Rio Rancho Public Schools E-Expressions
RRPS E-Expressions (November 9, 2009) – Your New E-Newsletter! (Click here to subscribe and get this sent to you automagically!)
Welcome to the new Rio Rancho Public Schools E-Expressions, an electronic newsletter designed to provide information about our schools and district to Rio Rancho parents and the community! We hope you find it informative and useful. If you'd like to register to receive this newsletter automatically, complete this simple form.
- September 2009
- November 2009
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State Considers Budget Cuts
Students Settle Into New School Year
At this writing, Governor Richardson is considering legislation cutting state funding for state agencies and public schools. The legislation passed during the recent special session proposes a 2% cut to dollars distributed through the state school funding formula (which funds most teaching and learning), a 4% cut to transportation, and a 6.5% cut in other education-related functions such as instructional materials and educational technology. Some of the 2% cut to operational dollars could be offset by provisions that would use state-funded public school capital outlay to pay school districts’ insurance costs for FY 10. Deeper cuts have been proposed for other state agencies.
While this paints a better picture for schools than some early scenarios which proposed operational cuts in the 3% - 10% range, the cutting may not be over. The state’s deficit for FY 10 (the current year) is estimated at upwards of $650 million, with another $230 - $350 million left over from FY 09. The package of bills under consideration will not completely make up for the deficit, and it is likely in January the legislature will have to consider further reductions. Meanwhile, the school board has asked the district to develop options for cuts for presentation to the board at a November 9th workshop (tentatively scheduled for 1 PM at the district board room, 500 Laser Rd. NE). Read Dr. Cleveland’s letter to parents on the situation here (written before the special session - pdf).
RRPS employees save big on energy! (top of page)
When your electricity consumption drops so drastically that PNM calls you wondering if your meter works, that’s saving energy. And that actually happened at Rio Rancho High School earlier this year.
In a report to the school board, Facilities Executive Director Al Sena highlighted energy savings that included a more than 50% reduction in the number of kilowatt hours of electricity consumed in the Rio Rancho Public Schools district in the first quarter of this year as compared to the same period last year.
The total decrease was 2.7 million kwh, with Rio Rancho High accounted for 940 kwh of the savings. The savings are even more significant when considering that a large new facility, Cleveland High, came online during the first quarter. Significant savings have also been achieved in natural gas and water consumption. For more information and data on the decrease in electricity consumption, click here.
District employees were asked to save energy as part of the budget-reducing measures put in place last year. Though the district’s current budget situation is much improved, the campaign to reduce utilities consumption will remain in place to continue to save money and energy.
Flu situation improving? (top of page)
The recent surge of flu-like illness in schools, including H1N1, has taken its toll in Rio Rancho. The percentage of students absent in district schools has been higher than normal through late September and into October, but now appears to be moving back towards more normal levels – an indication that the peak incidence of H1N1 in Rio Rancho may be past, at least for now.
Sadly, in late September we lost one of our elementary students to H1N1, and our hearts go out to the student’s family. We also thank everyone for helping to limit the spread of colds and flu by following good prevention strategies: washing their hands and/or using hand sanitizer frequently, coughing into tissues or into elbows, and staying home when they are ill. With many months left in the cold and flu season, it is very important that we not let our guard down and continue to do everything we can to prevent our students and staff from illness.
For further information and updates about the situation in Rio Rancho schools, please visit our Swine Flu page.
Independence Students Win Filmmaking Awards (top of page)
Teams from Independence High School won the top two awards in the UPublic and DUDE TV (“Don’t Use Drugs Ever”) Underage Drinking Prevention Film Contest. The New Mexico Attorney General’s office teamed with UPublic and Dude TV to promote the contest as part of its efforts to curb underage drinking. Attorney General Gary King came to Independence on October 16 to personally congratulate the winners and award prizes.
“Take Another Look,” a video featuring Independence student Michelle Cusack, took first prize in the contest. In the video, Cusack tells how an evening of binge drinking nearly killed her when she fell out of the window of a car moving at 75 miles per hour.
Second prize in the statewide contest went to “DWI Rap,” a 30-second public service announcement produced by Michael Thompson and Ricky Mayberry. To the tune of a rap song penned by Thompson, the spot features a re-enactment of a teenager drinking, driving, and getting busted by the cops.
Both teams were part of IHS’s film program taught by Marla Peters, which trains students to pursue careers in the film industry.
Elks Provide Free Dictionaries to Third Graders (top of page)
Every third grader in the Rio Rancho school district is now the proud owner of their very own dictionary, courtesy of Rio Rancho Elks Lodge #2500.
The Elks are Rio Rancho sponsors of the Dictionary Project, founded in 1995 by Mary French in Charleston, South Carolina. The non-profit organization’s sole mission is to distribute dictionaries to as many third-graders as possible. The goal of this program is to assist all students to complete the school year as good writers, active readers and creative thinkers by providing the students with their own personal dictionaries. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come.
