New Mexico School for the Deaf - Progress Magazine - English - Winter-Spring 2019-20

Volume 110 / Issue 2 / Winter/Spring 2019-2020

DREAM! EXPLORE! ACHIEVE!

LITERACY: THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING AND SUCCESS

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

May 2018

VOLUME 110 ISSUE 2 WINTER/SPRING 2019 - 2020

DREAM! EXPLORE! ACHIEVE! FEATURE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 LITERACY: THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING AND SUCCESS

2 4 7 8 12 16 18 19 20 21 22 24

Superintendent’s Update Feature Early Intervention & Involvement Early Childhood Education - Preschools Main Campus Knowledge Fair Performing Arts Athletics Graduation Alumni Community Relations Construction

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twitter.com/nmschooldeaf twitter.com/nmsdathlethics @nmschooldeaf @nmsdtrue

SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATE

DEAR NMSD COMMUNITY & FRIENDS With the magnitude of events happening in our lives, starting a letter to you, our dear stakeholders, is difficult. Future generations will be sorting through historic NMSD documents and will perhaps mark the year 2020 as one to commemorate in addition to the celebration of our founding in 1885.

Today we are faced with a viral pandemic that has immobilized our nation and disproportionately ravaged the economically disadvantaged, Native American, and Black Communities. As I contemplate the gravity of current events I again become inspired and moved to hope by the tenacity, grit and passion that brought Lars and Belle Larson all the way to New Mexico from across the country to open NMSD, where we continue to implement their mission.

I realize I bring up our Founders often in my letters to you. They were driven by the belief that no Deaf child should be alone, that everyone deserves a fair chance to belong and thrive and have a community that is safe and inclusive. It’s what we all want and deserve and so fundamentally basic to our needs as human beings.

These principles hold perhaps increasingly true today. And so, we celebrate and remember our founding 135 years ago even with the restrictions on community interactions that we will need to impose during the 2020-2021 school year to help reduce the risk of the spread of infection due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

With the unprecedented unrest and uprising in our country due to horrific injustices suffered by the Black community we do our part by keeping our eye on the prize - the fundamental goodness of the mission of NMSD. We are committed to persevere in our work so that no Deaf or hard of hearing child in New Mexico is alone without a connection and life-line to a community that knows, celebrates, and embraces each child’s potential and unique contribution to our society, and, where they have a right to a world of opportunity.

I do hope as we press through these trying times, future generations will look back on how NMSD addressed the challenges before us and conclude we did so with great compassion for the pain and suffering caused by injustice and with the utmost commitment to our mission to serve every Deaf and hard of hearing child in New Mexico.

Yours always in education and the mission of NMSD,

Dr. Rosemary Gallegos

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CORONAVIRUS

COVID-19 & NMSD’S RESPONSE

BY ROSEMARY GALLEGOS In March, none of us knew what was ahead of us. Students were busy fundraising for their biannual International Studies trip.

NMSD Alumni were designing a plaque for a naming ceremony of the Auditorium above the dining hall in tribute to Esperanza (Espie) Latimer; former student, teacher and leader. Cabinet Secretary Stewart was visiting our Santa Fe campus to learn about Services for Deaf and hard of hearing students in our state. Students were busy in their classrooms learning. Developmental Specialists were visiting families with babies and young children in their homes in all corners of the state. Families were attending evening ASL classes in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Staff were preparing for travel to attend and present at a conference in Atlanta for Early Intervention and to visit spoken language programs in Oklahoma City to bring back more strategies for our students.

Our ASL Specialist was busy planning to host the national ASL Round Table. Basketball season was winding down with a game in the state championship bracket in Maxwell and the elementary basketball teams were showing us what they were made of with games of their own in Connor Gym. We were just beginning to brainstorm ideas on how to celebrate 135 years since NMSD’s founding. Business as usual at NMSD; diverse, steeped in culture, stimulating, engaging and robust.

As news of the spread of Coronavirus in other countries grew, the International Studies student club held their classic fundraiser with an auction and culinary tasting competition of best pasta sauces. A good time was had by all our community.

Then began a series of rapidly evolving information about the spread of the virus and recommendations from our state on how to reduce the risk of infection. It was decided it was necessary to cancel the travel abroad. This was a heart wrenching decision as our students look forward to this trip, working hard to earn the privilege of participating.

On Friday, March 13th, as NMSD students and staff prepared to head out on spring break, Governor Lujan-Grisham announced the closure of all New Mexico schools effective until April 6th. Ultimately the Governor closed schools through the end of the 19-20 school year and she, along with NM's Department of Health, issued “Stay at Home” Public Health Orders state-wide. NMSD’s Cabinet, Instructional Leadership Team and other staff kicked into high gear while this was happening so that the safety and educational needs of our students, families and staff would be met.

As a result, NMSD responded across the board; from campus safety, to the re-envisioning the delivery of student and family services in our educational and statewide programs, to establishing a Coronavirus C-19 Update Center on its website.

What follows are some of the ways NMSD responded: • • • • • • • •

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Created the C-19 Update Center on our website as a resource for staff and families Cleaned and secured campus and provided guidance on Covid-19 safe practices for staff Provided Grab n’ Go Breakfast & Lunch Program for all school children in Santa Fe Coordinated the pickup/delivery of students’ personal belongings & laptops/iPads Implemented Distance Learning for students K-12 Developed Continuous Service Plans for educational and statewide programs Contacted every parent to review and ensure their child's learning plan (IEP) would continue to be implemented Continued NMSD Statewide Programs remotely o Early Intervention’s Parent-Infant-Child and Deaf Mentor Programs • Telehealth home visits with children and families o Center for Educational Consultation & Training • Continued support for New Mexico’s Public Schools • Virtual ASL community classes for families • Virtual ASL Immersion sessions this coming July • Virtual K12 Interpreter Intensive this coming July Held virtual end of the year celebrations including athletic awards, promotions, student awards and graduation Provided Online Student Summer Program Created a Level 1 – 4 School Re-entry Plan for the fall

We are living in extraordinary times and as the days ahead unfold, NMSD remains committed to providing the best services and programs possible in a way that accounts for the well-being and safety of our students, staff, families, and community.

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1: NMSD’s Nutrition Services team members packing up the Grab n’ Go breakfast and lunches. 2: Kacee Edmonds with NMSD’s Early Intervention Program reading with Leela Rhatigan during a virtual home visit. 3: Laurie Anderson conducting her English class via Zoom.

