Volume 108 / Issue 1 / Summer/Fall 2017-2018
DREAM! EXPLORE! ACHIEVE!
LIVING HISTORY
NMSD CELEBRATES YESTERDAY, PRESERVES TODAY, EMBRACES TOMORROW
Dream! Explore! Achieve!
Vision
Beliefs
Children and students in New Mexico who are deaf/hard of hearing will become lifelong learners and contributing, well-rounded successful individuals in an increasingly global society.
In an environment of respect, trust, and safety, we believe in…
Mission The mission of the New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD), New Mexico’s first public school, is to provide for the unique needs of children and students who are deaf/hard of hearing, their families, and professional partners by providing a comprehensive array of school and statewide programs. As a school, NMSD provides an American Sign Language and English bilingual learning environment that includes direct, ongoing access to language and communication in and out of the classroom with a wide range of peers and adults. The students are interactive learners who receive dynamic high quality standardsbased instruction in a variety of curricular and extra-curricular activities. As a statewide service agency, NMSD collaborates with families, school districts, agencies and communities throughout the state to meet the critical language, communication, and learning needs of children and students in New Mexico who are deaf/hard of hearing, birth through high school.
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viewing people who are deaf/hard of hearing from a cultural and linguistic perspective
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having high expectations that positively affect self-esteem, identity and whole person development
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providing early, ongoing, and fluid access to communication through natural language models
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developing proficiency in American Sign Language and English which is critical for fluent communication, literacy and academic achievement
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supporting the development of auditory skills and spoken language as appropriate to the strengths and needs of the individual child/student
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providing high quality early intervention and involvement services designed to help families give their children the earliest possible on-going opportunities for language, learning and meaningful relationships
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fostering strong partnerships with families through learning and social opportunities
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identifying each student’s unique strengths and using them as the foundation for learning and development
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ensuring the child/student is a consistent and active participant in planned and incidental learning experiences in and out of the classroom
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embracing ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity
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developing competence in the use of advanced technology
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having high quality and committed staff who possess and maintain expertise in their respective area
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supporting all students in the pursuit of their personal and professional aspirations
February 2013
VOLUME 108 ISSUE 1 SUMMER/FALL 2017-2018
FEATURE
DREAM! EXPLORE! ACHIEVE!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HISTORY: NMSD CELEBRATES YESTERDAY, 5 LIVING PRESERVES TODAY, EMBRACES TOMORROW
2 3 5 11 12 17 22 24 25 27 28 29
Superintendent’s Update New Students Feature Early Intervention & Involvement Early Childhood Education - Preschools Main Campus Multicultural Education Transition Athletics Center for Educational Consultation & Training Alumni Community Relations
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SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATE
DEAR NMSD COMMUNITY & FRIENDS One hundred, thirty-two years ago this fall, in 1885, as the residents of Santa Fe were beginning to brace for colder days ahead, Lars Larson, the first Superintendent of the New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD), was moving his first class of four deaf students into a small school building. With his driving vision of opening the doors to education for all deaf children in N.M., NMSD became the first public school in the territory of N.M. in 1887. Facing personal calamity, losing his wife and children to illness and accidents, and political struggles in funding the school, Superintendent Larson, nonetheless, persevered. As a result, NMSD thrives today with graduates who have excelled in athletics, the arts, business, technology and academics. NMSD’s history is preserved in our wonderful museum by caring educators you will meet in this edition of the N.M. Progress. Our history at NMSD and at schools for the deaf across the nation are an integral part of our culture. The struggles and sacrifices of deaf students, deaf leaders, deaf educators and hearing allies in tearing down barriers to language and communication are passed down from one generation to another; we are always mindful of the work that has gone before us to make possible the quality education provided today and what we must continue to fight for. Though there are many successes in the eras of Superintendents, there are milestones that stand out for us as a daily inspiration. Beginning with the profound self-sacrifice in the founding of NMSD by Lar Larson, NMSD staff, families, and superintendents have rallied to make NMSD what it is today. They stabilized funding, raised expectations so students graduate and attend college, reached out to the state through satellite preschools, early services to babies and consultation to public schools, implemented a bilingual (ASL and English) method to assure quality in both languages and full access to communication, employed outstanding deaf staff and fluent signers, and continually upgraded the campus facilities to meet the needs of students. As we meander through our history we are reminded that NMSD stands strong for deaf and hard of hearing students and that “what is distinctly human in us – our capacities for language, for thought, for communication, and culture – do not develop automatically in us, are not just biological functions, but are, equally, social and historical in origin; that they are a gift – the most wonderful of gifts – from one generation to another. We see that Culture is as crucial as Nature” (Sacks, 1989). I believe that Lars Larson would be wholly satisfied to see the success of NMSD students today; he would be grateful for the world of opportunities set before them and pleased that they are challenged academically in an environment of free flowing language and communication. He would be awed by NMSD’s reach to babies and families in the whole state so that language and communication can begin before they are crawling. I think he would be honored to know that he is still revered and remembered today for bringing pride to our state and our students as our first deaf leader. I hope you enjoy this issue of the N.M. Progress and being part of our historical journey. Con Alma (With heart and spirit),
Rosemary J. Gallegos
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NEW STUDENTS
WELCOME TO NMSD! NEW STUDENTS FARMINGTON PRESCHOOL
ALBUQUERQUE PRESCHOOL
Bryson Atencio
From left: Novina Palacios, K. Mathias Sanchez, Isidro Herrera, and Elyse Clifton.
GALLUP PRESCHOOL
LAS CRUCES PRESCHOOL
From left: Caden Lee, Seth Joe, and Tahliah Joe.
From left: Bear Gerard, Karlee Chavez, and Brezziana Zapata.
SANTA FE CAMPUS
Early Childhood & Elementary: Front row from left: Twilah Joe, Daniel Mendoza, Jesse Jimenez, Arlene Galindo, Damian Quinonez, Maverick Costner, and Keona Joe. Back row from left: Serenity Adams, Donovan Etheridge, Levi James, Tenaysha Joe, Iesha Franklin, Jazlyn Rafael, Paul Van Gunten, and Wayde Van Gunten.
Middle & High School: From left: Lathaniel Williams, Grace Sandoval, Marlin Toledo, and Daniel Guerra.
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NEW STAFF
WELCOME TO NMSD! NEW STAFF
Sitting from left: Hollie Fleming, Amanda Chavez, Analise Zimmerman, Faith Anaya, Jennie Higgins, Mollie Sachs, Reina Bravo, Lisa Rutland, Adrianna Lucero, Tracy Harris, Anna Chavez. Standing from left: Mark Ramirez, Cody Reidy, Megan Montoya, Fernando Gonzales, Alison O’Hara, Anna Cook, Steven Quillen, Cathrael Hackler, Albert Lopez.
Sitting from left: Cindy Huerta, Tommy Tischler, James Parks. Standing from left: Eric James and Abe Martinez.
