Volume 109 / Issue 2 / Winter/Spring 2018-2019
DREAM! EXPLORE! ACHIEVE!
EARTHLY REWARDS: EDUCATING NMSD STUDENTS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
VOLUME 109 ISSUE 2 WINTER/SPRING 2018-2019
Dream! Explore! Achieve!
FEATURE
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
May 2018
REWARDS: 3 EARTHLY EDUCATING NMSD STUDENTS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Vision
DREAM! EXPLORE! ACHIEVE!
2 3 8 9 14 18 20 22 26 27 28 29 31
Superintendent’s Update Feature Early Intervention & Involvement Early Childhood Education - Preschools Main Campus Multicultural Education Performing Arts Athletics Graduation Center for Educational Consultation & Training Alumni Community Relations Construction
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FEATURE
SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATE
DEAR NMSD COMMUNITY & FRIENDS On this beautiful spring day as I write this letter to you I see new life opening up around us. With the snow and rain we have had in Santa Fe, the landscape is abundant with grass growing, wild flowers popping up and a variety of birds moving in and out of the trees around us. It is up to us not only to enjoy the natural life around us but also to take care of it. You are in for a treat as you read this edition of the NMSD Progress as we share the stories of how our students and staff at NMSD are doing their part to sustain the environment so they and future generations of children can Dream, Explore, and Achieve. NMSD proudly displays our Mission, Vision, and Beliefs throughout our campus and in our publications, including the inside cover of this magazine. Our vision is that… Children and students who are Deaf or hard of hearing will become lifelong learners and contributing, well-rounded successful individuals in an increasingly global society. In these pages you will see how students across ages and grade levels are contributing to make their world a better place. They are doing small and great things to positively impact their community at NMSD, in Santa Fe and ultimately the global society. The timing of the theme of this magazine could not be better as we have just read of an extensive United Nations report on the speed of which so many species are becoming extinct and how this lack of diversity in plants and animals is a threat to our existence. We, as a society, are realizing we have to do something. I applaud the efforts of our students and the staff who facilitate their critical thinking in this regard. Rather than doing nothing, our students are doing something. They are taking practical action to help their community. Also, in this edition, you will notice those employees that were recognized for their years of experience and dedication to NMSD. In contemplating what sustainability means, I look to our staff as the backbone and greatest resource of our school. In order to be sustainable, a system must be diverse and have adequate local resources. Every employee at NMSD is an educator. The diversity of their perspectives and interaction with children and students as teachers, early interventionists, deaf mentors, ASL Tutors and outreach consultants, and the multitude of support staff such as custodians, maintenance, secretaries, counselors, nurses, speech language pathologists, occupational therapists, audiologists, administrators, interpreters, and bus drivers are all vital to the education of NMSD students. You will see employees that have worked for NMSD for as long as 20-25 years. This longevity, experience, and expertise allow NMSD to provide a local robust resource to the children and families we serve in all our programs across the state. And finally, there is the diversity of the children, students and families that comprise NMSD that is the strength and sustainability of NMSD. Children, students and families represent the rich diversity of cultures and communities across every section of New Mexico. The experience and knowledge they bring from their cities, towns and villages, as well as their various individual talents and strengths, are the building blocks for high expectations and success. Their interaction with and celebration of diversity within their school and programs is preparation for self-determination and life-long learning. Yours in education and sustainability,
EARTHLY REWARDS: EDUCATING NMSD STUDENTS ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.” ~ Native American Proverb The New Mexico School for the Deaf is committed to being a steward for the environment and engages in sustainable practices such as classroom recycling as well as projects. The Warming Emergency Club in our Student Life Residential Program, Composting in Nutritional Services, and much more. To develop an internal desire to create a sustainable world for future generations, NMSD believes in connecting students to opportunities to interact with the natural world in all possible ways and at all ages. NMSD creates these opportunities for students and staff from toddler to graduation! It is in classrooms and cottages where recycled materials come alive! From repurposing empty paper rolls and old pens to reusing plastic bottles, these recycled materials give our students artistic inspiration and resourcefulness while learning about how to reduce, reuse, and recycle. While our most noteworthy sustainability efforts (including our Aquaponics Program, Composting Program, and Forest Day Learning) are highlighted here, it is also worth noting some of our other invisible “green” efforts. We believe that small steps lead to huge progress! As a school, NMSD is becoming a leader in adopting and promoting environmental sustainable practices while providing learning opportunities for students that support healthy and natural environments for future generations. Read on for more about some of the many sustainability efforts taking place at NMSD!
AQUAPONICS PROGRAM BY JESSE WOOSLEY NMSD students are learning about the real-world applications of Aquaponics, supporting our mission of increasing sustainability. Students have assisted assembling the equipment and tanks housed in the domes as well as other aspects of helping the plants to thrive. One of our goals is to grow more edible items such as lettuce, kale, and more! Students learned that an aquaponics system uses less water than traditional farming methods. Our two aquaponics domes are equipped with solar powered fans to help regulate temperatures. As more students learn about different methods of farming, especially controlled environment agricultural methods, the more they can be
Rosemary J. Gallegos
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Top right: Students’ amazing creations they made using recycled water bottles and other materials. 2nd from top: Las Cruces Preschool student, Brezziana Zapata, using recycled materials to build a car. 3rd from top: High School students helping construct the two aquaponics greenhouses. Bottom right: What an amazing hands-on environment our students learn in.
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FEATURE inspired and equipped with the skills needed to make contributions to farming industries in the future. This is important as our population continues to increase and the need for available food resources increases as well.
FOREST LEARNING DAY BY SHIRA GRABELSKY The Forest Day Learning (FDL) program is an important facet of the Early Childhood Education Department. All four of our Early Childhood classes and our preschools around the state of New Mexico engage in FDL at least once a month, and because of the Reggio Emilia teaching and learning model, the program flows practically seamlessly between the classroom and the offcampus natural spaces. The side-by-side inquiry-based teaching and learning process is a core tenant of the FDL program, where students lead and present the learning process together through co-navigation, investigation, and communication. Our students use all their senses to explore the natural world, and we are fortunate to be located on the mountainside near the Santa Fe National Forest. At the beginning of each FDL session, students greet the trees and their surroundings with, “Hello, Forest!” They learned about using tools responsibly and caring for themselves and others when they uprooted a large swath of moss. They also explored the concept of ecosystems and conservation when they saw a nearby creek run dry. These learning moments are enhanced through STEM and Art activities and documentation in the form of floor books with pictures of their trips.
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FEATURE NMSD’s Global W.E. Mentor, David Plonski, has been facilitating learning about present energy needs and consumption as well as discussing renewable energies as alternatives to fossil fuels. As a result, the NMSD Global W.E. Group joined the Global W.E.'s NM chapters to participate on the January 29th Legislature on Clean Energy Day at the NM State Capitol. Students from local Global W.E. chapters, including NMSD, addressed environmental stewardship issues at the press conference. NMSD 4th grader Sierra Woosley made a strong statement about offsetting coal pollution with wind turbines, solar panels, and tree planting. Sierra later returned to the Roundhouse to support a bill to cease fracking in New Mexico. David hopes to “see more inspired participants spreading the word [and] becoming innovative” in addressing climate challenges by honing their communication skills on a global stage. Genie Stevens, Program Director of Global W.E. shared, “The Global Warming Emergency is a By Kids/For Kids movement, founded seven years ago by two Santa Fe nine year olds. Since then, the program has won several city, state, and national awards. On February 17th, the newly elected, Native American New Mexico Congresswoman, Deb Haaland, participated in a powerful ceremony to present the Global Warming Emergency students with their eighth award in seven years. Global W.E. is simply thrilled to be working with students at NMSD, all of whom are shining lights at becoming leaders for a whole and green planet!” To learn more about The Global Warming Emergency visit www.theglobalwarmingexpress.org.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT RAILYARD PARK BY DAN TIMLEN
Through the creative exploration of their natural world, through the seasons, they develop a sense of resiliency, language development, and ultimately, the sustainability of their mind and spirit. We are happy to help students confirm their commitment to caring for the natural world.
Our students have been volunteering at the Santa Fe Railyard Park community garden as part of NMSD’s Job Preparation Program. While they are gaining valuable gardening and composting experience, the community is gaining enthusiastic volunteers. Christy Downs, Executive Director at The Railyard Park, shares:
THE GLOBAL WARMING EMERGENCY BY SHIRA GRABELSKY
"Ten years ago, the Railyard Park was designed with the primary purpose of being a public Living Laboratory for many subjects and themes - most notably by teaching scientific and biological concepts to students of various ages. One such place is our community garden Composting Station, which has been actively maintained year-round through a fantastic and rewarding partnership with NMSD.