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FEATURE

LITERACY: THE FOUNDATION FOR LEARNING AND SUCCESS

BY SHIRA GRABELSKY Some are alone. Some are amongst friends. Some are side by side with adults.

Some look at books, some look at videos, some are engaged in conversation in tandem with one another. Some use a single word, a single sign, some talk about a scene in a moving image, some talk about the breeze in the trees.

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Some talk about how they feel, some talk about what they perceive, some talk about world dynamics. Some write a word, some write a narrative, and some fill out applications. Some discuss the running stream in the forest, some debate artwork, and some deliberate molecular structures.

Sometimes it’s solitary. Sometimes it’s in a duet. Sometimes it’s within a synapse between a larger group of individuals.

It’s always the awakening of an idea, the transmission of information, the birth of new thought.

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The young ones are impulsive, the older ones are contemplative.

Sometimes it’s the other way around!

When they are sitting on the floor, they bang on the drum in time with the rhythms of their signs. When they stand before the camera, they press record in time with the rhythms of their signs.

Every time students do any of these, their mind shapes their literacy skills for when they use them again, both mere seconds later and many years into the future. Literacy skills are the skills we carry to organize the world around us into a structure we can understand and critically engage, and with which we interact to make further meaning.

Jesse Woosley, NMSD’s Transition Coordinator who works closely with High School students and the workforce, describes literacy as the “confidence with which to navigate the world.” With literacy, he explains, our “versatility and mobility” in life grows exponentially.

As we navigate through life, we become more and more literate in all the domains of living, be it mathematics, world knowledge, interpersonal communication, art, language, to name a few. When students engage in peer-to-peer discourse, their visuospatial and language literacy neurons fire and create meaning of thoughts, emotions, and responses, both theirs and others.

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All of the photos on this page show a multitude of ways that literacy skills are utilized throughout the day. 1: Baby Bunch teacher, Sha Reins, reading a book with Eden and his mom. 2: Sebastian Rivera-Carreon implementing his computer literacy skills as he learns to code during the STEM workshop provided by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. 3: Dr. Gallegos explains how vital writing is to her job to middle schoolers. 4: From left: Pisces Luna-Smith and Diego Rivera-Romero recording data about temperature.

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FEATURE When students engage in a writing conference with their teacher, their English language literacy shapes and creates meaning between the ideas in their head, the signs they use to convey their ideas, and the words on the paper. These connections further integrate the understanding of how ideas are communicated and how readers, such as their teacher, make meaning of their writing. Students, with these insights, are free to manipulate, revise, and edit their writing to bring it to a new frontier.

When students compute a mathematical problem, their logical literacy is manipulated as they connect prior knowledge, new ideas, and real-world applications. All of these processes enhance the child’s language ability in terms of expressive language, verbal comprehension, vocabulary in a range of contexts, and ways of knowing the world around them.

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To Emma Lozada, an Early Childhood Education teacher at NMSD who teaches toddlers, literacy is not just about reading and writing.

It is the ability to be captivated by a provocation, or a hook, and then the ability to let ideas grow, and ultimately, the ability to express that idea in any form. The ways a child may express ideas are many: scribbling, painting, or even telling a story through building blocks.

To be literate not only signifies that meaning has been made, but also that there is a certain level of fluency in the navigation of these meanings. It is the ability to transfer that knowledge to other areas of life, even if some experiences are unfamiliar.

What helps with literacy development?

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Literacy has been studied left and right and in the context of various populations. There are some tried and true ideas.

• Early language exposure helps with the development of all kinds of literacies.

• Early experiential exposure helps support literacy development as well.

• What happens before bona fide literacy skills emerge is equally important: the quality and diversity of preliteracy experiences support literacy development and the child’s readiness to learn.

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o The preliteracy experiences include joint visual attention and visual gaze strategies which have shown to support the child’s cognitive development (Leiberman, Hatrak & Delius, 2012 in Allen, Letteri, Choi, and Dang, 2014).

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All of the photos on this page show a multitude of ways that literacy skills are utilized throughout the day. 5: Stacy Vargas and Jeremy Baldonado putting new skills to use as they participate in a book-making workshop in preparation for this year's Knowledge Fair's "Think Outside the Book" theme. 6: Corrine Myers and her daughter Lucy Anderson enjoy reading a book together during an Early Intervention Program home visit. 7: From left: Jovi Melendez, Sirrah Wilding, Alex Wilding, and Adrien Ercolino kicking back and reading for pleasure during their daily Sustained Silent Reading time. 8: Our youngest students develop emotional literacy through a variety of activities like using playdough to express and create an angry face.

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FEATURE Having this early language exposure to support literacy is important if we take the maturational hypothesis into account.

This hypothesis indicates that we have a maturational period during which our language learning is optimal and that it declines as we age. Given research that supports this hypothesis, the importance of connecting children to preliteracy skills, language, and experiences during their early maturational years is beyond debate.

Attitudinal impact is another component of supporting a child’s literacy development. Much of our learning experiences are influenced by the responses and attitudes of those around us related to that learning. The earlier in life one is exposed to a concept and understands that the knowledge is relevant, the earlier the person gets feedback about that experience. Thus, when a child has an early exposure to a literacy experience, whether someone is nodding their head, asking questions, reading with them, or otherwise responding with interest, the earlier the child makes the connection that meaning has been made. With that insight, the child will want more of these experiences.

Joanne Corwin, Director of Early Intervention and Involvement Department (EIID) at NMSD, describes the work of EIID as supporting literacy from the “affective domain” in supporting babies and toddlers’ perceived value in books through nurturing a positive bonding experience for every family member through the child’s early literacy development. This unfolds through “incorporating literacy into all daily activities” and the sentiment that becoming literate is every child’s “birthright.”

Find a child, of any age, and engage. This will encourage further literacy development in myriad shapes and forms. Supporting literacy has a long-lasting impact when that same child shares their dream, writes a story, engages in discussions, responds and contributes to the world. NMSD brings together people committed to fostering literacy development for all of its students because we know the amazing return-of-investment that follows.

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All of the photos on this page show a multitude of ways that literacy skills are utilized throughout the day. 9: Amador Corral and Levi James dialoguing about Levi’s short and long-term goals. 10: NMSD’s Albuquerque Preschool teacher, Heidi Miranda, and her student Liam Clifton LOVE books! 11: Alex Gonzalez and Gustavo Prieto have been video pen-pals for two years. They've formed a strong friendship and an emotional bond. During their lively video chats, they've developed a variety of skills such as asking questions and turn-taking and have learned new vocabulary and concepts in both English and ASL. 12: Efrim Rodarte-Estrada conducting research on his laptop so that he can create artwork related to Shakespeare. 13: High School students created these amazing cards depicting Shakespeare based on the research they conducted on the famous writer. 14: Twyla Joe working on her original book about being a superhero.

