LAPS Newsletter

School Board Meeting

Tuesday, December 9

School Boardroom

Friday, December 19

End of Fall Semester

Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2

Winter Break

December 2 is Special Education Day, marking the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This day commemorates the landmark 1975 law that guarantees the right to a free and appropriate public education for all children with disabilities. It is a day to honor the achievements in special education and recognize the vital contributions of special educators, support staff, students, and parents.

The holidays are a perfect time to slow down, cuddle up with a good book, and share stories that inspire kindness, gratitude, and understanding.

Aspen Elementary librarian Jeff Lloyd created a short video on how reading can help children build empathy — a gift that lasts far beyond the season. His tips make it easy for families to use books as springboards for meaningful conversations at home.

Looking for great titles to spark compassion? Explore these family-friendly recommendations from Common Sense Media: https://www.commonsensemedia.org/lists/books-that-teach-empathy

Let’s celebrate the season by raising readers who spread kindness all year long.

The Los Alamos High School Cheerleaders will participate in the 84th annual Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade on Dec. 7, 2025, in Waikiki, Hawaii.

The parade and associated events commemorate the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor during the Second World War.

The selected Los Alamos High School Cheerleaders are All American with the Universal Cheerleading Association and will perform during the parade with other UCA cheerleaders.

Los Alamos High School Cheerleaders, top row from left, Genesis Fernandez, Kestrel Laesar, Sara Gordon, Alessandra Valencia, Kailea Kobayashi, Angelica Montoya, Madeline Morris. Bottom row from left, Angelee Abeyta, Sophia Sisneros, Jasmine Grey, Faith Archuleta, Allyson Harbert and Holly Martinez. Courtesy photo

Congratulations to Chamisa Elementary's latest book vending machine winners: Everett Schelebo, preK; Carlyn Koller, kindergarten; Harry Daughton Hemphill, 1st grade; Jerymiah Gallegos, 2nd grade; Abel Dallas, 3rd grade; Alyssa Komathy, 4th grade; William Trujillo, 5th grade; and Amara Viramontes, 6th grade.

The music department hosted a night of jazz, featuring performances by the middle school jazz orchestra, middle school jazz band, high school Jazz 1 and Jazz 2, and two groups representing the Los Alamos Jazz Project.

Congratulations to these 53 All-State musicians. Getting into All-State requires much hard work. New Mexico has a strong music program and we are grateful to be a part of it.

Band: Hudson Bathrick-Price, Samantha Clayton, Tony Jaurique, Sara Khan, Sean Lo, Irina Maiorov, Carlos Martinez, Liv Niklasson, Caitlynn Romero and Chris Teague

Choir: Gyasi Atta-Fynn, Eric Brown, Deborah Brug, Matthea Clarkson, Alea Kretz, Naomi Miller, Sara Munoz, Camden Shunk and Sumner Tholen

Orchestra: Charles Austen, Shilo Bartram, Jonathan Clayton, Ciara Colgan, Celeste El-Darazi, Matthea Fung, Cara Gattiker, Anna Gattis, William Hudlemeyer, Noelle Judd, Bryan Lee, Ming-Xiu "Michelle" Lo, Angel Meng, Hirotaka Mertes, William Nettleton, Linus Plohr, Aleena Rim, Jackson Scharff, Anna Simakov, Joseph Snyder, Maya Somasekharan, Payton Sutherland, Emmitt Tibbitts, Aditya Viswanathan, Maia Warren, Helena Welch, Emily Xu, Yuiko Yamaguchi, Semih Zeytun, Julia Zou and Kevin Zou

Jazz Band: Hudson Bathrick-Price, Tony Jaurigue and Carson Stauffer

The Los Alamos High School Jazz I has been selected as the 2026 New Mexico Music Educators Association (NMMEA) State Honor Jazz Band. The group will perform at the 2026 All-State Music Conference on January 14, 2026 in Popejoy Hall. Click here for more information and tickets.

Preschool hours are 8:10 am - 2:40 pm, Monday through Friday.

The PreK3 program is in session Monday through Thursday. The morning session runs from 8:00 am - 11 am, and the afternoon session runs from 11:40 am - 2:40 pm.

Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2

Winter Break

Elementary School hours are 8:10 am - 2:40 pm.Check your school site for daily bell schedules.