Since the project’s first year in Rio Rancho, where just two schools were targeted, the Elks Lodge #2,500 project has grown to provide dictionaries to third graders in all ten elementary schools. This year, more than 1,360 third graders received dictionaries. (The pictures show the Elks’ visit to Cielo Azul Elementary)
THE DICTIONARY PROJECT is a 505© (3) nonprofit organization, and the Elks raise money throughout the year to support this annual project. Anyone who would like to donate may do so by sending a check to BPOE #2500, P.O. Box 15052, Rio Rancho, NM 87174. In the Memo corner of your check, write Dictionary Project. Nationally, nearly 11 million children have received a dictionary from Dictionary Project volunteers since the program began. 2,417,994 dictionaries were given to students in 2008 as a gift from people who live in their town.
French Students Visit RRPS Schools (top of page)
They didn't get to see many balloons, but a group of visiting students and teachers from the “birthplace of ballooning” in France found themselves the center of attention at Balloon Fiesta on a rainy Wednesday morning.
Twenty students and three teachers from the Lycée Boissy d'Anglas came from Annonay, about 45 miles south of Lyon, as part of the "Exchanging Balloons" program. Rio Rancho High French teacher Nancy Oakes coordinated the group’s visit, and many of the students and sponsors stayed with Rio Rancho High and Cleveland High families.
When the brothers Joseph and Etienne Montgolfier began experimenting with hot air balloons in 1783, some of their early unmanned flights were made from the town square in Annonay. Wearing 18th century costumes used in Annonay’s annual re-enactment of the event, the group had planned to parade across the Balloon Fiesta launch site to one of the French balloons participating in the event. Rain foiled the plan, but the students did get to meet Fiesta-goers and visit the nearby Balloon Museum.
Another Great Marching Band Year (top of page)
Rio Rancho has long had a reputation as a power in the marching band world, and this year is no exception – except this year, Rio Rancho had two bands battling for top awards.
Rio Rancho High School’s marching band (left) took home top honors in the 5A division (large band category) of the Pageant of the Bands on October 10th. The band’s drum majors, guard, and percussionists also snared top honors.
Cleveland High, (right) which has a relatively small marching band, won the 3A division; their drum majors, guard, and brass section also placed tops in their class. At the Zia Marching Band Fiesta, generally regarded as the state championship meet for bands, Cleveland finished third in Class AAA.
Rio Rancho finished second in Class AAAA and moved on to the finals, where they finished third in state and fourth overall.
Education Foundation Awards Grants (top of page)
It wasn’t quite Christmas in October, but it may well have seemed that way to 29 talented grant recipients on “Prize Patrol” day. That’s the day members of the Rio Rancho Education Foundation deliver the news to teachers and schools that their 2009 grant proposals were accepted for funding.
Each year, the Education Foundation invites teachers and schools to apply for grants to fund innovative and creative projects that could not otherwise be funded by the school district. The Education Foundation awarded a total of $43,448 this year to fund 21 “teacher grants” of up to $1,000 for smaller classroom-level projects, and eight “campus grants” of up to $5,000 for projects serving students school wide. The money is raised principally through the Foundation’s annual “Seats & Eats” fundraiser held each April.
Below, grant recipients pose with the School Board after formally receiving their awards at the October 26th meeting. A complete list of recipients should be posted to the Education Foundation Web site shortly.
Walking the Extra Mile – or 60! (top of page)
Later this month, a Rio Rancho Public Schools team will spend three days trekking 60 miles in support of research to conquer breast cancer.
About a year ago, Curriculum and Instruction Secretary Deb Schindel was diagnosed with breast cancer and began a difficult regimen of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. To culminate the year and celebrate just how far she’s come, Deb’s boss, Executive Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction LaJuana Coleman, suggested that the two of them participate in the Susan G. Komen for the Cure “Breast Cancer Three-Day” in Scottsdale, AZ. Director of Elementary Special Ed BJ Hartford and retired Mountain View Middle School Principal Kathy Pinkel also signed on for the grueling event, which involves walking 20 miles each day and spending two nights in a pink pup tent.
Each team member is required to raise at least $2,300 to participate. At this point the team’s donations have passed the $10,000 mark with their goal being $14,000. Some of the funds were raised through dances at the former Rio Rancho Mid-High and at Mountain View Middle School. The Rio Rancho HS Cancer Club is selling pink ribbons and donating part of the proceeds to the team.
To support the team’s walk, with donations going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust, click here.
New Secondary E-Gradebook is Here! (top of page)
Middle and high school parents who want to monitor their children’s progress online can now sign up for the district’s new grade reporting system, called PowerSchool. PowerSchool access allows parents to directly view their students’ assignments, test grades, and attendance information via the Web. Parents wishing to sign up must present a photo ID at their child’s school in order to receive a user ID and password. This helps to ensure that student records remain private and secure.
Parents with a child in more than one secondary school can receive usernames and passwords for all of their children at any one of their child’s schools. Elementary schools and the Cyber Academy use separate systems and their data cannot be accessed through the PowerSchool parent portal. To learn more about the new PowerSchool electronic gradebook for parents, click here!