✳️ May 15, 2023, 1:05 PM UPDATE: The Farmington Police Department has notified us that all preventative lockdowns can now be lifted. All students will be released. Busses will pick up students and drop them off following their normal runs. Thank you for your cooperation during these changes, FMS families. ✳️ 12:40 PM UPDATE: Families of Apache, McKinley, Central Kitchen, and Cate Center, the schools and sites are now under a preventative lockdown and will remain so at this time at the request of the Farmington Police Department. All students and staff are safe. Students have received meals. ✳️ 11:40 AM UPDATE: FMS families, Apache and McKinley elementary schools, Central Kitchen, and the Cate Center will remain in an emergency lockdown. The preventative lockdowns for all remaining schools have now been lifted. Students will be released. Busses will resume their schedules. We will provide you with more updates shortly. ✳️ 11:15 AM ORIGINAL POST: FMS families, all of our schools have been placed in a preventative lockdown at the request of Farmington Police. Apache and McKinley elementary schools, as well as Central Kitchen and the Cate Center, have been placed under an emergency lockdown due to police activity in the area. Parents will not be able to pick up their students until all lockdowns have been lifted. More information will be provided as soon as the lockdowns have been lifted.
FMS, let's show our support for teachers and their special projects! Today, we want to bring your attention to the Foundation for Excellence. They are raising funds for unique projects in our schools that enhance our children's educational experiences. This year the Foundation helped projects that included creating an elementary classroom garden, exploring the world of flying drones, and even composing new music for our middle schools, among other exciting initiatives. Let's come together and contribute to more wonderful initiatives in 2024! 👉 The Foundation’s main event is the Race to Educate. Consider supporting it: https://farmingtonschools.info/RaceToEducate2023. 👉 Read more about the projects funded by the Foundation: https://www.farmingtonschools.us/article/839280.
FMS, let's rally behind our teachers and show them our support! Today, we want to shine a spotlight on some amazing teachers who are raising funds for their classrooms through the Donors Choose platform. One remarkable teacher we'd like to mention is Ms. Wayne at Animas Elementary. Last year, she successfully raised $10,000 for art supplies, and she's working on achieving the same this year. We've witnessed the positive impact of her efforts, culminating in the fantastic Animas Art Show that took place last Friday (check out the photos!). Consider supporting these dedicated teachers and their projects. 👉 https://www.donorschoose.org/project/restocking-basic-art-supplies/7188707. 👉 https://www.donorschoose.org/project/great-seats-for-great-students/7108371. 👉 https://www.donorschoose.org/project/exploring-art-jobs-become-a-fashion-des/7208680.
From Stacy Chang, Director of Nursing and Student Wellness – Today is National School Nurse Day! Let's take a moment to appreciate our school nurses who have a positive impact on the well-being of children every day! This year, our nurses have been busy taking care of the health needs of our students. They have had a total of 89,349 visits to the health offices, where they administered medications 9,716 times and performed 7,029 medical procedures. Additionally, they conducted 12,719 screenings to ensure that children receive the support they need in areas such as child find, vision, and hearing. We are grateful for our school nurses and the incredible work they do to keep our students healthy! Also, a special shout-out to our health assistants for the support they provide our nurses. Thank you!
Our FMS Nurses are Amy Elliott, Carly Mead, Michelle Cooper Holguin, AmberLee Gonzales, Carrie Lingo, Katie Fraker, Cassandra Gamboa, Rainee Loebs, Kayla McMinn, Taylor Lusk, Cheryl Hanstedt, JJ Holt, Patricia Sandoval, Angie Ochoa, Mark Burnham, Melissa Christenson, Lauren Roberts, Mandy Lundy, and LeighAnne Jensen.
Here's another recent news story that celebrates educators, FMS. Read it here: https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/new-mexico-teacher-of-the-year-honored-in-dc/
FMS, to kick off Teacher Appreciation Week, here's a recent news story that celebrates a dedicated educator. Read it here: https://www.1011now.com/2023/04/26/april-golden-apple-wahoo-resource-teacher-helps-with-all-aspects-learning.
Great teachers make us feel seen and empowered as learners. As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we will share videos and messages that touch on the impact educators have in our lives all week long. Let’s celebrate teachers, FMS!
During the FMS school year, our school kitchen personnel prepare three thousand breakfasts and seven thousand lunches every day (more than 2 million meals in one year). That’s why they are School Lunch Heroes on #SchoolLunchHeroDay! #SLHD23, which takes place on Friday, May 5, 2023, marks the 11th anniversary of the observance all about recognizing the hard work school nutrition professionals do and the way it benefits children’s education and growth. Thanks, School Lunch Heroes for ALL you do, we salute you!
Congratulations to our tennis doubles competing today at state! Your 5A State Girls Runner-ups are Naomi Beck and Marley Deswood of Farmington High School. And the 5A State Boys Runner-ups are Charles Briones (Farmington High School) and Conner Clark (Hermosa Middle School). All student-athletes from Farmington High School. You played so well!
