Spring is approaching and the weather will be getting nice. We have field trips coming up as well as our spring Fun Run! Things at Mt. Taylor are going well. Our students are learning and some of them were recognized at the recent board meeting for high academic achievement! Our students are getting recognized for being a good citizen and being kind. I would like to encourage you all to be a part of our PTA. Here you will learn more details about what is happening here at MT and give your input.

Work hard and be nice!

Hi! My Name is Mrs. Amanda Valdez! I am 39 years old! I am pleased to announce that I will be Mt. Taylor Elementary School's Assistant Principal! This will be my 17th year in education in Grants/Cibola County Schools. I am very excited to get to know all of our Roadrunners, and work together to help them grow as much as they can! I have a husband and two daughters in the Mt. Taylor Elementary neighborhood. Some of my favorite things are cycling, hiking, reading, learning, helping others learn, and grapefruits.

I grew up in Grants, New Mexico where I attended Mt. Taylor Elementary for Kindergarten through 6th grade. I then attended Los Alamitos Junior high for 7th-8th grade before graduating from Grants High School in 2001. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education from New Mexico State University in 2006. I graduated from Western New Mexico University with a Master’s Degree in Reading Instruction in 2018. I have taught many years in second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grades. I taught for 15 years, and the last two years I was an instructional coach where I got to help teachers and students in all classrooms.

I recently obtained my administrator's license and had been acting interim principal of Bluewater and San Rafael since January. I am excited to be starting at Mt. Taylor Elementary and returning to the school I first made some life-long relationships with and positive learning experiences. It is my hope to help know where students are at, challenge them to grow, and be a part of a safe and welcoming learning environment. I am excited to get to know all our Roadrunner students! I look forward to meeting families, and working together, as a partner in your child's education.

Hello 1st grade families!

We hope you had a great February! It was nice talking with you during Parent/Teacher conferences. This month we are busy with writing, adding and subtracting, and learning about animals and their offspring. We are also taking AR tests and going to the library for library books. At this time of the year many of our supplies are missing or broken. If you are able to, please send new crayons and scissors. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

Thanks for your support!

Mrs. Knott, Mrs. Jaramillo, and Ms. Cristy

t was wonderful to share your child's progress with you during Parent/Teacher Conferences. We have made such huge gains since the beginning of the year. Right now we are working on gaining reading fluency. You can help your child by spending 15-20 minutes a night reading their library books. Check if your child is making their AR goal. The end of the quarter and the last day to make AR goals is March 10th.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Mrs. Munson, Mrs. Tafoya, and Ms. Regina

Your child will soon have a new AR Goal. We encourage all our students to try their best to achieve their final goal for the year!

Math: In math we are continuing with module 5 Fractions as Numbers on the Number Line. The students have been having fun while learning about fractions, working in groups and with partners using fraction strips and other manipulatives to practice working with fractions. . We also continue to practice multiplication and division in our Reflex program. Please continue to work with your child at home so that they can continue to progress on mastering their multiplication and division facts.

Science: We will continue to explore the topic of our solar system and beyond, looking at important people, theories, events, and facts.

Social Studies: We will be learning about our The Age of Exploration: Early European Exploration of North America in conjunction with ELA. This will include the reasons for western exploration, important people, and events.

*Students should be reading for at least 15-20 minutes daily.

Math - The nine week period is quickly coming to an end (March 10th!) For the month of March, we will be getting ready for quarterly testing by reviewing all topics for the last nine weeks - analyzing number patterns and their relationships, graphing terms on a coordinate plane, multiplying multi-digit numbers, multiplying and dividing fractions, and measuring volume. The last week of March, we will be exploring features of polygons and reviewing all fifth grade concepts as we prepare for spring testing! Please remember how important it is to send your child to school, everyday, on time, so that they can learn to the best of their abilities.