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Jennifer Enreka
Candace Varela
Alessandra Serdaa
Delinda Smith
Mark Valencia
Taras Dykstra
FEATURE
LIVING HISTORY
NMSD CELEBRATES YESTERDAY, PRESERVES TODAY, EMBRACES TOMORROW BY KERI-LYNN McBRIDE In 1987, Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Brasel, and Esperanza (Espie) Latimer, Instructor, Co-Chairs of the Centennial Committee, alongside many members, began meticulously planning a wide variety of activities and events preparation for NMSD’s 100th Centennial Celebration and birthday party. One of the most ambitious projects was the establishment of the NMSD Centennial Museum (later renamed the Kenneth E. Brasel Centennial Museum). According to Dr. Brasel’s October 16, 1986 meeting notes: “Members of the Centennial and Museum Committee will work to develop, design and create a historic and living museum that will eventually be a totally, uniquely visual museum – the first of its kind nationally – that will portray the history of the school and its pride and all of its accomplishments.” Principal Thomas Dillon and Instructor Linda Quintana were appointed as Co-chairs of the Museum Committee, and they took on the herculean task of overseeing every detail of the museum project. They earmarked the second floor of the Belle and Cora Larson Dining Hall, oversaw renovation, searched for treasures on both the Santa Fe Campus and the old dairy property south of town, visited New Mexico museums for ideas, collaborated with a team of curators and experts in exhibit designs, fundraised, and much more. The committee put in endless hours of work to preserve NMSD’s cherished history by creating a home for the numerous historic documents, photos, and memorabilia. “We would not have a museum if it were not for the full support of the fifth Superintendent, Dr. Ken Brasel,” Espie shared. “Digging up one hundred years of NMSD history has been one of my favorite and challenging projects. Having the New Mexico Progress publications from 1909 onward provided us with an enormous amount of information needed for research purposes. I had a wonderful time meeting with alumni and their families as they brought back so many items and donated rare photographs taken during their time at NMSD. We were also very fortunate to glean many historic facts from the Larson family, Dr. Thomas Dillon, Marion Myers, the author of NMSD history book, and some alumni before they passed away.”
Top right: The Centennial display in the original museum, created to honor NMSD’s 100th anniversary. Middle right: Espie Latimer and Linda Quintana working together in the original museum to stencil Lars M. Larson’s name on his wall back in 2007. Bottom right: Recovered dishes made specifically for NMSD. These items were used by students and staff during all meals back in the 1930’s. Bottom left: A view of several exhibits in the original museum.
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FEATURE Linda Quintana added, “I have many fond memories of being Co-Chair of the Museum Committee. In particular, I enjoyed working with Dr. Brasel, the committee members, the construction crew and NMSD’s maintenance staff who were so wonderful to work with. They helped with endless tasks, especially helping us short women (like me and Espie!) with tasks that were out of our reach!!” The museum’s official Ribbon Cutting celebration on June 27th, 1987 was widely attended. But the work did not end there. Linda and Espie, along with many others including alumnus Sara Roybal, have dedicated the past 30+ years to ensuring NMSD’s history is preserved and celebrated. And indeed, it has been. Linda Quintana stated, “Because a museum is never really finished, our work has continued the past three decades. I will forever hold the museum in my heart as this labor of love means so much to me because we have preserved NMSD’s rich history for our students, alumni and the general community.” In 2012, NMSD decided to relocate the museum to the newly built library to make it more accessible to students and visitors. Espie and Linda, along with Jennifer Herbold, Gary Hand, students, Pat Ercolino, Scott Mohan, Carrie Nichols, Dean Krohn, and members of the IT and maintenance teams worked tirelessly to create a new museum to continue to celebrate NMSD’s rich and diverse history. Dr. Jennifer Herbold said, “I have a deep appreciation for all Linda and Espie have done, not only for the museum but for the school. Their passion and dedication to NMSD truly reflects what we all aspire to be: Roadrunners who bleed red and white!” The museum’s grand re-opening took place on December 12, 2014, and was attended by numerous students, families, staff, alumni, retirees, and dignitaries. The Kenneth E. Brasel Centennial Museum enjoys a national reputation as having one of the most comprehensive and historic collections in the nation. Superintendent Gallegos fittingly adds, "The NMSD Community is grateful for Linda Quintana and Espie Latimer whose devotion to preserving NMSD's history has made our museum a reality. Because of these two exceptional individuals and their documentation of the struggles, successes, and lives of our founder, students, and staff, we are inspired daily to continue our commitment to quality education for all deaf and hard of hearing children in New Mexico." The following pages include excerpts and photos from NMSD's Century of Progress history book, the 1987 Centennial Yearbook, and the August-September 1987 issue of the New Mexico Progress Magazine.
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Top right: The new museum was a blank canvas. 2nd from top: Victoria Ortiz applying the stencil on the centennial wall of the new museum as Jaelyn Sanchez steadies the ladder. 3rd from top: From left: Tommie Brasel, Espie Latimer and Sara Roybal helping remove the paper that covered the windows of the museum during the ribbon cutting that took place on December 12, 2014. Bottom right: Ricardo and Dolores Gonzales enjoy looking at the exhibits in the new museum. Ric was a principal at NMSD and is currently serving on the Board of Regents and Dolores was an instructor and High School supervisor. Bottom left: Alumni Julio Ruiz and Richard Pearson chatting during the 2017 Homecoming Weekend. Richard is currently volunteering in the museum and is assisting with several projects.
FEATURE “A Century of Progress – History of the New Mexico School for the Deaf” written by Marian Meyer and published in 1988 to commemorate NMSD’s first hundred years. What follows is an excerpt and photos about the museum’s humble beginning. Enthusiasm for the centennial among students, staff and alumni had been accelerating throughout 1986. At the September meeting, Brasel reported that Thomas Dillon and Linda Quintana, a longtime teacher, had been working on the idea of a historical museum, to be located on the second floor of the dining hall, in the old auditorium. The Museum Committee had been searching through basements and closets of the school and the old dairy site, looking for items related to the history of NMSD. Among the things they found were cumbersome old hearing aids, equipment from the old shoe repair shop and ancient lesson plan books. The concept of the museum was enthusiastically endorsed by the board. Invitations were sent out to citizens in the community who were interested in the school and who would be willing to offer assistance in establishing the museum. In addition to many faculty members from NMSD, among the community volunteers were museum curators and consultants, exhibit planners, an architect, a historian and fundraisers. Following the first committee meeting on December 4, 1986, the group split into various areas of expertise and met regularly. Within weeks, work was underway. Max Martinez and his maintenance staff ripped up the old asbestos tile floor covering and the original oak floors were sanded back to their original beauty. The auditorium’s early wrought iron electrical fixtures were rescued from obscurity and returned to their proper place, where modern fluorescent ones had hung for years. Partitions were installed to divide the room and to cover all windows to prevent outside light from reaching the artifacts. The exhibits were organized into five time frames, one for each of NMSD’s superintendents. The centennial issue of the school yearbook chronicled the project in a series of photographs titled “The Making of a Museum.” A picture of the completed museum is captioned, “…the results of hard work and a love of preserving history.” A placard at the entrance tells visitors, “This museum is dedicated in honor of our students of yesterday, today and tomorrow…so that they may know and be proud of their unique history.
