Wildcat Spotlight
December District Newsletter
Deming High School Robotics for the WIN
The Deming High School Robotics team competed in the New Mexico BEST regional hub robotics competition. Abel Baca, Aidan Villescas and Sarah Hernandez were awarded the First-place trophy at the competition. They competed in the finals and after 4 rounds were awarded the best average score. Please join us in congratulating the students for their hard work this fall during the robotics season.
The students were tasked with creating a robot that could perform surgeries on a "SimBody" which was a 24 feet by 24 feet field with various obstacles that simulated the human body. The team focused on 3 surgeries: an ablation surgery, the removal or plaque form the arteries, and the insertion of a stent. Congratulations to our champion students who worked for 2 ½ months in order to prepare for competition.
New Mexico GRADS Above & Beyond New Teacher Award 2023
NM GRADS would like to recognize Victoria Hernandez for contributions she has made to the GRADS System beyond the scope of work required as a New GRADS Teacher by:
- Integrating pertinent community partnerships into her GRADS classes as well as encouraging the students to build their own community relationships independently. These vital partnerships include Parents as Teachers, Children’s Lending Library – Play Sharity, DOH, On-Site Child Care Center, & our very own Brad is working the dads.
- Completing & submitting mandatory reports and data required by the GRADS State Office throughout the school year reported in a timely manner.
- Sharing her knowledge and advocating with school personnel including Childcare Director/Staff, Guidance Counselor, SBHC / Nurse, fellow Teachers, and Administrators ensuring the needs of her GRADS students and their families are being met.
- Building a strong, trusting relationship with her GRADS students and the case managed teen parents in and out of the classroom while encouraging students to build their skills and raise their awareness to potential opportunities available.
The NM GRADS System expresses sincere appreciation for your hard work and recognizes your personal & professional endeavors as you serve the Deming Mimbres Valley High School Parenting Teen Families.
Wildcat Coaches visit University of Iowa Hawkeye's Basketball Program
Deming High School Women Basketball Coach Kimberly Garcia and Coach Aimee Gonzalez were given the opportunity to travel to Iowa to shadow the University of Iowa Hawkeye Coach Lisa Bluder. Iowa Hawkeye Junior Caitin Clark was named NCAA Player of the Year and the Hawkeye's made it to the NCAA Tournament Final game last year. Our coaches got to see basketball at its finest from one of the top NCAA programs.
Iowa Coach Bluder was amazed at how far our Wildcat Coaches came to view their program. Coach Garcia and Coach Gonzales were just so enthusiastic to be at the Hawkeye practices.
“Our first day consisted of attending a sold-out crowd against an unranked Kansas State team. To our surprise number 2 ranked Iowa was upset that night in front of their home crowd. This made me appreciate the next days practice just that much more as we were able to see how they faced adversity.” said Coach Garcia
The next day at the practice facility Coach Garcia and Coach Gonzalez were greeted by a team manager and taken to the gym while the team was at film study. The team manager shared practice plans, and our coaches were able to see every aspect of practice from warmups to game plans. Everything is extremely organized, like a well-oiled machine. The coaches finished the day by watching the men’s Hawkeye game.
The second day of practice was at Carver Hawkeye Arena where Hawkeye’s play their home games, they were preparing for their next matchup with Drake. During the second practice Coach Garcia and Coach Gonzalez were able to see the Hawkeye game plan in effect for Drake. After practice they got to meet all the coaches, see the facilities, shoot on the court, and meet the top women's basketball player in the nation Caitlin Clark, or better known by her teammates as CC.
“I appreciated a conversation with Coach Bluder, in where I was able to describe our community and students and she was just so happy that we were able to attend. She told me that sometimes we get caught up in the wins and losses and we forget about what's important.” recounted Coach Garcia “She apologized to me for having us down for a loss but my response was "Coach this is the real stuff, this is what I want to see." She then went on to say thank you to me and our conversation was just what she needed before the next game. She filled Coach Gonzalez and I with inspiration as well as knowledge.”
The culture at Coach Bluder practice was impressive and our Wildcat Coaches have been able to implement several drills and offenses that they learned in Iowa. Hawkeye’s Associate Coach Jan Jensen also went above and beyond and taught the coaches a lot about Post play down low.
