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LAPS Newsletter

Week of December 16, 2024

LAPS NewsletterWeek of December 16, 2024

On the Calendar

Holidays and School Breaks

Winter Break is Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3 (no school for staff and students).

Staff return on Monday, January 6 (no school for students). Students return to class on Tuesday, January 7.




Wednesday, December 25: Christmas


Wednesday, December 25 - Thursday, January 2: Hanukkah


Thursday, December 26 - Wednesday, January 1: Kwanzaa

Concerts and Performances

Wednesday, December 18: Aspen Elementary 5th grade Music Performance

Thursday, December 19: Piñon Elementary 3rd & 4th grade Musical

Thursday, December 19: Barranca Bobcat Choir and K-Kids Caroling Downtown

Spelling Bees

Monday, December 16: Aspen Elementary School

Wednesday, January 15 District Spelling Bee

Science Fairs

Friday, January 17: Los Alamos Online Learning Academy

Saturday, January 25: District Science Fair

Meetings

The next School Board meeting is Tuesday, January 14. Click here for more information about the School Board meetings.


The next Parent Council meeting is Tuesday, December 17 at noon online.

Calendars

Around the District

Barranca student council helped create a new sign.

Busy Hawks!

Robotics

Piñon Istation Reading Winners

Piñon Istation Math Winners

LAMS fireworks mosaic in the library

Gingerbread House Competiton

LAHS Family and Consumer Sciences Teacher Melinda Atkinson hosted a gingerbread house competition. Check out some of the entries from her very talented students.

Trip to Popejoy Hall

Barranca Mesa Dog Man Level Up Field Trip to Popejoy Hall

DECA Competition

Thirty-six Los Alamos High School DECA students participated in the New Mexico DECA District 1 Competition this week. This is the first phase of NMAA sponsored DECA competitive events that culminate in students qualifying to attend the national DECA conference in April, 2025. The District competition includes DECA students from 14 high schools in Northern New Mexico. Students performing well in the district competition advance to the state competition, held in Albuquerque in early March.


The DECA students completed two 100 question tests during the first week of December. Results of both tests are combined and ranked across the District. The top eight students in each category

advance to the state competition.

Spelling Bee Winners

Congratulations to the Spelling Bee winners. They will compete in the District Spelling Bee in January.

Aspen Elementary

1st Place: Noah Walker

2nd Place: Oliver Truong

3rd Place: Karina Cai

Barranca Mesa Elementary

1st Place: David Hargather

2nd Place: Liam Colgan

3rd Place: Armen Siranosian

Chamisa Elementary/LAOLA

1st Place: Dawson Belobrajdic
2nd Place: Viviana Daly
3rd Place: Sebastien Thibodeaux

Mountain Elementary

1st Place: Eryn Mayer

2nd Place: Timothy Blair

3rd Place: Natalie Johnson

Piñon Elementary

1st Place: Ciara Nichols

2nd Place: Gracie Nichols

3rd Place: Luna Martinez

Los Alamos Middle School

1st Place: Hannah Li

2nd Place: Jane Smith

3rd Place: Danielle Vigil

Meet the Author

Deborah Jackson Taffa, author of Whiskey Tender, met with the LAMS and LAHS Native American students and st last Friday where she read passages from her book and held a Q & A session. She was also the guest for a session with the Southwest Narratives classes. These events, postponed from early November, commemorated Native American Heritage Month.

Successful Sock Drive

The Los Alamos High School (LAHS) DECA sock drive generated donations of more than 520 pairs of socks for area homeless shelters. The socks will be distributed to shelters in Espanola and Santa Fe over the next month.


The total number of socks collected this year is more than double the number collected in the 2023 sock drive. This year, in addition to continuing the partnership with Los Alamos Middle School, the DECA team partnered with LAHS NJROTC Team.

World of Rocks

A journey into the world of rocks through hands-on displays and vibrant artwork! Aspen Elementary students are showcasing their knowledge and creativity in the Rock Club and throughout the school.

Winter Concerts

Check out these clips of the Los Alamos High School Schola Cantorum’s repertoire as well as the combined High School choirs AND one song with the High Schools and Middle School choirs!

Barranca orchestra students

LAHS Symphony Orchestra

LAHS Concert Orchestra

Social-Emotional Wellbeing

Give the gift of support this season. The holidays can be an extra stressful time for many people. When you offer support, you’re providing hope to those who may need it most. Reach out; listen; treat people with respect, compassion & empathy; provide support; follow up.


Learn more actions we can all take to support our neighbors and loved ones who may be struggling at samhsa.gov/find-support/helping-someone.

As the holidays approach, many parents face a familiar question: Is it really that harmful to let my teen have a small drink, especially under my supervision? It might seem like a harmless gesture, or even a way to teach responsibility. But research shows that when it comes to teens, even a single drink can have long-lasting impacts.


To help parents and caregivers make informed, confident choices this season, Natural High created a simple 1-page guide to share with them. It briefly explains the risks of underage drinking and provides practical tips for celebrating alcohol-free.