The NMSD Residential Program’s after-school club for students age 8-12 - Global Warming Emergency (Global W.E.) - explores environmental issues to help grow student skills in addressing these issues on the local and state level. This Sierra Clubaffiliated program has chapters in various schools in New Mexico, encouraging science, climate literacy, sustainability, and advocacy education. The Global W.E.'s vision is for students to “become leaders and positive agents of change in support of a sustainable planet,” expressing their conviction through art.
At the Tuesday Farmers' Market, NMSD students collect otherwise landfillbound, compostable waste from the farmers and vendors. They then take it back to the Composting Station and use various tools, temperature gauges, and water to turn the waste into rich, healthy soil. This free organic fertilizer is then used throughout the Park. Students take the lead on this project from approaching farmers, to loading waste, to using what they are learning about decomposition, chemistry, and life cycles to decide how to best tend to the compost."
Top right: Beautiful lettuce, kale, and more thriving in the greenhouses! 2nd from top: Students exploring a tree in the Santa Fe National Forest during a Forest Day Learning excursion. 3rd from top: Albuquerque Preschool teacher, Kacee Jones, showing a preschooler how to re-purpose a piece of wood and rock they found in the forest into a sling-shot. Bottom right: From left: Aubrianna Baca, Soniya Vigil, Jodie Haley, and Kimora Vollmar painting their Global W.E. posters that were displayed at the State Capitol.
Top right: Students at the State Capitol where they presented their thoughts about a bill to cease fracking in New Mexico. 2nd from top: Members of NMSD’s and SF Public School’s Global Warming Emergency Club members visiting the site of Ethyl, an 82-foot long, life-sized sculpture of a blue whale fashioned from recycled plastic, housed at Santa Fe Community College. 3rd from top: Pamela Kayonnie and Angel Cabrera helping in the compost area at the Railyard Park. Bottom right: Jeremy Baldonado and Jeremy Dan collecting compostable scraps from vendors at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market.
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FEATURE
FEATURE Christy concluded, "We have been so proud to see the students utilize what they are learning in a hands-on, project-based way that also allows them to be part owners in their own public greenspace. We feel this project reduces landfill waste, builds rich soil, reuses that soil as fertilizer, negates the need for external fertilizers, removes the headache of waste from local farmers, and still ends up being a pretty fun and dynamic project. Working with NMSD students and staff has also brought the beauty of American Sign Language to The Railyard Park. It’s amazing to see students teaching our staff how to communicate with them in ASL!"
BREAKING IT DOWN: COMPOSTING IN ACTION BY LAURIE ALLOCA AND KIM BURKHOLDER The NMSD Nutrition Services Department also does their share for greater sustainability! We compost all food scraps from our kitchen food preparation, and students take an active role by clearing their meal scraps and paper compostable items into bins at our Dining Hall Recycle Table. The contents of these bins are picked up by Reunity Resources, a local business that processes food waste and supplies our Santa Fe community with garden compost to help grow food. The Dining Hall Share Bowl allows students to safely recycle untouched, wrapped/sealed food items that they take on their trays but choose not to consume. These items can then be shared and eaten by other hungry students. Remaining items (such as individually wrapped muffins) are inspected for safety and sanitation and placed back into our inventory. Nutrition Services also refrains from using paper goods in favor of reusable dishes. All paper products, including to go containers, are recyclable. We have significantly reduced plastic waste by swapping single use water bottles during sporting events with water cooler and recyclable cups. We also have recently purchased metal lids to use with our vending service ware instead of foil. Finally, we reduce food waste by careful menu selection and planning, minimal purchasing, using appropriate preparation quantities, and maintaining a focus on creativity to attempt to use all that we purchase to avoid waste. Kim Burkholder, one of the members of NMSD’s Sustainability Committee, shares: “Since 2016, NMSD has been composting our food waste from the cafeteria. The Sustainability Committee researched options and then arranged for the school to contract with a local business, Reunity Resources, to do our composting. Reunity Resources picks the bins up weekly and replaces them with fresh bins. They take the full bins to their composting facility where the food waste is mixed with mulch and manure and is aerated until it becomes finished compost, which can be used as a mulch and fertilizer for plants. Because of the large quantity of food scraps being composted and the processes they use, Reunity Resources is able to accept meat and dairy scraps (which couldn't be composted in a smaller, home-sized composting system), as well as things like paper napkins, in addition to fruit and vegetable scraps. So, everything off student plates is composted!
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Top right: Middle school students learning about the importance of composting at the Railyard Park. 2nd from top: Sophia Martinez putting her banana peel in with other students’ food scraps, which will go into the compost bins that Reunity Resources hauls off periodically. 3rd from top: Compost bins located behind NMSD’s dining hall. Bottom right: Twilah Joe putting compostable plants she gathered from the aquaponics greenhouse into the compost bin.
By composting our food waste, NMSD is significantly reducing the amount of trash we send to the landfill. When food scraps are sent to the landfill, they contribute to the production of the greenhouse gas, methane. By keeping those food scraps out of the landfill, we are helping to reduce greenhouse gases. In addition, we are helping create healthier soil, which can be used to grow more food and other plants. According to ReunityResources.com, this actually reverses the effects of climate change through carbon sequestration. Juliana Ciano, Reunity Resources Co-Founder and Outreach Coordinator adds, “NMSD has been composting food scraps from its cafeteria since Earth Week 2016, thanks to forwarding-thinking students and staff initiating this effort. Since collaborating with local organization Reunity Resources, NMSD has diverted over 57,915 pounds of food waste from the landfill. This is equivalent to 25.54 metric tons of avoided CO2 emissions or removing 66 cars from the road. Way to go, NMSD!!”
ROCKY MOUNTAIN YOUTH CORPS BY DAN TIMLEN For several summers, NMSD has collaborated with the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC). This fantastic program, run by Dan Timlen and Jesse Woosley, provides students with summer employment and the opportunity to learn valuable, hands-on skills related to sustainability. Due to their hard work, NMSD’s orchard now has beautiful walking paths, shrubs, plants, and flowers. Students, along with our Maintenance Department’s support, have helped install a low flow drip system to irrigate our fruit trees. They have also used mulch campus-wide from the orchard’s pruned trees. Ben Thomas, Executive Director of RMYC shares, “Here, at Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, sustainability is in our DNA and goes hand in hand with our conservation efforts. We feel strongly that we need to take action today to make sure the generations after us can enjoy clean water, healthy forest and access to solitude in the natural work. To that end, RMYC not only works to preserve these places with our conservation crews, but also teaches the ethics, practicality and science behind this with our Corps members. Working with NMSD students and staff has been highly rewarding for everyone involved and has helped us continue our important mission.” In closing, NMSD focuses on sustainability efforts across the board. From reducing printing to construction and renovation projects utilizing “green” designs and materials to using high efficiency appliances, low-flow toilets and showerheads campus-wide. We are committed to fuel efficient vehicles to transport students to and from NMSD each week as well as updating campus lighting to energy efficient LED technology. The entire planet benefits from the earthly rewards created by environmentally-minded NMSD students and staff!
Top right: A staff member from Reunity Resources showing 1st and 2nd grade students the finished compost made from the food waste during a field trip. Middle right: Students hard at work putting in new pathways and xeriscaping elements to NMSD’s orchard. Bottom right: Las Cruces Preschool students from left: Bear Gerard, Brezziana Zapata, Aubrey Kessel, and Gloria Garza empty our recyclable materials into the recycle bin on campus.
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EARLY INTERVENTION & INVOLVEMENT DEPARTMENT
HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE
FRIDAYS SPELL FAMILY FUN!
BY JOANNE CORWIN
BY SALLY ANDERSON
The Early Intervention and Involvement Department (EIID) continues to make a positive impact around the state and nationally. Here are just a few examples of the work with which EIID has been involved in the past couple of months:
While in the past the Albuquerque Preschool offered parent workshops in the evenings, we decided to challenge ourselves to think of other ways to engage our families. We decided to follow NMSD’s lead in hosting Parent Playgroups - Family Fun Fridays (F3D). We host these special events on Friday mornings, twice a month. F3D is organized around themes and calendar events, giving parents the opportunity to join the fun. It allows parents to practice ASL and communication skills with our staff, touch base on how their child is doing, connect with other parents and adults, and just have fun!
