C2 Friday, July 30, 2021
Back to School
Roswell Daily Record
Local colleges anticipate return to ‘open’ campuses
Lisa Dunlap Photo When fall classes begin at Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell on Aug. 16, many students will experience in-person classes at the college for the first time since March 2020.
By Lisa Dunlap Roswell Daily Record Local higher education leaders say they are looking forward to more normal classroom experiences and more open campuses for the upcoming academic year, even as the coronavirus pandemic remains a factor they must deal with in making plans for students and employees. “We have directed all colleges and universities to follow CDC (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines, which the State of New Mexico has also adopted,” said Stephanie Montoya, public information officer for the New Mexico Higher Education Department. She said that colleges and universities are not required to submit campus plans, but must continue to report all COVID cases among employees and students to the state. At the current time, New Mexico is not requiring fully vaccinated students or college faculty to distance physically or wear face masks, indoors or outdoors, she said. But that guidance could change because data as of press time indicated that most states were seeing climbing COVID case numbers again due to what medi-
cal scientists considered to be the more contagious and infectious delta variant of the virus. Montoya noted that “having a mixed population of both people who are fully vaccinated and people who are not fully vaccinated on campus requires the continued use of prevention strategies that reduce spread.” She said the department is encouraging all higher education institutions to hold vaccination clinics and offer other incentives for people to get the shots. For Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, the start of the 2021-22 academic year means students and employees will return to campus and classrooms, said its president, Shawn Powell. The school closed in March 2020 due to the coronavirus and public health restrictions, so, for a number of its 1,700 or so full-time college students, they will experience their first in-person encounters with faculty and fellow learners. “With all the occupancy limits being lifted, we are planning to be back to a more typical semester where most of our classes will be face-to-face,” Powell said. For the 2020-21 academic year, most classes were offered online or remotely.
Only technical courses such as health care, welding or automotive and aviation maintenance that required hands-on demonstrations of skills met in-person starting in summer 2020. Powell said that, in the fall, masks will be provided for students not vaccinated and that social distancing will be practiced in classrooms as much as possible. “It is a little hard to say what will be happening a month from now,” he said. “There is some pressure right now for even people who are vaccinated to wear masks, so we will have to wait to see what happens.” He added that Early College High School, part of the Roswell Independent School District, and the New Mexico Youth Challenge Academy will also be attending classes again on the ENMU-Roswell campus. Early College is scheduled to begin Aug. 4, while the Youth Academy is expected back the last week of July. For the New Mexico Military Institute, which has both a high school and a junior college, cadets are expected to return to a less strict environment from the one they experienced during the 2020-21 academic year. As a boarding school, NMMI was allowed to hold in-person classes on a closed cam-
pus. Public health concerns barred visitors under most circumstances, limited offcampus trips by cadets and eliminated a lot of the traditional corps activities such as military parades. “We are back to being a quote-unquote open campus,” Maj. Gen. Jerry Grizzle, NMMI president and superintendent, told the NMMI Board of Regents during the group’s July 13 meeting, when regents approved the back-to-school plan. Although the fall 2021 semester will be a return to a “more regular” environment, plenty of COVIDrelated precautions will still occur. At least three vaccination clinics will be held as some cadet leaders arrive on campus the last week of July and junior college cadets begin registration on Aug. 4. All cadets and employees will be required to get COVID tests, with those testing positive to an antigen test required to take the PCR tests that are considered more accurate. Those who test positive to the PCR tests will undergo isolation in the infirmary. Throughout the semester, random testing will occur and regular screenings for symptoms will take place. All cadets and employees will wear masks in classrooms and be socially distanced,
vaccinated or not. In any indoor setting where social distancing is not possible, they must wear masks. Only unvaccinated people will be required to wear masks outdoors, with NMMI expecting cadets and employees to use the honor system for compliance. What is returning Grizzle said, are visitors on campus, with some stipulations regarding appointments, access and check-ins; parent visitation days; campus sports; travel off Post (or campus) under certain circumstances; visits and socialization with friends; and corps team-building activities. The Institute is still waiting to hear from the New Mexico Activities Association about what will be allowed regarding intercollegiate sports. The Institute also will launch two new associate’s degree programs for the upcoming a year, one in cybersecurity for Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) students and the other in kinesiology. Grizzle said he had been reassured by cadets last year that the restricted campus experience was not as difficult as he and other NMMI administrators worried that it was, but he thought they
will welcome more opportunities for camaraderie. “I think they liked what we offered for them last year,” he said, “but I think they are looking forward to getting back to those regular operations where they can add those pieces that they missed, where they can hug each other and visit each other in their rooms.” Another university that used to hold some classes in Roswell has made its remote options for area students the standard for now. New Mexico Highlands University used to have an office and hold some classes for its master’s degree in social work at the ENMURoswell campus. But Student Support Specialist Marian Najar said that the university has decided to continue the learning model started during the pandemic by providing program courses to Roswell students only through online classroom settings or other “asynchronous” options. Lisa Dunlap can be reached at 575-622-7710, ext. 351, or at reporter02@ rdrnews.com.
