During tonight’s meeting, the Board of Education unanimously approved an extension of Superintendent Cody Diehl’s contract, which will run until the end of academic year 2026-2027. There were no other changes to his contract.
“I am excited about my contract extension. I want to thank the Board of Education for their unwavering dedication and for entrusting me with this continued opportunity. Together, we stand committed to a vision of rising to excellence for Farmington Municipal Schools, where every student thrives and achieves their highest potential,” said Superintendent Diehl.
Board approves policies B-2600 and F-1400.
Policy B-2600 creates a two-step procedure to adopt new policies or changes, first presenting the proposal for review, followed by discussion and action. This change ensures that proposals are fully studied before final action. During the second step, the views of the public, staff members, and the Board may result in changes. Policies may also be adopted or amended at a single meeting.
Policy F-1400 establishes guidelines for naming or renaming school board-owned buildings, giving preference to historically significant sights, local geologic considerations, and culturally significant meanings, while also considering individuals or companies that significantly contribute to the community either financially or through other means.
The new policy outlines that any member of the community may submit nominations for consideration, who will comprise the review committee, what the process for public input is, and limitations.
Celebrations
The Board celebrated Apache Elementary School for receiving a special award from NMPED’s Bilingual Multicultural Education Program (BMEP). The award recognizes Apache Elementary for having an effective multicultural education program.
Apache Elementary serves the highest percentage of Native American students in our district. They've been doing some fantastic work with their Diné Language and Culture Revitalization program, which started with a group of kindergarten students and has now grown to fifth grade. Additionally, Apache now has a BMEP group in every grade level from kindergarten to fifth grade. Congratulations to all the teachers, administrators, and staff at Apache Elementary for this well-deserved recognition!
The Board also celebrated the students who completed their Engineering Mentorship Program, where they learned to predict the performance of an oil well and evaluate properties for sale before recommending their purchase. Their experience is part of an internship with Merrion Oil & Gas, where they learn important lessons and hands-on activities using real money.
Congratulations to the following students:
Darin Hilton, Easten Gibbs, Ethan Hilton, and Kloey Halona of Farmington High School.
Crew Cundick, Diego Delgado, Grant Hawkins, Ian Chavez, Samantha Welch, and Teresa Sanborn of Piedra Vista High School.
Annamarie Champaign and Ava Thomason of San Juan College High School.
Interested in the Engineering Mentorship Program for High School and College Students? Students should call (505) 402-5798 or e-mail gsharpe@merrion.bz for more information. Students need to have completed Algebra I.
In the photo: From left to right, Ethan Hilton, Grant Hawkins, Darin Hilton, George Sharp (Merrion Oil & Gas Investment Manager), Annamarie Champaign, and Ava Thomason.
Before the start of the Board meeting, we were treated to a wonderful performance by the Farmington High School Choir. Led by Choir Director Katie Patton, they sang beautiful love songs for Valentine’s Day, including Happy Together by The Turtles, Can't Help Falling in Love by Elvis Presley, Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations, and Stand by Me by Ben E. King.
Strategic Plan Discussed
The Board’s work session held a lengthy discussion on the FMS Strategic Plan and Goal 3.5 regarding analyzing, interpreting, and using data to regularly monitor progress toward school achievement goals. The discussion was led by Dr. Phil Warrick from Marzano Resources and Mesa Verde Principal Pamela Schritter, Assistant Principal Jessica Doyle, and kindergarten educators Terra Rosen and Cherisa Suender. The Mesa Verde team presented their practices as related to Goal 3.5, detailing the importance of making data-based decisions.
The next Board meeting is on March 19, 2024.