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Representatives from EIID attended the National Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Conference. EIID staff represented NMSD during the roundtable discussion related to state schools and early intervention. They also represented NMSD during the state chapter breakout sessions for New Mexico held during this conference. On a related note, EIID is on the planning committee for the Western Regional Early Intervention Conference, that will be taking place in Denver, Colorado this September. This conference is one of the longest running early intervention conferences in the nation and has an entire strand dedicated to early intervention for children who are deaf or hard of hearing and their families.
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EIID presented at the New Mexico Association for the Education of Young Children Conference (NMAEYC) regarding varying hearing levels and the importance of making referrals to NMSD for specialized services.
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Because New Mexico leads the nation in home births and midwife assisted birth, there are a significant number of children not screened in the state. EIID has worked closely with midwifery centers and home birth consultants to help ensure that all children are receiving their newborn hearing screens.
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EIID has once again had a table at the Celebrating Children and Youth Day at the Legislature. There was a steady stream of visitors (families, legislators, other agencies) at the NMSD booth with questions and comments ranging from, “Where can I take sign language classes?” to, “How can I get my child’s hearing screened?” to, “Your school does great work. Keep it up!”
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EARLY CHILDHOOD - ALBUQUERQUE PRESCHOOL
In January, at the state’s Interagency Coordinating Council meeting, an outstanding panel of six families, who have been receiving services through EIID, described their individual journeys as they received services to help them better communicate with their child and make decisions. The impact on this Council was clearly evident, and their praise for these families and their willingness to a better informed practice was heartfelt.
Top right: Karla Sanchez presenting about the environmental impact on understanding speech sounds. 2nd from top: A baby during a hearing screening at Holistic Midwifery. Bottom right: Family members and Early Intervention and Involvement staff posing for a group photo at the Interagency Coordinating Council meeting. Top left: Lorraine Crespin conducting a hearing screening on baby Rose, who was all smiles! Bottom left: Kristi Halus showing NMSD’s Annual Report to a gentleman who stopped by the NMSD booth during the Legislative Opening.
We decided to plan ALL of our Fall 2018 F3D sessions around Loose Parts. It was a great success! Some examples include metal, glass, paper, cardboard, material/yarn, clay/playdough, and natural objects. Recently we asked a few regular parents what they have noticed about Loose Parts play and why it is so important: “These are…simple things, but profound, too, because they allow for lots of creativity and I think it helps children develop important Critical Thinking skills.” “When I first saw F3D and Loose Parts in action here at the Preschool it felt good and familiar, because it’s how we play at home. We prefer natural objects and we don’t buy fancy toys, etc. I think Loose Parts allows for calm, curious, yet stimulating play.” “I like how much we move around and I’ve noticed my daughter really attends better to this kind of play. I think it’s because she’s in charge. It’s made me rethink what I offer at home.” We are delighted to continue to offer F3D as an integral part of parent participation and immersion!
Top right: Family fun painting rocks! 2nd from top: Athena Gonzales and her dad, Educational Assistant Fernando, playing and creating with a variety of metal Loose Parts. 3rd from top: Working together, Brody Keller and Educational Assistant Cindy Huerta make “Rapunzel hair” using Loose Parts. Bottom left: Liam, preschool student Elyse Clifton’s little brother, getting in the mix with the Loose Parts while his mom put yarn on his head. Bottom middle: Madalyne Weeks making a face from natural, Loose Parts. Bottom right: Leela Rhatigan and her mother, Allyson, playing with feathers and a fan.
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EARLY CHILDHOOD - GALLUP PRESCHOOL
EARLY CHILDHOOD - FARMINGTON PRESCHOOL
LIGHT BRIGHT!
THE GREAT OUTDOORS!
BY MARY HELEN PEREZ
BY ANNA CHAVEZ
An overhead projector may be an old-fashioned piece of equipment, but it allows for innovative education in our preschool. This past spring we immersed ourselves in the exploration of “Light and Shadows” - and had many bright ideas doing it! We employed the Reggio Emilia Philosophy method to spark student curiosity, and asked the students, “What items in our classroom would be beautiful when placed on our overhead projector?” The children then set out to find interesting things to place on the stage of the overhead!
The Gallup Preschool has been having fun learning about camping! To do so, we set up a “campsite” with our classroom tent. We read books about camping and discussed how camping out is a great family activity, and even more enjoyable when everyone has a job and works together. One popular camp task is helping to prepare meals because food tastes better cooked over a campfire! The children experienced toasting delicious marshmallows, and discovered that they are a perfect camping treat.
We were surprised to discover that while colorful scarves were not impressive, colorful glass stones were stunning! The children began to make designs with the stones, realizing that they could shift the image from our sheet on the wall to the ceiling. The activity encouraged laughter and social interactions. Our youngest students, only 2-years-old, made eye contact with each other and pointed at their creations. Bella signed “beautiful” while pointing at her design, while her friend Caisen studied the image on the screen as she added more stones. The older students were also interested in the translucent colorful shapes. Rya laughed when she saw the various shapes projected onto her clothes. Antarious exclaimed, “There is a square on my back!” The children took turns becoming part of the backdrop, and began asking questions about shadows. At recess, we searched for more shadows!
We also learned that shutting off electronics and technology is the best way to truly experience the great outdoors. Without artificial light, it is possible to see wild creatures like owls and deer. Finally, we learned about Smokey the Bear and discussed that one of the most important things to do before leaving a campsite is to put out a fire properly and completely. This prevents dangerous forest fires. Everyone enjoyed our time in the classroom “wilderness” and can’t wait to experience the great outdoors again!
The children were equally fascinated by flashlights, especially after reading Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. In the story, the zookeeper carries a flashlight while on night watch. We created a light exploration space under the desk with a sheer curtain, equipping it with flashlights and old CDs suspended with fishing line. We added red, yellow, and blue translucent squares and triangular prisms. The children shone their lights onto the various objects. The younger children turned their flashlights on and off, opening and closing the curtain while older students discovered prism rainbows. Students also learned to wait their turn, trade flashlights, and sit side by side while they experimented with materials. Everyone enjoyed this unit, and we loved watching their faces light up!
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Top right: Bella Hargrove points to her work while Caisen Smith adds more stones to the design. 2nd from top: Antarious Natoni and Bryson Atencio playing with stretchy monsters that light up in the light exploration center. 3rd from top: Drake Benallie changing his flashlight to yellow. Bottom left: Bella Hargrove and Rya Dick notice their shadows on the backdrop. Bottom middle: Rya Dick laughing with delight as she is covered in shapes. Bottom right: Caisen Smith experimenting with a flashlight and triangular mirror.
Top right: Caden Lee and Tahliah Joe with their tent. 2nd from top: Tahliah Joe enjoying a book on camping out and a delicious s’more! 3rd from top: There is nothing better than roasting marshmallows together with their favorite Teacher Assistant, Jennifer Enreka. Bottom right: Tahliah Joe, Caden Lee, and Teacher Anna Chavez, making s’mores during study of "camping out". Top left: Tahliah Joe and Caden Lee love cooking marshmallows over the "campfire". Bottom left: Caden Lee roasting a perfect marshmallow. Bottom middle: Tahliah Joe is proud of her very toasted marshmallow!
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EARLY CHILDHOOD - LAS CRUCES PRESCHOOL
EARLY CHILDHOOD - SANTA FE PRESCHOOL
LAS CRUCES REUSES!
BABY TALK
BY KIM BOYKIN
BY KRIS EATON
This February, the Las Cruces Preschool turned our attention towards how we can care for Planet Earth. Our main focus was on recycling, as students have had lots of experience with using recycled materials to create art. We decided to learn more about the recycled materials that have found their home in our preschool classroom.
The NMSD kindergarten class had an unexpected addition to their classroom over the winter holidays - my new baby son! Students had been anxiously awaiting his arrival, making drawings and gathering flowers as gifts. Since he arrived much earlier than expected, he had to stay in the Neonatal Infant Care Unit (NICU) over the holidays.