Thursday, December 4

Aspen Tiger Choir Caroling

Saturday, December 6

Northern Schools Chess League Meet 2 @ Santa Fe Prep

Wednesday, December 10

Chamisa Winter Concert

Mountain Band, Orchestra & Choir Concert

Mountain Choir Caroling

Thursday, December 11

Pinon Band, Orchestra & Choir Winter Concert

Friday, December 12

Barranca Winter Band, Orchestra & Choir Concert

Tuesday, December 16

Barranca 3rd & 4th grade Music Program

Piñon 1st & 2nd Grade Musical

Thursday, December 18

Bobcat Choir & K-Kids Caroling

Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2

Winter Break

Barranca Mesa Elementary School: Friday, December 5

Chamisa Elementary School: Thursday, December 4

Mountain Elementary School: Tuesday, December 9

Piñon Elementary School: Thursday, December 4

The District Spelling Bee will be held on Wednesday, January 28, 2026 in the Los Alamos High School Speech Theater.

Aspen and Mountain Elementary Schools (joint): Thursday, December 11

Barranca Mesa Elementary School: Thursday, December 11

Chamisa Elementary School: Wednesday, December 17

Piñon Elementary School: Wednesday, December 10

The District Science Fair is scheduled for Saturday, January 24, 2026.

Find out more information about your school.

Parents often ask about how to help at home and accessing Clever and the apps within it is a great way to make a connection between home and school. As you may know, Clever is our sign-in page for all the software and programs accessible to LAPS students.

There are a number of really amazing and helpful applications, including their online textbooks, math fact review (a GREATLY needed skill!!), Flocabulary, Prodigy, and Typing Club, just to mention a few. Here are the sign-in directions.

Log in with Google

1. On any device open the Chrome browser and go to: https://clever.com/in/laps

2. Choose the option to Log in with Google.

3. Enter the email address above and click Next.

4. Enter the password and click Next.

5. You’re in!

For the best results, Google Chrome Web browser is recommended.

username is: firstname.lastname@studentlaschools.net.

password is their student id 9-digit ID number

Friday, December 5

Winter Dance

6 pm

Saturday, December 6

Capstone Speech & Debate Tournament, online

Northern Schools Chess League Meet 2 @ Santa Fe Prep

Saturday School

Monday, December 8

Choir Concert

Duane Smith Auditorium

6 pm

Tuesday, December 9

Students of the Semester, 7th grade

Cafeteria

7:30 am

Tuesday, December 9

Lunch Crafts - Winter Wish

Wednesday, December 10

Winter Band Concert

Duane Smith Auditorium

6 pm

Thursday, December 11

Students of the Semester, 8th grade

Cafeteria

7:30 am

Thursday, December 11

Orchestra Concert

Duane Smith Auditorium

6:30 pm

Saturday, December 13

Saturday School

Tuesday, December 16 - Friday, December 19

Final Exams

Friday, December 19

End of Fall Semester

Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2

Winter Break

Monday, January 5

Staff Planning Day, no school for students

Tuesday, January 6

Start of Spring Semester

Final exams for the fall semester are scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 through Friday, December 19.

School hours at the middle school are 8:40 am - 3:30 pm. Click below to view the A/B calendar and bell schedule.

Hawk Hangout is a free event held every month during the school year for Middle School Teens. Events are held once a month on Thursday in different locations locally and regionally.

Wednesday, December 3

Fall Semester Signing Day

Wednesday, December 3 and Thursday, December 4

Topper Revue Auditions

Saturday, December 6

Capstone Speech & Debate Tournament, online

Northern Schools Chess League Meet 2 @ Santa Fe Prep

NJROTC Competition @ Eldorado High School

Saturday School

Monday, December 8

Choir Concert

Wednesday, December 10

Winter Band Concert

Thursday, December 11

Orchestra Concert

Friday, December 12

Choir Caroling @ Senior Center

Saturday, December 13

Saturday School

Tuesday, December 16 - Friday, December 19

Fall Semester Finals

Friday, December 19

End of Fall Semester

Monday, December 22 - Friday, January 2

Winter Break

Final exams for the fall semester are scheduled for Tuesday, December 16 through Friday, December 19.

School hours at the high school are 8:30 am - 3:40 pm. Click below to view the A/B calendar and bell schedule.

Check out the dates for ACT and SAT weekend testing.

Please note: Due to schedule conflicts, the December 6 SAT and December 13 ACT will not be given at Los Alamos High School. Students interested in testing on these dates are encouraged to check out other testing locations.

Elks National Foundation Scholarship Programs

Elks Most Valuable Student Scholarship

Legacy Awards

LANL Foundation

LANL Foundation Scholarships

WM Four Corners Scholarship Program

WM Four Corners Scholarship

Toyota High School Scholarship Challenge

Click here for more information.

