After many years in Pueblo Complex on Diamond, we are moving with Los Alamos Schools Credit Union to their new building on Central. We’re super excited to be more visible to our community. We’re also excited that LASCU is expanding their membership to include LAPS Foundation donors. Let’s make a bigger impact on our schools!
Pinon kindergarten received a mini grant last fall for their garden. They used the funding to make a few improvements including weed barrier, raised beds and mulch making this spring’s planting and maintenance a much easier task. Look at the amazing results.
LAPS Foundation helped acquire AEDs for all the elementary schools in Los Alamos, the LAPS district office and Duane Smith Auditorium Lobby through a generous grant from Con Alma Foundation. We’re glad to help our schools increase safety!
LAPS Foundation stopped by the high school recently to say thank you to staff who helped celebrate senior students in May. It was not the graduation month anyone was expecting but these hardworking people stepped up to make our students feel special. They even started some new traditions. On behalf of Los Alamos, we appreciate you!
LAPS Foundation funds resources teachers need. Apply for a grant through September 30th! We offer Great Ideas grants (up to $1000), Professional Development grants and Professional Book Group grants. Mini grant applications (for up to $100) will be accepted until the money budgeted for the fall semester has been allocated. All of these grants are open to certified LAPS teachers.
We are continuing to offer Staff Wellness Grants (up to $500 each) for each school! Any LAPS employee may apply for a wellness grant.
Board members spent time at Barranca Elementary School in July working in the new staff lounge. They added comfortable seating, wall decorations, dishes and utensils, a microwave and a Keurig. The new lounge will seem a bit more homey when staff return next month. LAPS Foundation “refreshed” staff lounges at all the schools in the district last summer and had been waiting for the new building at Barranca to be completed. This is our way to say thank you to LAPS staff for all they do every day to help our students thrive!
This year LAPS added another very important category to its usual end of the year recognitions—Parents who have gone Above and Beyond to help their children with distance learning. Eighty-five parents were nominated by LAPS teachers for Above and Beyond recognition, along with one amazing older sister! Teachers had many wonderful things to say about how parents have helped:
This mom . . . sends me videos of her son reading, frequent pictures, asks questions when she is confused and sends teachers encouragement along the way. I wish I could clone her.
Always available to her student while juggling two others. Very encouraging and positive even under the most challenging circumstances!
Their student has made giant gains in life skills and daily activities along with some academics. Parents like them make the special education department well worth the work!
For all parents nominated, Los Alamos Public Schools Foundation, through generous donations from our community, provided a baker’s dozen bagels at Ruby K’s Café. A drawing was held and 10 of the parent nominees received $30 in Chamber Checks to spend at local businesses in Los Alamos. Thank you parents for all your work to make learning a success!
Teachers at Chamisa continued their spring book club discussion of Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lett. The books were purchased through a wellness grant from LAPS Foundation. Second grade teacher, Tricia Javernick said, “We really enjoyed the book and it was a perfect choice for this year!” Wellness grants were new for the 2019-2020 school year and are designed to promote a positive school culture, bring staff and/or students together, break down barriers, and build resiliency and/or connectedness. Despite social distancing, this group of teachers found a way to continue connecting!
May is Celebrating Our Graduating Seniors Month! What a great way to begin the celebration by putting a sign in each senior’s yard to congratulate them. The last month of school will look a lot different than usual but our community is committed to honoring the 12th graders who have worked so hard to make it to the end of their high school careers. LAPS Foundation and the Los Alamos Kiwanis Club funded the senior signs so every senior would have one for neighbors and the whole community to see. Look for upcoming innovative events to celebrate seniors including Be the Light at Sullivan Field on May 1st at 8:20, a recognition slideshow, Topper Senior Video and a parade on May 30th.