We began by looking at which items can and cannot be recycled in Las Cruces. We were interested to learn that other towns can now recycle glass and plastic grocery bags, but our home/curb pickup recycling program is relatively new. Two different trucks and two different bins are used to hold and carry away recyclable materials. We examined the blue campus recycling bin. We practiced deciding and sorting which materials belonged in the trash can and which could be recycled in the larger blue bin. We also learned about the triangle of arrows symbol, and we tried to recreate it in paint. We continued to use our saved recycled materials for use in our classroom, creating painted water bottle wind catchers. We also made and added to buildings, used holiday wrapping paper tubes to create inclines for our toy cars, and taped packing foam to our feet as ice skates on our tile floor. All the students enjoyed discovering the large and small ways we can help protect Planet Earth!
We decided to announce his early arrival by changing the classroom into a mini-NICU. We filled it with baby dolls, cribs, x-rays, heart rate monitors, and baby-monitoring items. We showed the students pictures of our little boy at two weeks old. They were instantly smitten, but they also had many questions about his feeding and breathing tubes. At the end of our baby talk, students explored our mini-NICU center to play at being doctors themselves! Later that week we set up a video conference call with the baby's other mom in the hospital’s actual NICU center. The students dressed in their doctor outfits and enjoyed visiting with the baby through a live video. Each student came to the web camera and showed us the doctor equipment they had to see if the baby had similar equipment at his bedside. At the end of the conference call, the students went back to their own NICU center to play and explore. They began interacting with the baby dolls and brought them into their play. Student “doctors” fed the babies milk through their nose as our actual baby had a similar feeding tube. The doctors were careful to watch the monitors to be sure their babies were making progress and growing! We created this mini-NICU not only to help students welcome and understand this new addition to our lives, but to also understand how the body works. We talked about bodies needing oxygen to breathe, and about air helping blood circulate and pump the heart. We taught students how to ask questions as the doctor or the patient during to allow for greater social and language-rich interactions. Students learned how to handle data as doctors by checking temperatures, ears, eyes, throat, height, weight and recording the results. We also covered science as we learned how the Earth must rotate around the sun once before his first birthday! Our students showed great interest and curiosity throughout our studies. We hope their discoveries will continue as our baby grows and develops - just as they did!
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Top right: Aubrey Kessel painting a recycle symbol. 2nd from top: On the way to the recycle bin, Brezianna Zapata found a loose can laying on the ground, so she added it to the recycling bin. 3rd from top: Bear Gerard and Brezziana Zapata using recycled tubes from wrapping paper to make an incline for their cars. Bottom right: Brezzi Zapata, Bear Gerard, Aubrey Kessel, and Asher Molinar discuss, decide and sort which items can be recycled in Las Cruces and add them to our little classroom bin. Top left: Aubrey Kessel and Asher Molinar using acrylic paint to create recycled water bottle wind catchers. Bottom left: Aubrey Kessel and the beautiful wind catcher she created from recycled painted water bottles.
Top right: Frederik Zefferer and Daniel Mendoza proving great care to their babies. 2nd from top: Pisces Luna-Smith tending to a baby. 3rd from top: Doctors taking care of a baby in the NICU. From left: from left Daniel Mendoza, Aspen Mohan-Litchfield, Fiona Pedersen, and Frederik Zefferer. Bottom right: Aspen zooming with Julie: Aspen Mohan-Litchfield asks Julie questions about the baby. Bottom Left: Using Skype in the classroom so that students can see the new baby and Julie in the NICU.
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ELEMENTARY
DINO-MITE!
VISIONS OF PEACE
BY MEGAN MONTOYA
BY KERI-LYNN MCBRIDE
The Alternative Curriculum Education (ACE) classes recently enjoyed exploring the world of dinosaurs, and what life was like thousands of years ago. Students explored making their own fossils, digging up fossils, and making clay models of dinosaurs - culminating in a field trip to the Museum of Natural History in Albuquerque. My class also compared dinosaurs and their animal classifications while making their own fossils. The students were thrilled to see how their fossils turned out! We also made fiction picture books about pet dinosaurs as a language arts study and measured fossil sizes for math studies.
“Kindness is more than deed. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person.” ~ Plato
Ashley Collins' class focused on comparing dinosaur skeletons to figure out whether they were predators or prey. Students looked at fossilized dinosaur teeth to determine each dinosaur’s diet and to see if there was a difference between the teeth of herbivores and carnivores. They also used non-standard units of measurement to measure a baby triceratops. They then traced it and taped it onto the classroom floor to compare and discuss why a standard unit of measurement is preferred. Students also learned dinosaur names, labeled and studied the possible use for different dinosaur parts, created dinosaurs with different materials, read books aloud, and learned about timelines.
In January, members of the Santa Fe Capital City Lions Club visited the NMSD campus to celebrate several middle school students who created beautiful posters of this year’s theme, “Kindness Matters.” Their sensitivity to the subject matter and individual artistic expression was evident in all the posters created, and we were all excited to witness the final product of their hard work! Congratulations go out to Phenix Hastings (1st place), Claire Stephens (2nd place), Efrim Rodarte-Estrada (3rd place), Alex Wilding (honorable mention) and Julio Aranda-Sotelo (honorable mention).
Jackie Martinez’s class also researched dinosaurs. Each student chose a dinosaur to study, learning about what food they ate and how big they grew. The class went to many different libraries to get a variety of dinosaur books. They also did a class dinosaur dig looking for fossils and figuring out how to put dinosaur bones together into a whole. They created their own dinosaur books inspired by everything they researched! While ACE classes typically address content standards in general education classrooms, they also allow for more freedom to deeply investigate a single topic to strengthen student foundation in core content areas. Through dinosaur activities, we addressed content areas of the New Mexico Standards for Science, Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Math. We all enjoyed delving deeper into this giant topic!
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MIDDLE SCHOOL
Top right: Angel Sanchez and Tyr Thrower excavating for dinosaur bones! 2nd from top: Angelyna Santistevan assembling a wooden puzzle replica of a brontosaurus. 3rd from top: From left: Zeriah Baca, Aniesa Gomez, and Serenity Hardy learning lots of new facts from reading books about fossils and dinosaurs. Bottom right: Tyshawn Pablo taping the outline of a baby triceratops so it can be measured. Bottom left: From left: Adreien Jaramillo, Jazyln Rafel, Chanelle Hobbs, and Esteban Ruiz at the Dinosaur Museum in Albuquerque.
For over three decades, Lions Clubs around the globe have sponsored an International Peace Poster contest for middle school students. Their premise is that creating these posters gives children a chance to inspire a more peaceful world through art and creativity.
As 1st place winner, Phenix, her parents, and siblings, were invited to a Lions Club dinner meeting where she and other winners from the Santa Fe Public Schools were honored for their posters. The evening was lovely, and Phenix clearly made us all proud! A big thank you goes out to Sheng Li, NMSD’s art teacher, who supported student participation throughout the process, and of course to the Santa Fe Capital City Lions Club. We are all grateful for the strong partnership we share with our local Lions, and we hope it continues for many more decades to come!
Top right: Claire Stephens working on her draft. 2nd from top: Students working hard creating their posters. 3rd from top: From left: Lion’s Club members Janet Dallas, Rose Himrod, Tom Himrod, and Buck Rackley came to campus to announce the winners of the International Peace Poster Contest. Bottom right: Phenix Hastings being honored at a Lion’s Club dinner meeting for being NMSD’s 1st Place winner! Bottom left: Front from left: Alex Wilding (Honorable Mention), Phenix Hastings (1st Place), Claire Stephens (2nd Place), Efrim Rodarte-Estrada (3rd Place) and Julian Aranda-Sotelo (Honorable Mention) proudly displaying their amazing posters.
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HIGH SCHOOL
GIRLS’ RETREAT
EDIBLE ART!
GIRL TALK
BY SHERRY MOHAN AND ELIZABETH FRY
BY SHIRA GRABELSKY
This year, we focused on basic cooking skills for the High School’s first quarter cooking class. Students learned how to research recipes, make a shopping list, budget ingredients cost, as well as shop and cook. As senior Johnathan Ludwigs put it, “It is important to understand how to budget to plan meals and create a shopping list. It was a great learning experience to put it all together!”
While NMSD students enjoy many opportunities to socialize - such as student organization meetings and athletic events - one beloved event only occurs every two years. This is the High School Girls’ Retreat.