The purpose of the New Mexico Music Educators Association Music Scholarship is to provide financial assistance to high school music students intending to pursue undergraduate studies in music education at a New Mexico university.

This award will be $500.00 for the student’s first year as a music education major and an additional $500.00 to be awarded when the student begins their student teaching. Scholarship money will be paid directly to the university upon verification that the student is enrolled as a full time student in music education.

Eligibility: Each applicant must be an active student member of a New Mexico high school music program in his/her last year of high school.

Selection Criteria: A committee appointed by the NMMEA President will review all applications. Selection criteria will include musicianship, high school GPA, leadership, and participation in school and community activities.

Application Procedures:

1. A completed online scholarship application form

2. The following must be uploaded in pdf format at the time of online submission

   1. High School transcript
   2. Resume describing the applicant’s musical background, achievements, honors and school and community activities
   3. Brief essay (200-400 words) explaining the applicant’s reasons for pursuing a career in music education
   4. Two letters of recommendation, one of which should be from the applicant’s high school music teacher addressing the selection criteria

All applications must be submitted by December 15th

In the event that online submission is impossible, all above material as well as the Scholarship Application form must be postmarked and mailed to:

The NMMEA Scholarship Committee
Neil Swapp, Executive Director
PO Box 3047
Silver City, NM 88062

Need to get caught up on missing assignments or late work? Sign up to attend Saturday School!

There are only three dates left before the end of the first semester: November 22, December 6 and December 13.

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.

All Saturday School sessions for the 2025-2026 school year will be in person in E-wing at LAHS. Sessions run from 8:30 am - 12:00 pm.

Saturday School FAQs

To register, email lahssaturdayschool@laschools.net with the student's name and date requested.

Click here for more information.

Math Kangaroo USA is a national nonprofit organization with a mission of helping students love math. For 26 years, Math Kangaroo has organized an annual international mathematical competition for thousands of students in grades K-12 (though kindergarten students must be fluent readers). Math Kangaroo's focus is on improving students' math scores and teaching them new strategies for solving word and logic problems, helping them with critical thinking and gaining confidence in the classroom.

Piñon Elementary School will be a host site for the Math Kangaroo International Competition on March 19, 2026. Students self-prep using the online resource provided, or in whatever way you wish, and the small registration fee is paid by parents directly to the organization. The test site is an in-person, paper & pencil test site and we are offering two sessions, 10:00am and 1:00pm. It is open to all grade levels and schools in northern New Mexico.

Go here for more information: https://mathkangaroo.org/

Go here for detailed registration directions: Registration Directions

Curricula: The Math Kangaroo Curricula are presented as a general guideline on what may be expected at the Math Kangaroo competition test.

Math Kangaroo Curriculum for grades 1 and 2

Math Kangaroo Curriculum for grades 3 and 4

Math Kangaroo Curriculum for grades 5 and 6

Math Kangaroo Curriculum for grades 7 and 8

Math Kangaroo Curriculum for grades 9 and 10

Math Kangaroo Curriculum for grades 11 and 12

The Los Alamos Public Schools Board meets on the second Tuesday and fourth Thursday of each month with the exception of April, November and December. All meetings are held in person and live streamed via Zoom beginning at 5:30 pm. Click here for more information about the School Board meetings.

November Meeting

Tuesday, December 9 @ School Boardroom

Los Alamos Middle School

Basketball (Girls)

Monday, December 1 vs. Taos Middle School @ Los Alamos Middle School Brousseau Gym,

7th grade 4 pm, 8th grade 5 pm

Wednesday, December 3 vs. Mandela Middle School @ Mandela Middle School, 7th grade 4 pm,

8th grade 5 pm

Friday, December 5 vs. Santa Fe Indian School @ Santa Fe Indian School, 7th grade 4 pm,

8th grade 5 pm

Monday, December 8 vs. Memorial Middle School @ Memorial Middle School, 7th grade 4 pm,

8th grade 5 pm

Wednesday, December 10 vs. St. Michael's Middle School @ Los Alamos High School Griffith Gym,

7th grade 4 pm, 8th grade 5 pm

Los Alamos High School

Boys Basketball

Monday, December 1 vs. Portales High School @ Griffith Gym, JV 4 pm, Varsity 5:30 pm

Thursday, December 4 vs. Bernalilo High School @ Bernalilo High School, 9th grade 4 pm, JV 5:30 pm

Thursday, December 4, Friday, December 5 and Saturday,

December 6, Capital City Tournament @ Santa Fe High School, Varsity

Tuesday, December 9 vs. Kirtland Cengtral High School @ Kirtland Central High School,

