of School Board American Indian Education Policy (policy 6147). The policy was revised last year and requires an annual review every November.
The next School Board meeting is 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18 in the School Board Room. Zoom link information may be found at https://laschools.net/leadership/schoolboard/.