EARLY INTERVENTION & INVOLVEMENT

LITERACY WITH THE LITTLEST

BY JOANNE CORWIN Literacy starts at birth. Meaningful conversations, word play, book sharing…all begin in infancy and set the foundation for a lifetime of literacy. These interactions have the added bonus of creating strong feelings of attachment between parents and their babies. The Early Intervention and Involvement Department helps families make literacy part of their child’s everyday life.

Here are a few quotes from families about the literacy foundations they learned from their Deaf Mentors and Early Development Specialists: 1

“Make books part of your family’s everyday interactions. If your child likes a book, read it again and again. Act it out together, point out patterns in books and play with those patterns, draw pictures, or do other things that reference the book even when you’re not actually reading the book. It helps my child understand how highly we esteem books.”

“I’ve learned a lot about how to sign books to my kids. It’s more than just knowing each individual sign. It’s making sure the book is positioned comfortably for the child’s visual understanding. Signing on the book itself is a great strategy.

Allowing wait time so that the child can see and process the picture before adding additional information. There’s just so much I have learned that I would not have known otherwise.”

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“I think the best part for me was just finding out how much fun it is to read with my child. I was pretty stressed thinking this was something that would be too hard for us. It’s not. It’s been great!”

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1: Adriel has a tea party with her book. 2: Baby Nora and Lisa Anderson enjoy a book together. 3: Jonathan Diaz reading a book to his mom Analelly Tafolla.

4: Lisa Cohoe reading with her son Tobias Jim. 5: Jennifer Dick holding a book as her daughter Rya Dick reads to her.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION – ALBUQUERQUE PRESCHOOL

LITERACY ON THE MOVE

BY ANGELA CORONA Students at the NMSD-Albuquerque campus don’t just read books, they become the story! Teachers and related service providers - such as Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, and Physical Therapists use movement as a way to increase focus and allow students of all ages and language levels to participate and show their knowledge of the story. Students use props, costumes, or pictures to reenact story events, showing that they understand character, emotion, actions, consequences and more.

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This year Sheila Kruis’ class created fun iMovies reenacting their favorite stories. The story was read multiple times to the group prior to filming, along with fun activities that allowed students to draw and write about it. During the filming process, students worked hard to not only show character actions but also to add signs explaining the story and dialogue.

Students grew from single sign descriptions of a page to phrases. See the QR codes on this page to watch their Gingerbread Man and The Mitten stories! See if you notice the improvement from The Gingerbread Man to The Mitten.

Jennie Higgin’s class used costumes, props, and drawings to share stories.

One of their favorite stories Market to Market depicts silly things that happen to a woman while she shops. The students were so excited by the story they ended up creating a grocery store in their classroom. Playing in the grocery store helped them experience shopping and improved their ability to share details. Students recently reenacted facial emotions like sadness, shyness and silliness for a photo shoot and then drew each emotion from the story Silly Faces. Their photos and drawings were then used to make a class book showing all the emotions they learned.

This supported the students in identifying their own emotions and the emotions of their friends. They now include a report of their emotions during morning circle and are learning how to react to those emotions.

Activating stories helps students learn more and share more. Movement increases learning focus. Using props to retell a story shows the student’s ability to sequence events. Acting like a character from a story allows us to see the amount of details the student can recall and their understanding of the story’s emotions. Using movement helps stories come to life!

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1: The class takes on characters from The Mitten, here they are leaving the mitten behind. 2: Junior Nenser retells the story of The Mitten using pictures from the story and props, naming his character. 3: Ayumi Keuma brings her items to Leela for purchase. 4: One page from the class book shows Ashlee White Hawk’s silly face and her silly drawing. 5 & 6: The Gingerbread Man and The Mitten QR codes for viewing movies.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION – FARMINGTON PRESCHOOL

COLOR US LITERATE!

BY MARY HELEN PEREZ This quarter at the Farmington Preschool we’ve been reading books about painting and colors like Press Here and Mix It Up!

by Herve Tullet. The books inspired us to explore primary colors and mixing colors with various mediums. We used tempera, finger paint, ice cube paints, and spray bottles in the snow. The children predicted and tested paint combinations again and again. Caisen Smith pretended his ice cube paints were cars. He pushed them around his paper as though they were driving and then parked the ice cubes in a line!

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More by Karen Beaumont was another class favorite. The book is about a little boy who paints himself and nearly every surface of his home. We set word cards on the table mirroring the various painted body parts in the story. The children took turns matching the cards and then taping them to Educational Assistant, Dawn Woolard. There was much laughter and silly fun during this lesson. Ms. Dawn is a great sport! We also painted our classroom dolls and then gave them a bath just like the boy in the story.

Tobias Jim took a strong interest in Firefighter Pete, a Pete the Cat book by Eric Litwin. We added firefighter gear to the dramatic play center including jackets, helmets, a burning building made from a box, and a fire extinguisher prop. As we read the story, students examined the pages and acted out the scenes to make the story come to life. They carried their firefighter play scenario out onto the playground where there is a large play firehouse. Tobias signed “water.” He wanted a fire hose so he picked up a blue marker and used it to put out the fire.

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Books are a wonderful springboard for dramatic play scenarios! We love to promote “lively” literacy in our students.

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1: Tobias Jim signs “firefighter” with pal Bella Hargrove. 2: Educational Assistant, Dawn Woolard, wears body part labels to support the story I Ain't Gonna Paint No More. 3: Dawn Woolard reads as Bella Hargrove and Tobias Jim act out the Firefighter Pete story. 4: Caisen Smith uses ice cube paints as cars on his watercolor paper. 5: Haylee Gutierrez and Minnie Brown finger-paint side by side using primary colors.

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EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION – LAS CRUCES PRESCHOOL

LOVING LITERACY IN LAS CRUCES

BY KIM BOYKIN Literacy is our major focus throughout the preschool year, and watching children become more engaged in activities that foster literacy as the year progresses is always a highlight. It’s a pleasure to observe eighteen-month-old students who like to carry around board books and turn pages. Sometimes our littlest ones also like to taste the books! Later, as four-year-olds, they self-select stories. This prompts them to ask adults to read aloud favorite stories, or sit quietly and turn pages and independently label characters and actions. We love seeing toddler’s grasps mature into tripod grips that make scribbles become letters. All these developmental milestones occur throughout the year, but here are some snapshots of what’s been happening in terms of literacy provocation in the Las Cruces Preschool.

