12 minute read
Lessons From the Past, Plans For the Future
from Back to School 2021
As the new school year kicks off, educators look to cast off the fear, but keep the lessons.
Back to school
The pandemic might not be completely behind us, but the oddity that was the 2020-2021 school year is thankfully in the rearview mirror.
Much has been made (and for good reason) of the changes people were forced to make to their lives to stay safe from COVID. That includes people working from home, wearing masks in public, and – most importantly for the kids and young adults in our schools – learning remotely.
But what are our schools taking away from the pandemic? Surely not all of the new policies warrant reversal now that students are returning to the classroom full time.
Thankfully, according to Lillian Torrez, Taos Municipal Schools Superintendent, educators and administrators have no intention of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
So what exactly are Taos schools keeping from the pandemic policies, and what is being jettisoned? Well, the schools are putting in the work, planning for a return to normalcy, but also preparing for the future.
For example, sports are back! Student-athletes will once again be able to join their teammates on the field/court. BUT, schools are also beginning to put some time and pride into the future of their esports programs, something that surged in popularity as the pandemic raged on and competitive students found remote ways to channel their love of the game.
Here’s what Taos teachers, administrators, educators, and staff have been planning during the summer vacation.
Technology
Technology is always evolving, of course. But sometimes it is forced to take a major leap forward. Such was the case with our schools over the last 18 months. Notebooks were replaced with laptops; pens and pencils with keyboards; chalkboards with PowerPoint. Now that kids are returning to the classroom, what is to become of the technological changes implemented by Taos Municipal Schools and surrounding districts?
“We are going to continue using technology,” said Torrez. “Every student will have their own laptop, which is something we didn’t have before COVID.”
According to Torrez, depending on age, the students can either take their laptops home or store them at school.
Torrez also confirmed that the district will continue to provide technical assistance and equipment repair for all students.
“Probably the biggest thing that will stick, which we never would have done if it weren’t for COVID, is we are creating the Taos Municipal Schools Online Academy,” said Torrez. “The kids who were successful last year online, they can continue to do online, if they want. That option is open for kids that did well.”
continues on page 54
www.mentoringkidsworksnm.org
OUR VISION WHAT WE DO
To empower the next generation of Mentoring Kids Works NM places New Mexico’s children by helping them mentors in afterschool programming to develop the academic and social- with elementary students who read emotional skills to create a better below proficiency. Currently, we are future for themselves, their families, using well-trained, dedicated high their communities, and the state of school and college mentors in a virtual New Mexico. platform. Students participate in 120 hours of mentoring a school year.
WHERE WE WORK OUR MISSION
There is a great deal of interest in our The mission of Mentoring Kids Works programming throughout the state. We NM is to improve students’ literacy, presently have programs in elementary competence, and confidence schools in Taos, Santa Fe and through mentoring. Socorro. Starting in August 2021 we will have programs in Albuquerque and Espanola.
OUR VISION WHAT WE DO
To empower the next generation of Mentoring Kids Works NM places New Mexico’s children by helping them mentors in afterschool programming to develop the academic and social- with elementary students who read emotional skills to create a better below proficiency. Currently, we are future for themselves, their families, using well-trained, dedicated high their communities, and the state of school and college mentors in a virtual New Mexico. platform. Students participate in 120 hours of mentoring a school year.
WHERE WE WORK OUR MISSION
There is a great deal of interest in our The mission of Mentoring Kids Works programming throughout the state. We NM is to improve students’ literacy, presently have programs in elementary competence, and confidence schools in Taos, Santa Fe and through mentoring. Socorro. Starting in August 2021 we will have programs in Albuquerque and Espanola.
OUR VISION WHAT WE DO
To empower the next generation of Mentoring Kids Works NM places New Mexico’s children by helping them mentors in afterschool programming to develop the academic and social- with elementary students who read emotional skills to create a better below proficiency. Currently, we are future for themselves, their families, using well-trained, dedicated high their communities, and the state of school and college mentors in a virtual New Mexico. platform. Students participate in 120 hours of mentoring a school year.