“This trip was extremely insightful, informative, and motivating as we come into this new basketball season. I cannot fully put into words what a blessing this experience was.” expressed Coach Garcia “Thank you Terry Nickelson for helping us get there as this would have NEVER been possible without your time and letters sent to Iowa University. I truly appreciate you and thank you for always supporting my girls and Lady Wildcat Basketball, you will never know how much this has meant to me.”
WANTED: Public Input
Veterans Day Program
The entire Veterans Day Program was led by Bataan's 5th grade students.
5th grader, Poppy Grogen, leads her fellow 5th graders in singing the Star-Spangled banner, as the DHS JROTC presents the colors.
Mrs. Price's Kindergarten students present the poem, Take a Moment to Thank a Veteran, in both English and Spanish.
Bataan 5th graders, from Melisa Noriega's, Gina Simm's, Valerie Miera's, Dina Madrid's, and Kim Perea's classes recite, the Preamble to the United States Constitution and sing the Armed Forces Medley.
Keynote speaker, retired Senior Chief Chad Troyer, United States Navy, addressed the students, parents, and community members with a moving speech. Troyer spoke of his experiences in the Navy, his family tree, which includes a great many Veterans, and the sacrifices that are made by all Veterans.
5th graders, Sophia Ponce and Julian Barreno, deliver a closing message to the parents, Veterans, and community members.
Volleyball Playday
Halloween
Drug Free Awareness Week
2023-24 Student Council Officers
Right to Left
Co-Presidents
Sophia Rangel and Ethan Gomez
Secretary- Evelyn Laris
Vice President - Yaneli Barboza
Treasurer- Gianna Grado
Columbus Elementary afterschool program students participating in the LEGO robotics class.
Deming High School Band performs in the Veteran’s Day Celebration
Fourth Grade students presenting on National Landmarks.
Music and Art Winter Performance
The Memorial Winter Performance will be at First Baptist Church on December 15 at 5:30 pm. Our K-2 students will perform and student art will be showcased in the atrium. This event is open to parents and the community. Hope you can make it.
RST's ofrenda for Dia de Los Muertos.
Lt. Governor Howie Morales and 5th grader Aubrielle Poudrier for RST's Veteran's Day program. Lt. Governor Howie Morales was the guest speaker and Aubrielle sang the National Anthem for the program.
Lt. Governor Howie Morales with Club HERO members who assisted for the Veteran's Day program
Brandon Perrault performed for the program.
Honoring Our Veterans: A Unifying Tribute
In a heartwarming display of appreciation, Mr. Teague’s five classes recently united to commemorate Veterans Day. With deep respect for the three veterans in our school, each class contributed to a special poster.
But the gesture did not end there. Each student (110) penned a personal affirmation card for these heroes, expressing gratitude and admiration. These small yet meaningful tokens of appreciation showcased our collective respect and recognition for their selfless service.
Let us carry this spirit forward, continuing to honor and support our veterans not just on Veterans Day, but every day. Their legacy deserves our eternal gratitude and respect. Thank you again for your service Mr. Rodriguez, Mr. Leavitt, and Mr. Longoria. (Pictured left to right).
(Pictured is Mr. Teague’s 6th Hour Innovators & Makers Class)
Sincerely, all of us here at DIS.
Thank you to DIS Student Council for hosting the monthly Principal's Meeting for our district.
Ms. Montoya's Spanish Language Arts classes learned about dia de los muertos and then set up a beautiful display.
DIS Science has finished our first round of Project Based Learning. Our students teamed up to research the causes and effects of climate change globally and locally and explore potential solutions. After choosing a specific solution, they created infographics detailing its challenges, steps, and benefits. The top twelve infographics were selected to be posted in the Columbus Public Library and the School Board Room at Central Office. During this time, the students were able to meet virtually with Dr. Thomas Gill, a Climatology scientist from UTEP, and Dr. Dave Dubois, the New Mexico State Climatologist from NMSU. The high school National Honor Society students volunteered to judge the infographics. Our students were able to review each other's posters during a Gallery Walk and provided productive feedback to each other.
