April is Occupational Therapy Month
Here in our district, we’re proud to have a team of 6 amazing Occupational Therapists- Amanda Vander Wiel, Hailee Baer, Susie Chavarria, Marlene McCrory, Betsy Stauffer and Jennie Honig working behind the scenes to support student success every day!
What is School-Based OT?
Think of it as coaching for life skills—helping students master the small things that make a big impact in the classroom. From holding a pencil to staying focused or navigating the school day more independently, OT helps students:
- Participate fully in learning
- Build confidence in daily routines
- Reach developmental and academic goals
OT in Primary vs. Secondary
While our approach may vary slightly across grade levels, our mission is always the same:
Help students thrive in the least restrictive environment—with the support of a collaborative IEP team.
Our OTs work hand-in-hand with teachers, staff, and families to ensure every student has what they need to succeed!
Multicultural Calendar of Events
For other events and activities, check out the school site calendars on the LAPS website.
LAPS is offering the community an opportunity to say farewell to the current school sites.
Chamisa Elementary invites the community and alumni to enjoy a school tour of the old school building before it is torn down on Saturday, May 3 from 8 am to 1 pm.
In addition, the Chamisa PTO is hosting a yard sale that same day. All donations will support Chamisa PTO. There will be a free items table, and a bake sale.
State Science Fair Results
Congratulations to students from Los Alamos who participated in the State Science Fair.
Junior Division
Special Awards:
ASM International - Los Alamos Chapter
2nd place: Brandon Keller, Los Alamos Middle School
New Mexico Network for Women in Science & Engineering
Sequoia Ke, Los Alamos Middle School
Central New Mexico American Chemical Society Special Award
Evelyn Fobes, Mountain Elementary School
NMSR Award for Outstanding Project Demonstrating Critical Thinking
Liam Colgan, Barranca Mesa Elementary School
Category Awards
Biomedical & Health Sciences
Honorable Mention: Brandon Keller, Los Alamos Middle School
Chemistry & Biochemistry
Honorable Mention:James Junghans, Barranca Mesa Elementary School
Honorable Mention:Evelyn Fobes, Mountain Elementary School
Honorable Mention: Samuel Cawkwell, Barranca Mesa Elementary School
Environmental Engineering, Energy & Material Science
1st place: Mason Garcia, Mountain Elementary School
Engineering Technology: Statics & Dynamics
Honorable Mention: Andrew Gilbertson, Barranca Mesa Elementary School
Math, Robotics, Software, & Technology
3rd place: Liam Colgan, Barranca Mesa Elementary School
Honorable Mention: Sequoia Ke, Los Alamos Middle School
Plant Science and Microbiology
Honorable Mention: Daniel Yampolsky and Zachary White, Barranca Mesa Elementary School
Senior Division
Los Alamos High School sophomore Tate Plohr was awarded the Richard N. Overdorf Grand Prize. He received $750 and a plaque.
Tate and junior Alyssa Sun also qualified for the ISEF Science Fair.
NMJAS Paper Competition
2nd place: Tate Plohr, Los Alamos High School
Special Awards
Teresa Johnson Award
te Plohr, Los Alamos High School
American Statistical Association Best use of Statistics Award
3rd place: Tate Plohr, Los Alamos High School
Category Awards
Biochemistry, Computational Biology & Biomedical Engineering
1st place: Alyssa Sun, Los Alamos High School
Environmental Engineering, Energy & Materials Science
Honorable Mention: Lilia Viteva, Los Alamos High School
Physics, Astronomy and Technology Art
1st place: Tate Plohr, Los Alamos High School
Grand Awards
1:st place: Tate Plohr, Los Alamos High School
5th place: Alyssa Sun, Los Alamos High School
LANL Foundation Scholarship Recipients
Congratulations to Los Alamos High School seniors who are the recipients of 2025 LANL Foundation scholarships.
