(Deming) – Eight Deming Public  School District schools will  have a chance to participate in a well-known  University of Virginia-based program aimed at turning troubled schools  around.
Governor Susana Martinez announced Tuesday that 3-point-5 million dollars  has been set
aside for education improvements in the current budget to help  schools with leadership training and professional development.

She says the program is aimed at  the 319 schools in the  state that received a “D” or “F” under her  administration's new grading system. 

Bell… Chaparral… Cesar Chavez  Charter High School… Deming High School… and Deming Intermediate School all  received “D”s… while Bataan… Columbus… and Torres elementaries received “F”s.  Only Memorial and Red Mountain  Middle School are excluded   from the program because they received “C”s.
 
The governor also defended the  grading system – which some have criticized as too complicated – and promised to  work with teachers on reforms. The grading scale is a  cornerstone of Martinez's agenda for improving education in the state, which  consistently ranks near the bottom  nationally. 

The system lets the state  consider more than annual student test scores when gauging whether schools are  complying with the federal No Child Left Behind law.

Reportedly… the state’s grading  system also considers academic growth… attendance… support of both the highest  and lowest performing  students… and college and career  readiness.

(Deming) – Deming Public Schools  Transportation Department officials have sent most students’ bus schedules home  by mail.

Parents who have not  received their student’s bus pass by next Tuesday, August 7th, are asked to stop by the transportation office or call.
 
The transportation  department will hold pre-registration next week for all eligible bus students,  including students new to the district, students attending a new school or  students who have had a change of address.
 
Bus passes will be  issued for these students Tuesday through Thursday of next week – August  7th through the 9th – at the transportation office, 501 West Florida,  just west of the Hofacket building.

To be eligible to be  transported by school bus, elementary and intermediate school students must live  more than a mile from
their home school… 7th through 9th  grade students must live more than a mile and half  from school… and sophomores,  juniors and seniors must live more than two miles from school.

Ray Trejo will be John Krehbiel's guest intervew on Monday August 6th at 7:30am on KOTS and KDEM radio.  Mr. Trejo will be talking about the transportation issues concerning DPS.  Contact transportation  officials at 546-8841 for more information.

(Deming) -- Incoming Deming High  School ninth graders are scheduled for freshman orientation  Monday.

Deming High School Principal  Janean Garney said the orientation is designed to provide students with  information concerning  graduation credits and requirements, general  procedures and expectations.

And the high school staff will  take students and parents on  a tour of the school.

Garney said freshman orientation  is just another way faculty  and staff are looking to increase their efficiency  and effectiveness to meet the needs of Deming High students.

Orientation Monday is set for 9am for students with last names starting with A through M… and at 1pm Monday  for students with last names starting with N through Z.

In other D-H-S new, students entering 10th through 12th grades may pick up their schedules anytime from 9am  to
3pm Tuesday, July 31st, through Thursday, August 2nd, in the main campus guidance office.

Classes begin on Monday, August 13th.


 

(Deming) -- Deming Public  Schools held its first-ever Elementary Career Day Monday at the Mimbres Valley  Learning and Special Events Center.
School Superintendent Harvielee  Moore said the event was the idea of a fourth-grader last year who wrote to  Moore suggesting it would be a good idea for fifth graders to participate in a  career day to begin learning about career options and what skills and education  levels were needed for each.
The student, Andres Reyes, chaired a steering committee convened by Moore which was comprised of a  fifth-grade boy and girl from each elementary school. The students represented  the 484 fifth graders in the district.
Moore said the students planned  the event, named the careers they were interested in learning more  about, and  agreed that each school would prepare career collages as part of their studies  in the classroom.
The committee members also  designed a tee-shirt which each of the fifth-graders in the district wore to the  event. The shirt slogan said: "Fifth Grade, the Future" on the front... and "The  future is near..." with a Charlie Wildcat wearing a graduation cap and leaning  on the words "Wildcats 2019" on the back.
Career presenters included the Southern Area Health Education Center... DeLaney and Hernandez, Attorneys at Law... High Desert Veterinary Clinic... Deming Police Department... McReynolds Family Chiropractic... Deming Fire Department... Rick Holdridge with the New  Mexico Space Port Authority... Mark Vasconcellos, Move Production... and Mary  Anderson and the Skills U-S-A students.