Congratulations to Mr. Teague's 1st hour Keyboarding class for collecting the most canned goods for our Thanksgiving Canned Food Drive. They collected 80 cans and won a pizza party.
Thank you to everyone who purchased raffle tickets from Student Council. The winners of the Christmas Baskets are:
- Arminda Chavez
- Roberta Avalos
- Jazzlynn Pastran
- Margarita Granillo
Jr. Honor Society Hosts Annual Induction Night
On Nov. 14th Red Mountain Middle School hosted its 2023 induction for Junior Honor Society.
Kim Harrington the Jr. Honor Society sponsor, along with Principal William Richmond, Asst. Principal Marissa Orosco, Asst. Principal Debra Pacheco, and the families of inductees witnessed the induction of 20 new students into the honor society.
Recipients were: Jorge Zavala, Judy Reyes, Adrianna Verduzco, Allison Reyes, Jeremiah Hernandez, Marleigh Davis, Carlisle Nathan Parrel, Almarae Schultz, Jasmin Lopez, William Nunez, Genesis Malina, Eva Palomarez, Athziri Blanco, Jaime Solis, Cheyenne Fetrow, Luis Armendariz, Izabel Pacheco, Arriana Corral, Ella Baca, Sapphyre Perez, Damian Cardoza Gomez, and Victoria Lopez
We are proud of our students and look forward to seeing how they grow and demonstrate the high standards of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship as members of the Jr. Honor Society at RMMS.
Perfect Attendance Recipients Receive Recognition
Students who had perfect attendance last quarter were recognized on Monday, Nov. 13th, at Red Mountain Middle School. Principal Richmond along with the assistance of the Student Success Liaison, Rani Singh, presented each student who had perfect attendance with a certificate of achievement, a Golden Ticket that can be used for extra credit in one of their classes, as well as a fun bird pen.
The students who received recognition for their perfect attendance during the first quarter of the school year were: Chelsea Aguilera, Kash Albrecht, Delilah Barron, Alejandra Bravo, Lucio Caballero, Jonathan Calderon, Darnell Carreon, Aaliyah Carrillo, Samantha Castro, Neyma Chavez, Nicolas Chavez, Soumaya Chavez, Alisson Devora, Jose Fernandez, Cheyenne Fetrow, Kara Fetrow, Ana Fierro, Pedro Flores, Makayla Galaz, Adrianna Gamez, Naydalyn Garcia, Roberto Garcia, Samantha Garcia, Lorenzo Garcia Lopez, Anthony Gentile, Genesis Gutierrez, Jeremiah Hernandez, Vianey Hernandez, Enrique Hernandez Ruiz, Ismael Jaramillo, Alijah Kinsey, Megan Loredo, Alexiah Lucero, Jasper McGinnis, Lisset Milo, Evelyn Montes, Angel Moreno, Victor Munoz, Jakob O’Toole, Alejandro Orozco, Annette Orozco, Brianna Ortega, Viana Perez Lara, Nathaniel Ponce, Diego Quintana, Avril Quinteros, Pedro Ramirez, Yuliana Ramirez, Oscar Rivas, Juan Rodriguez, Ramiro Rodriguez, Estela Sandoval, Daxton Schulke, Keyra Sedillo, Brian Sepulveda, Julie Silva, Adriana Soto, Sedra Stefan, Madison Stevens, Josue Tafoya, Iyeesha Thompson, and Hunter Turpen.
There are a lot that factors that go into success at school and attendance is a big part of it. We are proud of our students who attend every day and work hard to learn the lessons presented to them.
November Positive Behavior Recognition
At Red Mountain Middle School, we want to encourage students to demonstrate positive character and citizenship, as part of this we have special recognition time for students who have demonstrated qualities of respect, responsibility, scholarship, leadership, helpfulness, and more. Being good citizens and role models for their peers.
For the month of November, we recognize:
Aerona Stewart, 8th
Alejandra Bravo, 8th
Alejandro Perez, 8th and Braulio Gomez, 8th
Alexander Leanos-Gomez, 8th
Braydon Lane, 7th
Destiny Hidalgo, 7th
Evangelina Palomarez, 8th
Felipe Chavez, 7th
Gohan Rager, 7th
Hector Robles, 7th
Jeremiah Hernandez, 8th
Kimberly Luna, 8th
Keep up the good work Wildcats! We are so proud.