We began the second quarter focused on decorating baked goods, exploring a wide variety of techniques. We learned creativity, artistic ability, attention to detail and developing a steady hand. We also learned to read instructions and use basic math skills for weights and measurements. During decorating assignments, students learned which decorating tips to use, how to communicate with others on what they need to do, and how to put finishing touches on cupcakes or other baked products. Freshman Jesus Rios-Pena shared, “I enjoy decorating and I see I can do that at a bakery shop. It is fun.” Students also learned how to make icing from scratch, watched various decorating videos and learned about the tools and techniques to use on their products.
This past march, the Girls’ Retreat brought together eight High School students for a weekend of social, mental, and physical activities that allowed them to grow and learn more about one another. It was made possible by the generosity of our volunteers, who not only helped cook meals but also led confidence and business-owning workshops. Weekend highlights included making bath bombs, creating duct tape bags and wallets, learning to walk on stilts, (courtesy of Wise Fool, a local circus, puppetry, and theatre organization), Zumba sessions, and hula hooping. The weekend wrapped up on Sunday with a day trip to Jemez for a soak in Spence Hot Springs and dinner at Il Vicino. All the participants eagerly anticipate future get-togethers!
We visited Albertson’s bakery to see how professional bakers decorate various products. During the field trip, students saw many of the techniques they learned in class. They also saw first-hand that they too could become bakers using their new decorative skills! “I learned that we don’t need a certificate in decorating and that we can learn on the job. This is something I am very interested in - to work at a bakery during high school and after high school,” shared junior Antonio Lopez. We all agreed this would be a delicious field of study!
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Top right: Justin Bryant, Jesus Rios-Pena, and Ricardo Salmon-Medina watching one of the bakers at Albertson’s decorating a cake. Middle right: Antonio Lopez cutting slits in bread dough before it is popped into the large ovens at Albertson’s. Bottom right: Melinda Johnston and Joshua Armendariz putting their new decorating skills to the test! Bottom left: Proudly showing off their decorated cupcakes. Front row from left: Sierra Cisneros, Melinda Johnston, and Justin Bryant. Back row from left: Joshua Armendariz, Waylon Lopez, Johnathan Ludwigs, Ricardo Salmon-Medina, Jesus Rios-Pena, Antonio Lopez, and Zachery Reed.
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1: Posing at Jemez Hot Springs. Front row from left: Melinda Johnston and Sherrena Bob. Middle row from left: Nthabeleng MacDonald, Victoria Baca, Mya Malone, and Martina Rodarte-Estrada. Top: Lindsay Hand. 2: Hula Hoop class with Oakley Gianakos. Front row from left: Nthabeleng MacDonald, Victoria Baca, and Lindsay Hand. Back row from left: Sherrena Bob, Oakley Gianakos, Mya Malone, Martina Rodarte-Estrada, and Melinda Johnston. 3: The girls making wallets using duct tape. 4: Sherrena’s bath bomb using natural ingredients and essential oils. 5: Making bars of soap with Karla Sanchez. From left: Sierra Cisneros, Victoria Baca, Nthabeleng MacDonald, Melinda Johnston, and Karla Sanchez. 6: Learning to prepare an Indian cuisine with Sherry Mohan. 7: The girls learning how to balance on the stilts with members from Wise Fool. They did it! 8: Zumba class with Claudia Mansilla in the morning. What a great way to start the day!
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MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
THAI SCORE!
A SPOONFUL OF CHINESE CULTURE
BY ELIZABETH FRY AND LISA CRAIG
BY SHENG LI
This past semester, NMSD offered a Thai Culture Elective class to High School students interested in learning about Thai history and culture. Chayakorn Sakornsatian, a Sophomore International Exchange student from Thailand, educated the class about his country and Thai Sign Language. When students entered the classroom, they were encouraged to use Thai Sign Language to communicate with each other. Since Thai Sign uses many ASL signs, it was surprisingly easy to learn!
The Chinese New Year and Spring Festival celebration took place on February 5, 2019. To honor this important festival, Dominic Harrison and I held a Chinese Cultural event for NMSD’s Early Childhood and Elementary students. Fortunately, my mother was visiting, and she helped Dominic and I share elements of Chinese Culture with students.
Chayakorn also taught us how to make delicious Pad Thai and Mango with Sticky Rice dessert. We discovered that in Thailand it is year 2052! We also researched the cost of airfare to Thailand, as well as food prices and lodging. We learned that it is not expensive to tour Thailand despite the need for an expensive plane ticket to get there. We also studied about Thai currency vs U.S. currency. Students were surprised how affordable it is to live in Thailand! Junior Julio Portillo and Freshman Jesus Rios-Pena both commented that they “enjoyed the class, especially cooking Thai food, learning Thai Sign Language, and learning many interesting facts about Thai history and culture.” Jesus also especially enjoyed playing Thai games. We were fortunate to be able to offer our Thai Culture Class this semester, and give Chayakorn an opportunity to share his knowledge. He invited everyone to visit Thailand so we could continue to learn more about his beloved country. Students were excited by this idea, and we hope we can arrange a visit in the future with our International Studies Program trip!
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MULTICULTURAL EDUCATION
Top right: Students having fun playing the circle game created by Thai students and teachers. 2nd from top: Chayakorn Sakornsatian sharing that his country was founded in 1238. 3rd from top: Bruce Brewer Jr., Chayakorn Sakornsatian, and Sophia Martinez writing on the board using Thai characters. Bottom right: Students enjoying delicious Pad Thai they created together. From left: Jesus Rios Pena, Antonio Lopez, Victoria Baca, Chayakorn Sakornsatian, Julio Portillo, Bruce Brewer Jr., Sophia Martinez, and Ricardo Salmon Medina. Bottom left: Students preparing the ingredients needed for Thai omelet (Kai Jeow Moo Sab).
First, students learned how Chinese New Year is celebrated. We decided to create red bags to symbolize the holiday, by cutting out red paper and gluing it together. Students received a piece of candy to put in their red bags. They were delighted by this treat! My mother and I then demonstrated the difference between American Sign Language (ASL) and Chinese Sign Language (CSL) by signing our ABC’s and the numbers 1 – 10. Students were fascinated and followed along, signing in CSL! We also shared the importance of having good etiquette skills, especially as they relate to respecting our elders. Students learned that when sitting down for dinner, the oldest members of the family sit first. Typically, that would be grandparents. Then parents, aunts, uncles, and on down to the youngest child. Students also learned that it is polite to bow when presenting an item or gift to someone else. Finally, we had great fun with Tai Chi! We demonstrated moves that allow for the mind and body to calm down and focus. Students and staff did a great job focusing and following along! Many commented that they felt calmer afterwards! We all had a wonderful time sharing and learning “a spoonful of Chinese!”
Top right: Rianza Ercolino, dressed in her traditional Chinese dress, shares how important etiquette is in Chinese culture. 2nd from top: From left: Wendy Fuentes, Aubrianna Baca, and Kimora Vollmar create their red bags. 3rd from top: Sheng Li shares information about Chinese New Year with students. Bottom right: Dominic Harrison puts a piece of candy in Emmanuel Fuente's red bag as Pisces Luna-Smith waits patiently. Top left: Sheng, Dominic, and students practice Tai Chi. Bottom left: Sheng and his mom demonstrate the difference between how to sign numbers in American Sign Language and Chinese Sign Language.
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PERFORMING ARTS
PERFORMING ARTS
MYSTERIOUS EVENING!
WINTER VARIETY SHOW
BY LISA CRAIG
This year’s Winter Variety Show was a celebration of creative inspiration! The magical evening showcased students and staff performing in a number of enchanting skits, preparing the community to kick off the holiday season with a joyous and festive spirit!
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The New Mexico School for the Deaf held its annual spring play, An Evening with Edgar Allan Poe, on Thursday, April 25th in the James A. Little Theater. Edgar Allan Poe, born in 1809, was a great American writer, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. Our spring play focused on four skits: The Cask of Amontillado, The Fall of the House of Usher, The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether, and The Tell-Tale Heart. The thirteen cast members and three crew members did a fantastic job entertaining all who attended this suspense-filled evening!
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1: Elementary students wishing everyone a Happy Holiday! 2: Deven Thomson and Levi Anderson did a marvelous job as MCs for the show. 3: From left: Diego Rivera-Romero, Aspen Mohan-Litchfield, Daniel Mendoza, and Richard Nava with their very own version of “STOMP”! 4: From left: Luis Gonzalez, Narjees “Huda” Ali, Wayde Van Gunten, Jodie Haley, and Jesse Crespin performing their skit about an invisible bench. 5: Student Life staff Roddy Cabbage, Maribeth Schneider, and David Anderson, had great fun “judging” Student Life Education staff members in their talent show skit! 6: Emma Lozada’s toddlers, Zoe Pedersen and Liam Mohan-Litchfield, in a movie about being careful not to fall down when skating on ice. 7: From left: Rianza Ercolino, Mateo Perez, Jesse Jimenez, Kyra King-Morgan, Brenna Gonzalez, and Twilah Joe celebrating the winter seasons from around the globe. 8: Chayakorn Sakornsatian performing a visual vernacular story about soccer.