Varsity 4:30 pm

Thursday, December 11 vs. Valencia High School @ Valencia High School, JV 4 pm, Varsity 5:30 pm

Friday, December 12 vs. Santa Fe Prep @ Santa Fe Prep, 9th grade 4 pm, JV 4:30 pm, Varsity 6 pm

Tuesday, December 16 vs. Escalante High School @ Griffith Gym, 9th grade 4 pm, JV 5:30 pm

Saturday, December 20 vs. St. Michael's High School @ Griffith Gym, 9th grade 11 am, JV 12:30 pm, Varsity 2 pm

Monday, December 29, Tuesday, December 30 and Wednesday, December 31,

Stu Clark Tournament @ New Mexico Highlands University, Varsity

Girls Basketball

Monday, December 1 vs. St. Pius High School @ St. Pius High School, 9th grade 4 pm, JV 5:30 pm, Varsity 7 pm

Thursday, December 4, Friday, December 5 and Saturday,

December 6, Capital City Tournament @ Santa Fe High School, Varsity

Tuesday, December 9 vs. Kirtland Central High School @ Kirtland Central High School, JV 4:30 pm, Varsity 6 pm

Thursday, December 11 vs. McCurdy School @ McCurdy School, JV 4 pm, Varsity 5:30 pm

Thursday, December 18, Friday, December 19 and Saturday, December 20, St. Michael's Holiday Tournament @ St. Michael's High School, Varsity

Swimming & Diving

Friday, December 5, Bill Hudson Memorial Swim and Dive Meet @ Larry R. Walkup Aquatic Center

Friday, December 12, Demon Invite @ Genoveva Chavez Community Center

Wrestling

Tuesday, December 2 vs. Capital High School @ Los Alamos High School Auxiliary Gym, 3 pm

Saturday, December 6, Jaguar Invitational @ Capital High School

Saturday, December 13, Taos Tangle in the Jungle @ Taos High School

Saturday, December 20, Tucumcari Rattler invite @ Tucumcari High School

Los Alamos Public Schools is accepting nominations for the 2026 Athletic Hall of Fame. All submissions are due no later than Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026.

Nomination forms are available on the Athletics webpage or at this link: Hall of Fame Nomination Form.

New inductees will be notified by Feb. 1, 2026. The Hall of Fame brunch will take place on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

View a list of past inductees here or click here for more information about the program.

Los Alamos Public Schools (LAPS) is pleased to offer a free breakfast and lunch to all of our students.

LAPS utilizes the Offer Versus Serve (OVS) model pertaining to USDA and NSLP requirements. This model provides students with more of a choice for both breakfast and lunch service.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the school lunch program please send an email to m.johnson@laschools.net.

LAHS English Lit Students Learn About Journalism During Field Trip To Meet Los Alamos Daily Post News Team

And More Scenes From LAHS Teacher Lori Thompson’s Sports Lit Class During Visit To Justice Center

More Scenes From LAHS Teacher Lori Thompson’s Sports Lit Class Conducting Interviews At Justice Center

Toppers Come Back Late To Drop St. Mike’s In Overtime

Los Alamos High School Teacher Lori Thompson’s Sports Lit Class Conducts Interviews At Justice Center

LAPS Announces Dec. 1 Is Ride The Bus Day

Community Support Needed For LAPS Science Fair

Chamisa Elementary 6th Graders Bring Home New Mexico Electric Car Challenge Awards

LAPS Schools Designated Spotlight Schools By NM Vistas

Guy Meyer Recognized As Certified Athletic Administrator

Los Alamos High School Cheerleaders To Participate In 84th Annual Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade Dec. 7 In Hawaii

LAPS Recognizes Employees For Years Of Service

Los Alamos Public Schools is hiring for several positions, in particular Educational Assistants and Substitutes. Click here for more information about working for LAPS and all current job openings.

Educational Assistants are especially needed at the middle school. There are also positions available at the elementary schools.

America’s Field Trip is a nationwide student contest sponsored by America250, the official nonpartisan entity charged by Congress with planning the nation’s Semiquincentennial, also known as the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. America’s Field Trip invites students in grades 3–12 to be part of this historic milestone by sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — with the chance to earn a once-in-a-lifetime field trip experience at one of 16 different iconic American landmarks or cultural sites, including Mount Rushmore, the National Archives Museum, Kennedy Space Center, and Yellowstone National Park — just to name a few.

View the America's Field Trip Flyer for contest details.