Top right: Refurbishing of the Museum - Bruce Cassady and George Quintana of the maintenance staff at NMSD begin the renovation of the auditorium in December 1986. (Photo by Lester Graham) Middle right: Curator Juan Alvarez adds finishing touches to Larson Exhibit as a volunteer to the Centennial Museum. Alvarez gave many hours to the project and made many of the decisions on the displays. Bottom right: Juan Alvarez and Linda Quintana decide on placement of an exhibit case. Both worked non-stop the last few weeks before the museum opening in June. (Photo by Espie Latimer) Bottom left: Finished Museum - A portion of the completed museum displays the desk of Wesley Connor and the Larson section of the exhibits. (Photo by Lester Graham)
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FEATURE
Page 92 of the 1987 Yearbook
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FEATURE
Page 93 of the 1987 Yearbook
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FEATURE
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Page 12 of the 1987 NM Progress
EARLY INTERVENTION & INVOLVEMENT DEPARTMENT
A SIGN OF UNDERSTANDING BY JOANNE CORWIN, DIRECTOR, EIID On Monday, September 11, 2017, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico School for the Deaf was signed by Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Lynn Gallagher and New Mexico School for the Deaf Superintendent Rosemary Gallegos. The Memorandum ensures that young children identified through Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) are able to receive early intervention services from NMSD service providers who are specifically trained to work with young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families. This is recommended by the Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) and the 2016 New Mexico Education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children and Youth Task Force Report, and aligns with the services and support families receive from their local Family Infant Toddler (FIT) agency. New Mexico has been a flagship in the United States for this type of collaboration. The landmark New Mexico agreement has been replicated almost verbatim by 9 other states, and has been used as a reference for similar agreements in 12 other states. NMSD Superintendent Rosemary J. Gallegos states, “The partnership between the Department of Health and FIT programs and the New Mexico School for the Deaf Early Intervention Programs ensures that deaf and hard of hearing children in all corners of the state have access to specialized services. With a common service approach that honors families and focuses on the child’s strengths in accessing language and communication, our state resources are combined to increase our impact on the health and well-being of NM children who are deaf and hard of hearing and make a lasting impact on their quality of life and aspirations.” Department of Health Cabinet Secretary Lynn Gallagher adds, “The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico School for the Deaf have long shared an important partnership that is further strengthened by our signing this MOU. September is recognized as Newborn Screening Awareness Month. It is vital to continue our shared work ensuring that young children identified with hearing loss receive early intervention services that will help them reach their full potential.”
Top right: Dr. Rosemary Gallegos and Lynn Gallagher highlight the important critical state-wide collaboration between NMSD and the Department of Health and how it positively impacts New Mexico’s young children. 2nd from top: Carmen Armenta expresses how important and grateful she is that her son RJ has access to Early Intervention services, as Julie Nagle interprets. 3rd from top: Dr. Rosemary Gallegos and Susan Chacon have enjoyed collaborating for many years and were happy to see each other. Bottom right: Joanne Corwin, Jim Copeland, and Jeanne DuRivage enjoy catching up with each other. Bottom left: Back row from left: Kristi Halus-PIC Coordinator, Jeanne DuRivage-FIT Coordinator, Jim Copeland-Director DDSD, Joanne Corwin-EIID Director, Susan Chacon-CMS Director, Bob Morrison-EHDI Coordinator, Carmen Armenta-RJ’s mother/EIID staff. Front row from left: Rosemary Gallegos-Superintendent, Lynn Gallagher-Cabinet Secretary NM Dept. of Health, Robert (RJ) Armenta-NMSD Student.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD - ALBUQUERQUE PRESCHOOL
RELEASING IMAGINATIVE PARTS THROUGH "LOOSE PARTS" BY KACEE EDMONDS For a number of years, our students at the New Mexico School for the Deaf Albuquerque Preschool have been exploring "Loose Parts." Instead of traditional toys, these are natural, recycled, or manufactured materials designed to be imagined into various objects. We provide "Loose Parts" in the form of rocks, sand, wood, twigs, pine cones, leaves, boxes, baskets, fabric, shells, blocks, pouring devices (cups, spoons, buckets, funnels), and so much more! In the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education, "Loose Parts" are a “language” children can use to explore, create, and share their stories. Last year we added them to our outdoor spaces, family events, and increased their use in our classrooms. We were curious to see the result of using "Loose Parts" nearly exclusively at the preschool. "Loose Parts" give us the opportunity to see our students’ inspiring imaginations and creativity in their own unique ways. When a student picks up a rock and begins to play, the rock can become anything! It can be flown through the air as a bird or plane, driven along the ground as a car or motorcycle, or put on a plate and served up as a slice of pizza. "Loose Parts" allow our students to express and develop their imagination, creativity, curiosity, research, and critical thinking skills. Through the increased use of "Loose Parts", we have observed that our students think like scientists; they explore, experiment, and problem-solve. Their curiosity pulls them forward, into activities that hold their attention for long periods of time! We have been inspired by watching, teaching, and learning together through playful "Loose Parts."
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Top right: Peyton Montoya inside her “castle.” Middle right: Building a fence? Counting her money? Allowing her cookies to cool? Ashlee White Hawk might be thinking about all this and more, as Dr. Gayle Mohorcich looks on. Bottom right: Emilio Pratt and his dad co-create a robo superhero to save the world! Bottom left: Andres Vigil said, “It’s taller than me.”
EARLY CHILDHOOD - FARMINGTON PRESCHOOL
GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY! BY MARY HELEN PEREZ Recently, the Farmington Preschool decided to bring literature to life by constructing our own adobe blocks for The Three Little Pigs. Students already constructed small houses using milk cartons, straw, and wooden crafts sticks. A heavy building material was needed to construct a wolf-proof dwelling for the pigs. The children collected and washed milk cartons, and then collected dried grasses from around our playground to add them to dirt and red clay. We mixed the adobe blocks in a plastic baby pool. The children enjoyed adding water as we worked the mixture with our hands and feet, and then filling the cartons and placing them in neat rows to dry. It took several days for the bricks to dry in the hot sun. When ready, we removed the cartons and let them dry for an additional few days in the sun. The children enjoyed stacking their own bricks as they built houses and pens for the three little pigs. Throughout the cooperative process, teachers referred back to the book to ensure that students made connections from the story to their hands on building experience!
Top right: Antarious Natoni and Micah Gutierrez get their hands dirty creating adobe blocks. Middle right: Antarious Natoni constructs a wolf proof brick house for his pigs. Bottom right: Micah Gutierrez and Naatanii Yellowhorse-Montoya cooperatively build a dwelling for their pigs. Top left: Mary Helen Perez and her students Bryson Atencio and Micah Gutierrez mix mud with their feet for adobe blocks. Bottom left: Micah Gutierrez helps friend Bryson Atencio take off his socks before getting dirty making bricks. 15
EARLY CHILDHOOD - GALLUP PRESCHOOL
NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK BY HOLLIE FLEMING NMSD is pleased to announce the opening of a new preschool in Gallup, NM. The NMSD Gallup Preschool, located at the Indian Hills Elementary School, is the result of a collaboration between NMSD and the Gallup-McKinley County Schools (GMCS) to provide critical services to deaf and hard of hearing children and their families. A Ribbon Cutting Celebration and dinner took place on November 6, with enrolled students, parents, staff, and dignitaries in attendance -- with the ribbon cut by eager new preschool students Tahliah and Caleb Joe, along with Dr. Gallegos, Principal Scott Mohan, GMCS Superintendent Mike Hyatt, and President of the GMCS Board of Education Charles Long. Dr. Gallegos and Scott Mohan have been working hard to establish offerings in the Gallup area, and are thrilled about the collaboration with the Gallup-McKinley County Schools. Parents Montrisha Begay and Randy Joe are delighted the program is now available in their community. Both have studied ASL through NMSD, and their daughter Tahliah previously attended the NMSD Santa Fe Preschool. NMSD Gallup Preschool Teacher Anna Chavez and Teacher Aide Jessica Enreka are also excited about the preschool and expanding the program as needs in the community grow. “There has always been a need for a program like this and we’re honored to offer the first program of its kind in the region,” Indian Hills Elementary Principal Randy Crisler said. “We’re happy to partner with NMSD and we’re very excited to have the program up and running,” added Crisler. “It is during this critical time that students who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or for any young child to learn the basic fundamentals of communication," Mohan explained. "We’re looking for ways that we can better serve the deaf and hard-of-hearing students throughout the state.” NMSD is delighted to welcome the Gallup Preschool to our community!