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1: Spring play cast and directors. Front row from left: Monica Chavez, Martina Estrada-Rodarte, Efrim Estrada-Rodarte, and Chayakorn Sakornsatian. Middle row from left: Assistant Director Sabella Natale, Victoria Baca, Stacy Vargas, Emily Begay, and Director Lisa Craig. Back row from left: Sophia Martinez, Sherrena Bob, Bria Vigil, Kieran Ercolino, and Jeremiah Reed. 2: Montressor (Martina Estrada-Rodarte) tricks Fortunato (Efrim Estrada-Rodarte) into taking him to an underground vault to leave him chained up down there for the rest of his life. From left: Efrim Estrada-Rodarte and Martina Estrada-Rodarte. 3: Rhodes (Stacy Vargas) and the Doctor (Emily Begay) help Roderick Usher (Kieran Ercolino) take the body of his dead sister, Madeline (Bria Vigil) to the underground family vault. From left: Kieran Ercolino, Bria Vigil, Stacy Vargas, and Emily Begay. 4: An asylum resident (Kieran Ercolino) proudly tells people that his institution has a man who thinks he is a teapot and will often polishes himself clean while another asylum resident (Victoria Baca) looks on. From left: Kieran Ercolino and Victoria Baca. 5: Lemonde (Sophia Martinez) and Maillard (Chayakorn Sakornsatian) dine with all the asylum residents. From left: Sherrena Bob, Kieran Ercolino, Victoria Baca, Stacy Vargas, Jeremiah Reed, Martina Estrada-Rodarte, Efrim Estrada-Rodarte, Bria Vigil, Sophia Martinez, and Chayakorn Sakornsatian. 6: Burke (Victoria Baca) barges into the chamber of the Old Man (Sophia Martinez) to murder him, so the evil blue eye will be gone forever. From left Victoria Baca and Sophia Martinez. 7: Policeman #2 (Chayakorn Sakornsatian) and Policeman #3 (Emily Begay) discussing with Burke (Victoria Baca, not pictured) that they have a warrant to search his apartment. From left: Emily Begay and Chayakorn Sakornsatian.
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ATHLETICS
ATHLETICS
WINTER/SPRING SEASON VARISTY BOYS BASKETBALL
VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL
Kneeling from left: Antonio Lopez, Jesus Rios-Pena, Chayakorn Sakornsatian and Jeremy Baldonado. Standing from left: Acting Head Coach Leo Gutierrez, Julio Portillo, Bruce Brewer Jr., Luis Villalobos, Deven Thompson, Kieran Vollmar, Jacob Stevens, Dustin Hand, and Assistant Coach Dalton Etkie. Not pictured: Johnathan Ludwigs, and Head Coach Letty Perez.
Kneeling from left: Andrea Leyba, Manager Waylon Lopez, and Victoria Baca. Standing from left: Assistant Coach Emilio Garcia, Nthabeleng MacDonald, Martina Rodarte-Estrada, Mya Malone, Sophia Martinez, Lindsay Hand, Stacy Vargas, and Head Coach Johanna Scherling.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BASKETBALL
Kneeling from left: Precious Jones, Zachary Nichols, Ruben Apodaca, Adrian Fernandez, and Adrien Ercolino. Middle row from left: Deangelo Frank, Julian Aranda-Sotelo, Phenix Hastings, and Alex Wilding. Back row from left: Head Coach Levi Anderson, John “LJ” Hernandez, Lathaniel Williams, Ben Hernandez, Efrim Rodarte-Estrada, and Assistant Coach Mitch Curtis. Not pictured: Angelique Quinonez.
ELEMENTARY VOLLEYBALL U12
Front row from left: Kimora Vollmar, Jodie Haley, Isac Velo-Tarin, Sierra Woosley, and Wendy Fuentes. Middle row from left: Jocelyn (Jovi) Melendez, Serenity Adams, Angelique Quinonez, Soniya Vigil, and Jesse Haley. Back row: Head Coach Dominic Harrison.
VARISTY COED TRACK & FIELD
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ATHLETICS BANQUET
Kneeling from left: Manager Sherrena Bob, Jesus Rios-Pena, Victoria Baca, Chayakorn Sakornsatian, and Dustin Hand. Middle row from left: Jacob Stevens, Lindsay Hand, Martina Rodarte-Estrada, Sophia Martinez, and Stacy Vargas. Back row from left: Head Coach James Litchfield, Kieran Vollmar, Deven Thompson, Luis Villalobos, and Bruce Brewer Jr. Not Pictured: Mya Malone, Marlin Toledo, and Assistant Coach Daniel Timlen.
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ELEMENTARY VOLLEYBALL U8
Front row from left: Gabriella Flores and Rianza Ercolino. Middle row from left: Henrik Catron, Greyson Lobato, Kyra King-Morgan, and Mateo Perez. Back row from left: Head Coach Briean Burton, Neeva Goff, Tavian Plonski, and Aspen Mohan-Litchfield.
MIDDLE SCHOOL COED TRACK & FIELD
Kneeling from left: Adrian Fernandez, Phenix Hastings, Precious Jones, and Adrien Ercolino. Standing from left: Bria Vigil, Claire Stephens, Jeremiah Reed, John "LJ" Hernandez, Alex Wilding, and Head Coach Nora Torres. Not pictured: Efrim Rodarte-Estrada, Angelique Quinonez, and Assistant Coach Levi Anderson.
1: Athletic Director, Letty Perez, visiting with families as they enjoy a delicious meal at the Athletic Banquet. 2: Middle School Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Adrien Ercolino, High School Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Nthabeleng MacDonald, and Dr. Jennifer Herbold. 3: Rookies of the Year Stacy Vargas and Kieran Vollmar with John Jarrett. 4: From left: Coach Jimmy Litchfield, Roadrunner Pride Recipients Chayakorn Sakornsatian and Martina Rodarte-Estrada, and Coach Johanna Scherling. 5: Varsity Basketball Champs - So much to celebrate! From left: Head Coach Letty Perez, Jacob Stevens, Bruce Brewer, Jr., Kieran Vollmar, Assistant Coach Leonardo Gutierrez, Jesus Rios-Pena, Chayakorn Sakornsatian, Luis Villalobos, Antonio Lopez, and Assistant Coach Dalton Etkie. 6: From left: Roadrunner Fans of the Year Gary Hand, Joi Holsapple, Scott Vollmar, Tommy Tischler, and Bruce Brewer, Sr.
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END OF YEAR SOCIAL
ROADRUNNER CELEBRATION DAY
PLAY TIME!
SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE!
BY PAT ERCOLINO AND ELIZABETH FRY In lieu of a formal prom, the seniors wanted to do things differently this year. After the entire high school body got all dolled up for a short time on campus, they headed to the Hinkle Family Fun Center in Albuquerque with staff for an evening of games, rides and big fun! The evening ended at the famous Frontier Restaurant where students and staff enjoyed a hearty meal. By the looks on their faces, everyone had a fantastic time at the end of the year social!
An amazing daylong celebration took place on Thursday, May 30th. Throughout the morning kindergarteners were promoted to first grade, fifth graders were promoted to middle school, and eighth graders were promoted to High School. Students also participated in field day activities and there was a special luncheon for our eighth graders and their families. In the afternoon Honor Awards were held in the theater for all students and, to honor our graduates, the senior class, their families, staff, and donors attended a lovely awards ceremony and reception where the seniors were presented with their scholarships. The festivities ended with all having a fantastic time at the Student Life’s Splash Day and BBQ. So much to celebrate!
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1: High School students looking spiffy! 2: High School staff striking a pose. 3: Having a blast on the racetrack at Hinkle Family Fun Center! 4: Bruce Brewer Jr. and Victoria Baca playing air hockey. 5: Jonathan Garcia-Valladarez and Lindsay Hand playing a virtual reality game together. 6: The whole gang having fun being silly! 7: Sherrena Bob and Johnthan Ludwigs on the bumping car ride. 8: Students catching up with their former classmate and friend, Samuel Boyd. 9: Everyone feasting together at the Frontier Restaurant.