Our students are very interested right now in all literacy provocations, especially if they include valentines! We’ve discussed sharing kindness with those we love through actions, words, or thoughts. The NMSD post office set up in our dramatic play area has been a real hit! We’ve enjoyed the use of stamp pads, rubber stamps, envelopes, stickers, cards and various writing utensils. Students spent a great deal of time creating masterpieces of mail to “deliver” to their friends’ mailboxes.

We’ve also planned a field trip to the Mesilla post office to send specially created valentine cards home to families. We’re eager to watch the postmaster take our stamped cards and then see when they arrive at our homes.

The children have also been having fun pretending to lead morning meeting time. It’s great to watch students independently invite dolls and classmates to join in reading a favorite story.

Our preschoolers have been working on their representational drawing whenever large butcher paper and writing utensils are available. The Las Cruces Preschool students are certainly enjoying their literacy provocations and their skills are flourishing!

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1: Veronique Meza finds the V heart to add to her mail. 2: Aliaah Munoz writes a valentine to her friend. 3: Veronique Meza sets up a read aloud with baby dolls, Alden Green, and her favorite book. 4: Aliaah Munoz signs “dinosaur” as she and Veronique begin to draw triceratops. 5: Aliaah Munoz draws a triceratops on butcher paper with markers. 6: Veronique Meza and Alden Green mailing their letters. 7: Aliaah Munoz delivers her valentine to Veronique’s mailbox.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION – SANTA FE PRESCHOOL

WHATEVER THE WEATHER

BY KRIS EATON Last August, our kindergarten class noticed the playground equipment was almost too hot to touch. We explored the rest of the playground and found everything had heated up! This curiosity led to a five month long weather study.

Our class decided to explore different parts of campus to see if the heat was as intense on other objects. Some discovered objects were hot, cold, very hot, cool, or warm depending on the time of day. Students also observed that the sun was responsible for the temperature of the objects. But the sun was only part of the reason we needed to continue learning about the weather to discover more.

We decided to read a story about the difference between weather and temperature. The students identified seasonal temperatures, kinds of weather, and what type of clothing would be needed. In October, we recorded the weather patterns in Santa Fe. We graphed our results to see if the weather changed or stayed consistent. We also learned how to read a thermometer to record playground temperatures.

Next, we went back to students' original assumption that the sun played a major role in why objects outside were warm. We talked about where the Sun is located and what happens when the Earth is closer to the Sun. We used models to represent the Sun and the Earth, and then left the "sun" (a lamp) shining on the Earth for a period of time. Students felt the Earth warming up, and concluded that the Sun warmed up the Earth to warm up the objects. If the playground slide is warm, it is because the Earth is warm, and if the swing is cold, then the Earth is cold.

By the end of this study, students became meteorologists. They could identify different weather types, record patterns in the weather, and identify temperatures associated with that weather. We read another book about the work of a meteorologist and learned how they study, predict, and inform others about upcoming weather both calm and severe. The students made predictions of what they thought the weather might be the following week.

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We also had the opportunity to visit the KOAT Channel 7 news station in Albuquerque to meet Eric Green the meteorologist on staff. He gave us a tour and allowed students to practice in front of the camera.

When we returned to school, we compared his forecast with our own prediction. While we didn’t have an exact match, most of the kids predicted it would snow at least two times this week and they were right. The class wants to continue this study by looking at tornados, and we are anxious to see where this takes our next project!

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1: Roman Cope recording data on the temperature of objects he finds outside. 2: Richard Nava and Tahliah Joe read off their predictions of next week’s weather report to their classmates. 3: Brody Keller, Roman Cope, and Paul Van Gunten observe that the lamp heated up the surface of the black paper and the paper heated up the surface of the objects. 4: Pisces Luna-Smith adds one of the weather cards to our graph. We looked for patterns in the weather. 5: Eric Green, the meteorologist at KOAT Channel 7 News, gave us a tour of the studio. He shared our picture and information about our visit on a news report a few days later.

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ELEMENTARY

DIVING INTO OCEAN STUDIES

BY DIANA BERRIGAN & BONNY VIGIL This year, the Elementary Department has committed to more collaboration between grades as a way to both strengthen students’ learning experiences and share the love of learning with each other.

Our first theme was the ocean. The goal was to expose students to ocean concepts via videos, books, and signed texts. We also learned ocean vocabulary. Here are a few examples of how the ocean theme appeared in the elementary classrooms.

The third-grade classroom enjoyed weekly readings related to a theme.

Students read short paragraphs about a topic and then wrote about it in their journals. During the ocean theme, students read about ocean names and locations, as well as different aspects of the ocean, animal life, trips into the deep ocean, and ocean pollution. They decorated a bulletin board with an ocean word wall and also watched oceanrelated videos and searched for answers to ocean questions during snack time. Students additionally researched an ocean animal and wrote a report about their chosen creature.

In the fourth-grade classroom, students used various activities to study the ocean. They learned that the ocean has many floors beneath the surface, and they explored that through an interactive website. The students then shifted their focus to dolphins. They wanted to learn more about how dolphins communicate with each other. We learned that all forms of communication have a pattern and that helps dolphins communicate, even under water! To wrap up our ocean study, we went on a field trip to the ABQ BioPark Aquarium. In addition to exploring the aquarium, students did mini-research projects on a chosen sea creature.

The fourth graders were not the only class who traveled to the aquarium nearly all the other classes in the elementary department went as well! We all studied different ocean animals at the aquarium. After the trip, we created various projects. We made a model of the ocean floors, a food chain of an ocean animal, wrote about an ocean animal, and more. We displayed everything we learned in the elementary hallway as a way to showcase and share with other students and staff.

We truly enjoyed this departmental thematic unit as we ALL learned about oceans together!