Uxue Sansinena, Gold Scholarship
Isabella Blair, Bronze Scholarship
Lena Ronning, Bronze Scholarship
Linnhtet Htoon, Bronze Scholarship
Michael Bane, Bronze Scholarship
Tirryn Kubicek-Sutherland, Bronze Scholarship
Samuel Carmer, Charles McMillan Tribute Scholarship
Caden Fichtl, Bryan Feary & Maureen Connolly Scholarship for Science and the Arts
Xiaran "Jonathan" Chen, Blaine Meyer Hadden Memorial Scholarship
Hyunoo Kim, Dell Technologies/Wildflower International Scholarship
Radhman Azad, Howard Menlove and Jean Marshall Memorial Scholarship
Sofia West, John & Marti Brown Leadership Scholarship
Annabelle Rosette, Senator Pete Domenici Scholarship
Priya Gardner, Senator Pete Domenici Scholarship
Almost 70% (2365 out of 3395) of eligible returning students have completed registration for the 2025-2026 school year. It would be greatly appreciated if we could reach 100% (3,395) by April 30. Go to www.laschools.net/registration for more information and to register using either a computer or smartphone.
The Returning student registration form is available through the parent PowerSchool portal at https://laps.powerschool.com/publ
For questions, please contact Rosa Schmitz at r.schmitz@laschools.net or (505) 663-2201.
Summer Reading Program
Los Alamos Public Schools is excited to participate in this year’s Literacy NM Summer Program. This program will provide small group specialized reading and writing instruction for students who have completed grades K-8. This program will take the place of the traditional summer school or camp that the district has provided in recent years.
All LAPS students who would like to improve their reading and writing skills are invited to enroll on the state portal- NM Summer Reading Program Website (www.literacy.nm.gov). Currently, families can express interest on the website, the official student registration will go live in March. LAPS will not be conducting a separate registration for the summer program.
Student hours will be 8:30-12:30 pm daily, June 5-July 3.
There will be no sessions on Thursday, June 19 in observance of the Juneteenth holiday.
The curriculum for the Literacy NM Summer program is Magnetic Reading.
The district will provide a bus to and from White Rock. This bus will pick up and drop off at Chamisa Elementary.
The YMCA offers an after camp program, which will also be housed at Barranca Mesa Elementary. After the morning session, students participating in the literacy program will be escorted to the YMCA camp. More information about the YMCA program can be found here https://laymca.org/summer.
DEA Drug Take-Back Day
The Los Alamos Police Department will be participating in the upcoming DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day, taking place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, April 26, 2025. This event will be held in the north parking lot of the Los Alamos Police Department, located off Central Avenue.
Community members are encouraged to take advantage of this initiative to safely dispose of unused or expired prescription medications. For convenience, simply follow the posted signs and drive through to the designated take-back boxes. Please dispose of any trash or empty bottles beforehand. Labels on medication bottles may remain intact, though removal prior to arrival is preferred.
Additionally, supplies will be available on-site to assist in the disposal of liquids and creams. However, sharps and aerosol containers cannot be accepted at this event.
This initiative is part of a national effort led by the DEA to combat the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs by providing a safe and convenient disposal option. The Los Alamos Police Department has experienced great success with this program in previous years and is excited to continue participation this Spring.
For those unable to attend April 26, a permanent prescription drug drop-box is available within the Los Alamos Police Department for year-round use.
If you have any questions, please contact Evidence Tech. Samantha Terrazas at 505.663.1888.
Independence Challenge
Give the Independence Challenge a Try!
Are you looking for a fun and meaningful way to help your child build confidence and life skills? Consider taking on the Independence Challenge as a family! The Let Grow Independence Kit is filled with simple, age-appropriate activities designed for children from kindergarten through 8th grade. These activities encourage youth to stretch their wings, whether it’s making a meal, running an errand, or organizing a neighborhood game. By trying new things on their own, children develop resilience, problem-solving skills, and a strong sense of accomplishment. Sit down with your child, choose a few challenges together, and watch them grow!
Hawk Hangout: Teen Center Takeover
Hawk Hangout is a free event held every month during the school year for middle school teens. This month’s event is “Teen Center Take Over!”
Join other middle school teens 5:30-7 p.m. April 24 for fun, music, games, food and more at the Los Alamos Teen Center at 475 20th Street.
Saturday School
Saturday School is open to all Los Alamos Middle School and Los Alamos High School students as an opportunity to catch up on late work, complete missed assignments, take make-up tests and receive help with homework.Click here for more information.
Remaining sessions are April 26, May 10 and May 17. To register, email lahssaturdayschool@laschools.net with the student's name and date requested.
Fast Track to Success Summer Bridge Program
Northern New Mexico College (NNMC) will be hosting its “Fast Track to Success” Summer Bridge Program from 9 a.m. to noon, Monday – Thursday, June 2 – July 24, 2025.