1: Kindergarteners promoted to first grade! Front row from left: Frederick Zefferer, Daniel Mendoza, Andres Vigil, Fiona Pederson, Aspen Mohan-Litchfield, and Pisces Luna-Smith. Back row from left: Teacher Kris Eaton and Instructional Aide Lupe Lucero. 2: From left: Middle school students Phenix Hastings, Amador Corral, and Levi James getting ready for the egg run challenge while Jenn Harrison and Dennis Catron lend support. 3: Fifth graders promoted to sixth grade! From left: Teacher Megan Montoya, Luis Gonzalez, Alex Gonzalez-Lopez, Serenity Hardy, Soniya Vigil, Jayden Vacher, Jesse Haley, Joseph Rodriguez, Josiah Smith, and Teacher Ashley Turek. 4: Eighth graders promoted to High School! From left: Kieran Vollmar, Jeremiah Reed, Efrim Rodarte-Estrada, Kieran Ercolino, John “LJ” Hernandez, Stacy Vargas, and Bria Vigil. 5: From left: High school students Jesus Rios-Pena, Chayakorn Sakornsatian, Nthabeleng MacDonald, Maria Chavez, and Bruce Brewer, Jr. having fun during their field day. 6: From left: Students of the Year John “LJ” Hernandez, Kimora Vollmar, Adrien Ercolino, Jesus Rios-Pena, Nthabeleng MacDonald, and Dr. Rosemary Gallegos. 7: Dr. Rosemary Gallegos welcoming seniors, their families, staff and donors to the Senior Awards celebration and reception. 8: From left: Seniors Jacob Lopez, Nthabeleng MacDonald, Jonathan Garcia-Valladarez, Johnathan Ludwigs, and Jacob Stevens with Dr. Rosemary Gallegos during the Senior Awards celebration. 9: Everyone having a marvelous time playing together at the Splash Bash and BBQ!
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GRADUATION
CENTER FOR EDUCATIONAL CONSULTATION & TRAINING
SENIOR CLASS OF 2019
LINE-ING UP FRIENDS! BY JOANNE DEBEE Deaf students in public schools can feel isolated for a variety of reasons. Sometimes peers don’t feel comfortable communicating with their classmates, whether through spoken or signed language. It can also be challenging to develop meaningful friendships in the absence of deaf or age-appropriate peers. Consultants from NMSD's Center for Educational Consultation and Training (CECT) were concerned that many students are hungry for social interactions. As a result, Joanne DeBee, in partnership with school district staff, developed her “video pen pal” project. The pilot allows for weekly video visits between two 5th grade students who live miles apart in Hobbs and Santa Fe. Prior to the first meeting, the two students were encouraged to come up with questions about their daily lives to help ease them into conversation. As they shared experiences, home locations, interests and hobbies, they became more and more comfortable with each other. It has been wonderful watching their friendship bloom. Now they excitedly look forward to their weekly chats! Not only are they developing a friendship, but they are also practicing conversation skills, learning about each other’s day-to-day activities, and recognizing their similarities while appreciating their rich cultural differences. CECT hopes, over time, there will be similar video technology opportunities for more students throughout the state!
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CLASS COLORS
CLASS MOTTO
CLASS SONG
CLASS FLOWER
Black and Crimson
“Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you that moment is now.” ~ Unknown
“Stand By Me” by Ben E. King
Passion flower
Top: Senior Class 2019. Front row from left: Jacob Stevens, Nthabeleng MacDonald, and Pamela Kayonnie. Back row from left: Jonathan Garcia Valladarez, Jacob Lopez, Deven Thompson, Johnathan Ludwigs, and Daniel Guerra. Bottom left: NMSD’s graduation speaker Shoshannah Stern encouraging the graduating class of 2019 to make the most of every phase of their lives. Bottom middle: The Graduates! Bottom right: Johnathan Ludwigs and Nthabeleng MacDonald, our student graduation speakers, giving advice to their fellow classmates. Johnathan shared his favorite quote “Be happy and smile often” because it inspires others to do the same. Nthabeleng reminded her peers that there are many roads in life, and while they may not all be easy ones, the trick is to enjoy the journey. Beautiful words of advice!
Top right: Joanne DeBee looking on as Alex Gonzalez and Gustavo Prieto chat it up during their "video pen pal" session. 2nd from top: The two pen pals’ favorite book, “The Computer Nut”. 3rd from top: Gustavo and Alex discussing math and numbers. Bottom right: Alex and Gustavo talking about friendship. Bottom left: Joanne DeBee and Alex Gonzalez.
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ALUMNI
ALUMNI IN ACTION!
A STOCKING FULL OF LOVE
BY KERI-LYNN MCBRIDE AND AUGUSTA SKOOG
BY KERI-LYNN MCBRIDE
What year did you enroll at NMSD? I enrolled at NMSD in 1996 and again in 2013. Long story short, I started at NMSD when I was tiny and left after 1st grade. I was homeschooled until the 11th grade, and after a year and a half of chronic illness, came back to NMSD as a high school junior.
Every December, NMSD celebrates the holiday season with our much-anticipated Winter Variety Show. This year’s student and staff performances included comedy acts, dances, ASL songs, theatrical skits, and all out merriment! In keeping with the school’s annual tradition, the proceeds from the show were donated to the New Mexican’s Empty Stocking Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation. We were proud to donate $597.18 to the Empty Stocking Fund, benefiting individuals in need from the greater Santa Fe Community. Our students are always happy to make a difference in the community!
Who were your best friends while at school? My best friends while at school were Samuel Boyd, Hadassah Aguilar-Davis, Megan Gorsuch, Kalle Lofgren, Melinda Johnson, Jacob Lopez, Jasmine de la Pena, Cheyenne Price, Rhiannon Reynolds, and Jacob Stevens. Several children from the elementary department were also dear to my heart. What were your favorite subject(s) when at NMSD? My favorite subjects were History, English, Literature, ASL Class, Job Preparation Program, and Physics. I know Academic Bowl does not exactly constitute as a subject, but I loved this after-school brain challenge and competing on the team! Who was your favorite teacher(s) or staff person(s) and why? There were so many that I admired, but my favorite teachers were Gary Hand, Nathan Harrison, Scott Mohan, and Scott Vollmar. All four of these teachers challenged me to excel academically, encouraged me when I had a bad day, taught me how to advocate for myself, pushed me to do my best, and were some of my biggest cheerleaders. In addition, some of my favorite staff persons were Jennifer Harrison, Joi Holsapple, Shelly Lilly, Aaron and Leslie Martinez, Keri Sluyter, Jim and Bonny Vigil, Jesse Woosley and last, but not least, former Superintendent Dr. Stern and Librarian Hedy Udkovich-Stern. These amazing people showed continuous compassion and support through some of my toughest moments and I will never forget their positive outlooks on life, valuable advice, and go-get-it attitudes! What is your fondest memory while a student at NMSD? My fondest memory was the time I spent in the Job Preparation Program during my final year at NMSD. I had the amazing opportunity to work as a teacher’s aide with the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes. What I learned through my interactions with the kids and, especially teaching 3rd grade math, confirmed what I wanted to do with my life, to work with children. I decided to become a teacher based on my experiences and I cannot wait to have my own classroom someday! What year did you graduate from NMSD? I graduated in 2015 and stayed a second year to strengthen my study skills and gain more job experience with the Job Preparation Program. After you graduated, what college(s) did you attend and what profession do you want to go into? After I graduated from NMSD, I attended Santa Fe Community College for two years. I am currently finishing my first year at Gallaudet University where I am pursuing my dream of becoming a teacher. My goal is to get a BA in Elementary Education and a Masters in an English-related field so that I can help my students become proficient in their writing and reading skills, do their best, and cultivate a lifelong love of learning. In what ways have you stayed connected with NMSD? Since graduation, I have stayed connected with NMSD by attending events such as Homecoming and Roadrunner Classic every year. I have visited NMSD a few times during the school year to reconnect with friends who are still in school and I also had the awesome privilege to engage in classroom observations for one of my college courses. In addition, I try to keep up with how the Academic Team is doing via social media. I am still in contact with several of my friends from NMSD, and it has been beautiful continuing along life’s adventures together. What are you currently up to in your life? My spring semester at Gallaudet University included completing my capstone project with the Honors Program, presenting a poster on the psychosocial effects of living with an invisible chronic illness at a regional honors conference in April, and a few visits from family members. I love that I am continually challenged to learn, grow, and exercise problem-solving and critical thinking skills in everyday life! In closing, thank you to all the amazing teachers and students at NMSD who made my days brighter while a high school student at NMSD. Continue to do your best, bring joy to others, and make a difference in your community!
