🐾Welcome AMES Families🐾

Dear A. Montoya Families,

My name is Principal Day, and I am excited to welcome you to another wonderful school year at A. Montoya Elementary! Whether you are returning to our school or joining the Mountain Lion family for the first time, we are so happy you are here.

As we begin this new year, our staff is looking forward to partnering with you to provide a safe, engaging, and supportive learning environment where every student can grow academically, socially, and emotionally. We believe that strong relationships between home and school are the foundation of student success, and we are grateful to have you as part of our community.

This school year will be filled with exciting learning opportunities, memorable experiences, and plenty of reasons to celebrate our students' accomplishments. Together, we will continue to foster a school where every child feels valued, challenged, and inspired to reach their full potential.

If you ever have questions, concerns, or simply want to introduce yourself, please don't hesitate to reach out. I can be reached at andrea.day@aps.edu, and I am always happy to connect with our families.

Thank you for trusting us with your children. I look forward to an amazing year together. Go Mountain Lions!

Principal Day

🐾A. Montoya Elementary School🐾

• Thursday, August 6- 12:30-3:00 p.m.- Meet Your Teacher
• Friday, August 7- First Day of School (1st Grade through 5th Grade)
• Tuesday, August 11- First Day of School (PreK and Kindergarten)
• Tuesday, August 11- 7:45- 8:30 Boohoo/Woohoo Breakfast in the cafeteria
• Friday, August 21- (times will be announced later) Watermelon Tailgate

Upcoming events:

• Curriculum Night- TBD

Kindergarten through 5th grade:

Arrival Time: 7:45 a.m. - 7:59 a.m.

• Students may arrive on campus at 7:45 AM and report to playground for recess.
• At 7:56 a.m. the first bell will ring.
• At 8:00 a.m., the tardy bell rings and studenst must be in class.
• Students arriving after 8:05 AM must be escorted to the front office to be signed in.
• This year we are implementing Breakfast After the Bell. Students will have breakfast in their classroom with their peers at the start of their day.

• Students enter vehicles using the door closest to the sidewalk. If you have a younger student, K-1, please make sure to use the lane closest to the school.
• Families must remain in their vehicles if using the drop off/pick up lane; staff will assist with loading if needed.
• Use a parking space if you need to exit your vehicle for any reason.

• Students will wait in the designated area in the front of the school and will not be allowed to head to any car before the first crosswalk.
• Please follow directions from staff directing traffic.

• Bus lane is to the east of the school. Be courteous and yield to buses.
• Students must ride their assigned bus and stop. Changes require bus company permission. If a change is granted the bus company will contact Principal Day.
• Visit my bus stop to locate your child's bus stop.
• Bus company 505-253-0287

Los Vecinos:

• Students who will go to after school care at Los Vecinos will be transported by Bernalillo County, the same as last year.

PreK Students:

All Pre-K students must be signed in each morning. Teachers will greet families just west of the cafeteria. A patio area is available for family members to wait until teachers begin accepting students at 8:00 a.m. Any Pre-K student who arrives after 8:10 will need to be escorted to the office and signed in. A. Montoya staff will then escort your child to his/her classroom.

Dismissal for PreK is at 2:15 and will happen in the same location, in the patio space just west of the cafeteria.

Campus Entry:

• Students will enter through the front doors starting at 7:45 a.m.
• Parents must sign students in if they are arriving after 8:05 a.m.
• Visitors must sign in with the front office staff.

• August 7: 1st - 5th grade families may walk students to class; leave campus by 8:05 a.m.
• August 11: Pre K and Kindergarten families may walk students to the cafeteria then attend the Boo-Hoo/Woo-Hoo Breakfast (7:45 a.m. -8:30 a.m.)

• All visitors must check in at the Administration entrance and wear a visible badge. A government issued ID is required to be a visitor at A. Montoya.

• If you would like to be a classroom volunteer, you must apply for a Supervised Volunteer background check.
• Supervised volunteers are volunteers who conduct functions that guarantee that they never have unsupervised access to students at any point and for any length of time
• Supervised volunteers must be able to present some form of current government-issued photo identification (driver’s license, passport, military ID, US or other government identification)
• Typical examples of volunteer functions with supervised contact with students include, but are not limited to:
• classroom tutoring
• classroom reading
• classroom assistance
• library assistance
• front office assistance
• family room assistance

• Unsupervised volunteers must obtain FBI fingerprint background check by APS School Police.
• Unsupervised volunteers must obtain a badge with their name, photo and expiration date from the APS School Police prior to providing services or having access to a school or students. They must:
  • wear the badge on their person in plain sight at all times when volunteering
  • only use the badge for approved volunteer services and locations, and
  • return the badge to the APS School Police when no longer volunteering
• Unsupervised volunteers must sign in and out of APS schools and facilities every time they provide volunteer program services
• Unsupervised volunteers must be able to present some form of current government-issued photo identification (driver’s license, passport, military ID, US or other government identification)
• Typical examples of volunteer functions with unsupervised contact with students include, but are not limited to:
• volunteer coaches
• support personnel for athletics
• tutors and mentors
• chaperones
• school-site safety patrols
• after-school programs and club activity leaders
• Volunteer info: https://www.aps.edu/police/background-and-fingerprinting/background-checks-for-prospective-volunteers

• A photo ID is required to check out a student.
• All items must be dropped off at the front office. Office staff will deliver them to the appropriate classroom. For minimal disruption, families are not permitted to deliver items directly. If preferred, the office can call the student out of class to retrieve the item upon request.