Those interested in gaining math, writing and critical thinking skills can build the knowledge and confidence they need for academic success. This program creates a “Fast Track” through developmental courses and bridges opportunities to college credit courses.
Summer Bridge is open to high school sophomores, juniors, seniors, high school equivalency recipients and prospective adult students. Tuition, books, course supplies and tutoring are provided free of charge.
To apply, contact BridgeProgram@nnmc.edu or 505.747.2185. Classes are held on Northern’s Española campus, located at 921 Paseo de Onate, Española, N.M.
“Fast-Track to Success” Summer Bridge is funded through a Title V F2F (Fast-Track to Finish) Grant, and Title III STEM XL (Accelerating Achievement in STEM) Grant.
Bee City Newsletter Name and Art Contest
Students in preK through 12th grade are invited to name the Bee City Los Alamos Newsletter and design a piece of Bee City Los Alamos Artwork that will be displayed digitally and distributed as stickers at Bee City Los Alamos events.
Deadline for submissions is April 30, 2025. Click here for more information.
LAHS Track & Field Athletes Break School Records
LAPS: Los Alamos Odyssey Of The Mind Teams Shine At 2025 Colorado State Tournament
Los Alamos High School Senior Fortis Brown Recognized By Elio Academy Of Biomedical Sciences
Hilltoppers Dominate Elks In Double Header Showdown
LANL Foundation Awards Over $1 Million In Scholarships To Northern New Mexico Students
Los Alamos Middle School Hawktalkers Coach Sherri Bublitz Honored As 2025 Speech Coach Of The Year
Topper Softball Win Home Conference Game
Secret City Esports Sends Six Teams To NMAA State Championships
Los Alamos Public Schools is hiring for several positions around the district, including teachers, educational assistants and coaches. We are also looking for a high school principal.
There are also job postings in our Business Services, Transportation, Facilities and Technology departments. And we are hiring Student Interns.
Click here to learn more.
LASCU Members
Spring Clean Loan- 9.99% Flat Rate
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Upcoming Games and Meets
Los Alamos Middle School
Baseball
Wednesday, April 23 vs. Edgewood Middle School @ Senior Field, 3 pm and 5 pm
Thursday, April 24 vs. Rio Rancho Middle School @ Senior Field, 4 pm and 6 pm
Tuesday, April 29 vs. Taos Middle School @ Taos High School, 3 pm and 5 pm
Softball
Thursday, April 24 vs. Rio Rancho Middle School @ Bun Ryan Softball Field, 4 pm and 6 pm
Track & Field
Wednesday, April 23 vs. St. Michael's Middle School @ St. Michael's High School, 3 pm
Tuesday, April 29 vs. Sandia Prep Middle School @ Sandia Prep High School
Los Alamos High School
JV Baseball
Tuesday, April 22 vs. Pojoaque Valley High School @ Pojoaque Valley High School, 4 pm
Friday, April 25 vs. Espanola Valley High School @ Senior Field, 3 pm and 5 pm
Tuesday, April 29 vs. Taos High School @ Senior Field, 4 pm
Varsity Baseball
Wednesday, April 23 vs. Pojoaque Valley High School @ Bomber Field, 4 pm
Saturday, April 26 vs. Espanola Valley High School @ Espanola Valley High School, 10 am
and 12 pm
Wednesday, April 30 vs. Taos High School @ Taos High School, 4 pm
JV Softball
Tuesday, April 22 vs. Pojoaque Valley High School @ Pojoaque Valley High School, 4 pm
Friday, April 25 vs. Espanola Valley High School @ Overlook Softball Fields, 3 pm and 5 pm
Tuesday, April 29 vs. Taos High School @ Overlook Softball Fields, 4 pm
Varsity Softball
Wednesday, April 23 vs. Pojoaque Valley High School @ Overlook Softball Fields, 4 pm
Saturday, April 26 vs. Espanola Valley High School @ Espanola Valley High School, 10 am and 12 pm
Wednesday, April 30 vs. Taos High School @ Taos High School, 4 pm
Tennis
Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, District, Individual (boys and girls)
JV Track & Field
Saturday, May 3, Larry Baca Invite, Sullivan Field
Varsity Track & Field
Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26, Richard Harper Invite @ Albuquerque Academy
Saturday, May 3, Larry Baca Invite, Sullivan Field
Golf
Monday, April 21 @ Black Mesa, boys and girls
Thursday, April 24 @ Arroyo Del Oso girlsCheck out RankOne for schedules.
