During this afternoon's regular meeting, the Board of Education approved the 2024-2025 academic calendar. [Click here] to download a full copy.
Start of School
Next year’s calendar does not include early release days (Mondays), it includes five full days of professional development and a November 5 holiday per law. Take note of the following firsts:
Teachers will report back on August 5-6.
Classes for Kindergarten, 6th, and 9th graders will begin on August 7.
All other grades will begin school on August 8.
School Start/End Times
The changes in next year’s calendar mean school will end earlier.
Preschool Academies: 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Elementary School: 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Middle School: 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
High School: 8:00 a.m. to 2:50 p.m.
Changes to school start/end times at San Juan College High School will be released soon.
The changes also affect our weather and delay procedures, and classes will not be canceled on a Monday if there is a school delay, which is our current practice.
Graduation Dates
The graduation dates are as follows:
San Juan College High School: May 16, 2025
Piedra Vista High School: May 19, 2025
Farmington High School: May 20, 2025
Rocinante High School: May 21, 2025
Please note that our 2024-2025 academic year would have to be adjusted/changed if there are updates from the NM Department of Education.
Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction
The Board of Education recognized Ms. Katie Patton, our Choir Teacher at Farmington High School, who has been selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS). A student nominated Ms. Patton for outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the profession.
Top photo: FMS Fine Arts Coordinator Mr. Daniel Fear and Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction Ms. Katie Patton.
Ladera Orff Ensemble
Before the start of the regular meeting, the Ladera Orff Ensemble under the direction of Music Teacher Ms. Virginia Weaver delighted us with some outstanding pieces including "All Are Welcome Here" by Denise Gagne, "Don't Do This Blues," which had some lyrics written by the 5th graders at Ladera, and "Countdown to the Bell: A Lydian Ostinato Compilation."
The Orff Approach is a developmental style used in music education. It combines music, movement, drama, and speech into lessons that are similar to a child's world of play. It was developed by the German composer Carl Orff and his colleague Gunild Keetman during the 1920s.
Ms. Weaver is the recipient of the John Batcheller Award for Excellence in Teaching Music in Elementary Schools from the NM Music Educators Association.
Project SEARCH
Project SEARCH administrators and interns discussed their progress during the work session. Now in its sixth year, Project SEARCH has eight interns at 15 sites in the county, including Echo Food Bank and Farmington Municipal Schools. They relayed that the program is on the cusp of winning an award recognizing 70% of interns gaining employment. They also announced their graduation will take place on May 8, with Board Secretary Andra Stradling as the keynote speaker.
Project SEARCH is an innovative school-to-work internship program that gives young adults with disabilities the opportunity to learn marketable job skills to help them gain competitive integrated employment.
Trip Approvals
The Board approved some unique trips for students. The Key Club from Farmington High School is going to Atlanta for the International Key Club Convention, and the JROTC and Robotics Team are going to Dallas to compete in the World VEX Competition. Also, Native American Youth from Tibbetts Middle School will be visiting NASA in Houston.
Resolution 2024-R21 NMSSA Legal Defense
Lastly, the Board also approved a resolution in support of the Superintendent’s involvement in the New Mexico School Superintendent Association Legal Defense Fund (NMSSA). The Board supports NMSSA’s efforts to challenge the NMPED's proposed changes to the school calendar and instructional hours, along with other rules and regulations that may conflict with the best interests of our community and students, including school accreditation, and to contribute $1,000 to NMSSA’s Legal Defense Fund in support of the same.
The next Board of Education Meeting is on April 9, 2024.