• Tardies are recorded at 8:05 a.m.; students must be walked into the office.
• For early pickup or if a student becomes ill, please bring a valid ID to the front office. This helps us verify that you are listed as an authorized contact for student release.
• Doctor's notes are requaired to excuse medical appointments.

• Keep ParentVue contact updated at all times.
• Call the office by 2:15 p.m. for emergency end-of-day changes. We will do our best to accommodate last minute requests.
• APS and AMES uses SchoolMessenger to send alerts via phone/email.
• Weather closures or asynchronous days will be announced via SchoolMessenger, school website, ClassDojo, and news outlets.

• AMES Website

• Monthly Smore Newsletter: This will be sent out monthly and posted to the school website.
• School Messenger: School-wide phone/email messages. These will be sent out with important messages, reminders, or updates, as needed.
• Teacher Communication: Your child's teacher will send out communication regularly.
• Parent-Teacher Meetings: These will be scheduled as needed.

• Breakfast After the Bell: Students will be served breakfast in the classroom at the start of the day.

• Grades K&2: 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
• Grades1& 3: 11:15 - 11:45 a.m.
• Grades 4&5: 12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
• Shared table available in the cafeteria for unwanted food.
• Students remain in the cafeteria until picked up by their classroom teacher.
• Students are not allowed to share food.
• Hot lunches are only available through the cafeteria. Students cannot microwave food brought from home.

Students receive:

• Three 15 minute recesses. One in the morning, one before lunch, and one at the end of the day.
• The school provides all play equipment; personal toys are not allowed except with permission from the school for special events and spirit days.
• Playground rules are taught and will be reviewed regularly.

• No phones during school hours. Please see the APS Acceptable Use of Personal Electronic Devices Policy.

1. Device will be taken until the end of the day; returned to the student; guardian will be contacted
2. Device will be held by the administrator; returned to the guardian during a conference.

From time to time, students may make choices that are not appropriate for the school setting. As educators, our first responsibility is to guide students by reteaching expected behaviors. If these reteaching efforts are not successful, the situation will be referred to the administrator for appropriate follow-up in accordance with the APS Student Handbook for Success.

Dear A. Montoya Families,

Welcome to a brand-new school year! I am excited to begin SY 2026–2027 and look forward to partnering with you to support the health, safety, and success of every student. As we settle into new routines, one of the most important ways to help children succeed is by ensuring they get 9–12 hours of sleep each night. A consistent bedtime helps students arrive at school rested, focused, and ready to learn.

Throughout the year, students will participate in engaging, age-appropriate social emotional lessons. Kindergarten students will learn about child protection and personal safety. First and second graders will practice Kelso's Choices to develop positive conflict-resolution skills. Third graders will explore safe and responsible social media and online habits. Fourth graders will continue building conflict-resolution skills with Kelso's Choices while learning bullying prevention strategies. Fifth graders will discuss peer pressure, learning how to make positive choices, stay true to their values, and confidently stand up for themselves.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. Together, we can help make this school year a safe, healthy, and successful year for all of our students. I look forward to a wonderful year with your children and all of you!

Alheli Baca, MA, NCC, LPCC

School Counselor

Welcome back to a healthy and safe new school year, A Montoya Families!

As we head into a fantastic year ahead, your health office team is here to support your child's physical and emotional well-being. We are pleased to welcome our new Health Assistant, Maria Chavez, who joins us with a passion for student wellness and a warm smile. Please feel free to stop by or call to introduce yourself!

To ensure a smooth and healthy start for everyone, please review these important health reminders:

· Updated Immunizations: State law requires all students to be up-to-date on vaccines. Please submit your child's immunization records or official exemption forms to the health office ASAP.

· Health Conditions: If your child has a chronic condition—such as asthma, severe allergies, diabetes, or seizures—please contact us immediately to update or create their individualized Healthcare Action Plan, and drop off any scheduled or emergency medications to the Health Office.

· Medications at School: All medications, including over-the-counter items like cough drops or ibuprofen, require a doctor's signature and a parent authorization form. Medications must be brought to the health office by an adult in their original, pharmacy-labeled container.

We look forward to partnering with your family to keep our school community healthy, thriving, and ready to learn!

Welcome back!

Nurse Holly

(505) 281-0880 ext. 24405

holly.reichert@aps.edu

A. Montoya has purchased all supplies for the 2026-2027 school year.

We ask that each student have a backpack and reusable water bottle (optional).

We’re excited to announce our upcoming spirit wear sale! This is a great opportunity to show your school pride while supporting our students. A variety of stylish and comfortable T-shirts and hoodies will be available. This is the perfect time to get one with the school year starting.