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Top right: From left: GMCS School Board President Charles Long, Principal Scott Mohan, Caleb Joe, GMCS Superintendent Mike Hyatt, Tahliah Joe, and Superintendent Gallegos all help with the ribbon cutting! 2nd from top: Tahliah Joe posing with the Congratulatory cake. Botton right: One of the youngest party-goers enjoyed the celebration cake. Bottom left: From left: Gallup McKinley County Schools (GMCS) School Board President Charles Long, NMSD Preschool Teacher Anna Chavez, NMSD Director of Education Jennifer Herbold, NMSD Preschool Early Childhood Principal Scott Mohan, NMSD Superintendent Rosemary Gallegos, GMCS Superintendent Mike Hyatt, Assistant Superintendent Tim Bond, and GMCS Assistant Superintendent Dr. Pauletta White.
EARLY CHILDHOOD - LAS CRUCES PRESCHOOL
OUT AND ABOUT! BY KIM BOYKIN The NMSD Las Cruces Preschool is very lucky to have unusually wonderful access to weekly field trips. The opportunity to be out in our community and the greater world not only enhances and gives context to language, but also gives cognitive and social connections to people and places outside our little classroom. This year, our students have already been to the Southern New Mexico State Fair, Luna Rossa Pizzeria, the downtown splash pad, and the New Mexico State University (NMSU) campus. While visiting NMSU, we were welcomed by Dr. Colleen Caldwell with the NM Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, and Dr. Kenneth Boykin with New Mexico View. Dr. Caldwell took us into the aquariums, and showed us different fish from many continents. The students were able to observe them with the lights off, plus feed them! We ventured outside to the pond where we used fish nets to catch and release small fish. We also enjoyed observing the pond, and feeding the turtles. Later, Dr. Boykin invited us to experience the augmented reality sandbox. The students observed color changes representing computer topography as they moved sand around the box. They could “make it rain� on the computer screen by moving the sand. We received little world stress balls as a parting gift! It was a wonderful morning that provided us the opportunity to experience new parts of our community. We are very grateful for our opportunities to visit places around us that bring learning to life. We thank the main campus of NMSD for their continued support of our satellite classroom!
Top right: Bear Gerard selects his fishing net to try to catch and release fish from the pond. Middle right: Aubrey Kessel observes the fish in the aquariums. Bottom right: From left: Samuel Romero and Shepard Butler observe changes on the screen as Bear Gerard, Brezzi Zapata, and Aubrey Kessel manipulate the sand in the sandbox. Bottom Left: From left: Ransom Butler, Petra Butler, Aubrey Kessel, Bear Gerard, Karlee Chavez, Shepard Butler, Samuel Romero, and Brezzi Zapata pose for a picture by the pond.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD - SANTA FE PRESCHOOL
DOES FINGERSPELLING MAKE BETTER READERS? BY KRIS EATON According to the Deaf educators and researchers, Brenda Schick, Ph.D., Nancy Bridenbaugh, M.A., and Rachel Boll, M.A., fingerspelling does lead to stronger and more proficient readers. The New Mexico School for the Deaf has been fortunate enough to participate in their study, which is funded by the US Department of Education Institute of Education Sciences, for the 2017-2018 school year. According to the research team, “fingerspelling can be used in reading, much like phonological awareness is used with hearing children. Our approach is somewhat similar; in that we use fingerspelling to help a child develop an understanding of a printed word as both individual letters and patterns” (Boll, Bridenbaugh, & Schick). Our first unit followed the –at word family: hat, bat, cat, mat, and sat, with a few additional challenge words: that, flat, & chat. The students in my class quickly picked up on the patterns they felt when fingerspelling the words as the first letter was the only difference. We moved from fingerspelling to recognizing the “first letter and last chunk” of each word; specific words coined by the research team. We played several games to help the students remember their words. During a Bingo game, Angel Sanchez saw the teacher fingerspell the word “red” and he found it on his board by matching the ASL signs to the English print. In another Bingo game, Arlene Galindo, signed the meaning of the picture into ASL while also looking at the English word signed by the teacher. Celeste Robles and Ezrah Pacheco played a print to picture, memory/matching game. The most popular game was Go Fish, played with print to print words. Students read the cards by translating the print into ASL signs, and then asked their peers if they had the same card. The students have successfully completed the “at” and “ed” family words in the first quarter and have already noticed print everywhere else: in our math units, in our school books, and at home. Words are coming off of the page and they are catching print everywhere. I’ve seen my class read with greater fluency and comfortably added these words to their journal books. By the end of the 2017-2018 school year, the kindergarten class will have read or spelled and least 90 common 3 to 6 letter fingerspelled words. I look forward to seeing the growth and progress they have made in their reading when we complete this study and I encourage families, and other educators, to fingerspell as often as possible to their kids and students.
Top right: Celeste Robles-Perez fingerspelling a word to fellow students. 2nd from top: Gabriella Flores understands the printed text and the sign for the word “fed." 3rd from top: Angel Sanchez playing a memory game where he matched the print to the picture. 4th from top: Arlene Galindo showing her understanding of the picture by fingerspelling the word “red” and then adding a Bingo marker to the square.
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ELEMENTARY
RAISING HOPE BY KIM BURKHOLDER In August, Hurricane Harvey hit Texas and affected many students at the Texas School for the Deaf. We learned about the hurricane and thought about how it would feel to have your home destroyed. We decided it would not feel good and we wanted to help! Our first and second grade classes decided to focus on how to help Texas as our big project during Friday Critical Thinking Skills class, with both classes working together to brainstorm money-raising ideas for the Texas School for the Deaf. Our ideas ranged from selling painted rocks to making and selling tacos to creating origami. We decided to make paintings and send our artwork to SilverGraphics to transfer our art onto different products to sell. We worked together to create flowcharts to list out all the steps in the order we needed to take them to make our fundraiser a success. We also thought about what we might need to pack if we had to leave our homes because of a flood. This project provided a great opportunity for students to develop organizational and teamwork skills. We also learned that all of us can do things to help others, and how good that feels. We are working to advertise our project so that many people will buy our artwork products. All the money earned will go to help students at the Texas School for the Deaf. We hope people who buy our artwork will be happy to know that they are also helping students in Texas affected by Hurricane Harvey.
