NJROTC Hosts Pasta Night Thursday
NJROTC News:
The cadets of the Naval Junior ROTC unit from Los Alamos High School will host their first ever Pasta Night 5:30-7 p.m., Thursday at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church on Canyon Road. Tickets are $10 per plate and can be purchased from NJROTC cadets or at the door.
The meal will include pasta, salad, bread, dessert and a drink for $10 and every penny goes directly to supporting the needs of the unit.
“The unit needs as many resources as possible so that we can continue to do all the activities we plan,” Cadet Public Affairs Officer Rachel Barthell said.
The drill, physical fitness Read More
Education Funding 101: Governance of K-12 Education
Education Funding 101:Because of recent public discussion about the roles of the School Board and the School Administration, we are re-running a column we published Oct. 20, 2013 that discussed School governance. We expect to be back in this space with a new topic next week.
It’s easy to become overwhelmed when trying to understand who’s making the major decisions that impact your children’s educational experience. The education professionals you interact withon a daily basis are your children’s teachers. You might be unaware Read More
Jeff Mousseau Named LAESF Scholarship Chair
Jeff Mousseau
LAESF News:
Jeff Mousseau, Associate Director of Environmental Programs for Los Alamos National Laboratory, is chairing the 2014 Los Alamos Employees’ Scholarship Fund campaign.
Laboratory employees contributed $308,000 to the campaign last year, and Los Alamos National Security, LLC, through its employee match program, gave $250,000.
The 2014 LAESF campaign begins May 19. Scholarship awards range from $30,000 to $1,000 to help students in the seven counties of Northern New Mexico pursue a higher education.
“As the father of five children who have college degrees, I know Read More
Letter to the Editor: Community Should Consider Superintendent Matter Done
By JIM HILLFor a community of purportedly intelligent people, the demands for the School Board to say more about the circumstances leading up to Dr. Schmidt’s resignation as superintendent are depressingly repetitive in their overlooking of the simple truth that as a personnel matter, Dr. Schmidt and his performance are not subject to public discussion by the board.
There is exactly one person who can reveal what happened in the closed sessions and that is Dr. Schmidt himself. Since he has chosen not to, I suggest that the community consider the matter done and begin Read More
Master Gardeners Donate Books To LAMS Library
Los Alamos Middle School Librarian Lisa Whitacre, left, and Los Alamos Master Gardeners member Coleen Meyer. Photo by Elizabeth Watson
LAMG News:
Los Alamos Master Gardeners (LAMG), an educational and outreach branch of the County Extension Office, funded by New Mexico State University, recently made a donation of books to the Los Alamos Middle School Library.
The titles donated include: Gardening in New Mexico, Guide to Rocky Mountain Vegetable Gardening, Growing Food in the Southwest Mountains, Gardening in the Southwest andSouthwest Fruit and Vegetable Gardening: Plant, Grow, and Read More
Los Alamos Speech and Debate Guild Hosts New Mexico CHILE Qualifier
Los Alamos speech and debate participants from left, Jemima Spill, Anna Tompkins and Andrew Hollis, Courtesy/Diane TompkinsFor three days last week, 42 home educated speech and debate competitors participated in the National Christian Forensics and Communications Association (NCFCA) New Mexico CHILE Qualifier.
The Los Alamos Speech and Debate Guild (LASDG) hosted the event, held Feb. 27, 28, and March 1 at Crossroads Bible Church.
Students traveled from Montana, Utah and Colorado to Los Alamos to vie for a limited number of slots that would advance them to the
Letter to the Editor: Displeased With School Board? Run in Next Election!
By SHELBY REDONDO I was surprised by the uproar over Superintendant Schmidt’s resignation and the implication that the School Board is “hiding behind a law purposefully designed to give them political cover” as quoted by the Los Alamos Monitor publisher Ben Carlson. In fact, Mr. Carlson noted that the School Board can not publically discuss personnel matters and, in fact the law was specifically designed to provide protection for the employee. However, nothing is preventing Dr. Schmidt from sharing this information if he so desires.
Having spent 24 years as a teacher in the district, Read More
2014 Excellence for Student Achievement Award Winners Announced
LAPS News:
The Los Alamos School Board has announced its selections for the 2014 Excellence for Student Achievement Award.
The theme for this year is “The Year of the Student.”
“Our selection for 2014 was to highlight the many good deeds done by our youth in service to their school, their fellow student body and in turn, their community,” said Bernadette Lauritzen, a member of the selection committee.
The committee selected four students from Los Alamos High School and an interesting twist to this year’s choices is that the committee chose to honor two student duos who are close friends Read More
LAPS Foundation Grant Brings Hands-on Physics to Barranca Elementary
Barranca Mesa second-grader Emma Frost uses a flashlight and a diffraction grating to separate white light into the colors of the rainbow. Courtesy/LAPS FoundationLAPS News:
Light diffraction, gravity and black holes might be typical subjects for a college lecture hall ─ or a second grade classroom at Barranca Elementary School.
This semester students in Melanie Haagenstad and Kay Swadener’s classes have begun a six-lesson program introducing physics. This unit is made possible through a Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation Great Ideas Grant awarded to Haagenstad in the fall. Read More
Longtime Los Alamos Public Schools Electrician Under Investigation
Electrical wire and other supplies owned by LAPS are allegedly stashed at this shed at the North Mesa Stables. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost A longtime Los Alamos Public Schools employee is under investigation surrounding theft allegations.
