MVLA Parent Rocket News
Principal - Anita Martos
Build Trust to Create a Community of Leaders
Spring Break is coming!!!
Cell Phone usage on campus
Effective Immediately -
Due to the continued distractions that phones have caused, we are shifting our policy and moving to a phone free zone for the day.
MVLA Electronic Communication Device Policy
To keep our focus on academics and to reduce unnecessary distractions, MVLA will adhere to the following: Cell phone and Electronic Device, to include Smart Watch usage, will not be permitted on campus. All cellular phones must be turned off and placed in back packs, not in clothing pockets, during all school hours to include before school, passing periods, restroom breaks, lunch, and class time. Students may take out their phones and use them after the last period dismissal bell. MVLA is not responsible for lost or stolen items; however, we will take extra precautions to make sure classrooms are locked during lunch.
Should there be an emergency, parents may call the office and we will get the message to your student immediately.
If a student needs to make an emergency call during the day, they should come to the office for assistance. For safety purposes, students should ask for permission to leave the classroom.
Please check out this site that helps us to truly understand the ramifications of constant phone use: awayfortheday.org For specific research go to: https://www.awayfortheday.org/research/
If you need to speak to your child or get a message to your child during the day, please call the front office at 575-527-6059 and we will get the message to your student.
If your child does not feel well, please tell them they need to go see the nurse and she will contact you if they need to be picked up. Students should not be calling or texting during the day unless it is from the office with an adult present.
MVLA PTO Notes
In our last PTO Meeting, we chose dates for a Spring Fling Dance (April 19th) and the 8th grade celebration (May 30th). Both of these wonderful events will be held at Arrowhead Early College.
If you are interested in helping to plan or decorate for the dance, please join us at the next PTO meeting and/or be on the lookout for more details, coming soon.
The PTO has proposed that we start a tradition. Parents of kiddos in 6th and 7th grade are asked to help plan and decorate for the 8th grade celebration.
Next PTO Meeting: TBD
The last two weeks of February
Greetings lovely families!
- Did your child miss signing up for after school programs? Not to worry! There are still spaces in Parkour. Please use this link to get registered: https://forms.gle/z7Zuj9t3ff1ssNXN8
- Did you receive a field trip permission slip and wonder what it's for? The District has planned a wonderful event for Middle Schooler to attend a career fair! See the flyer below for more information.
Attention Parents of New Students for 24-25 School Year
Most of you have already received this and completed this form. However, if you have not, and you have a student that will be NEW to MVLA for the 24-25 school year, please click on this link and fill out the registration form: https://forms.gle/YrWYTwMRAuypHkZ66
March Madness
- March 4th - March 15th Spring Break
- March 20th Tell the Story Film Showcase
- March 22nd - End of Quarter 3
- March 25th -May 3rd - Window for End of Year Assessments
- March 29th Spring Holiday
Amazing Shake Winners
We are so proud of our incredible students and very thankful to our community partners, parents and school leaders that helped make this event possible! Check out our Winners!
3rd Place Amazing Shake Winners
From Left to right
Greyson Baldillez, Paxton Gambordella, Liana Brown
1st Place Amazing Shake Winner
Lilah Berkson
2nd Place Amazing Shake Winners
From left to right
Emerson Phillips, Caden Campbell, Piper Gandy, Elizabeth Lara
Calls or Messages after hours.
As a staff, we try to honor everyone's home time. It is part of our reasoning for not having assigned homework. We really want student's to participate and fully engage in home and family activities. We respectfully ask that you honor our staff home time as well so that we may also fully engage with our own families. Please avoid texting or calling after 5pm if you can. If you must, please know that per District policy, staff has 24 hours to respond. They are not required to respond immediately.
Attendance & Pick ups Continued reminders
Respiratory sickness season is upon us! So many students (and staff) have been out sick with this year's ugly strains of viruses. Since students have to miss when they are sick, we really want to emphasize the importance of students coming to and staying at school all day when they are well. I know sometimes they will state that "they aren't doing anything", but this is not the case.