Top right: Greyson Lobato adds colors to his artwork for the fundraiser. Middle right: Wayde Van Gunten poses with her artwork. Bottom left: 1st and 2nd grade fundraiser flyer with finished artwork for sale. Bottom right: Suitcase drawing, showing examples of items that might be needed if we had to leave our homes because of a flood.
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
GAME TIME! BY TRACY HARRIS Recently we challenged our middle school science students to create a game around the four basic needs of any organism: Food, water, space, and stable living conditions, or homeostasis. The resulting games were amazing! Kieran Ercolino said that his game taught him a lot “about teamwork and the necessity to make changes through trial and error. We worked on the game for about two weeks, and our original goal was to create a game similar to Dungeons & Dragons. The hard part was deciding on the rules, the shape of the game, and the process that would lead to winning.” His teammate, Kieran Vollmar, agreed. “We wanted to make sure the game looked at all the different possibilities of what could happen to organisms.” Dustin Hand and Bruce Brewer, Jr. made up another team. “I think the best part was the critical thinking it required of us as we played the game to ‘test’ what worked and what didn’t,” said Bruce. Dustin agreed that it was very hard to make decisions about which rules to keep, which to modify, and which ones truly fostered the game. “The other thing that was hard for us was that Bruce got sick towards the end of the project, and that left me to bring the project to completion. I knew that Bruce had participated strongly as we developed the rest of the game, so I felt an obligation to finish the game well on behalf of both of us.” Another team, Alex Wilding and Adrien Ercolino, had one major problem in creating the game: “We couldn’t get it to be short enough for people to actually play and win!” Adrien said if he had to do it again he would make sure that they used more art, or props, and that they created a shorter game so that more kids could play it. “I loved the freedom to create the rules we wanted, to improvise as we went along without any solid limits to our creativity. I thought we learned a lot and had fun at the same time!” We’re proud of our budding game developers. It’s possible that the next Monopoly or Dungeons and Dragons will be created by students right here at NMSD!
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Top right: Adam Rylee, Zachary Nichols, and Ben Hernandez are playing a game created by Zachary and Adam. 2nd from top: Olivia Haley, Angelina Baldonado, and Jovi Melendez are playing the game they created. 3rd from top: Kieran Ercolino is explaining to Olivia Haley and Bria Vigil the rules to play the game he and Kieran Vollmar created. Bottom right: Stacy Vargas, Grace Sandoval, Adrien Ercolino, Dustin Hand (back to camera), Tracy Harris, teacher. Tracy commenting to students that the games clearly met their rubrics and were skillfully executed! Bottom left: Kieran Vollmar, Stacy Vargas, Alex Wilding, Kieran Ercolino, Bruce Brewer, Jr. and Dustin Hand. Bruce is explaining the game he and Dustin created to a rapt audience.
HIGH SCHOOL
NOW, WE’RE COOKING!
BY SHERRY MOHAN
This year, we were excited to introduce a cooking course for our High School students, and it’s been a “sizzling” experience! Students are learning new vocabulary while researching and discussing recipes. They’re exploring kitchen tools and appliances, measuring ingredients, developing safe and essential knife skills, cooking techniques, and baking tips and tricks. They’re also learning about the importance of gathering all ingredients and equipment before they begin. We also cover shopping and budgeting. We’ve tried tasty recipes like sausage cheese dip, bacon smokies, smoothies, no-bake oatmeal bars, cookies, Oreo balls, and more. Since our class time is limited, we have to be innovative with what we can create. We’ve discovered we can prep the day before, and then actually bake or cook the next day. The result has been that students are very eager to come to class and cook up something new! Victoria Baca shared, “It’s an awesome class, and I’m learning skills like how to use knives in a safe way when cutting up various food.” NMSD is hoping to expand our culinary arts opportunities in the near future. We’re eager to help students hone their skills and independence as they plan to graduate into adulthood!
Top right: Charity Baca putting melted chocolate and peanut butter on the top of the oatmeal bars. Middle right: Vergena Chee utilizing her knife skills while chopping nuts. Bottom right: From left: Ty Tahe, Vergena Chee, Antonia Martinez and Victoria Baca measuring brown sugar, vanilla extract and oatmeal. Top left: Tye Tahe looking for the right pan to use. 2nd from left: Antonia Martinez washing dishes – an important part of cooking is cleaning up! Bottom left: Antonia Martinez, Charity Baca and Victoria Baca reading the recipe for no-bake oatmeal bars.
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COMMUNITY BASED INSTRUCTION
THE “WHEEL” THING! BY ELIZABETH FRY & DENNIS CATRON The High School Community Based Instruction students are learning that the outdoors can be as much fun as indoor video games and movies. Our goal is to broaden recreational horizons, and given the nice fall weather, we have been doing just that - by riding bikes. The class also covered safety, balance, speed, communication as well as fixing and maintaining a bicycle, the New Mexico bike helmet laws (wearing one at all times for those under 18 years old), and the importance of pads, mirrors, and reflective vests. Students discovered how to communicate with drivers and pedestrians using hand signals and how balancing a bike and communication requires practice. We learned to slow down, have patience, and make eye contact with pedestrians. We also learned routine bike maintenance, and how to check for problems prior to riding on the streets. As Waylon Lopez put it, “Do not be afraid to ask for help with your bike on the road or inside the store.” The goal was for students to achieve bike independence. We took a field trip to a local bike shop where students witnessed the diversity of biking styles and maintenance, including mountain biking and road biking. We believe that the skills students learned in class will help them with future employment of any kind. Sophomore Johnathan Ludwigs shared, “Learning how to fix bikes is important because you can be independent and will not need to depend on anyone else for help on the road.” Ludwigs added, “Buying a quality bike at a bike store will last longer and will be more enjoyable.” Justin Bryant stated, “It is good to ride a bike to exercise your body and mind.” We hope students will continue to enjoy the journey!
Top right: Waylon Lopez, Johnathan Ludwigs, Justin Bryant and Ricardo Salmon-Medina ride bikes on the NMSD campus. Middle right: Waylon Lopez and Ricardo Medina Salmon work together as a team repairing a bike tire. Bottom right: Joshua Armendariz "high-fives" Teacher Elizabeth Fry after completing a repair on the bike during a bike exam. Bottom left: From left: Waylon Lopez, Ricardo Salmon-Medina, Keanu Yazzie, Johnathan Ludwigs, Joshua Armendariz, and Teacher Dennis Catron posing with an electric bike for a group picture at Broken Spoke Bike Shop in Santa Fe.
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SUMMER PROGRAM
"#BUILD YOUR PATH" AGES 7 & UNDER: ALL PATHS LEAD TO SUMMER FUN! BY CINDY TIMLEN This past summer our Early Childhood Education Summer Program staff planned exciting activities designed to align with the theme of “#BuildYourPath.” Our 4 years and up campers experienced hands-on learning by playing with water, mud, ice, and paint, as well as exploring parks and gathering items from nature to enhance their activities and experiences. We even made ice-cream in a bag - and it was delicious! Older campers also experienced hands on activities including creating art, coding, and food. They ventured out to Nambe Falls, Galisteo Basin Preserve, Mesa Top Farm, and Cochiti Lake. One of the highlights of our trip to Mesa Top Farm was collecting eggs right from the hens, and then enjoying lunch in a yurt. We knew from the glow on the campers’ faces that the various paths we took were fully enjoyed and appreciated! We are looking forward to announcing next summer’s New Mexico Challenge theme early spring. Stay tuned!