Submitted Photo New Mexico Military Institute cadets can expect fewer restrictions for the upcoming year, but random COVID testing and masks in classrooms are still planned for the fall semester.
The Newspapers in Education program
By Barbara Beck Publisher Roswell Daily Record The Roswell Daily Record and the Roswell Independent School District collaborate on Newspapers in Education to use the newspaper as a tool for instruction. We offer the newspaper for use as a learning tool. The newspaper provides copies to the
schools, free of charge. The program is mostly funded through the “Roswell Daily Record” and we are always looking for sponsors for the program. Students use our newspaper as a meaningful resource for learning. The NIE program varies according to the needs of our educational community. It is a very flexible program. A middle school might use the newspaper in a math class calculating percentages while an elementary class might use NIE newspapers for a social studies project, exploring the history of Roswell and Chaves County through one of our articles on the topic. Our newspaper is used as an instructional tool in many subjects and grade levels around town with both public and private education. Typically, most teachers use NIE with a focus on language arts, reading, social studies,
math and science. NIE programs are used throughout grade levels in elementary, middle or high school settings. The goal of our NIE pro-
NIE programs offer many benefits. NIE builds readership and reading skills.
gram is to use the newspaper to help teachers with the subjects they are already teaching. It is not intended to simply teach about the newspaper, although it can be used for that also. A good NIE program helps teachers learn to develop their own activities using the newspaper. Several studies have shown that children and/
or adults who regularly read a newspaper demonstrate significant gains in reading skills. A study conducted by the NAA Foundation showed that students who use newspapers might score significantly higher on standardized tests than students who do not read the newspaper. Newspaper advertisers also love it when a shopper tells them they saw their product in a newspaper advertisement. Our community appreciates those who show an interest in the education, health and safety of their children. NIE can help children in all of those areas. There is no substitute for a newspaper. Television, radio and the internet can give the news quickly. Understanding the news usually comes, however, with the longer, more thoughtful appraisal of facts and details found only in newspapers. Younger
readers quickly learn that a newspaper is more than news. It is feature articles that tell them of interesting people and activities in the community as well. NIE builds community goodwill and helps improve local education. By providing copies of the newspaper, we are giving teachers the opportunity to use the most up-to-date textbook on the market. The closer to home a story is, the more motivation there is to read that story. A student in Roswell is more apt to find his or her name in the Roswell Daily Record than in a larger regional daily newspaper. Our newspaper covers our students’ community. Community news is important to the functioning of our democracy because most citizen involvement occurs at the local level. The community newspaper is geographically closer to its reading audience and
it is also easily accessible under normal circumstances for tours by students because we have our own printing facility and always have. Not many newspapers have their own press anymore, as they are now much harder to find. Teachers, please send in photos of your children’s school events or photos of their volunteer efforts throughout the year to be spotlighted. There are also writing opportunities available for teen writers. For more information contact editor@rdrnews.com. NIE is a benefit to schools and the community. Please take the time to consider reading a newspaper and supporting NIE. Barbara Beck is publisher of the Roswell Daily Record. She has a Master’s degree in Education, graduating with honors, and taught for 11 years in elementary, middle school and community college.
Back to School Friday, July 30, 2021 C3 Schools, colleges in midst of major building projects
Roswell Daily Record
By Lisa Dunlap Roswell Daily Record Several school construction projects are underway or slated to begin this academic year, including a multimillion-dollar renovation of Mesa Middle School in Roswell, security fencing for Lake Arthur Municipal Schools and construction and renovations at the colleges in Roswell. The largest new building project on the horizon is the long-awaited renovation of Mesa Middle School on East Bland Street by the Roswell Independent School District. The school for sixth to eighth graders was built in 1958, with some additions in 1961, and serves about 530 students a year now. The RISD Board of Education has recommended that Waide Construction Co., a local company, receive the construction contract, according to Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Chad Cole. Waide has worked on other school renovations and construction projects, Cole said, and understands the district and its people. “The beauty of that is they are from our community,” he said, “They understand phased construction, which is a really big deal when you are moving students and staff and conducting operations while you are simultaneously doing construction.” While the costs of construction materials are increasing due to continued strains on supply chains, Cole said, the hope is that that the New Mexico Public Schools Facilities Authority and its Capital Outlay Funding Council will approve the funding in the next months so that groundbreaking can occur. The district last estimated the cost in May to be about $21 million, with the state to pay about 71%. The renovation and new construction project is expected to add a second gymnasium, a two-story wing for classrooms, a pickup and drop-off vehicle plaza, and a new track and field. While the school will be designed according to current energy-efficiency and security standards, Cole
Submitted Photo An artist’s rendering shows how Mesa Middle School will look after renovations and new construction add a new track and field, a vehicle pick-up and drop-off area, and a two-story classroom wing.