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1: Twyla Joe paints a picture of the ocean for the cover of a story she is writing. 2: The third grade’s Word Wall. 3: NMSD’s upper elementary class outside of the aquarium. From left: Instructional Aide Laurie Evans, Joel Mejia, Esteban Ruiz, Aniesa Gomez, Elias Curley, and Lacey Gilpin. 4: Nevaeh Garcia poses with a garden eel that she researched for her report. 5: Arthur White stands in front of a tank of weedy sea dragons, which he researched for his report. 6: Mateo Perez has fun sitting on a starfish at the aquarium. 7: First and second graders look for sea turtles.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

DEEP IMPACT

BY CINDY ULMER-TIMLEN Recently NMSD middle school students delved into a thematic unit on “The Impact of Humans on the Environment.” We studied this unit across content areas, including Science, Social Studies, and English. This helped students gain multiple perspectives given the world’s growing concerns about global warming and climate change.

In our Earth Science class, students came up with creative solutions to improve humans’ impact on the environment. They discussed the process of composting and recycling; analyzing which materials were or were not compostable. We also conducted a lab experiment to determine whether compost soil promoted plant growth. Students planted herbs in two different soils. One was a mixture of composted soil and the other was ordinary soil.

Our student scientists gathered and compiled progress data. They hypothesized that the plants growing in the composted soil will grow better than the others due to the excellent nutrients present in the composted soil. So far, we have learned that the herbs planted in the composted soil fared better than those planted in regular soil. As the semester unfolds, we are eager to see the final results.

In Social Studies class, students learned about the Cradles of Civilization (Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, India, and China) and how the migration of people who settled in those areas affected the lands. Students used the online news source NEWSELA to gather information and read articles about current world events and environmental issues like the pollution of the Ganges River. Students also learned about Greta Thunberg and her activist role and efforts to bring increased awareness to the many environmental disasters taking place such as the devastating fires in Australia.

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In English Language Arts classes, students selected and focused on specific human behavior. They took the initiative of researching how human behavior impacts the environment, and presented their findings.

Some of their research included the use of plastic straws, single use water bottles, plastic in the ocean, water usage, and air pollution from factories and vehicles.

This past February, we walked to the Railyard Park from NMSD’s campus to reduce the use of fossil fuels required to transport us. We also observed a very cool program called Graze Days. Students and staff experienced nature at work as goats and sheep grazed the grasslands within the park. Many locals enjoy observing this program to learn how to preserve native plants and get rid of invasive plants as the goats and sheep enjoy “mowing” the grasslands.

The Middle School department’s cross-curriculum thematic unit on “The Impact of Humans on the Environment” was truly eye-opening. Our focus on the human impact of nature’s ecosystem brought new understanding about the urgent need to change our daily habits. We realized that small changes can help make a big impact. We all came away with an increased commitment to take personal responsibility and positively impact our home, school, community, state, country, and world by reversing climate change and helping preserve our beautiful environment for generations to come.

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1: Instructional Intern Rebecca Bateman shares information about the polluted Ganges River. 2: Jovi Melendez's research on how plastic bottles damage our environment. 3: Santiago Lopez presenting the various ways air pollution poisons the environment. 4: After a visit to Railyard Park’s Graze Days, middle school teacher Johanna Scherling recaps with students what they observed and learned about how animals help care for the environment. 5: Everyone wants to hold new baby goats! 6: Zachary Nichols gives some love to one of the goats at the Railyard Park.

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HIGH SCHOOL

LIFE LESSONS

BY DANIEL HEINZE Ever wonder how math can be applied to real-world problems?

Students from Algebra 1 learned this lesson when they had the opportunity to conduct a campus-wide survey recently. Subjects were asked to choose from a list of four devices they would prefer if they were offered them for free; an iPhone, iPad, computer, or game console. Once the surveys were conducted, students analyzed the collected data and generated conclusions. They showcased their critical thinking skills by presenting results in a multimedia product of their choice.

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The scholars produced a two-way frequency table to organize data on two categorical variables based on the sample (Age Groups and Technology Preference). They calculated the conditional relative frequencies from the frequency table, exploring a possible association between two categorical variables using differences in conditional relative frequencies. Students also learned the distinction between the association of two categorical variables and a causal relationship between two variables.

Inquiry-based learning (IBL) is a process where students learn content through investigation, discussion and fine-tuning the concept throughout their investigation process. They shared that: “If you just give us the answers, we are not going to understand the math. IBL requires teamwork, problem-solving, and curiosity." The students took an active role in their classroom; asking questions, formulating the theme, conducting experiments/surveys, and participating in group discussion. They felt their assignments were exciting, challenging, and worthwhile. The culminating activity was showing PowerPoint slides they created with their findings on NMSD’s Good Morning News broadcast so that all students and staff were able to witness the outcome of their project!

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1: Lupe Lucero and ECE students contemplate the survey question about which free device they would choose: iPhone, iPad, computer, or game console.

It was challenging for them to decide! 2: Alex Wilding surveys Jimmy Litchfield about which technological device he would choose. 3: Adrien and Kieran Ercolino edit the film they made for their presentation. 4: Adrien Ercolino and Alex Wilding create a PowerPoint presentation about their survey findings.

5: High School students check out the PowerPoint presentation shown campus-wide via NMSD’s broadcasting system.

TRANSITION

MR. PORTILLO GOES TO WASHINGTON

BY DANIEL TIMLEN

After participating in three jam-packed days of presentations, ceremonies, and meetings with members of congress in Washington, D.C., Julio Portillo told Ben Thomas, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC), "What a fantastic experience and I appreciate the opportunity."

Two weeks prior to the trip to Washington, D.C., Julio, a corpsmember in the summer 2019 Santa Fe RMYC crew, was selected to represent New Mexico's RMYC. This afforded him a chance to meet with our state's representatives to share the importance of supporting programs, such as the Capitol Christmas Tree Ceremony.

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Julio was able to meet with New Mexico Senators Heinrich and Udall and House Representatives Haaland, Lujan, and Torres-Small. At each meeting, Julio focused on sharing how invaluable RMYC is to the youth of New Mexico. This is especially true for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing population who need greater access to work experience opportunities and training.

On the flight back to New Mexico, Julio acknowledged that he was glad to have decided to pursue work and leadership experience through RMYC. Julio had no idea that the opportunity would lead to his involvement with advocating for youth of New Mexico, but he was happy that thinking outside the box has led to new insights and life-changing experiences!

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1: From left: Ben Thomas, Senator Martin Heinrich, Julio Portillo, and Daniel Timlen. 2: Julio and Representative Haaland. 3: Julio and Representative Ben Ray Lujan. 4: Senator Tom Udall and Julio. 5: Representative Torres-Small and Julio. 6: Julio caught up with Vergena Chee, NMSD Alumna and Gallaudet Sophomore, during the tree lighting ceremony.