AGES 8 & UP: EXPERIENCING SUMMER! BY JESSE WOOSLEY An important part of the “#BuildYourPath” theme during our summer program was introducing campers to new ideas and meaningful experiences, including real and exciting challenges to help build character and self-confidence. We arranged the schedule to focus upon activity topics for two days in a row, helping them make deeper connections with new skills and knowledge. During our Rock Climbing and Photography topic, campers learned the technical aspects behind great action shots while challenging themselves with rock climbing. Some campers also learned bouldering and rappelling. Other campers participated in Wise Fool activities, learning circus skills like walking on stilts, juggling, balancing acts, and more. Campers also had the opportunity to build and test rockets! Bicycling was a big hit this year, too! Through generous grants we were able to obtain a set of new bikes for our campers to use. Far and away the favorite activity for many of our campers was biking through the La Tierra trails. They learned map navigation, single-track bike riding, and overcoming physical challenges as a group. We also had some free days during the program dedicated to fun and adventure. One group went white water rafting, while another group went to the High Ropes adventure course at Red River resort. Still another fun-loving group visited Lake Abiquiu. During the last part of the camp program we traveled to Elephant Butte where we spent four days at the Fort Lone Tree Lakeshores, with boating activities, fishing, waterfront adventure, and much more. What a fun-packed summer adventure! We look forward to planning another memorable program experience next summer. We hope you’ll join us! Top right: The 5-7 year old campers took a trip out to Nambe Falls and stood in awe of the waterfall. 2nd from top: Frederik Zefferer enjoys playing with water toys during our weekly swim time at the Bicentennial Pool in Santa Fe. 3rd from top: Everyone having a blast while camping at Elephant Butte’s Fort Lone Tree Lakeshore. Bottom right: Members of Wise Fool with students and staff.
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MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
LEARNING INDEPENDENCE BY ORLANDO OBESO This year, we celebrated Mexican Independence Day during our September NMSD Homecoming Weekend. We relished the opportunity to educate our students and friends from the Iowa School for the Deaf about the history behind Mexico’s war towards independence. Events included a presentation from Antonia Martinez, a high school senior, Victoria Ortiz, an NMSD alumna, as well as traditional dances, a mariachi band, and delicious cuisine. After the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico group, under the direction of teacher Mauricio Lopez-Marquez, presented dances from different Mexican regions in the James A. Little Theater, it was time for a fiesta in the Roadrunner Activity Center (RAC)! Mariachi Diferencia took the stage and welcomed all the attendees with timeless classics like “Volver Volver” and “El Rey” dressed in traditional “charro” outfits. Guests were also greeted with the delicious aroma of home-cooked, authentic Mexican dishes like mole, green chile chicken enchiladas, posole, and tamales. Parents and NMSD staff volunteered to bring traditional Mexican dishes to share during our event. Thanks to their generosity, our visitors were able to enjoy true Mexican cooking. We closed the night with the breaking of two piñatas filled with Mexican candies. The students lined up for their chance to rain down Mexican delights! This year’s celebration was a true testament of what it means to be a community. Without the help of all the volunteers, including interpreting students from UNM, the Interpreting Department, Nutrition Services, Security, Maintenance, Housekeeping, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Mariachi Diferencia, and all the others, this event would not have been such an amazing success. We are so grateful that everyone left “con la panza llena y el corazon contento” (with a full belly and a happy heart)!
A SIGN OF PRIDE By Claudia Mansilla & Efrain Rodriguez Dina Salgado Sotelo, a prominent figure, teacher, interpreter, and advocate for the rights of Deaf Mexicans in Mexico, recently paid a visit to NMSD. She provided students with a crash course of LSM (Mexican Sign Language) in the Roadrunner Activity Center (RAC). Our students were very engaged in her presentation and had many questions! This small exposure to LSM gave our Hispanic heritage students a sense of pride. and sparked a desire to learn more about their culture.
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Top right: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Folklórico performing a traditional dance. 2nd from top: Angelique Quinonez watches on as Antonia Martinez shares about their experience dancing with the Folklórico group during last year’s celebration. 3rd from top: Victoria Ortiz, NMSD alumna, presenting about the history of Mexican Independence. 4th from top: Bruce Brewer, Jr. getting ready to hit the piñata and hoping to break it so candy falls out! Bottom right: Alex Gonzales-Lopez signing to Dina that his grandmother lives in Mexico. Bottom left: Dina Salgado Sotelo introducing herself to students.
LITERARY ARTS
FEASTING ON DEAF CULTURE BY SCOTT VOLLMAR The 12th Annual “A Feast for the Eyes” event, featuring ASL Storyteller Ian Sanborn, took place on Thursday, October 19, 2017 in the James A. Little Theater at the New Mexico School for the Deaf (NMSD). “A Feast for the Eyes” celebrates ASL literature and deaf culture with the community, and provides a wonderful evening of student and staff performing ASL poetry, ABC and number stories, narratives, storytelling, and cinematographic stories. NMSD had the great pleasure of welcoming Ian Sanborn, a well-known ASL storyteller who performs live and can be seen on YouTube, to conduct several student workshops. Sanborn’s workshops were interactive and engaging, and students learned first-hand how effective the use of signs and facial expressions are for rhyming in ASL. He not only inspired students to create their own ASL stories and poems, but also gave his own unforgettable performance during “A Feast for the Eyes.” We were grateful for the opportunity to learn from his talent and experience!
Top right: Scott Vollmar uses a couch as an analogy to explain the gravity of ASL as Sage Woosley, James Litchfield III, and Alex Gonzalez-Lopez look on. 2nd from top: ASL Master Sierra Woosley retells a favorite story about how boats were invented. 3rd from top: Our guest ASL Master Ian Sanborn gets attendees involved as Kane Wilding wows the audience with his facial expressions! Bottom right: Deaf Bing is a popular topic as Deven Thompson and Jacob Lopez demonstrate the uniqueness of Deaf people. Top left: "A Feast for the Eyes" story masters and staff. Bottom left: Ian Sanborn conducts a storytelling workshop during the Early Childhood family playgroup.