said, the district is most concerned about how solid and sturdy the construction is. “What we are always aiming for with school buildings is a 100-year building, a facility that will last,” he said. “Those buildings are really high quality and have high standards to last a long time.” The district also has been approved by the state to begin architectural design for the renovation of Nancy Lopez Elementary School, built in 1954 and last renovated in 1982. That work will begin this academic year. Cole also said that the district will conduct education specifications for Washington Avenue Elementary School and Mountain View Middle School. Those educational specifications determine student populations served. Those specifications will then determine design and construction needs. Other projects are planned or underway by a public school district and the two local colleges. Lake Arthur Municipal Schools The combined elementary, middle and high school will install a solid security fence around the perimeter of its campus starting in August,
according to Superintendent Elisa Begueria. It also will repair roofs for the cafeteria, office area, library and high school. The roofs were already aging, she said, but recent rain and hail storms caused other damages. She said the cost probably will be $800,000 to $1 million and will be covered by federal funds. The $200,000 fencing project will be paid for by one of the three state capital outlay awards received by the district in 2021. Begueria said the funding should cover most, if not all, of the costs. She added that the fence will have a secure gate requiring identification badges or other means for entry. Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell The community college is continuing work on two building projects started in 2020: the construction of a new metal Physical Plant building on West Mathis Street and the renovation of the automotive and welding instructional building on University Boulevard. “They will be wrapped up by the end of the calendar year,” said ENMU-Roswell President Shawn Powell. “The maintenance or Physical Plant is scheduled to be completed by September.
The Automotive and Welding Building is scheduled to be completed by the end of the calendar year.” Powell said safety renovations to the Performing Arts Center are expected to be completed by September, and that the school also will seek approval of the Community College Branch Board later this year to proceed with a campus security project. The $16 million Physical Plant project is being paid by ENMU-Roswell capital reserve funds. Voter-approved general obligation bonds are paying for the automotive and welding renovation, costing about $4 million, and the $1.85 million campus security project, which will add more outdoor lighting and install more campus surveillance cameras and related equipment. Powell said he wanted to express his appreciation to voters and legislators for the GO bond funding. New Mexico Military Institute Col. David West, NMMI chief of staff, indicated that the school has four major projects in progress. The $18 million renovation of Cahoon Armory — which houses a gym, locker rooms and athletic offices —is expected to be finished
by the end of 2021. Waide Construction is heading up the project. Two phases of renovations to Hagerman barracks bathrooms, or sink rooms, are planned for the coming year. The first phase is expected to be finished by September, with the second phase to be done by summer 2022. Pluma Construction of Albuquerque is general contractor. The $3 million renovation overseen by Waide Construction to the JRT/VMV/ Hinkle Hall complex, known as the student union building, is expected to wrap up
by December 2021. The other project is the $6 million energy performance contract with Engie of Albuquerque to upgrade lighting, boilers, chillers, heating and air conditioning systems and other electrical systems throughout the campus. The energy cost savings realized by the changes have been guaranteed by the company to pay for the cost of the upgrades. Lisa Dunlap can be reached at 575-622-7710, ext. 351, or at reporter02@ rdrnews.com.
C4 Friday, July 30, 2021
Back to School
Roswell Daily Record
Art education matters
By Christina Stock Roswell Daily Record According to the National Center for Education Statistics’ study in June 1995, children who are active in extracurricular activities, including performing arts and music, were three times as likely to perform in the top quartile on a composite math and reading assessment compared with nonparticipants. Two-thirds of participants expected to complete at least a bachelor’s degree, while about half of nonparticipants expected to do so. The study indicated that students who participate in arts have fewer unexcused absences than non-participants, and 50.7% never skipped classes during first semester of their senior year. These statistics are backed by the Arts Education Partnership, a national network of more than 100 organizations dedicated to advancing arts education. The organization has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education since 1995, and is administered by Education C ommission of th e States. Edward B. Fiske’s 1999 report, “Champions of Change: The Impact of the Arts on Learning,” for AEP and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in Washington, D.C., identifies how “involvement with the arts provides unparalleled opportunities for learning that enables young people to reach for and attain higher levels of achievement.” One of those students who participated in extracurricular activities, as in music, is Dallin Green who grew up in Roswell and has returned to be the new Roswell Independent School District instructor for its orchestra program. In a phone interview, Green talked about his background and plans. Asked about his choice in becoming a teacher, Green said that it was due to his teachers in Roswell. “I went to Valley View, I went to Mesa Middle School, I went to Roswell High. In between all of that, I actually went to Goddard for half a year as well. I studied music at all of those schools and had different teachers. I learned a little bit from each teacher, but I mostly had Dr. Sara Montgomery as my teacher and mentor during the majority of those years. “When I was in high school — since I loved to make music and it brought me such joy — I would practice during class time, because Dr. Montgomery would let me do that and the music that they were learning in the class was just too easy for me. So she would give me the AllState excerpts and the audition thesis and scales and I would go and practice. I was always practicing at home and my parents never had to motivate me. I always encourage my students to go out and find whatever kind of music they like to play for fun.” Green said. Green previously was orchestra teacher at Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada, and in Rexburg, Idaho, where he taught more than 300 students, grades 5-7. He was section leader for the Brigham Young University
Christina Stock Photo During a May 2019 Family After Hours event at the Roswell Museum and Art Center — a collaboration between the Roswell Independent School District’s Arts Connect program and RMAC — children work with friends and parents to learn how to weave.
