LAPS News:
The Los Alamos School Board met for a regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 9. President Melanie Colgan opened the meeting by recognizing Los Alamos High School (LAHS) Librarian Shannon Seitz and her student assistant, Kira Lorenc, for contributions to Black History Month.
Lorenc created a WebQuest with more than 35 reliable websites exploring topics such as the foundations of Black History Month, significant Black figures and noteworthy historical events.
“We would like to applaud the student who has just gone the extra mile this month to help out the rest of the school,” Colgan said.
The board also recognized three members of the LAHS Olions who earned 2nd place in the One Act Play Competition.
“They did a wonderful job fighting through adversity and putting together a solid performance. I think they were rewarded justly with a place at state,” Thespian Club Sponsor Jason Rutledge said.
Next, Student Body Representatives William McTeigue and Adrian Will reported on their activities over the past month. They have been busy hosting events with students and maintaining weekly communication with the student body. In addition to video announcements, they also created a website with weekly events and announcements.
Superintendent Kurt Steinhaus then presented a draft School Board Resolution about supporting educators to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. The Resolution was a request from Vice President Ellen Specter. The board requests that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Department of Health show support for the health and safety of our communities by prioritizing the vaccination of educators as we prepare to return to in-person learning.
Steinhaus stated that as of Tuesday evening, 41 percent of LAPS staff has received vaccinations and more than 94 percent of staff are willing to get the vaccination.
“We have worked very hard and looked everywhere we could to find opportunities for our staff,” Steinhaus said.
Board Vice President Ellen Specter was pleased with the resolution and said, “I think we have a moral and ethical obligation to pursue this as fast and furiously as we can.”
The Board voted unanimously to approve the resolution.
Perhaps the most important topic of the evening for the board was to discuss the possibility of expanding in-person learning at the middle and high school levels. After hearing presentations from Dr. Steinhaus, Los Alamos Middle School Principal Suzanne Lynne and LAHS Principal Carter Payne, as well as public comments from students, teachers and parents, the School Board voted 4-1 to move forward with expanding in person learning at the middle and high schools.
The district will begin the “onboarding” process starting Monday, Feb. 22, which includes teachers preparing their classrooms and hosting orientations for new students including 7th and 9th graders. The Remote+ schedule will begin with transportation Monday, March 1.
