APS Community Newsletter - March

March is filled with golden opportunities for our students to learn, grow, and shine. As we celebrate Read Across America Week, Youth Art Month, and Music in Our Schools Month, campuses across the district are bringing learning to life through special activities, creative showcases, and memorable experiences. The Alamogordo High School Jazz Band will be visiting each elementary campus to welcome students with music as they start their day, reminding us that every morning brings a new opportunity to engage and connect. With the energy of spring sports kicking off across our schools, there is something special happening in every corner of our district.

With fewer than 60 instructional days remaining in the school year, each day truly matters. Our “Lucky to Be Here” message reminds students that showing up every day opens the door to these golden opportunities, whether in the classroom, on the stage, on the field, or with a good book in hand. As we look ahead to Spring Break, March 23–27, we encourage our students to stay focused, stay engaged, and make the most of every opportunity to learn and grow.

Our annual APS District Spelling Bees were a true celebration of hard work, courage, and academic excellence! Before reaching the district stage, students at each elementary and middle school competed in campus-level spelling bees to earn the opportunity to represent their school. We are incredibly proud of every student who participated at the school level and congratulate those who advanced to the district competitions.

La Luz Elementary proudly hosted the Elementary District Spelling Bee, where 12 outstanding students competed with confidence and determination. Congratulations to Rylan Acierto from Sunset Hills Elementary for earning the title of District Champion!

Holloman Middle School hosted the Middle School District Spelling Bee in the APS Boardroom, where students from Mountain View Middle School and Holloman Middle School showcased impressive focus and skill. Congratulations to Riley Gonzalez from Holloman Middle School for claiming the District Championship after an exceptional performance!

These events would not have been possible without the dedicated staff members and community volunteers who generously gave their time to serve as judges, coordinators, and supporters. Thank you for helping make these competitions such meaningful and memorable experiences for our students. We are so proud of all of our spellers for representing their schools with excellence!

Our staff are always learning and improving themselves to help our students thrive! Here are a few staff members who recently earned a new degree or certification.

At this month's Regular Board Meeting, Sunset Hills Elementary School Principal Catherine Diaz recognized Mrs. Kimberly Landry, who recently renewed her National Board Certification. Mrs. Landry received her certification in May 2021 and renewed it this past December. On January 28, she was honored at the New Mexico legislative session for this incredible achievement.

National Board Certification is one of a teacher's highest achievements in their profession. It is a rigorous, voluntary process that signifies a teacher’s commitment to meeting the profession's highest standards for accomplished practice. Roughly 3% of teachers across the nation are National Board Certified.

Congratulations, Mrs. Landry! Thank you for your hard work and dedication!

The next School Board Meeting will be on Wednesday, March 18th, at 6 PM

Find more information on our website.

A huge thank you to all the incredible lifelong learners who joined us for the 8th Annual Alamo Educate & Innovate Conference! It was an inspiring day, proving once again that the best teachers never actually stop being the best students.

The energy throughout the day was electric, and there were so many bright spots to celebrate:

• A Culturally Vibrant Start: One of the most beautiful highlights occurred during our continental breakfast! Attendees were treated to a breathtaking performance by the talented Dancers of Mexican Beauty. It was such a joy to watch some of our very own Alamogordo Public School students perform stunning folklorico dances, bringing a wonderful sense of community and culture to the start of our day.

• Powerful Professional Development: Our sessions were truly "By Educators, for Educators". Attendees explored everything from AI-fueled hands-on learning and gamifying lessons to mastering Canvas and Chromebook accessibility. We also dove into the Alamogordo Learner Profile and Learning Model, focusing on how to make education more personalized, authentic, competency-based, and relational.

• Fantastic Prizes and SWAG: The excitement reached a fever pitch with our giveaways! We were thrilled to hand out robots, digital microscopes, professional learning materials, and fantastic SWAG bags generously provided by APS Health Services.

• Community and Connection: The morning kicked off with a vibrant Vendor Meet and Greet featuring partners like NMSU Alamogordo and various community organizations. Between sessions, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch featuring options like Chicken BLT wraps and Italian subs.

Above all, the brightest spot was seeing everyone reconnect with the "why" that started their journey in education. Whether you were learning about Socratic Seminars, Project-Based Learning, or trauma-informed strategies, your commitment to modeling curiosity for your students was on full display.

Thank you for investing in yourselves and our students! We can’t wait to see how you use these classroom-ready ideas to fuel the Framework for the Future.

March’s Be Here Alamo attendance theme is Lucky to Be Here, reminding students that every day is a golden opportunity to improve, build relationships, achieve goals, and grow into the best version of themselves. With only 15 instructional days before spring break, maintaining strong attendance is especially important.

Campuses have access to a variety of tools to bring this theme to life, including elementary attendance-tracking charts, Lucky to Be Here BINGO cards, Golden Opportunity coin reflections, and schoolwide recognition ideas such as Golden Ticket Days. Each school will implement these resources in ways that best support their students, but the message remains consistent: showing up creates opportunity. Visit our Attendance Matters webpage to learn more about why every day counts.

https://www.alamogordoschools.org/page/attendance

Every APS campus will have a special event, activity, challenge, or incentive happening on Be Here Day that students will not want to miss! Be on time and Be Here Alamo because every day counts, Attendance Matters!

• City Science Fair - Saturday, March 14th
• Spring Break - March 23rd to March 27th
• New Mexico Statewide Be Here Day - Wednesday April 8th
• Registration opens for the 2026-2027 School Year - Tuesday, April 14th
• Purple Up! Day Friday, April 24th
• Pre-K & Kinder Roundup Event - Friday, April 24th
• Alamogordo High School Prom - Saturday, April 25th
• Last Days of School - Thursday, May 21st (K, 6, 9) Friday May 22nd (all other students)
• Alamogordo High School Graduation - Friday, May 22nd

OUR MISSION

To empower families and students academically, socially, & emotionally, inspiring them to access services within their school and community.

Our Services

• Student Outreach to remove barriers to education.

• Assist students in transitioning back into a school environment.

• Suicide Prevention

• Provide families with referrals to food, housing, & other community resources.

• Connect students and families with mental health providers.

Email the H.O.P.E. Team
Call or Text: 575-430-0191

If your family is experiencing challenges that make regular attendance difficult, such as transportation issues, health concerns, or other barriers, APS has resources available to help. We encourage you to visit our H.O.P.E. webpage for helpful tools, tips, and resources designed to support families and remove barriers to attendance.

https://alamogordopsnm.sites.thrillshare.com/page/hope

Find the athletics calendar of events and printable schedules on the APS website.

Need Tickets? All sports Season Passes are available now! Your one-time purchase will give you access to all sports at all levels all year long, or you can purchase individual game tickets on our website or through the Hometown Tickets app.

Don't forget, there is Free admission to all regular-season sporting events for APS staff, APS students, and children five and under!

These young men started the season off with a BANG!!! Tiger Baseball takes the win over Fabens 11-0 at the El Paso Chihuahuas Stadium!!! Join them for their first home game of the season on Tuesday, March 3rd, JV playing a doubleheader at 4:30 & 6:30 pm.

The Alamogordo Public Schools Chatbot is available 24/7 to answer frequently asked questions. Start chatting now to get your questions answered. You can also call or text Let's Talk! during regular business hours at 575-812-8573.