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KNOWLEDGE FAIR

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOOK

BY LAURIE ANDERSON & SUZANNE BONO Our NMSD writing students began the year by thinking “outside the book” as per an exciting writing mission and theme set forth by the Knowledge Fair Committee. The theme encouraged students to consider their role in the world by answering questions about their identity and inspiration. Early Childhood Educational learners were asked to create and explore a super-identity which helps them relate to their family and to their community. The Elementary and Alternative Curriculum students (elementary through high school) were asked to develop their super identity and to create a project that reflected their super identity as a whole. Middle School students took on the task of reflecting on what super quality lies within themselves and how they relate to their peers. Finally, High Schoolers explored their identity and how they might use their higher purpose and inspiration to connect to the world. The purpose of the theme was to draw upon students’ creativity in thinking about who they are as individuals, their values, and the different ways they express their uniqueness.

Students were given the freedom to write a composition based on any genre, including narrative, informational, or poetic forms. Once they finalized their written compositions, students published their writing via a creative medium that supported and reflected the overall themes and ideas. To the delight of the event’s attendees, the result was a myriad mix of originality, beautiful design, and imagination displayed by all students.

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The process of thinking about and preparing for this year’s Knowledge Fair began early for the students and staff who visited the Santa Fe Book Arts Group’ exhibition at the Round House. The Santa Fe Book Arts Group’s original book creations helped plant seeds for students’ original book art creations, as they contemplated which type of writing and artistic publication they hoped to design.

Members of the Book Arts Group also supported the project by visiting NMSD to work directly with students. Several members of this artistic group volunteered their time in hands-on learning centers to teach students how to make four different types of books. We learned how to make and create simple pop-up books, accordion books with shaped cuts, a simple three-hole pamphlet book using a basic sewn book structure, a one-page meander book, and a rubber band book.

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1: Chanelle Hobbs learns some new techniques during the bookmaking workshop. 2: Everyone gets in on the action during the High School bookmaking workshop. 3: Adrian Fernandez creating his three dimensional book about Zozobra. 4: Louis Gonzales cutting out pages for his book about being loyal to his favorite football team, the Detroit Lions. 5: Tony McGregor, artist and Educational Consultant from our CECT Department, sharing the importance of literacy in English and American Sign Language with students during his presentation. 6: As part of this year’s Knowledge Fair, Deaf author, Louise Stern, gives a virtual presentation from London, England, about what it is like to write books and be an author.

KNOWLEDGE FAIR The students fully embraced the opportunity to learn the art of bookmaking, calling the experience “simple yet creative” and “limitless with ideas!” It’s not every day that students have the opportunity to work with artists who are also local book-makers! It was a wonderful example of how book arts can be enjoyed and appreciated by people of all ages and levels.

One simple design can be used to construct something entirely unique.

This experience helped to advance our student writers in their process of original composition and creation.

As the Knowledge Fair event day approached, our students had the opportunity to view a presentation and engage with our guest presenter Louise Stern, an accomplished writer and resident of London, via videophone. Louise shared her personal story of how she discovered the writer within herself at a young age and how she has used this part of her identity to find meaning, connect to the world and serve others. Louise’s engaging presentation sparked a love of writing in our students as they made finishing touches to their creative publications for the Knowledge Fair.

Louise closed her presentation by reminding all of us to “find our own way” of using words and writing in order to keep writing meaningful and joyful!

After working with their teachers to bring their ideas to light, NMSD students were ready to share their published works with the community.

The students’ Knowledge Fair event on Friday, February 21st offered another opportunity to engage with a published writer and illustrator, Tony McGregor. Tony is a writer and artist, as well a staff member of NMSD’s Educational Consultation and Training department. Tony expounded on the importance of the artistic process as a tangible way to create meaning and wisdom in the world around us. After attending Tony’s presentation, students and staff viewed the Knowledge Fair projects in the Espie Latimer Auditorium.

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Their work was nothing short of amazing! All observers had the opportunity to read the students’ work while also viewing author statements presented in ASL via QR codes on iPads. Reading compositions, appreciating art projects and viewing Author Statements in ASL demonstrated the importance of connecting literacy with visual art to express and create meaning!

The Knowledge Fair Committee is thankful to all those who helped to make this year’s Knowledge Fair a huge success, including students, teachers, parents, and guardians. This year’s event was one in which all participants clearly thought “outside the book” and into the realm of personal and interpersonal connections.

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7: This year’s Knowledge Fair was well attended and so much fun! 8: Wesley St. Clair and Brody Keller viewing Julio Portillo’s author’s statement about his book, which is structured like a video game and is a metaphor for working hard in life. 9: Erick Rodriguez interprets for Sally Blakemore, a member of the Santa Fe Book Art Group (BAG), as she chats with Phenix Hastings about how creative and unique the students' books are. 10: Celeste Robles-Perez using the QR Code to access one of the books at the Knowledge Fair. 11: Ulises Aranda-Sotelo and Isac Velo-Tarin enjoy reading Jodie Haley’s book about her volleyball superpowers written on a real volleyball! 12: Zoe Pedersen playing among the words that hang down like raindrops from a cloud in the three dimensional poem Mya Malone wrote about values one has in life.

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PERFORMING ARTS

WINTER VARIETY SHOW

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1: Gabriel Ibarra and Anthony Ibarra performing Winter in the Ocean. 2: From left: ECE and Elementary teachers Kris Eaton, Ashleigh Turek, and Ashley Collins had fun being penguins in a skit about bears being in town. 3: Skit about weightlifting that involved volunteers from the audience. 4: Elementary students taking a bow after performing their scene from Alice in Wonderland. 5: From left: Donovan Etheridge, Nevaeh Garcia, Ulises Aranda-Sotelo, and Wayde Van Gunten had great fun during their skit about what might be inside Box 51. 6: Dennis Catron and Sheng Li acting like a great white shark during their “Special Improv Show!�

STUDENT LIFE – ATHLETICS

WINTER/SPRING SEASON VARSITY BOYS BASKETBALL

VARSITY GIRLS BASKETBALL

From left: Assistant Coach Carl Denney, Manager Justin Bryant, Efrim Rodarte-Estrada, Jesus Rios, Bruce Brewer Jr., Luis Villalobos, Kieran Vollmar, John “LJ” Hernandez, Adrien Ercolino, Manager Jeremiah Reed, and Head Coach Leo Gutierrez.