For Parents and Guardians

New Early Literacy Resources to Share with Families & Caregivers

Families and Caregivers, a new resource on The Reading League Compass. Families with young children want to know how to support them as they begin learning to read, but knowing how to find resources that align with research findings can be a challenge.


Explore topics like:

+ Understanding reading assessments
+ Partnering with libraries
+ Advocating for support when needed
+ Plus so much more

Reading Buddies

We are excited to share that The Reading League's TV show, Reading Buddies™, is now on YouTube Kids! This allows us to bring our evidence-aligned literacy content to an even wider audience of families with young learners. Join millions of viewers enjoying this warmhearted, educational show that builds foundational literacy skills for beginning readers.

For Students

Final Exams

Final exams will be given at Los Alamos Middle School and Los Alamos High School starting Wednesday, December 18 through Friday, December 20.

Winter Break Reading Challenge

Help your students stay sharp over the holidays! Encourage them to take part in our Winter Break Reading Challenge—complete with popular nonfiction books for all ages and fun Britannica School article connections and extensions, making reading extra cozy this season.


JOIN THE READING CHALLENGE

STEMarts Lab Invites Los Alamos Students To Participate In Google’s Free Creative Coding Workshop In Taos

STEMarts Lab is launching an exciting Creative Coding course, a free program designed for high school students, with a focus on engaging Black, Latinx, and Indigenous students. The course introduces students to the fundamentals of programming through the lens of art, animation, and generative design, using the p5.js JavaScript library.


About the Creative Coding Workshop

The Creative Coding Workshop will take place over nine Saturday sessions, beginning Jan. 11, through May 3, 2025, at the UNM Taos Klauer Campus/UNM Taos HIVE.


The program is free for 10-12 high school students and will be led by industry experts, including:

  • Ian Harrison, 3D artist, animator, and programmer, serving as the workshop’s Lead Instructor.
  • Agnes Chavez, interdisciplinary artist and educator, as STEAM integration designer.
  • Alison Johnson, award-winning experimental filmmaker, as Guest Instructor and XR Design Speaker.


The curriculum will guide students through foundational programming concepts, such as variables, loops, and functions, while encouraging them to apply these skills to create interactive artwork, animations, and generative designs. Upon completion, students will receive Google Code Next T-shirts, and Google certificates, and gain eligibility for ongoing STEMarts Lab internships and participation in the STEMarts Creative Team contributing to its mixed-reality sci-art art installations.


Session Breakdown by Date:

  • January 11: Shapes & Colors
  • January 18: Conditionals & Interactivity
  • February 8: Variables & Operators
  • February 15: Functions
  • February 22: Images & Arrays
  • March 15: Animation (Part 1)
  • March 29: Animation (Part 2)
  • April 5: Final Project Work
  • May 3: Final Project Presentation


This is the first year of the Creative Coding Workshop, with plans to introduce advanced-level workshops in the coming years for students interested in furthering their skills.


How to Apply

Registration for the Creative Coding Workshop is now open. High school students interested in participating can register here: https://tinyurl.com/googlecreativecoding. For questions please contact STEMarts Lab at stemartslab@gmail.com. Applications are due by December 19, 2024 to be eligible. First come First Serve.


For more information about the Creative Coding Workshop or STEMarts Lab, visit www.stemarts.com.

LAPS in the News

Around Town

Events in Los Alamos

Check out the LAPS Community Events page for information about events and activities in the community for students and families.You can also check out the Los Alamos County 100 Days of Winter.

LAPS Athletics

Upcoming Games and Meets

Los Alamos High School

Boys Basketball

Thursday, December 26 - Saturday, December 28, Poe Corn Tournament, Varsity

Friday, January 3 vs. Belen High School @ Belen High School, 9th grade 2 pm, JV 3:30 pm, Varsity 5 pm

Tuesday, January 7 vs. Capital High School @ Griffith Gym, 9th grade 4 pm, JV 5:30 pm,

Varsity 7 pm

Thursday, January 9 - Saturday, January 11, Lovington Tournament, JV and Varsity


Girls Basketball

Thursday, December 19 - Saturday, December 21, St. Mike's Holiday Tournament @ St. Michael's High School, Varsity

Friday, January 3 vs. Belen High School @ Griffith Gym, 9th grade 2 pm, JV 3:30 pm, Varsity 5pm

Tuesday, January 7 vs. West Las Vegas High School @ West Las Vegas High School,

9th grade 4 pm, JV 5:30 pm, Varsity 7 pm

Thursday, January 9 vs. Capital High School @ Capital High School, 9th grade 4 pm, JV 5:30 pm,

Varsity 7 pm

Saturday, January 11 vs. Penasco High School @ Penasco High School, JV 4:30 pm, Varsity 6 pm


Boys Wrestling

Saturday, December 28 @ Grants Tournament

Friday, January 3, Conflict at Cleveland


Girls Wrestling

Friday, January 10, Lady Pinto Invite


Swimming and Diving

Saturday, January 4, Scorp Invite

Saturday, January 11, Albuquerque Academy


Check out RankOne for schedules.

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School Websites

Connie Goettee, Editor
c.goettee@laschools.net