Calling all young artists! New Mexico students in grades K-12 are invited to take part in the Art of Conservation New Mexico Fish Art Contest. Use your creative talents to highlight the beauty and importance of aquatic species, from the prized native trout of the Rio Grande to the colorful bass in our reservoirs. Special awards include the New Mexico Native Trout Award for artwork featuring Gila trout or Rio Grande cutthroat trout, and the Mighty Minnow Award for kindergarten participants.

Deadline to enter: January 31, 2026.

Learn more at tinyurl.com/3urn6fms

#FishArt #NewMexico #ConservationArt

Fish art submission by Cindy Ye depicted New Mexico Department of Game and Fish

During inclement weather, Superintendent Jennifer Guy will work closely with our school district team, LANL, and Los Alamos County to monitor the weather and the need for any school delays or closures. We will keep you updated and communicate any closures as quickly as possible typically by 5:30 in the morning.

There are several places that we will update with any announcements about delays or closures including:

• District website: www.laschools.net
• Emails to all parents, staff, and students
• Local media and social media
• School telephone information lines:
  • Aspen Elementary 663-2277, Barranca Mesa Elementary 663-2732, Chamisa Elementary 663-2472, Mountain Elementary 663-2327, Pinon Elementary 663-2682
  • Middle School 663-2375
  • High School 663-2512
  • District Office 663-2223

In the case of Inclement Weather:

• Announcements, usually by 5:30 am, will be sent via the media, district web page, LAPS School Messenger, and information lines.
• In general, if the Lab is on a delay, school opening will be delayed; if the Lab is closed due to weather, our schools will be closed.
• When school is dismissed early or cancelled for the day, all after school programs including athletics (both home and away contests) and activities are cancelled.

If we have a Two-Hour Delayed Start:

Buses will arrive at bus stops two hours later than the usual pickup time.

School start times during a 2 hour delay:

• Elementary schools - 10:10 am (including PreK 4Y)
• Mid School - 10:40 am
• High School - 10:30 am

If there is a 2 hour delay:

• Morning 3Y Pre-School will be cancelled, afternoon 3Y will be on a regular schedule.

We will always send you more information regarding inclement weather as soon as possible. We know that each family's situation and comfort with inclement weather is different so please feel comfortable in making the decision regarding travel that best meets your family's needs.

The Los Alamos District Science & Engineering Fair is just around the corner and Los Alamos Public Schools needs the community’s help.

LAPS has updated donation requirements for the 2026 Los Alamos District Science & Engineering Fair, which will be held Friday, Jan. 2, and Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, at Barranca Mesa Elementary School.

The LAPS Science & Engineering Fair continues to be one of the district’s most impactful academic events. Last school year, 100 students competed at the district level, with 45 advancing to the Regional Science Fair, 42 to the State competition. Also, several Senior Division students qualified to compete at the International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF) in Ohio.

Updated Donation Requirements

In alignment with guidance from district legal and financial advisors, all contributions must now be made by check and processed through the Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation.

In addition:

• Checks should be made payable to Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation with the note: 2026 Science Fair.
• Donations must be received by Dec. 16, 2025.
• Funds cannot be allocated to individual award categories or targeted toward specific groups of students.

These adjustments ensure full compliance with financial guidelines while preserving the integrity and equity of the student competition.

Community Support Remains Critical

The District emphasizes that community sponsorship is still vital. Donations directly support the event’s logistics, materials, recognition awards, and opportunities for students to advance to higher-level competitions such as the Regional, State, and International Science & Engineering Fairs.

How to Contribute

Mail or deliver checks to:

Los Alamos Public Schools
2075 Trinity Drive
Los Alamos, NM 87544

Checks should be made payable to Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation with the note: 2026 Science Fair.

For questions about sponsorship or the updated donation process, please contact Davine Jones at 505.663.2340 or davine.jones@laschools.net.

LAPS is aware that many of our families and staff are impacted by the current government shutdown, If you are experiencing any hardship there are resources available.

Los Alamos Public Schools are supporting the community's efforts through "I Can Help". Los Alamos County Social Services Division has joined forces with LA Cares, Self-Help, Trinity on the Hill, Los Alamos MainStreet, and other community partners to launch the “I Can Help” program. This is a collaborative effort to provide emergency food meal kits and coordinate community donations for those in need beginning Nov. 7 at designated locations. You can find detailed information here. Working through "I Can Help" is the best way to make donations or request support.

You can also reach out to the superintendent through email or call the school district at 505-663-2222, or contact your child's teacher, school counselor, or principal. We will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch for all students each school day.

The Los Alamos YMCA offers several programs for youth and teens.

Registration is now open for Los Alamos hockey.

The Santa Fe Symphony offers several music programs.