Letter to the Editor: Grateful School Board Has Listened to Teachers
By Jonathan Lathrop and Jenny Diesburg-LathropIs Los Alamos School Board Imploding?
School Board Secretary Matt Williams- Matt Williams said he was ready to speak out about superintendent situation … then went completely mum.
Los Alamos School Board Secretary Matt Williams seems to have vanished after he sent an email Saturday night to the School Board and copied the Los Alamos Daily Post.
School Board President Judy Bjarke-McKenzie
His email was directed to School Board President Judy Bjarke-McKenzie in which he wrote:
Judy – I request that you provide to the Board a schedule of every private meeting you have Read More
LAHS Holds ‘Kick Butts’ Anti-Smoking Campaign
Librarian Lisa Whitacre and teacher Anders Ainsworth show off their anti-smoking t-shirts during last week’s annual ‘Kick Butts’ campaign at Los Alamos High School. Photo by Bernadette Lauritzen Education 101: New Lawsuit Questions Sufficiency of New Mexico Education Funding
Education 101: We’ve written 16 columns over the past six months with the intentions of both learning about K-12 funding in New Mexico, and sharing that information with the community. You can read the columns at our website https:////soslosalamos.com; or by searching the Los Alamos Daily Post archives.
We started this work with the view that the state of New Mexico, which controls 70 percent of K-12 funding in Los Alamos and which actually caps local spending on education, has been systemically Read More
Students Conduct Diaper Drive For LA Cares
Students from Family, Career and Community Leaders of America and the Child Development II class at Los Alamos High School conducted a diaper drive for needy families in Los Alamos. The class project had the motto ‘We Love Babies’ and students showed their love by collecting and delivering diapers to LA Cares, from left, Jennifer Aguilar, Mariah Armijo, Morgan Hohner and Desiree Lopez. Photo by Bernadette LauritzenSpecial School Board Meeting to Discuss Resignation of Superintendent Thursday
LAPS Superintendent Gene Schmidt
LAPS News:
The School Board has scheduled a Special School Board Meeting, Executive Session and Work Session at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27 in the library at Mountain Elementary School.
The agenda includes a motion to go into closed Executive Session in the Mountain Elementary librarian’s office to discuss certified and classified negotiations and other groups not represented by the Union of the collective bargaining agreements and to discuss limited personnel matters, specifically the resignation of Dr. Eugene Schmidt from the position Read More
Meet LAHS Principal Finalists Monday Evening
LAPS News:
Members of the Los Alamos Public Schools staff and community are invited to meet the finalists for Los Alamos High School principal at a special community event set for 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 24.
Finalists are Deborah Belew-Nyquist from Silverdale, Wash., and Mike Johnson of Los Alamos will share their background information and answer a set of pre-written questions.
School administrators will hold a coin flip Monday to see which candidate meets the public first in a 45-minute question and answer session set for 6:30 p.m. in the Los Alamos High Speech Theater. The second finalist Read More
Rotary STARS Provides Financial Support to Enable Students to Participate in Swimming Program
Rotary STARS member Laura Loy, left, presented a check for $1,289 to PE teachers Lynne Higdon (Barranca), Justin Black (Chamisa) and Tony Hinoja (Mountain) during Wednesday’s STARS meeting at the Manhattan Project Bar & Grill. STARS is a satelite group of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos. The group raised the funds to pay for transportation and scholarships for fourth grade students to attend a four-week swimming program. Chamisa third graders also will participate. Photo by Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com Read More
LAHS Class of 1964 Plans 50th Reunion
CLASS OF 1964 News:
The Los Alamos High School class of 1964 is planning its 50th Reunion Sept.19-21, to coincide with Homecoming. Tentative plans are to participate in the Homecoming Parade and attend the Homecoming Game, both Sept.19.
There will be a mixer at Fuller Lodge the evening of Sept. 19. The group is looking into optional tours around Los Alamos, the “new” Los Alamos High School, Mesa Public Library, the Bradbury Science Museum and a hiking tour of the Valles Caldera Sept. 20. There is a dinner and dance planned at Betty Ehart Senior Center Sept. 20. The “farewell” event Read More
Kindergarten Roundup Wednesday April 2
LAPS News:
Kindergarten Roundup is Wednesday, April 2 at all Los Alamos Elementary Schools. Children who turn five by Sept. 1, 2014, are eligible to be enrolled in kindergarten for the school year 2014/2015.
The purpose of kindergarten roundup is to give the parents and children an idea of what to expect for kindergarten. Parents and students will get to meet kindergarten teachers, principals, school nurses, school counselors and other key school personnel.
The kindergartners to be will visit a kindergarten classroom and see all the learning materials, toys and books.
Parents Read More
Applications Available for Stoddard Scholarships for Nursing and Teaching
Retired State Sen. Steve Stoddard and his wife Barbara in September 2012. Photo by Carol A.Clark/ladailypost.com
LAPSF News:
Barbara and the late Steve Stoddard established the Stoddard Scholarships for Nursing and Teaching as a result of Steve’s work on the Board of the Caldera National Preserve.
Steve was a member of the original trustees of the Valles Caldera and attended many meetings to decide the fate of the Caldera. He was paid a small stipend for his service and he and Barbara saved these funds.