Our school's model includes a lot of discussion and activities that may not "feel" like work, but they are activities meant to help students learn how to collaborate, create bonds, present and overcome their own fears. These activities include preparation for our House Challenges and the challenges themselves which are on Friday afternoons. We ask that parents refrain from picking students up when they ask to go home early on Fridays to avoid these challenges. Their classmates are counting on their team to participate in these competitions. When students leave early, they leave others without that additional support. Thank you for your understanding.
Check out our standing with NMPED
Stop it App
We are proud to announce our partnership with STOPit Solutions, a nationally recognized leader in school safety and wellness.
Through this partnership, everyone in our school community has access to the STOPit anonymous reporting app – a powerful tool designed to deter and promptly address instances of bullying, school violence, self-harm, and inappropriate behaviors.
With the STOPit app, users can anonymously submit tips, attach photo or video evidence, and privately message school leaders with the necessary information to help everyone involved.
In addition, when a student or anyone in our school community needs immediate support, the STOPit app provides direct access to Crisis Text Line. Users can anonymously text with counselors (day or night) until they feel safe and calm.
We encourage everyone in our school community to download the STOPit app.
If you haven’t already done so, we kindly urge parents and guardians to download the STOPit app and become familiar with its features. This will not only enable you to guide your children in using the app but will also demonstrate our collective commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our whole school community. The STOPit app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Graduate Profile Information
January's Graduate Profile Competency is Responsible. What does that mean? Here are the key performance indicators for Responsible:
Following school rules and expectations consistently
• Being punctual and reliable in completing assignments and meeting deadlines
• Taking ownership of their own learning and academic progress
• Setting and achieve personal and academic goals
• Managing and prioritize time spent on school, extracurricular, and leisure activities
• Accepting results of actions and decisions (good or bad)
• Being dependable
• Demonstrating appropriate digital citizenship skills
For a complete list of Competencies please see:
https://www.lcps.net/o/lcps/page/las-cruces-public-schools-graduate-profile
Parking Lot Reminders
- Please pull straight into the parking lot instead of turning directly after the fence. We have already had damage to our traffic cones and poles.
- During a Hazardous Weather Event (especially for lightening) - please stay in your vehicle. We will release your student to you if you have come to pick them up.
Parent Drop off and Pick Up
Our school hours are 9am to 3pm this year. In the morning, we will open the gates at 8am but will only have a few staff on duty at that time. Please try not to drop off students prior to that if you can avoid it.
In the afternoons, while our end time is 3:00, we ask that not everyone come right at three.
Please use staggered drop off and pick up times below:
Ideally Morning drop off would be from 8:30 to 8:55 and pick up in the afternoon from 3:00 - 3:20.
In the afternoon, if you are able, please follow the times indicated below. If you last name starts with:
A-G - Please come right at 3:00
G-N - Come at 3:10
O-Z - Pick up at 3:20
To avoid causing a backup to Lohman, please pull up to the last cone in the lane next to the building.
Please see the attached map for more guidance.
Opportunities abound..
Please let us know. We can always use -
- Extra eyes for Lunch duty (volunteer or paid opportunities)
- Presentations in our Academic Enrichment classes (volunteer or paid opportunities)
- My Time teachers or assistants (volunteer or paid opportunities)
- After School program teachers (paid position)
These opportunities can be for 1/2 an hour, 1 day, a week, a month or longer. Please email me at amartos@lcps.net if you are interested.
Nutrition Services
If your child requires a special diet for any reason, please contact the school nurse Mrs. Johnson. You can call 527-6059 and ask for her and she will help set that up.
Also, please DO NOT have food delivered to campus. If you must bring food on occasion because your student has a special diet and forgot their lunch, that is fine, but please do NOT send deliveries, door dash, etc.
Tech Tip #1
Tech Tip#2
Student Handbook
If you have not done so this year, please review our Student handbook here: https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:ec213539-5daa-4419-b824-68cf105362ba
You can also access it on our website mvla.lcps.net. To access it, click Menu, Documents and then Parent Resources.
Mesilla Valley Leadership Academy
Email: analisa@lcps.net
Website: mvla.lcps.net
Location: 821 East Lohman Avenue, Las Cruces, NM, USA
Phone: 575-527-6059