S ymph on y Orch estra in Idaho and obtained third chair with his violin with the New Mexico Music Educators Association Symphony Orchestra. Asked how he is going to approach teaching in Roswell, Green said, “We are going to follow all the district guidelines for keeping the students safe, that is our first priority. Aside from that, we do whatever it takes to make music and to feel the joy of music together. “What I hope to bring to the program, to the high school program and whatever other schools I’ll be assigned to, is a culture of hard work and practicing and improving, and I’m hoping that, because of the hard work that the students will put into learning the music, they’ll find a lot more joy in creating the music and making music together as a class,” Green said. One of the organizations that traditionally supported music education at RISD is the Roswell Symphony Orchestra. Green said that he will continue reaching out to them. “I don’t have any immediate plans on changing the procedures that are already in place, but the tradition in participating in things like the shadow orchestra with the high school students and during the instrument petting zoo, of course, they are parts of the music culture and orchestra culture that I want to keep alive. And I have direct connections with RSO because I am also a member of the Roswell Symphony. I play violin and the viola.” Green is passionate about teaching music and he said that it is never too late for students. “I would like to let the general public know, especially those who have children who are entering high school or who are already in high school, I welcome any level of player into the high school orchestras and I welcome beginners. Ideally in 9th or 10th grade, I would still take beginners with open arms. I would teach them the basics. I would take the time outside the class schedule and arrange it so that they have the attention they need to improve, so we can make the program stronger together. I want everybody to know, just because they haven’t started in middle school or elementary school that doesn’t mean they can’t start as beginner in high school in
this program.” Green said. The Roswell symphony had no live in-person concerts during the pandemic or any of their live educational programs for school children. Instead, RSO Operations Manager Kate Graham said in a phone interview that, in May 2020, RSO released a Mariachi concert on its YouTube channel. “A part of this concert were tutorials that were posted so that local students could learn some basic Mariachi music. The release of that actually happened too late for students of RISD to actually use that during the school year, or the teachers. Our hope is that they’ll reference that going into this school year,” Graham said. “Our hope was, pre-COVID-19, that we were going to do outreach with Mariachi master classes in town as well as outreach concerts, but because of the COVID it ended up being all online.” She said that RSO’s big event is a concert on Feb. 26 with the orchestra performing Sergei Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf,” a classic children’s concert where every animal voice is a different orchestral instrument. She said that RSO will be having free student tickets available, a tradition to reach the youth of Roswell. Instead of being performed in the evening, it will start in the afternoon. “Prior to that, we’ll have an instrumental petting zoo, which is something that we used to have dur-
ing our Labor Day concert, but since Labor Day has been truncated to a small group again this year, we’ll be offering that petting zoo before the actual concert this February,” Graham said. “At this time, (there will be) likely just string instruments that kids can try out prior to the concert. We’ll have them set up in the lobby at Pearson (Auditorium on New Mexico Military Institute grounds). Depending on COVID and how the pandemic things are still going, we may not have brass and woodwind instruments because of (them having) mouthpieces. “The 4th grade concert will be different,” Graham said. “It is usually on Friday afternoon, and we normally don’t do any petting zoo before that, because the kids are coming in right before the concert. The students will come in at 12:30 p.m. We have to get the hall filled and start at 1 p.m., so we are done at 1:45 p.m. and they can go back to school.” Graham said that details will be released on RSO’s webpage and announced in a press release prior to the planned events. RSO isn’t only working together with RISD, but other schools as well. “Specifically, for that young persons concert, we do invite private schools, like Immanuel Lutheran and All-Saints, as well as the home schools,” Graham said. “It depends, the RISD fourth graders generally don’t fill the entire Pearson
Auditorium, so we invite the private schools, home schools — what classes they would like to bring because their enrollment is much smaller — we leave it open to them.” Jeanette Main teaches art at Berrendo Middle School. Asked about her plans for her students, Main said, “It will be nice to have them actually in my classroom, full time, I’m hoping. I haven’t gotten a chance to talk with my principal. Because last year, our challenge was that we had to do some of our classes in the cafeteria for social distancing reasons. My class is a pretty good size, so to have them in that little small room was kind of an issue. It will be nice to have them back in my class room where we actually do some more hands-on things. Because in the cafeteria you can’t do glitter and glue, paint and clay, and all that good stuff. I am very ready to get them back in the room and hands-on.” Main said that she would like to include more painting in the curriculum. “I know a lot of the kids asked me,” she said. “We couldn’t do that last year. This year, I am planning to do a lot more, and I’ve also got some other art education professional development things that I will be doing.” Main said that one of her main goals is to connect curricula. “I think that’s going to help the skills of some of the kids in other classes as well. As an example, sometimes, when the
history classes are learning about Egypt, I like to do a mummy project and it involves plaster casting and things like that. I would like to do more of that and coordinate with some of the teachers so that the parents and grandparents know we’re working together as teachers to get everybody back on track and keeping them at a good level,” Main said. In addition to scholarly pursuits, visual and performing arts have been shown in multitudes of studies to be important for the development of a child and, ultimately, will set the foundation for a successful life. This is the case especially in times of a crises, as the pandemic was. The World Health Organization reviewed more than 3,000 studies from all around the world since 2019. It concluded that the arts play a major role in preventing sickness and promoting health from kindergarten and across the lifespan of a person. The National Endowment for the Arts and the U.S. Department of Education formed a national coalition named Arts Education Partnership (AEP) in 1995. In its recent study, the organization found that arts education cultivates skills for learning. It strengthens critical thinking; encourages student engagement and fosters creativity. It is especially interesting that one of its studies shows that drawing before writing helped students formulate ideas and later led to better quality of writing and storytelling. Students who participate in art classes, according to another study by AEP, were more likely than their non-arts peers to graduate, attend a postsecondary school and go on to earn a four-year college degree. As an example, AEP states, “In college, engagement with visual arts can have a range of positive impacts, from better performance on geometry tasks to increased observational accuracy for medical students.” Christina Stock may be contacted at 622-7710, ext. 309, or at vision@rdrnews. com.