WHERE WE WORK OUR MISSION
There is a great deal of interest in our The mission of Mentoring Kids Works programming throughout the state. We NM is to improve students’ literacy, presently have programs in elementary competence, and confidence schools in Taos, Santa Fe and through mentoring. Socorro. Starting in August 2021 we will have programs in Albuquerque and Espanola.
DONATE CONTACT US Please help us provide this highly Louise Yakey, MS, MPA, Ed.S., Director effective program to the children of our state. (505) 490-4707 To donate visit our website lyakey@mentoringkidsworksnm.org www.mentoringkidsworksnm.org
www.mentoringkidsworksnm.org
Thank you for our Community Partners
OUR VISION WHAT WE DO
To empower the next generation of Mentoring Kids Works NM places New Mexico’s children by helping them mentors in afterschool programming to develop the academic and social- with elementary students who read emotional skills to create a better below proficiency. Currently, we are future for themselves, their families, using well-trained, dedicated high their communities, and the state of school and college mentors in a virtual New Mexico. platform. Students participate in 120 hours of mentoring a school year.
WHERE WE WORK OUR MISSION
There is a great deal of interest in our The mission of Mentoring Kids Works programming throughout the state. We NM is to improve students’ literacy, presently have programs in elementary competence, and confidence schools in Taos, Santa Fe and through mentoring. Socorro. Starting in August 2021 we will have programs in Albuquerque and Espanola.
DONATE CONTACT US Please help us provide this highly Louise Yakey, MS, MPA, Ed.S., Director effective program to the children of our state. (505) 490-4707 To donate visit our website lyakey@mentoringkidsworksnm.org www.mentoringkidsworksnm.org
OUR VISION WHAT WE DO
To empower the next generation of Mentoring Kids Works NM places New Mexico’s children by helping them mentors in afterschool programming to develop the academic and social- with elementary students who read emotional skills to create a better below proficiency. Currently, we are future for themselves, their families, using well-trained, dedicated high their communities, and the state of school and college mentors in a virtual New Mexico. platform. Students participate in 120 hours of mentoring a school year.
WHERE WE WORK OUR MISSION
There is a great deal of interest in our The mission of Mentoring Kids Works programming throughout the state. We NM is to improve students’ literacy, presently have programs in elementary competence, and confidence schools in Taos, Santa Fe and through mentoring. Socorro. Starting in August 2021 we will have programs in Albuquerque and Espanola.
OUR VISION
To empower the next generation of New Mexico’s children by helping them to develop the academic and socialemotional skills to create a better future for themselves, their families, their communities, and the state of New Mexico.
Thank you for our Community Partners Now Hiring
Highschool & College Mentors for WHERE WE WORK Fall 2021 - Spring 2022
There is a great deal of interest in our programming throughout the Louise Yakey, state. We presently have programs MS, MPA, Ed.S., Director in elementary schools in Taos, (505) 490-4707Santa Fe and Socorro. Starting in August 2021 we will have programs lyakey@mentoringkidsworksnm.org in Albuquerque and Espanola. Thank you to our Community Partners
WHAT WE DO
Mentoring Kids Works NM places mentors in afterschool programming with elementary students who read below proficiency. Currently, we are using well-trained, dedicated high school and college mentors in a virtual platform. Students participate in 120 hours of www.mentoringkidsworksnm.org mentoring a school year.
OUR MISSION
The mission of Mentoring Kids Works NM is to improve students’ literacy, competence, and confidence through mentoring.
Would you like to become a valuable member of our community? Do you know a student interested in becoming a peer mentor?
Contact us today to inquire about open positions.