The Stoddards decided to fund two annual awards to graduating seniors from Los Read More
NMiF Focuses on Experience of ‘Crypto-Jews’
PBS News:
This week, at 7 p.m. Friday, New Mexico in Focus (NMiF) presents a companion piece to the national series “The Story of the Jews with Simon Schama,” which premieres 7-9 p.m. Tuesday, March 25 on PBS Ch.5.1. The program will repeat at 5 p.m. Saturday on channel 9.1.
NMiF Producer Megan Kamerick focuses on the experience of “conversos” or “crypto-Jews” in New Mexico.
In 1492, the Edict of Expulsion launched the diaspora of Sephardic Jews from Spain. Many found their way to the New World, including New Mexico, although they could not openly practice their religion.
Dr. Frances Levine, Read More
Scholarships Available From Friends of Los Alamos County Libraries
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARIES News:
As the Friends of Los Alamos County Libraries await applications for their annual scholarships from graduating seniors, they are sad to bid farewell to Marie Pierce, who was Scholarship Chairman for many years.
Each year, Pierce made sure that applicants followed the rules, logged in the qualifying applications, and, at the same time, removed the identification of the author and assigned a code letter identifier to each essay. She created packets and distributed them to each of her volunteer readers. After all the readers returned their packets, Pierce correlated Read More
Filing Survey Cards Could Garner LAPS $300,000
LAPS CFO John Wolfe. File photo
LAPS News:
So many forms, so little time, but in this case, a little form with some very big importance for Los Alamos Public Schools, with a $300,000 educational impact.
Recently, the district was contacted by the U.S. Dept. of Education Impact Aid Office with an update that providing a post office box number instead of a physical address is no longer sufficient for their survey.
“By completing the survey cards, parents help the district and state generate approximately $330,000 in revenue used to support instruction,” LAPS Chief Financial Officer John Read More
LAHS Senior is Driving Force Behind Showing of Film on Student Stress March 27
LAHS student Tessa Snyder is the driving force behind the public showing and community discussion of a Race To Nowhere. Courtesy/Tessa SnyderLos Alamos High School (LAHS) student Tessa Snyder is the driving force behind the public showing and community discussion of a Race To Nowhere. The documentary highlights academic imbalance and pressures on youth.
You just have to love it when a youth-driven idea starts with a spark, and that spark is fanned to become a flame by multiple community adults and organizations.
That flame, started Read More
‘Quality of Education’ Survey for Parents Online Now
PED News:
The Quality of Education Survey allows school districts and the Public Education Department to obtain valuable input from parents for continuous improvement and to better educate students.
Take the survey at https:////164.64.166.19/
The survey will be active through April 21
After going to one of the above websites, click on the left side of the screen at “Take a Survey.” Follow the survey’s Read More
Los Alamos Sending 25 Projects to New Mexico Science and Engineering Fair
Qualifiers from Los Alamos County from the Northeastern New Mexico Regional Science & Engineering Fair. Of the 64 Los Alamos projects, 25 qualified for the New Mexico Science and Engineering Fair April 4-5 at New Mexico Tech in Socorro. Courtesy photo Read More
Los Alamos Speech and Debate Teams Show Strong Performance at State Tournament
LAMS Hawktalkers from left, Sarah Shipley, Sydne Ashford and Beatrice Nisoli. Courtesy/Hilltalkers
LAHS Hilltalkers with team coaches at right. Courtesy/Hilltalkers
HILLTALKER/HAWKTALKER News:
The Los Alamos High School Hilltalkers and three members of the Los Alamos Middle School Hawktalkers traveled to compete in the State Speech and Debate Tournament March 6-8 in Santa Fe.
Team Results:
The LAHS Hilltalkers earned 2nd place in the State Tournament Debate Sweepstakes and 3rd in Overall Sweepstakes. (Albuquerque Academy placed 1st in Debate Sweepstakes and Overall Sweepstakes; Read More
Science On Screen Presents ‘Panic in the Streets’
Ben Althouse. Courtesy/SFI
SFI News:
The popular Science On Screen series continues with Panic in the Streets at 7 p.m. Monday, March 31 at the Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA), 1050 Old Pecos Trail, in Santa Fe. For tickets and prices, call the CCA Box Office at 505.982.1338.
Elia Kazan’s 1950s film noir follows a U.S. Public Health Service agent and a police detective as they race through the streets of New Orleans to prevent an outbreak of pneumonic plague. The movie, filmed entirely on location in New Orleans, won an Oscar for best writing and launched the genre of outbreak movies.
Epidemiologist Read More
Hilltalkers Host ‘Talker Revue: An Evening of Entertainment’ 7 p.m. Friday
HILLTALKER News:
The LAHS Hilltalkers invite the community to enjoy an evening of entertainment hosted by the team’s talented members. “Talker Revue” features drama, dance and music performances and offers the community the opportunity to see local teens shine.
A silent auction of delicious desserts will take place throughout the evening. The event is 7 p.m. Friday, March 21 in the Topper Theater, on the north end of the high school, lower floor near the cafeteria. Tickets can be purchased from team members or at the door – $8 for adults and $5 for children under 10.
This event also marks Read More