LAPS will not release information about Wayne Montoya, a technician IV–electrician working out of the Pajarito Cliffs site.
“This is a personnel matter and I cannot release any information,” Assistant Superintendent Gerry Washburn said this morning.
Coworkers said that Montoya has
Letter to the Editor: Support Request For School Board Explanation
By DON COBBI write in support of Morrie Pongratz’s request at Tuesday night’s (March 4) School Board meeting for some explanation by the Board of its reasons for not renewing Dr. Schmidt’s contract.
I recall that when Dr. Schmidt became District Superintendent five years ago, Los Alamos schools had major issues regarding funding and maintaining our schools. He immediately held open strategic planning sessions with input from teachers, students and the public to chart a course for our schools.
On his watch major recapitalization of the high school and middle school was successfully Read More
Congressional STEM Academic Competition March 19
Courtesy/stemedcoalition.org
STATE News:
ALBUQUERQUE – U.S. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, NM-01, announced that she will host the first annual Congressional Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Academic Competition, “The House STEM App Challenge.”
This competition seeks to promote innovation in STEM fields by inviting high school students in New Mexico’s 1st Congressional District to submit ideas for a software application or “app” for mobile, tablet or computer devices and present their design in a two-minute YouTube video. Read More
Letter to the Editor: UNM-LA Rezoning Request
By STEPHEN T. BOERIGTER, Chair
UNM-LA Advisory Board
and long-time Los Alamos resident
I would like to thank George and Chris Chandler for their letter to the editor. It’s vitally important in this community to ensure open and honest communications, to get facts and issues in front of citizens, and to work towards a shared vision and future for a better Los Alamos.
It’s a small town and we’re all in this together. Many facts regarding the UNM-LA re-zoning request are accurate: the current zone allows only 41 units however there are currently 64 units on the 1.88 acre site. Read More
Morrie Pongratz to School Board: ‘Voters of Los Alamos Deserve an Explanation’
Los Alamos School Board changed seats Tuesday following election of new officers from left, Judy Bjarke-McKenzie is now president, Kevin Honnell vice president and Matt Williams re-elected secretary. Photo by Bonnie J Gordon/ladailypost.comAside from a few remarks about negativity in the media, the Los Alamos School Board presented a “business as usual” face at Tuesday’s School Board meeting, following Monday’s sudden resignation of Superintendent Gene Schmidt. Three out of the five members of the school board are opposed to extending
Column: Los Alamos School Board and the Law
Column by GEORGE SCHWARZWhenever I hear or read about a public official, elected or on the taxpayer payroll, blather about the role of the media, I can generally anticipate the official is unhappy that a journalist didn’t shill for him. Oh, you know. The story is “negative.” I also easily conclude the official doesn’t know much about the First Amendment.
Such is the case with Jim Hall’s impotent little screed posted Tuesday.
Let’s start with the disavowal of authority. Hall wrote, “The following comments represent my opinion, as the president of Read More
Letter to the Editor: School Board Ravings Of How Great Schmidt Is Don’t Jive
By JOEL M. WILLIAMSSounds like Los Alamos School Board President Judy Bjarke-McKenzie has a personal agenda per her statement that “there were some things from previous evaluations that he has not done … It is a personnel matter.” Is this – ‘a personnel matter’ – one(s) that would stand up in court or personal agendas of some of the board members?
Actually, who deserves termination? Schmidt or the school board? Who is doing the best for Los Alamos?
Decisions behind closed doors: “when a ‘vote’ is not a vote!” Read More
UNM-LA to Host Autism Spectrum Disorders Workshop March 13
Courtesy/UNM-LA
UNM-LA News:
The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos (UNM-LA) Community Education Department will host a workshop on Autism Spectrum Disorders: Implications for Post Secondary Transition, 6-9 p.m., March 13 on the UNM-LA campus.
The cost for the workshop is $35 and will be led by Christine Hazard, Ph.D.
The workshop will outline the primary deficits seen in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and address the implications of these for post secondary transition—whether into college or work. Practical suggestions will be provided for maximizing strengths Read More
Los Alamos High School Earns Jostens National Yearbook Design Recognition!
Los Alamos High School year book lead editors Darby Knoll and Ben Nguyen hold the banner as the team gathers for a photo at the high school to celebrate their national recognition. Courtesy photo
Los Alamos High School Earns Jostens National Yearbook Design Recognition
- La Loma yearbook, Begin Here, featured in 2014 Jostens Look Book
LAHS News:
Los Alamos High School’s 2012-2013 La Loma yearbook, Begin Here, has been recognized for excellence and featured in the 2014 Jostens Look Book, celebrating the best-of-the-best in yearbook design and coverage.
The Jostens Look Book is a collection of Read More
School Board Urged To Take Action On Gun Violence
During Tuesday’s regular school James Langenbrunner of New Mexico Citzens for Gun Safety and Los Alamos Public Schools parent, urged the School Board to take action to promote gun safety. Langenbrunner pointed to statistics that indicate one in five boys and one in seven girls up to 19 years old in the County make a plan to kill themselves. The Board agreed to study what actions might be appropriate for it to take in the future. Bonnie J. Gordon/ladailypost.com