From left: Head Coach Johanna Scherling, Emily Begay, Victoria Baca, Stacy Vargas, Sophia Martinez, Mya Malone, Martina Rodarte-Estrada, Andrea Leyba, and Assistant Coach Emilio Garcia.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING

From left: Assistant Coach Dustin Moulder, Jayden Vacher, Luis Gonzalez, Zion Holmes, Alex Gonzalez-Lopez, Julian Aranda-Sotelo, Deangelo Frank, Livia Denney, Alex Wilding, Phenix Hastings, Angelique Quinonez, Santiago Lopez, Soniya Vigil, Jesse Haley, and Head Coach Dalton Etkie. Not pictured: Serenity Adams and Gabriella Rodriguez.

Front row from left: Martina Rodarte-Estrada and Livia Denney. Middle row from left: Bria Vigil, Jovi Melendez, and Serenity Adams. Standing from left: Julian Aranda-Sotelo, Head Coach Misty Skye Dreumont, Waylon Lopez, Assistant Coach Isabella Natalie, and Adrian Fernandez.

ELEMENTARY BASKETBALL - RED TEAM

ELEMENTARY BASKETBALL - WHITE TEAM

Kneeling from left: Tavian Plonski, Kane Wilding, Rianza Ercolino, Anthony Ibarra, and Aubrianna Baca. Standing from left: Nevaeh Garcia, Kyra KingMorgan, Jodie Haley, Zeriah Baca, Kimora Vollmar, and Head Coach Letty Perez. Not pictured: Esteban Ruiz.

Kneeling from left: Gabriel Ibarra, Mateo Perez, Neeva Goff, Aniesa Gomez, Henrik Catron, and Arthur White. Standing from left: Ulises Aranda-Sotelo, Lacey Gilpin, Jesse Crespin, Donovan Etheridge, Grayson Lobato, and Head Coach Clint Woosley.

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GRADUATION

SENIOR CLASS OF 2020

Jeremy Baldonado

Sherrena Bob

Monica Chavez

Jeremy Dan

Andrea Leyba

Antonio Lopez

Mya Malone

Julio Portillo

Marlin Toledo

Luis Villalobos

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CLASS COLORS

CLASS MOTTO

CLASS SONG

CLASS FLOWER

Lime and Teal

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” ~ Charles Dickens

“I Lived”

by OneRepublic

Sunflower

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1. Graduation Speaker Bobbie Jo Kite Herbold urged graduates to never stop learning, take risks, make mistakes, learn from them and never stop trying.

Such important life lessons. 2. Class speakers Andrea Leyba and Mya Malone did an amazing job encouraging and inspiring the Class of 2020 with many words of wisdom. 3. A Zoom shot of NMSD’s most recent graduates.

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ALUMNI

ALUMNI IN ACTION

BY AMY (LUCERO) GOMME Alumni hold a very special place in the hearts of NMSD and many alumni think of NMSD as their home away from home. It is a place where they grew up, gained an education, made life-long friends and formed many fond memories of. Amy (Lucero) Gomme, Class of 2007, shares below her time as an NMSD student and what she’s up to currently.

What year did you enroll at NMSD? I enrolled at NMSD in 2000 when I was 11 years old.

What town were you from? I am from El Rito, NM. Who were your best friends while at school? My best friends while at NMSD were probably the staff members. But in all seriousness, I had several friends I grew close with but only one best friend, Trudaline McNece.

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What was your favorite subject when at NMSD? My favorite subject was Science! That led me to my chosen major in college.

Who was your favorite teacher(s) or staff person(s) and why? There were many that I admired but my favorite would have to be Denise Lengyel, my science teacher. She helped me learn more about science than I ever expected to develop the tools that led me to think outside of the box. It was with Denise’s guidance that I was able to attend the National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s (NTID) first ever Science Fair where I won first place!

What is your fondest memory/memories while a student at NMSD? I had two things I would honestly consider my fondest memories while at NMSD. One relates to my love for performing. Over the years, I participated in almost every spring play right up through my senior year. I still look back and remember at all of the various roles I had and the amount of fun I had. The other would be competing in the GPSD (Great Plains Schools for the Deaf) Basketball Tournament. NMSD was not expected to get into the championship game, but during the semi-final game of the tournament, we beat Minnesota, the fans’ favorites! Keep in mind, the host of GPSD that year was Minnesota and they had the home court advantage.

The stands were full of Minnesota fans and the New Mexico School for the Deaf fans made up a mere fraction of the crowd. We played hard and it began to pay off. Once it was clear that we had the lead over Minnesota, you could see small group of NMSD fans growing more and more animated and excited. They were cheering wildly as the buzzer went off as we beat Minnesota! Our team then went on to compete in the championship game. That still gives me goosebumps, even to this day!

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What year did you graduate from NMSD? I graduated from NMSD in 2007.

After you graduated, what college and profession did you go into? I went to RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) to study biomedical sciences. I still love the field, however I realized that conducting scientific research was not for me. After I graduated from RIT, I realized what brought me the greatest joy was working with people so I decided to pursue that passion. As a result, I began working in Deaf non-profit organizations such as the Community Outreach Programs for the Deaf in Albuquerque. I started my career there as a job specialist and eventually I advanced to Program Director.

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What are you currently up to in your life? I am currently working as a Deputy Director for one of the very first and oldest Deaf Non-Profit organization in California, called Deaf Counseling Advocacy and Referral Agency (DCARA). I am also a Region IV Board Member for the National Association of the Deaf (NAD). Prior to working in California, I was also President of the New Mexico Association of the Deaf and Vice President for the Raíces del Rio Grande.

In what ways have you stayed connected with NMSD? I have stayed connected to NMSD by attending events such as Homecoming, Roadrunner Classic, school plays, the Quota International St. Patrick’s Dinner and participating in the NMSD Alumni Association. I also present to NMSD students whenever a staff member requests me.

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1: Amy in the role of Maria (La Llorona) during 2007’s Spring Play. In this scene, Maria (Amy) is comforted by fellow actor Karen (Maldonado) Kelly, as she mourned the loss of her children whom she had thrown in the river. 2: Amy, NMSD’s Class of 2009 Valedictorian, inspiring her fellow graduates to never give up on their goals in life, no matter how hard things may get. 3: While attending Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Amy was interviewed by and featured in the National Technical Institute for the Deaf’s (NTID) Focus Magazine. In the article Amy discussed her experience of choosing RIT after graduation and participating in the first ever NTID Science Fair. 4: Amy gives a presentation about how to be a leader and what it takes to become one to the current NMSD Jr. NAD officers.