Christina Stock Photo The first Family After Hours in May 2019 was a successful collaboration between the Roswell Museum and Art Center and Roswell Independent School District’s Arts Connect program, housed at the Creative Learning Center.
Roswell Daily Record
Back to School
Friday, July 30, 2021
RISD depends on substitutes to fill staffing needs By Juno Ogle Roswell Daily Record Roswell Independent School District, like many districts in the state and nation, faces a shortage of full-time teachers, forcing it once again to rely greatly on substitutes in the coming school year. District officials are hopeful that a change in recruiting tactics will help alleviate the staffing issues, however. More than 130 positions were listed on the district’s employment page on its website with less than three weeks before the start of the school year, but Mireya Trujillo, assistant superintendent of human resources, said that is not cause for great concern. “It seems really high but we’ve instituted new systems. For example, the coaching component, none of those used to be posted,” Trujillo said. Posting the coaching positions on the employment page helps the district keep track of those positions, she said. About 25 such positions were listed the week of July 19. Other positions listed on the website include jobs the district continually accepts applications for such as substitutes for teachers, custodians and cafeteria workers, Trujillo said. Some are part of the district’s wish list. “There was a position for recreational therapy through play therapy. We’ve never been able to find someone who’s licensed for that, but wouldn’t it be great if we did? So some of those are just one of those things that, if we find a qualified individual, then we’ll put them in there,” she said. While the number changes daily, by mid-July the district was still trying to fill about 60 certified teaching positions. Because of that, Trujillo said she expects a greater reliance this year on longterm subs compared to last year. Last year’s restrictions and remote and hybrid education models made it difficult for subs to take jobs, she said. “They couldn’t just pick up a job at one elementary today and another elementary tomorrow and at a high school the next day, where before when they could do that — there were lesson plans and resources in the room,” Trujillo said. With remote and hybrid learning — where classes were taught either fully or partially online — several different software platforms were used that required training and access codes. Subs were often used in
Juno Ogle Photo Mireya Trujillo, assistant superintendent of human resources at Roswell Independent School District, talks about the Teacher Center in the Administrative and Educational Services Complex, 300 N. Kentucky Ave. The center contains die-cut machines, large-format printers and other equipment that RISD teachers can use to create materials for their classrooms.
cases where a teacher had to quarantine but the students could be in the classroom. The teacher worked remotely while a substitute worked with students in the classroom. “It didn’t penalize the teacher, but it cost us more because we had to pay the substitute. But our thinking is that we’re providing that quality education from a licensed person,” Trujillo said. It also gave the substitute an opportunity to work with a teacher, even if virtually. “Our substitutes were amazing. They just kind of rolled with all the different changes,” Trujillo said. RISD Superintendent Brian Luck, who was principal of Goddard High School prior to taking the district’s top job in June, said there was a group of regular, dependable subs who would get pulled into a school right away and generally stayed at the same school. Others were not as certain about taking jobs because of COVID requirements or uncertainty about working during the pandemic, he said. He said he hopes those subs will consider coming back to RISD. “We’re still going to have vacancies and we need people to come in and help us out when people are sick or have activities or whatever,” he said. This year should be easier for subs, Trujillo said. “I think more of our subs are feeling more comfortable because they know our plan is to go back to in-person instruction,” she said. There were even a small number of teachers who resigned last year rather than teach through the pandemic. Trujillo said she knew of one who had reap-
plied to teach this year. Both said they knew filling positions at all levels — certified and uncertified — could be difficult, however. “Obviously it’d be so nice to walk in the door and say we have zero vacancies, and I’m going to echo that for any business in town right now,” Luck said. “Everybody’s got the same set of problems we have.” To help alleviate that situation, RISD conducted its first-ever career fair July 22 and 23, partnering with the Roswell Chamber of Commerce. It’s part of the district’s changing strategy in recruiting new teachers and staff. Prior to 2020, RISD would travel to teacher career fairs at the state’s universities. The personal touch that afforded — a booth decorated with aliens and free items like stress balls and chile pepper pins — helped the staff make personal connections with college students preparing to become teachers, but the pandemic changed all that. Career fairs were canceled in spring 2020, then went online. “When you’re in virtual mode, students have to sign up for your session. We started doing group sessions and appointments with each one, but, if they don’t sign up for it, it’s really difficult to reach out to someone,” Trujillo said. RISD also found it needed to make contact with education students much earlier than when they are finishing up their degrees, she said. “If we can catch them earlier and start planting those seeds of ‘We’ve got these opportunities in Roswell,’ then that would definitely be of benefit to us,” Trujillo said.
