"We know it's not easy being a parent. That's why we're here, to help parents through that time from birth to three years. It's the most important time in a child's life … physically, emotionally, cognitively. The first years of life last forever."
Socorro School District Director of Finance Donald Monette has a job with plenty of ups and downs.
Magdalena's School Board will have to make significant cuts to adjust to a loss of approximately $300,000 for school year 2013.
Magdalena School Superintendent Mike Chambers said during the board’s May 14 meeting that every effort was made to spread the roll-backs across the board and minimize negative effects to students.
The parents of a graduating Socorro High School student say they plan to sue the Socorro Consolidated School District and staff members for what they claim to be unjustified action by the school board.
At first glance, Greg Sowards and Heather Wilson have some things in common. They both describe themselves as loving God, country and family, and both have a history of military service. Soward, however, wants his potential constituency to know he is the "real conservative" in the Republican U.S. senatorial primary race. In an interview with El Defensor Chieftain on May 4, Sowards said, "I'm an everyday man, a business man, a man of faith. I've been married 37 years, have six married children and 19 grandchildren. The people of New Mexico can trust those things."
It's been a road filled with hard work, positive accomplishments in difficult financial times, along with detours that have been, to say the least, challenging. But Socorro Consolidated School District's interim superintendent, Vanetta Perry, was able to speak with pride about the gains the district has made during her tenure. She hopes the "transparency and directness" she has tried to bring to day-to-day activity has rippled through the district at all levels. On June 30, she will leave her current position and move to a new position as assistant superintendent/human resources, under the new incoming Superintendent Randall Earwood. Earwood will take the helm at SCSD on July 1.
The Socorro Chamber of Commerce is graced this month with the vision and creativity of students from Alamo Navajo Community School. The exhibit features the hard work of the students in teacher Hannah Treder's Community Art, Art II, Art I, and Advanced Art Studio classes.
The May 7 meeting of the Socorro School Board allowed Parkview Elementary to highlight its plans to fully adopt the national Common Core Standards by the end of school year 2013. Principal Marvin Martin and his staff took turns explaining all the requisite elements of the soon-to-be-enacted changes. High on the staff wish list to the board were the following items: adding more staff in general — a music teacher in specific — and additional funds for supplies. It was also an opportunity for Martin to praise his staff for their "exemplary work, and their support," and in turn, be praised by them for the same.
Welcome back to the wild, wild West! Magdalena is turning back the clock to the glory days of cowboy life. The Wild Bunch Association Rodeo will gallop into the Magdalena Stockyards, Saturday, May 12, and Sunday, May 13. Rodeo admission for either day costs five dollars per four person carload. Tickets to the Saturday night dance run five dollars and children under six will be admitted free.
The sun beamed bright, the walk was thronging with about 50 admirers, and pre-schoolers were decked in their finest, including one little girl resplendent in a pink ballerina tutu. In short, all was set for a hallmark event and the return of some hometown heros. New Mexico Tech officially cut the ribbon at the new Macey Family Children's Center on Friday, May 4, with its largest benefactors, Bill and Cheryl Macey, in attendance.
The April 30 meeting of the Socorro District School Board was a mix bag of positives and negatives.
The Socorro School District sent a letter to all parents of senior students dated May 3 informing them that due to a "miscalculation" by the JMAC software that it used to report grades, students who have requested transcripts prior to May 3, 2012, for any reason, such as college applications or scholarships, may need to re-submit a new transcript.
Call it a Hail Mary pass, call it a windfall, call it blessed good news. It was a long shot, but the county just received money to rebuild Bosquecito Road.
County Manager Delilah Walsh revealed to El Defensor Chieftain that the award will be $1,930, 236.39.
Presbyterian Healthcare Services/Socorro General Hospital is offering the "Circle of Security," a free, community-based program that offers post-partum visits to mothers who have delivered at Socorro General Hospital, as well as parenting education to "high-risk" families in Socorro county.
The sixth grade class of Sheri Armijo, the Cottonwood Valley Academy Spanish teacher, is about to have some national impact.
At the April 16 meeting of the Socorro District School Board, Socorro High School Principal Craig De Young was guardedly optimistic.
What's CAP? Who makes up the Socorro Composite Squadron? And what's the connection for Socorro residents?
These are questions some people may ask, and the questions can be answered by people known in the community — but may not be known for their affiliation with CAP, which stands for the Civil Air Patrol.
El Defensor Chieftain's own Rebecca Apodaca was recently named the winner of a logo design competition held by Socorro's San Miguel Mission to celebrate its 400th anniversary.
Before there were iPads, cellphones, Gameboys, Wii, and, gasp, television itself, people still managed to entertain each other. "Dear God, how?" you might ask.
Gov. Susana Martinez proved once again that reading is both fun and fundamental with her April 20 visit to Parkview Elementary.
The governor was met by city of Socorro Mayor Ravi Bhasker, Parkview Principal Marvin Martin, Interim Superintendent Vanetta Perry, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum George Shumpelt and school board members Pauline Jaramillo and James Chavez, as well as some of the members of the Parkview teaching staff.