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COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Top right: Augusta in her cap and gown! 2nd from top: Augusta and fellow Academic Bowl teammates and coaches at the Western Regionals in March of 2016. 3rd from top: Augusta and her classmates during the International Studies Program's trip to France and the Netherlands back in 2016. 4th from top: Augusta during her second year at Santa Fe Community College. Bottom right: Augusta is over the moon about arriving at Gallaudet for her first semester in the Fall of 2018.
LEAPING LEPRECHAUNS! BY KERI-LYNN MCBRIDE Year after year, members of Quota International of Santa Fe show their love and support for our students and school by hosting a special St. Patrick’s Day dinner. We all enjoyed the traditional Irish fare of corned beef, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and delectable sweets. It was especially thrilling to have a record eighty-four people attend the 2019 Leaping Leprechaun dinner! Quota raised just over $1700.00, which is used to provide scholarships to NMSD seniors heading to college. We also sponsor a Diaper Drive for the Santa Fe Food Depot. A total of 1255 diapers and 112 wipes were donated by dinner attendees for needy Santa Fe families. We are blessed to have this special relationship with Quota International of Santa Fe and we thank them for hosting this annual labor of love.
CELEBRATING OUTSTANDING STUDENTS BY KERI-LYNN MCBRIDE Our students were once again out in full force this spring proudly representing NMSD at several local student award celebrations. Bria Vigil and John “LJ” Hernandez were nominated and honored at the Santa Fe Civitan Club’s Youth Citizenship Banquet. Bria Vigil, Grace Sandoval, Nthabeleng MacDonald, and Jacob Stevens were nominated and honored at the Elk’s Student Banquet. They were all chosen for being outstanding students who display such exceptional qualities as being confident, caring, honest, as well as school leaders. All of these students are wonderful individuals who make the world a better place - we are so proud of their accomplishments!
Top right: Santa Fe Community Foundation staff graciously accept the stocking full of donations collected at the Winter Variety Show. From left: Jane Yates, student Nthabeleng MacDonald, Chad Gaspar, Diane Hamamoto, student Dustin Hand, and Charles Rountree. Middle right: Quota International of Santa Fe members. Sitting from left: Ardell Van Mason, Susi Perry, and Pat Sneesby. Standing from left: Gina Federici, Mary Dixon, Andrea Dunick Andrea, Holly Bostwick, and Rose Himrod. Bottom right: From left: Outstanding students Jacob Stevens, Nthanbeleng MacDonald, Grace Sandoval, Bria Vigil, and John "LJ" Hernandez.
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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - DELGADO HALL
COMMUNITY RELATIONS
2018 DONOR GRATITUDE REPORT GRATITUDE
GRATITUDE Gratitud - Dankbaarheid - Gratidão - Reconnaissance - Gratitudine - Vděčnost - Dankbarkeit Thank you to all of our donors for supporting our students. There is no limit to what they can Dream! Explore! & Achieve with your generosity and support! INDIVIDUALS Josie Abbenante Becky & Frank Anderson Laurie & David Anderson Patricia J. Anderson Justin Arrigo Lynann & Andy Barbero Vonnie Basham Willie, Christina & Kelly Benavidez Ted & Marcia Berridge Dr. Luis G Beverido Elspeth Bobbs & Family Jenne Britell Andres & Melinda Carrillo Gerry Charles Joanne & Kim Corwin Linda Cosheneet Emma Lozada & Roddy Cabbage Patricia A. Delaney Donald Dodge Mary Dykstra Rosemary & Robert Gallegos Gary Goldblum Ric & Dolores J. Gonzales Wendy J. Gordon Katharine H. Glyer Kathy Glyer Alyce Hand Julia Hecht John J. Hooper Cynthia Huff Eloy & Mary Jeantete Mary & James Lambourne Joyce & Ray Litherland Dale Loper Manuel Malone Victoria Malone Keri-Lynn McBride Patricia McBride Leonard & Lu McComb Dr. Michael & Sheri Milone Judy Mohan Jon & Deborah Monacelli Paul & Judy Moriarty Ofelia Narvaez Richard & Linda Pearson
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Margie Propp Randall Rael Patti Raggof Sarah Rinehart & Family Victoria Romero Maribeth Schneider & Leo Gutierrez Frankie Serrano Jerry Seth Barbara & Steve Spurgis Andrea & Adam St. Clair Lena Stavely Dr. Ronald & Hedy Stern Fred & Katherine Tyler Harriet Waseta IN-KIND Josie Abbenante Kim Burkholder Heather Costner Kris Eaton Pat Ercolino Margarita & Tim Garcia Megan Goldberg Leah Greg Dr. Sheree Hall Gary Hand Dominic Harrison Maxine Hickox Ben Huber Cindy Huff Joi Holsapple Siri Hollander Shelly Lily Lobos Family Megan Klusza Claudia Mansilla Keri-Lynn McBride Scott Mohan Sherry Mohan Carrie Nichols Orlando Obeso Kim Olivas Letty Perez Velda Romero Kieran Vollmar Scott Vollmar
BUSINESSES & CORPORATIONS A-1 Lawn Maintenance & Service Café Fina Jambo Café La Choza Los Alamos National Laboratory Pantry Restaurant Sage Bakehouse Sam’s Club Santa Fe Santa Fe Baskets Santa Fe Cooking School Sunrise Springs Resort & Spa 10,000 Waves Trader Joe’s United Way of Central New Mexico Vigils Auto Sales Violet Crown FOUNDATIONS Schwab Charitable SJR Charitable Foundation United Jewish Endowment Fund Walter Scott Foundation CIVIC & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARCA Buddies Castle Rock Civitans City of Vision Civitans Civitan International De Colores Civitans Deaf Senior Citizens of Greater ABQ Duke City Sertoma Las Cruces Civitans Northern NM Quilt Guild Phi Kappa Zeta Old Town Optimist Club Quota International Santa Fe Ramah Navajo Chapter River of Hope Civitans Rocky Mountain Civitans Route 66 Civitans Sandia Civitans Santa Fe Civitans St. John’s United Methodist Women Santa Fe Civitan Club
Donations were received from January 1, 2018 – December 31, 2018. Great care is given in preparing the Donor Gratitude Report. Any omissions and errors are unintentional. Corrections and/or questions should be addressed to Keri-Lynn McBride at 505-476-6399 or keri-lynn.mcbride@nmsd.k12.nm.us.
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1: Working on completing the new lobby of Delgado Hall. 2: The future office space for NMSD’s amazing Interpreting Department. 3: The beautiful and welcoming lobby of Delgado Hall! 4: The new conference room. 5: Nora Torres is happy in her new space in the Business Office. 6: Delgado Hall’s renovations are completed and the building is gorgeous!
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2018 -2019 RETIREES & YEARS OF SERVICE
CONSTRUCTION UPDATE - CARTWRIGHT HALL RETIREE
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RETIREE
RETIREE
Priscilla Gutierrez
Joe Lopez
Randy Oglesby
2005 – 2019
2011 – 2018
1993 – 2019
25 YEARS
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Leonard Benavidez
RETIREE
RETIREE
Matthew Smith
Billy Vigil
1997 – 2012 & 2014 – 2019
1994 – 2018
20 YEARS
Elizabeth Gordon
Jennifer Harrison
Jennifer Herbold
Dale Loper
Shani Loper
15 YEARS 4
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Gloria Garza
ShaShonie Reins
Cindy Huff
Jose Rodriguez
10 YEARS
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1 & 2: The renovations continue. 3: Stucco work finishing up on the side entrance where the new elevator is located. 4: One of the beautiful new kitchens in Cartwright Hall. 5: A view of the backside of Cartwright Hall (left) and Delgado Hall (right). 6: The front of the newly renovated Cartwright Hall.
Levi Anderson
Christina Brewer
Lori Clay-Markowski
Curtis Mitchel
Christina Miller
Sam Montoya
Trish Rich
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. 109 / Issue 2 / Winter/Spring 2018-19
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.