“We also have learned that we need to do more with reaching out rath er than waiting for them to come to us and posting everything on our website,” she said. Hence, the job fair with the Chamber of Commerce. The district also might conduct job fairs in surrounding communities as well, Trujillo said. One thing the district emphasizes with potential teachers is the support given by RISD, Trujillo said, including a mentorship program for first-year teachers. “A lot of districts that pay more don’t offer that because their monies are spent right into the base salary to attract people, whereas, for us, we value that training component to set them up for success,” she said. The Teacher Center and Material Center, both housed at the Administrative and Educational Services Complex, 300 N. Kentucky Ave., are also among the supports the district
touts to recruits. The Teacher Center contains equipment such as copiers, large format printers and die-cut machines for teachers to create classroom materials. Many of the materials and equipment are available at no cost to the teachers. The Material Center houses multimedia resources for teachers from books and videos to models of the solar system. Teachers can even order from the Material Center online, have the media delivered to their classroom and send it back when the lesson is finished. Alternative licensing is also a method RISD sees as having potential to alleviate teacher shortages. Through those programs, experienced professionals with bachelor’s degrees can obtain teaching certificates in one or two years while teaching under a temporary license. The New Mexico Public Education Department’s Alternative Educator Prep Program offers two years of
C5
training through a university or community college, while Cooperative Education Services offers Leading Educators through Alternative Pathways, or LEAP, a oneyear program. Luck said the potential for alternative licensing is “getting bigger every day.” “Where we’re headed, it sounds like even in education in general, is utilizing skills from people that are outside (education) and tapping into some resources,” he said. Luck said professionals have more to offer than just knowledge of a particular field. “Being able to take advantage of those people that have been in industry, they’ve been in business, and they can really, truly give that life-component to the kids is huge,” he said. Luck and Trujillo said when alternative licensing was introduced several years ago, it saw a great deal of interest, but that has decreased since. They think remote learning during the pandemic might bring more interest, however. As parents worked at home, observed and even helped their children with their at-home learning, they might have thought teaching was something they could do, Luck said. “We’re in a different place in this world now, post-COVID,” Trujillo said. “What we’re seeing with the research is that people’s priorities have changed. So we’re really making sure we reach out to them to make sure that they know this is a possibility for them.” City/RISD reporter Juno Ogle can be reached at 575-622-7710, ext. 205, or reporter04@rdrnews.com.
Juno Ogle Photo Roswell Independent School District conducted its first career fair July 22 and 23 in partnership with the Roswell Chamber of Commerce at the chamber’s offices, 131 W. Second St. The district has changed its staff recruiting techniques after the pandemic and has plans for more events like the career fair in the future.
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Nuevos Directores Anunciados en la Escuela Secundaria Sierra y la Preparatoria Goddard Debbi Norris, una veterana de 26-años del Distrito Independiente Escolar de Roswell, ha sido nombrada directora de la Escuela Secundari Sierra. Norris entró al distrito hace 26 años como maestra en la Escuela Primaria Chisum y cuando ese edificio cerró, ella se mudó a la Escuela Secundaria Mesa. Después, ella fue
Entrenadora de Lectura en la Escuela Missouri Avenue y también trabajó en administración en la Primaria Nancy Lopez antes de ser ocupada como TOSA (Maestra en Asignación Especial) en la Preparatoria Goddard. Durante su tiempo en Goddard, ella fue temporalmente puesta en la Escuela Sierra por un semestre para suplir el cargo de Asistente de Directora, después se regresó a la Escuela Goddard como asistente de directora antes de obtener el puesto de directora en la Sierra. Su plan es implementar varios programas nuevos en la escuela, incluyendo la Beca para Escuelas Comunitarias. “Este programa presentará una
variedad de programas emocionantes e innovadores a los estudiantes aquí en Sierra”, dijo Norris. Aportando una gran cantidad de experiencia docente y administrativa que abarca varias décadas, Mario Zúñiga ha sido nombrado director de La Preparatoria Goddard. Zúñiga comenzó como maestro en la Preparatoria Reserve y también enseñó en Silver City, la Secundaria
Koogler en Aztec, y en la Primaria Midway en Soccoro. Se trasladó a la administración en la Preparatoria de Alamogordo como subdirector, y luego se desempeñó como director en las Preparatorias Aztec, Hagerman, Hatch y Valencia en Los Lunas. “Tengo tres metas que me gustaría cumplir como director de la Escuela Goddard”, dijo Zúñiga. “Primero, quiero que todos los estudiantes se gradúen a tiempo. Segundo, quiero que cada alumno en Goddard pueda leer y escribir a su nivel de grado. Por último, quiero ver a todos los maestros esforzarse por mejorar en la enseñanza y cada día ser mejores en lo que hacemos”.