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TRANSITION
A FRUITFUL SUMMER IN THE ORCHARD! BY DANIEL TIMLEN, CREW SUPERVISOR Our goal in NMSD’s Job Preparation Program is to help students unlock their potential and build self-confidence. We’ve had the good fortune to partner with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) to provide Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing teens in Santa Fe work and training opportunities over the summer. RMYC seeks to inspire young adults to make a positive difference in themselves and their communities. Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing youth who work as Corps members earn wages and obtain AmeriCorps scholarships to help pay for post-secondary training, as well as receiving valuable life-skills and work training. This year, NMSD partnered with RMYC to work on the NMSD Orchard Revitalization Project. It was a very fruitful summer, as current students, alumni, and a project supervisor teacher worked for 10 weeks to renovate paths, clean, and initiate the installation of brick pavers for the outdoor picnic area. The Santa Fe crew - Johnathan Garcia, Rochelle Garcia, Janell Miller, Daniel Guerra, Kimberly Sanchez, Deven Thompson, Tyrel Wilding and Daniel Timlen - received a week's’ worth of training from the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps staff on safety, work site behavior, teamwork, and expectations. We also learned about the history of Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), along with mini-workshops on health, time management, work expectations, communication, caring for the earth, and giving back to one’s local community. We worked closely with Ken Miera of NMSD’s maintenance department to review the project, focusing on installing path edges, weed blocking cloth, and stones. After this, we weeded and installed drip irrigation lines for new plants. We really came together as a team! The marquee area now sports three rows of red, white, and blue perennial plants. This serves as a reminder of the crew’s dedication to the summer long project. The RMYC crew also set up benches for visitors, installed bricks for a picnic area, and began discussions to find ways to preserve the carved Roadrunner, Friends and Lars Larson sculpture. We also had a great honor at the final RMYC meeting of seeing our very own Daniel Guerra recognized as Crew Member of the season for his dedication and commitment. The Santa Fe crew were enthusiastic about the experience! Janell Miller commented, “I learned that work is not just about what we did in the orchard, but how to take care of myself, be a team worker, and be ready to work every day.” Johnathan Garcia shared, “I learned to take pride in the work we did. Now every time I pass the school and see the path and plants, I can say that I helped with making NMSD beautiful.” Daniel Timlen offered, “Students committed to the project, exceeded expectations, and grew as individuals. This was definitely a positive experience for them all.” Brad Knipper, Conservation Program Manager added, “I learned a lot about communication and working with Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals and about Deaf Culture. The NMSD Orchard Project was one of the best ones I’ve ever coordinated!” We all hope that the NMSD community enjoys using the orchard for leisurely strolls, reading, or chats with friends. We are thankful for the commitment of those who worked hard on this project throughout the summer.
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Top right: The RMYC Team sitting from left: Daniel Guerra, Hugo Gonzalez, Tyrell Wilding, Leonard Benavidez and Deven Thompson. Standing from left: Janell Miller, Pedro Cardoso, Jonathan Garcia-Valladarez, Rochelle Garcia, and Daniel Timlen. 2nd from top: Laying weed barrier in the spot below NMSD’s marquee in preparations for planting native grasses and flowers. 3rd from top: A group shot of the future location of a sign recognizing the work that was done in the orchard will be installed. From left: Daniel Timlen, Hugo Gonzalez, Pedro Cardoso, Rochelle Garcia, Daniel Guerra, Ken Miera, Dr. Rosemary Gallegos, Janell Miller, Jonathan Garcia-Valladarez, Jordan Stone and Brad Wilson. Bottom right: Jonathan Garcia-Valladarez, Rochelle Garcia and Deven Thompson working on creating new walking paths throughout the orchard.
ATHLETICS
FALL SEASON VARISTY FOOTBALL
VARSITY VOLLEYBALL
Kneeling from left: Alex Lucero, Jeremy Baldonado, Bruce Brewer,0 Jr., Dustin Hand, Jesus Rios-Pena, Johnathan Ludwigs. Standing from left: Coach James Litchfied III, Jacob Lopez, Julio Portillo, Antonio Lopez, Jonathan Garcia, Deven Thompson, Daniel Guerra, Jacob Stevens, Marlin Toledo, and Assistant Coach Abe Martinez.
Kneeling from left: Lindsay Hand, Kimberly Sanchez and Mya Malone. Standing from left: Coach Letty Perez, Victoria Baca, Olivia Haley, Sherrena Bob, Andrea Leyba, Antonia “Maria” Martinez, and Assistant Coach Cheyenna Wilding.
ACADEMIC BOWL
MIDDLE SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
From left: Precious Jones, Angelica Baldonado, Stacy Vargas, Coach Briean Burton, Bria Vigil, and Jovi Melendez.
From left: Head Coach Carrie Nichols, Jacob Lopez, Mya Malone, Lindsay Hand, Jacob Stevens, Jonathan Garcia-Valladarez, and Assistant Coach Scott Vollmar.
BATTLE OF THE BOOKS
Green Division From left: Coach Cindy Timlen, Adrian Fernandez, Stacy Vargas and Bria Vigil, and Assistant Coach Cheyenna Wilding.
Blue Division From left: Coach Cindy Timlen, Angelica Baldonado, Adrien Ercolino, Jovi Melendez, Alex Wilding, and Assistant Coach Cheyenna Wilding.
Buff Division From left: Coach Cindy Timlen, Bruce Brewer, Jr., Dustin Hand, Kieran Vollmar, and Assistant Coach Cheyenna Wilding.
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ATHLETICS
HOMECOMING
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7 1: Victoria Baca, Lindsay Hand, and Sherrena Bob in form to recieve the volleyball. 2: From left: Andrea Leyba, Lindsay Hand, Roadrunner Mascot, and Jacob Stevens at the Homecoming Pep Rally. 3: Daniel Guerra dodging team members from the Iowa School for the Deaf. 4: Fans cheer #1 for the winning NMSD volleyball and football teams! 5: From left: Homecoming Princess Janell Miller, Homecoming Queen Antonia “Maria� Martinez, and Homecoming Princess Kimberly Sanchez. 6: Ken Miera and Olivia Haley showing their team spirit! 7: From left: Roderick Stickley, Jonathan Garcia, Julio Portillo, Lindsay Hand, Andrea Leyba, Mya Malone, Vergena Chee, Jacob Stevens, Jacob Lopez, Megan Klusza, and Crystal Mitchem displaying their roadrunner pride. 28
CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL CONSULTATION & TRAINING
TEAMING UP ONLINE BY CINDY HUFF This September, NMSD statewide service providers had a unique opportunity to engage with other similar outreach programs across the country. The Gallaudet University Laurent Clerc National Deaf Education Center held their first online National Outreach Conference, reaching out to 165 professionals from 40 schools and programs for the deaf and more than 20 professional organizations throughout the U.S. - including eight NMSD staff from CECT and Early Intervention and Involvement (EIID). The conference utilized pre-recorded keynote presentations, each followed by panel presentations and online conversations via Fuze, Twitter, and chat rooms. Day #1 focused on early intervention efforts, while Day #2 provided information about strategies for integrating technology into our work. An impressive variety of tech platforms for meetings, trainings, and presentations was shared. NMSD was visible in the event as well. Carla Garcia-Fernandez, NMSD Alumna, was a keynote speaker. Superintendent Dr. Rosemary Gallegos and CECT Director Cindy Huff served on panel presentations. The New Mexico team thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn practical strategies from others in our field. Each presentation prompted many conversations amongst our participating team. We were all inspired by the shared content and resources, and came away with new ideas how to better serve Deaf children in New Mexico.
Top right: CECT and EIID Team members watch the keynote speaker’s presentation. 2nd from top: From left: Priscilla Gutierrez, Leah Greg, and Emilie Wilding discuss a conference topic. 3rd from top: Dale Loper, from NMSD’s IT department, and Dr. Gallegos test readiness for the live panel session. Bottom right: Dr. Gallegos and other panel members broadcast live to conference participants. Top left: A big round of applause for a successful online conference! Bottom left: Dean Krohn assisted with connecting to the live conference.