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COMMUNITY RELATIONS

WRAPPED WITH LOVE

BY KERI-LYNN MCBRIDE Christmas came early this year with Quota International of Santa Fe’s annual wrapping project for the Street Outreach Program, which works with Santa Fe homeless youth. Club members gathered a wide variety of donated items - and this year’s generosity was truly amazing!

Quota members, Street Outreach staff, New Mexico School for the Deaf students, staff and retirees all worked together to wrap the final packages. Everyone agreed that this beautiful and heartwarming community service project brought holiday cheer to those who need it most.

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A STOCKING FULL OF LOVE

BY KERI-LYNN MCBRIDE

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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 excessive merriment! In keeping with the school’s annual tradition, the proceeds from the variety show were donated to the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Empty Stocking Fund at the Santa Fe Community Foundation.

This year we were proud to donate $547.27. From 2003 to 2019, NMSD has collected and donated a grand total of $6160.19 to the fund, which benefits individuals in need from the greater Santa Fe Community. NMSD students understand how important it is to give to others, and are always happy to make a difference.

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1: From right: Kimora Vollmar, Jennifer and Rianza Herbold, Kimm Wiens, and Joi Hollsapple wrap blankets. 2: Busy “elves” all around! 3: Quota members, NMSD students, staff, retirees and Street Outreach staff wrap seventy-two packages! 4: New Mexico School for the Deaf students present the staff from the Santa Fe Community Foundation their donation to the Santa Fe New Mexican’s Empty Stocking Fund. Back row from left: Jane Yates, students Jarrod Burns and Mya Malone, Ona Johnson, Chad Gaspar, Ellen Stevens and Charles Roundtree. Sitting from left: Gabriela Gomez and Diane Hamamoto. 5: Jarrod Burns, Mya Malone and Keri-Lynn McBride.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

2019 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.

INDIVIDUALS Doreen Ah-Tye Gordon Ah-Tye Frank & Rebecca Anderson Patricia Anderson Lynann & Andy Barbero Willie Benavidez Ted & Marcia Berridge Alida M. Birnam & Glenn R. Taylor Elspeth Bobbs Narciso Briones Lorraine D. Burt Andy & Melinda Carillo Hannon & Irene Chan Gerald W. Cheang Susan J. Chin & Michael R. Pearce Judith Coombes Gail A. DeBoer Patricia Delaney Cynthia R. Dillard Jennifer Disterhaupt Lani A. & Greg P. Farkas Luana Farrar Durene Fong & Mary A. Cunliffe Howard K. Fong Rosemary & Robert Gallegos Ronald & Elwanda B. Gammill Edward J. Gee John L. Glass Katharine H. Glyer Kathy Glyer Julia Hecht Emilia Henderson Bob & Kristen Holland Edwin K. & Lynette Hom Alice Hong Annie M. Hong Clarissa Hong & Albert Tang Eric Hong & Pamela Sepeda Eric M. Hong

Holly Hong & Henri Gabriel Raymond & Judy Hong Rose L. Hong Savina Hong & Greg Lim Eloy & Mary Jeantete John Hooper Mary & James Lambourne David & Jean Lee Herbert & Judith A. Lee Tom & Martha V. Lee-Fong Joyce Litherland Audrey & Frank Low Lanelle J. Lowe Luther & Lillian Lowe Keri-Lynn McBride Patricia McBride Leonard & Lu McComb Dr. Michael & Sheri Milone Barbara & Arthur Mow Lily Mow Sherri Musgrove Barbara J. Nicholls Patricia M. & John L. Olivero Tad & Eleanor G. Oto John Papastathis Seung H. & Lisa L. Park Martha & Bill Patt Richard & Linda Pearson – in honor of Barbara Pearson Lee & Virginia F. Ping Joel A. Piser Sherry Poindexter Margie Propp Randall Rael Sarah J. Rinehart Ted Salazar Frankie Serrano Pamela & John Shannon Dr. Ronald and Hedy Stern Patricia E. Tong & David H. Fong

Bob & Arlene H. Uemura Lisa M. Uemura Janet Van Selus John J. Walsh Harriet & Poa Waseta Gail Williams & Owen Kunkle Robert M. & Kiyoko Yamamoto Lillian L. Young & Fred K. Young IN-KIND Cheryl Granch Robert Henderson Studios Maxine Hickox Lobos Family Natalie Lockhart Bobby Mac’s Mobile Sharpening Sha Reins BUSINESSES & CORPORATIONS Candyman Strings & Things Center for Better Hearing Aids, Inc. Los Alamos National Laboratory Sam’s Club Santa Fe Violin Shop Trader Joe’s Violet Crown Cinema FOUNDATIONS SJR Charitable Foundation United Jewish Endowment Fund Walter Scott Foundation CIVIC & COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS Deaf Senior Citizens of ABQ Old Town Optimist Club Quota International Santa Fe Santa Fe Civitans United Way of Central New Mexico

Donations were received from January 1, 2019 – December 31, 2019. 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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CONSTRUCTION UPDATE – LARSON GYM RENOVATIONS

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The renovation of the locker rooms and other spaces in Larson Gym has begun. 1 & 2: A shot of the boy’s locker room from two different angles before the demolition began. 3 & 4: A shot of the girl’s locker room from two different angles before the demolition began. 5: The boy’s locker room with the demolition under way. 6: The girl’s locker room with the demolition under way.

2019 - 2020 RETIREES & YEARS OF SERVICE RETIREE

RETIREE

Leonard Benavidez

Kimberly Boykin

1991 - 2019

2000 - 2020

RETIREE

RETIREE

Lorraine Crespin 2002 - 2020

Aaron Martinez 2005 - 2019

RETIREE

Manny Medina 2012 - 2020

RETIREE

Jean Scotten

2006 - 2014 + 2015 - 2020

20 YEARS

Kim Burkholder

Graciela (Chela) Maturin

Carrie Nichols

Letty Perez

Jose Romero

15 YEARS

Roddy Cabbage

Dr. Sheree Hall

Joi Holsapple

Emma Lozada

Manny Martinez

10 YEARS

Joanne DeBee

Benny Gallegos

Julie Nagle

Rachel Rael

Scott Mohan

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. 110 / Issue 2 / Winter/Spring 2019-20

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 and Kimm Wiens. Designed by Hollie Fleming.