Alas-para-la-Vida ofrece programas gratuitos en todas las escuelas primarias y secundarias de RISD; También se ofrece el programa de Crianza Comunitaria Creación de Activos-Programa Después de clases, Construyendo Hoy a los Líderes del mañana. Disponible en las 12 escuelas primarias. Los formularios de inscripción están disponibles en la oficina principal de su escuela a partir del 1 de agosto de 2021. Nuestro plan de estudios es para todos los niños interesados en los grados 1-5. Nuestro programa después de la escuela promueve factores protectores en los niños que les permiten alcanzar metas, tomar buenas decisiones y evitar comportamientos de riesgo. El programa ofrece oportunidades para construir relaciones positivas. Proporciona un ambiente de crianza y cuidado donde: • Se modelan valores positivos
• Los niños aprenden y se divierten • Los niños experimentan aliento y aceptación • Los niños aprenden sobre el respeto, la empatía, el manejo de situaciones de acoso, las metas futuras, la resistencia a la presión negativa de los compañeros, la importancia de la escuela, los buenos hábitos de estudio, la autoestima positiva y muchos más. El Programa de Resiliencia Porque Intentar, ofrece habilidades de aprendizaje social y emocional que ayudan a los jóvenes a alcanzar oportunidades, libertad y amor propio utilizando intervenciones educativas que motivan y crean un cambio positivo. “Por qué intentarlo en la vida”. El Programa es disponible en las 4 Escuelas Secundarias, formas de regis-
tración están disponibles en su escuela comenzando el primero de agosto. Un plan de estudios de prevención y abuso de sustancias también es parte del programa. Este plan de estudios educa a los estudiantes sobre los peligros del abuso del alcohol y las drogas y sus efectos perjudiciales en el cerebro en desarrollo durante la adolescencia Programa de Crianza Comunitaria Currículo aprobado por la Corte Semanal que proporciona instrucción de crianza de calidad. Los padres pueden entrar en cualquier momento. Se proporcionará un certificado al completar el programa. Nuestro programa de crianza se reúne todos los miércoles de 5:30-
6:30, vía Zoom. Los formularios de inscripción se pueden encontrar en nuestra página web, en roswell-wingsforlife.org • Recursos valiosos para padres de niños de todas las edades y capacidades. • APROBADO POR LA CORTE, confidencial. • Enseñado por educadores de nivel de maestría certificados por el estado. • La crianza de los hijos es difícil. Desarrolle y maximice su talento, fortalezas y habilidades en un entorno de empoderamiento de apoyo. • Inscripcion abierta en cualquier momento. Obtenga un certificado al completar 15 clases.
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RISD anuncia la política de comidas gratuitas para estudiantes durante el año escolar 2021-2022 El Distrito Escolar Independiente de Roswell anunció que durante el año escolar 2021-2022, se ofrecerán comidas saludables todos los días escolares a todos los estudiantes sin costo alguno. Por lo general, el hogar de un estudiante debe cumplir con los requisitos de elegibilidad de ingresos para calificar para comidas gratuitas o a precio reducido. Sin embargo, el Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA) emitió una guía que permite a las escuelas ofrecer comidas a todos los estudiantes sin costo alguno para el año escolar 20212022. Mientras que no se requiere ninguna solicitud o determinación de elegibilidad para que su estudiante reciba comidas gratis este año escolar, los requisitos de elegibilidad de ingresos probablemente se reanudarán en el año escolar 2022-2023. Como tal, El Distrito Escolar Independiente De ROSWELL procesará las solicitudes de los hogares para la Escuela Preparatoria Goddard y la Escuela Preparatoria Roswell durante el año escolar 2021-2022 para asegurar la elegibilidad de los estudiantes para comidas gratis o a precio reducido durante los primeros 30 días del año escolar 2022-2023 mientras se procesan las solicitudes. Cada escuela/sitio u oficina central tiene una copia de la póliza, que puede ser revisada bajo petición. Las Escuelas Preparatorias Goddard y Roswell son las únicas escuelas que toman solicitudes. Todas las demás escuelas de RISD tienen el significado de CEP: Todas las comidas de los estudiantes SON GRATUITAS independientemente de su elegibilidad. Si su hijo/a va a cualquiera de estas escuelas, no se necesita ninguna solicitud. A partir del 2 DE AGOSTO DE 2021; las Escuelas GODDARD y ROSWELL comenzarán a distribuir cartas a los hogares de los niños en el distrito sobre estos beneficios de elegibilidad 2022-2023 y las acciones que los hogares deben tomar para aplicar. LAS APLICACIONES TAMBIÉN ESTÁN DISPONIBLES EN LÍNEA y en la Oficina Central.