BACK TO SCHOOL 2021-2022 53
PHOTO COURTESY OF TAOS MUNICIPAL SCHOOLS
From left: Students jump for joy as they return to class at Enos Garcia Elementary School. Though students are returning to the classroom, laptops will remain an essential learning tool.
continued from page 52
The grant for the academy was submitted in early July and the decision is still pending, but Torrez is hopeful.
“The cost was way more than we thought, which is fine, but we can’t pay this part of it through [the American Rescue Plan].”
For the students returning to the classroom, Torrez said laptops will still be provided and that the district has spent the summer repairing and replacing last year’s computers. “So every student will have a working laptop.”
Torrez also expressed concerns that a laptop won’t do much good for students if they don’t have internet access. Therefore, the school district will continue to pay for the monthly internet access for all of its students.
In the end, Torrez said the technological advances that took place during the pandemic were one of the few positives. So why get rid of them?
Safety
The pandemic saw a drastic need to increase safety measures in schools. That eventually led to a total shift to remote learning, but that doesn’t mean local schools were resting on their laurels. They implemented a number of safety measures that included sanitation stations throughout the school and required social-distancing for anyone on school property.
Now that school is shifting back to an in-person model, those safety measures, according to Torrez, will remain. However, the goal is to make school fun again. Torrez said she is working hard to get schools as close to normal as possible.
“We plan on keeping all of our safety measures,” she said. “That means PPE, etc. We are going to be very diligent, but it won’t be like last year where you are constantly staying away from everyone by 6 feet.”
An example of how the district plans to ride the line between safety and normalcy can be seen in the new lunch policies.
“For example, eating in the cafeteria,” Torrez pointed out, “kids will get to go back to eating in the lunchroom with their friends, rather than being stuck eating in their classrooms. The students really need that interaction, so we are bringing it back.”
Additionally, Taos Municipal Schools will be hosting a number of vaccination clinics in an effort to get as many kids vaccinated as possible.
“Every kid we get vaccinated is one less chance of another kid getting COVID,” said Torrez. “If we get these students out there and vaccinated, even if we don’t get them all, we won’t lose a student to COVID.”
Though Torrez is concerned for all students, she said the district will focus on 6th grade and up. As of press time, there still isn’t a vaccine approved in the United States for elementary-age students.
Community
One of the things to come out of the pandemic that many didn’t see coming, is a renewed sense of community. People have been joining together (often through Zoom) to discuss ways to help the people in their communities. Our schools are no different.
The Taos Municipal School District took numerous steps to see to the welfare of the Taos community. Yes, there were local kids out helping with food drives and volunteering at testing sites. But Torrez and the administrators for the school district were also doing their part, even if it was providing things that aren’t exactly visible. For example, providing internet for students.
“I want to make sure that we have broadband in every home,” she said. “It’s an equality issue. Every child, no matter where they live or their family income, should have what they need.”
The school district pays over $10,000 a month to provide internet access in the homes of every student. Now that the pandemic is drawing to a close – at least in New Mexico – Torrez said the district has no intention of ending their policy of providing internet. (By the way, great work, everybody!)
“There are so many little things that we don’t think about that cost money, and we are able to keep all of that going for our students,” she said.
Another example is food service. According to Torrez, the district will continue providing free meals for those in need.
But what about the concerns around learning loss, considering that students were remote learning for an entire year?
“We are working on learning loss,” said Torrez. “We are doing learning enhancement, afterschool programs, and tutoring. Our plan is to expand everything. And then the same for the online students.”
All of this means spending money. Torrez has a plan for that also. “We are going to pay for it using [the American Rescue Plan]. That’s what it’s there for right?”
Have fun and learn a lot
So welcome back to school everyone. Much has changed in the last two years(ish), but not all of it is bad. And superintendent Torrez, and all of the folks at our local schools, have been working diligently to make sure students get to come back to a safe and fun environment.
“We love every single one of our students,” said Torrez. “They are all so amazing. And we have incredible teachers who just want to meet the children’s needs.”