NMPED will provide FREE Algebra I High-Dosage Tutoring to 8th-grade students transitioning into 9th grade in the 2023-2024 school year. This program is designed to provide 8th-grade students a "jumpstart" into exploring the Algebra I content while providing just-in-time support to boost math skills. For more information, you can contact: 👉 Michelle Korbakes, ACCELerate NM Project Manager, at michelle.korbakes@ped.nm.gov or (575) 491-5773. You can also contact 👉 Ashleigh Trice, HDT Coordinator, at atrice@swrecnm.org. 👉 To register, visit: bit.ly/AlgebraHDT
FMS In The News: Best public high schools in New Mexico. By Stacker, KRQE. Stacker compiled a list of the 30 best public high schools in New Mexico using 2023 rankings from Niche. #10. San Juan College High School. Enrollment: 286 (26:1 student to teacher ratio). Niche grade: A. Read more: https://www.krqe.com/news-resources/ranking/best-public-high-schools-in-new-mexico/
Earth Day Challenge 2023 Sign-up! On Earth Day 2023, all Farmington Municipal School students were given planting kits with zinnia and sugar snap pea seeds. The Earth Day Challenge is to plant your growing seeds at your home, in a pot, or in the ground and document your success. To sign-up for the challenge, visit https://forms.gle/HoJcYWPgQ8MMKd998. For information about Earth Day at FMS, visit https://www.farmingtonschools.us/page/earth-day.
ELA students at Apache Elementary School are learning from a fun activity this week - sand art classes! They are learning from a local artist named Noonie, who showed them the steps he follows, how to apply glue and pour sand onto a clean surface to create beautiful designs. “There is no right or wrong way to do it. Just use your imagination,” he said. Sand art requires a lot of skill, patience, and creativity, and it can take several hours or even days to complete just one piece. The end result can be beautiful art that captivates and inspires. “How do you get different colors?” asked one of the students sitting in the front. “I get them from all over the place. Just look around and you’ll see rocks of different colors. I got some of these from the Chuska Mountains and Two Grey Hills,” he answered. We want to thank Ms. Jo Leiba-Jack and Ms. Cherise John, the teachers who organized this creative learning opportunity for our 3rd and 4th graders.
Here’s what we have coming up for breakfast and lunch in May, FMS. In addition to the events below, our Student Nutrition Department is also serving a special breakfast to our high school graduates on graduation day. On May 19, we’ll celebrate National Pizza Party Day! Pepperoni pizza for all and since it's a party, ice cream treats too! Don't worry if your student's school is not offering a hot breakfast item, they are still getting a delicious and nutritious grab-and-go breakfast to enjoy in their classroom!
Find our menus at https://fms.nutrislice.com.
Principals and Assistant Principals are leaders who inspire confidence and prioritize the needs of students. They create a welcoming and inclusive school culture. They are dedicated to their work, responsive to parents' concerns, and committed to building a nurturing and engaging learning environment for students, families, and staff. Happy Principal And Assistant Principal Appreciation Day!
All of our Principals and Assistant Principals are being presented with nacho kits today from our Student Nutrition Department. Enjoy!
FMS families and community, registration for the upcoming school year (2023-24) is now open at FMS! If you are new to our district and not currently enrolled in one of our FMS schools, you can register your child at https://www.farmingtonschools.us/page/registration. Please be aware that there are two links available, one for the current school year (2022-23) and one for the upcoming year (2023-24). Make sure you select the correct link.
Today, Esperanza Elementary School recognized their bus drivers with a very special goodie bag and their own customized t-shirts designed by students! The students also made signs to celebrate the bus drivers as they drove into the pick-up area. We truly appreciate the transportation team at FMS!
.
Thank you to the Title-1 Staff Crystal Ofutt, Cornelia Martinez, and Shannon Lopez for helping coordinate this event, and thank you to Esperanza 2nd Grade Teachers Ms. Davis, Mrs. Contreras, Mrs. Candelaria, Mrs. Wasson, and their students for creating these wonderful gifts!
.
#BusDriverAppreciation #TransportationCelebration #RisingToExcellenceInEveryPursuit
FMS, our partners at the San Juan College Continuing Education Department will host two one-week GenCyber Student Camp Program sessions during the summer of 2023. This FREE summer camp is for students who have completed grades 6-11 and will offer engaging, hands-on activities, guest speakers, cybersecurity activities, competitions, and exposure to computer architecture, operating systems, network fundamentals, and programming.
Apply before June 5 at https://fs11.formsite.com/MoRpnW/4iyuisdnhb/index
For more information, you can also visit: https://www.sanjuancollege.edu/community/kids-kollege/
From Superintendent Cody Diehl – This week, we officially welcomed a new member to the FMS Board of Education. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to Ms. Barbara Luna Tedrow.
The voices of our Board of Education members are a critical part of making sure we create the best learning environment that will help students in the City of Farmington thrive for decades to come.
Being a School Board member requires long hours that often go unseen, on top of the already-busy lives that members have. So, on behalf of the staff, students, and families of Farmington Municipal Schools – thank you all for your service to the district and your advocacy for improving the quality of education for our students.
#RisingToExcellenceInEveryPursuit
Happy Earth Day, FMS. This year's Earth Day theme is “Invest in Our Planet,” and it emphasizes the need to invest in our planet to improve our environment and give our descendants a better and safer future. As a school district, we have a responsibility to teach our students about the importance of sustainability and to help them develop a sense of environmental stewardship. To highlight this event at FMS, none of our 20 school kitchens used electricity or gas yesterday, and all meals were served cold so we could conserve energy, something we’ve been doing since 2014. Also yesterday, 5,000 growing kits were given to our students and we hope to see them register for our 3rd Annual Earth Day Challenge! Visit https://www.farmingtonschools.us/page/earth-day for more information.