Participante del Programa 3. El estado del niño como un niño de crianza, sin hogar, fugitivo, migrante o desplazado por un desastre declarado Eligibilidad de Ingresos Para aquellos hogares que califican para comidas gratuitas o a precio reducido basadas en los ingresos, un adulto en el hogar debe completar la solicitud de comida gratuita y a precio reducido y devolverla a Holly Valenzuela, a la Oficina de Nutrición Estudiantil; 575-637-3339 o puede llenarlo EN LÍNEA. Las personas que llenen la solicitud deberán proporcionar la siguiente información: 1. Nombres de todos los miembros del hogar 2. Cantidad, frecuencia, y Fuente de ingresos actual para cada miembro del hogar 3. Últimos 4 dígitos del número de Seguro Social del miembro adulto del hogar que firma la solicitud o, si el adulto no tiene un número de seguro social, marque la casilla “Sin número de Seguro Social” 4. Firma de un miembro adulto del hogar que acredite que la información proporcionada es correcta
Programa Categórico o Eligibilidad Roswell ISD está trabajando con agencias locales para identificar a todos los niños que son categóricamente elegibles para el programa. Roswell ISD notificará a los hogares de estos niños que no necesitan completar una solicitud. Cualquier hogar que no reciba una carta y sienta que debería haberla recibido debe comunicarse con Holly Valenzuela al 575-637-3339. Cualquier hogar que desee rechazar los beneficios debe comunicarse con Holly Valenzuela al 575-637-3339. Las solicitudes se pueden enviar en cualquier momento durante el año escolar. La información que los hogares proporcionan en la solicitud se utilizará para determinar la elegibilidad. Las solicitudes también pueden ser verificadas por los funcionarios de la escuela en cualquier momento durante el año escolar.
Circunstancias Inesperadas Si un miembro del hogar se queda Aplicación EN-Línea: desempleado o si el tamaño del hogar RISD@k12.nm.us Servicios de Aliaumenta, el hogar debe comunicarse mentos con la escuela. Tales cambios pueden hacer que los hijos del hogar sean Criterios para beneficios de comida elegibles para recibir beneficios si gratis y a precio reducido para comen- los ingresos del hogar caen en o por zar el año escolar 2022-2023 debajo de las pautas de elegibilidad de Se usarán los siguientes criterios para ingresos actuales adjuntas. determinar la elegibilidad de un niño De acuerdo con la ley federal de para beneficios de comida gratis o a derechos civiles y las regulaciones precio reducido al comienzo del año y políticas de derechos civiles del escolar 2022-2023: Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos (USDA), sus agencias, Ingresos oficinas y empleados, e instituciones 1. Ingresos del hogar que están en o que participan o administran propor debajo de los niveles de elegibiligramas del USDA están prohibidos de dad de ingresos discriminatorio basado en raza, color, Elegibilidad Categórica o Automática origen nacional, sexo, incapacidad, 2.Hogar que recibe el Programa de edad, o represalia o represalia por la Asistencia Nutricional Suplementaria actividad previa de derechos civiles (SNAP), Asistencia Temporal para en cualquier programa o actividad Familias Necesitadas (TANF); o Proconducida o financiada por el USDA. grama de Distribución de Alimentos Las personas con discapacidades que en las Reservas Indígenas (FDPIR) requieren medios alternativos de
Keep Up-to-Date on what’s going on in the Roswell Schools Search for us under “Roswell Schools” Look us up on the web: https://www.risd.k12.nm.us
comunicación para la información del programa (por ejemplo, Braille, letra grande, cinta de audio, lenguaje de señas estadounidense, etc.), deben comunicarse con la Agencia (estatal o local) donde solicitaron los beneficios. Las personas sordas, con dificultades auditivas o con discapacidades del habla pueden comunicarse con el USDA a través del Servicio Federal de Retransmisión al (800) 877-8339. Además, la información del programa puede estar disponible en idiomas distintos del inglés. Para presentar una queja de discriminación del programa, complete el Formulario de queja de discriminación del Programa del USDA ,(AD-3027) que se encuentra en línea en: https://www.usda.gov/oascr/ how-to-file-a-program-discrimina-
tion-complaint, y en cualquier oficina del USDA, o escriba una carta dirigida al USDA y proporcione en la carta toda la información solicitada en el formulario Para solicitar una copia del formulario de queja, llame al (866) 632-9992. Envíe su formulario o carta completa al USDA por: (1) correo postal: Departamento de Agricultura de los Estados Unidos, Oficina del Subsecretario de Derechos Civiles, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; o (3) correo electrónico: program.intake-usda.gov. Esta institución es un proveedor de igualdad de oportunidades
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2021 RISD Back to School General Manager
SaraLei Fajardo
Publisher
Barbara Beck
Editor
John Dilmore Ad Des
Sandra Maign rtinez Layout and Cover Desig Aric Loomis n
riters Contributing W
Christina Stock Juno Ogle Lisa Dunlap Composing
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Director
z
Melanie Page Merle Alexande r
Aric Loomcistor Dire Circulation n Jim Dishma
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