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ALUMNI
SUPPORTING DREAMS WITH NMSDAA! BY ROGER ROBB
OUR GOAL The New Mexico School for the Deaf Alumni Association (NMSDAA) was established in 1985 as the Roadrunner Alumni Association. In 1992, we changed our name to NMSDAA. Our purpose is still to provide NMSD with the additional assistance and support necessary to promote quality education, services, and a sound economic and social future for NMSD students. Our membership is 215 strong, representing decades of graduates. NMSDAA supports the school in a variety of ways, including Honor Night scholarships for NMSD seniors, recruitment of members and volunteers, organizing reunions and other gatherings, fundraising and maintaining mailing lists. For more information, visit NMSDAA’s Facebook page at "NMSD Alumni Association, Roadrunners" or contact Corina Gutierrez, NMSDAA President at nmsdaapresident2016@gmail.com.
OUR BOARD Corina Gutiérrez, President, grew up in Hatch, the “World Capitol of Green Chile," and graduated from NMSD in 1988. She lives in Albuquerque where she works for the State of NM Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing as the Director of Community Advocacy. Corina shared, “Being President of NMSDAA is about having a good relationship with NMSD Superintendent Gallegos and NMSD staff on campus. It also means working closely with alumni and educating current NMSD students about how they can be included and an active member of the NMSDAA.”
Ted Dressler, Treasurer, attended NMSD from 1966 until 1975. Ted grew up in Albuquerque and currently lives in Cuba, NM. Ted shares, “My purpose is to help the NMSDAA grow and be more successful.”
Margarita Garcia, Vice-President, graduated from NMSD in 1985. She was born in Juarez, Mexico and moved to Santa Fe when she was 10 years old to attend NMSD. Margarita feels that, “Being NMSDAA’s Vice-President allows me to continue engaging and working closely with the NMSD community as an alumnus and faculty.”
Richard Pearson, Board at Large (Historian), graduated from NMSD in 1976. He grew up in Santa Fe. Richard enjoys being retired after a long stint at the Los Alamos National Laboratory. He has been involved with the Roadrunner Alumni Association/ NMSDAA board for many years and shares, “One huge contribution to NMSD/ NMSDAA was designing the NMSD Alumni Memorial Plaza.”
Roger Robb, Secretary, graduated from NMSD in 1986. He was born and raised in Albuquerque. Roger currently works as a Community Education Specialist at the NM Commission for Deaf and Hard of Hearing doing presentations and trainings. Roger shares that, “Serving on the NMSDAA board has given me the opportunity to work with a GREAT team (board) so that NMSD alumni know what’s happening with NMSD."
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Susan Haley, Board at Large (Social Media/ Marketing), graduated from NMSD in 1982. She grew up in Farmington, and currently lives in Cuba, NM. Susan expressed, “My passion is to share my skills in social media, websites, and marketing. I love sharing information about NMSDAA. It’s my way to give back to NMSD.”
Roy DeHaven, Board at Large (Governance), graduated from NMSD in 1985. He lives in Albuquerque, enjoys serving on the Board at Large and expresses, “I am on the NMSDAA Board at Large and I will always do my best to serve.”
Top right: NMSDAA Board sitting from left: Ted Dressler, Roger Robb, Margarita Garcia, and Corina Gutierrez. Standing from left: Susan Haley, Richard Pearson, and Roy DeHaven. 2nd from top: Senator Heinrich, NMSD Board of Regents President Lynann Barbero, and NMSDAA President Corina Gutiérrez looking at Gutiérrez's graduating class photo in Dillon Hall. 3rd from top: Corina Gutierrez leads a discussion during an NMSDAA meeting held during NMSD’s 2017 Homecoming weekend. Bottom right: Roger Robb and Amy Lucero presents student Margaret Appa with the NMSDAA Honor Night Scholarship during 2016’s Honor Night celebration.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
THE EYES HAVE IT! BY KERI-LYNN McBRIDE This past fall, Santa Fe Capital City Lions Club partnered with Quota International of Santa Fe to host a "KidSight" screening at NMSD. Lions Club members Tom and Rose Himrod and Quota member, Ardell Van Mason, screened 114 students and made 39 referrals for full exams by an eye professional. Tom and Rose shared, “The New Mexico Lions 'Operation Kidsight' Program screens over 35,000 children each year, and also administers the 'Save Our Children's Sight Fund Voucher Program' that provides exams and glasses for children without insurance.” Ardell Van Mason from Quota International of Santa Fe added, “It was great seeing the kids get so excited about the eye test and what their eyes looked like on the scanner. Thanks Rose and Tom for inviting Quota to your project. It was a rewarding experience.” Matthew Smith, NMSD Head Nurse, also expressed his gratitude by adding, “The Lion’s Club screening was incredibly helpful as it allowed us to identify which students needed to be referred to an eye care specialist. In one case a serious eye condition was identified that might have otherwise gone undetected." Thank you Lions and Quota Club!
SENATOR HEINRICH VISITS NMSD BY HOLLIE FLEMING On August 21st, NMSD was honored by a visit and campus tour from Senator Martin Heinrich and members of his staff. They met not only with parents, but also with Superintendent Dr. Rosemary Gallegos NMSD’s leadership team, and the NMSD Alumni Association President. Senator Heinrich was impressed with the wide range of instructional and outreach services NMSD provides to children and their families, as his focus is on educational opportunities for all Americans within a global economy. “We appreciate the support Senator Heinrich displayed to the early intervention and education of New Mexico’s Deaf and Hard of Hearing students and their families by spending time with us to learn how NMSD serves children ages birth through 21 from all corners of our state,” remarked Dr. Gallegos. Senator Heinrich stated, "Every child in every school deserves an opportunity to benefit from a great public education. It was an honor to meet with the students and faculty at the New Mexico School for the Deaf, where they are working to provide all students an opportunity to succeed. I will continue to work to ensure that places like NMSD have the resources and support they need to help students access the quality education they deserve.” NMSD faculty was pleased to show our school to Senator Heinrich and staff. Dr. Gallegos added, “Senator Heinrich’s visit to our campus was an inspiration for our students and staff, and we appreciate him spending time with us.” Top right: From right: Lions's Club members Tom and Rose Himrod and SF Quota International member Ardell Van Mason. 2nd rom top: Isla Anderson handling the eye screening tool. 3rd from top: Front row from left: Jesse Crespin, Jodie Haley, Sierra Woosley, Wendy Fuentes, Donovan Etheridge, Isac Velo-Tarin and Kimora Vollmar. Back row from left: Dr. Rosemary Gallegos, Senator Heinrich and Scott Mohan. Bottm right: Senator Heinrich visiting a high school classroom.
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Presorted Marketing US Postage Paid Permit 1893 Albuq.NM
1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 www.nmsd.k12.nm.us
NEW MEXICO'S FIRST PUBLIC SCHOOL
THE NEW MEXICO PROGRESS since 1909 USPS #381-500 / ISSN #0896-6478 Vol. 108 / Issue 1 / Summer/Fall 2017-18
Published twice during the school year at the New Mexico School for the Deaf, 1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505. Distributed to parents of students presently enrolled at NMSD and staff. POSTMASTER: Send address change to THE NEW MEXICO PROGRESS, 1060 Cerrillos Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Staff: Editor/Keri-Lynn McBride; Associate Editors/Bay Anapol & Kathy Glyer. Designed by Hollie Fleming.