Red Mountain's Top Spellers for 2023
On Wednesday, Nov. 15th, fifteen students competed in the annual school spelling bee. The top spellers remaining at the end of the bee were:
1st Place-Diego Quintana (7th grade)—winning word "recede"
2nd Place-Ezra Baeza (7th grade)
3rd Place-Ali Westenhofer (7th grade)
4th Place-Almarae Schultz (8th grade)
5th Place-Marcos Garcia (8th grade)
These students will be going on to compete at the district level. The District Spelling Bee will be held on Feb. 8, 2024 at 10 a.m. at the DHS Auditorium.
DHS MESA Varsity Team: Champion
Date of Event: November 9, 2023
Title of Event: SWREC Academic Challenge State Qualifying Round (1 of 2)
Next Qualifying Event (2 of 2): January 2024
Picture (left to right)
Daniel Mosier, Xavier Lozano, Ayshleen Lopez, Sebastien Lescombes, Nathaniel Barron, Addison Schulke, Julisa Echavarria, Alexia Echavarria
Not in the picture:
Crystal Galarza, Gisselle Reyes
DHS MESA Advisors:
Mr. Reynaldo Belen
Mr. John Bernard Valdes
November Rotary Luncheon
Seniors, Brizella Baeza and Erin Turner spoke at the November Rotary luncheon. Brizella is the Vice President of the National Honor Society, and she shared about her passion for helping people. She plans to study medicine at UNM and become a trauma surgeon. Erin, who recently signed a letter of intent to play golf for the WNMU Women’s Golf team, talked about the role golf has played in teaching her to work hard and focus. She is also passionate about helping people and plans to pursue a degree in Early Childhood education at Western.
Input on Improving School Meals
Your invited to provide input on any upcoming listening sessions around Senate Bill 4, Universal Free Lunch, and more to help us improve school meals. Open the flyer below for more information and links to register.
Distinguished Young Women of New Mexico (DYW of New Mexico) is an organization that showcases young ladies and inspires them to develop their full, individual potential and affords them an opportunity to earn college scholarships and provides a Life Skills program to prepare them for their life after high school. It strives to give every young woman the opportunity to further her education and prepare for a successful future!
We are currently recruiting high school girls from the graduating Class of 2025 and beyond. Please feel free to share this information with young women in their JUNIOR year of high school. They can visit us at http://nm.distinguishedyw.org to apply to our free program. Deadline for applications from the Class of 2025 is July 31, 2024. For more information or if you have any questions, please contact Dora Jasso, DYW of New Mexico State Chair at (575) 644-4514 or email her at newmexico@distinguishedyw.org.
Your CFSNM offers scholarships that support students from all walks and stages of life in pursuing various avenues of their educational and professional journeys. In 2023, we are honored to have awarded roughly $148,000 in scholarships!
Applicants must be pursuing any avenue of higher education and/or professional certifications. This includes undergraduate, post-grad, vocational and more! Applicants must be actively enrolled as a student. Applicants in high school must be a graduating senior.
With a wide range of categories, your CFSNM offers scholarships for everyone including, but not limited to:
- Healthcare
- Volunteerism
- CTE, Trade, Vocational
- LGBTQIA+
- Students with disabilities
- In-state and out-of-state
- All degree paths for undergraduate to post-grad
- Students returning to school
- African American, Indigenous, Hispanic (BiPOC)
Deadline to apply: March 17, 2024
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Indigitize/One Generation in partnership with Amazon Future Engineer is offering up to $40,000 in scholarships for college and internship opportunities at Amazon and applications are being accepted until Dec. 15, 2023.
For more information and to apply, click here
WNMU FREE English as a Second Language Classes
The Adult Education Services department at WNMU is offering free English as a Second Language classes starting January 15th. The classes run for 8 weeks and are offered Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 5:30 - 7:45. Interested students are encouraged to complete the free application as soon as possible. They would select "English as a Second Language" as the program of interest when they start the application.