(Deming) -- The community "Class Act" after-graduation party will take place again this year at the Starmax entertainment center.
"Class Act" was first organized in the 1990s as a drug-free and alcohol-free party on graduation night as a way to help keep young  people safe. One of this year's organizers, Debby Seats, said the party will  run from 10 p-m Friday to 2 a-m Saturday.
Deming High School seniors are  allowed one guest -- age 20 or younger -- and tickets are 10-dollars and on sale  at the activities office. Tickets also will be sold at the door. Attendees  will be able to take part in a professional casino set-up as well as enjoy free  bowling, miniature golf, arcade games and two movies.
There will be food...  door prizes... and all proceeds raised through ticket sales will be returned as  cash prizes. Again... tickets are on sale at the D-H-S Activities Office.

(Deming) -- The Deming  Education Association and Deming Public Schools held their combined annual 
awards program Monday afternoon in the Deming Public Schools auditorium. This year's D-E-A Friend of Education is the Deming Rotary Club... Business Friend of Education is the La  Fonda Restaurant... and Advocates of the Year are retiring teachers Peggy Bishop and Jouette Smith.
For Deming Public School  awards... Administrator of the Year is Torres Elementary Principal Vicki 
Chavez... District Support Staff Person the Year is Central Office Receptionist  Janie Quinones... Professional Support Staff Person of the Year is Torres Elementary Counselor Debbie Vigil... Elementary Support Staff Person of the Year is Columbus Custodian David Garcia... and Secondary Support Staff Person of the Year is Deming Intermediate School Secretary Blanca Holguin.
A number of teachers, administrators and staff members were recognized for their years of service...  including 40 years for Irene Riley... 35 years for Delia Turner... 30 years for Theresa Green... and 25 years for Estella Casas... Sylvia Galindo... Guillermina 
Macias... Kakee McInturff... Linda Montano... Maria Del Carmen Porras... Debbie  Robertson... Jerome Sandoval... Claudia Smith... Jouett Smith... Sylvia  Verdugo... and Lucy Villegas.
Also, 25 people who will be retiring at the end of this school year were recognized for their contributions.

(Deming) -- Plans are in place  for the Seamless Summer Lunch Program through the Deming Public Schools. D-P-S Student Nutrition  Director Ginger Jones said the lunches, funded by the U-S Department of Agriculture, are free of charge to all youth between one and 18 years of age.
Lunches will be served at area parks and schools from May 29th through July 31st, with the exception of the 4th  of July in observance of the Independence Day holiday. Anyone with questions on the  Deming Public Schools Seamless Summer Lunch Program may contact Jones at 546-2522 or by mail at 1001 South Diamond, Deming, 88030.  You also may call the New  Mexico Student Nutrition Programs at 1-505-827-1821.
For the daily lunch menus listen to KOTS and KDEM weekday mornings at 6:30 for your daily DPS Lunch menu.

School Board Holds Budget Forum 

(Deming) -- The Deming School  Board is holding a public forum Thursday to solicit input on the
district's  2012-2013 budget. The board and administration  will review funding and listen to public comments on budget
issues.  Action will be  taken.  The meeting will begin at 2 p-m  in the board room of the Emmett Shockley Administration Building, 400 Cody Road. The meeting is open to the public.
Also, the school board will meet in executive -- or closed -- session at 4 p-m Thursday... followed by an open meeting at 5.
Topics to be addressed during  the closed session include the assignment or resignation of an employee... a  tort or unemployment claim... and the disposal of the former Columbus elementary  building and other properties.
The regular monthly meeting agenda includes the recognition of Deming High School student Maximilian 
Contreras who was awarded the New Mexico School Boards Association 2012 Excellence for Student Achievement Award.
The board also will consider  budget and handbook issues... setting the 2013 graduation date.. approving a  three-year district technology plan... updating the policy pertaining to public  participation at board meetings... and approving a Macho
Springs  Resolution.

(Deming) -- Kindergarten  preregistration for the 2012-2013 school year concludes Friday with 
preregistration at Columbus Elementary. 
To be eligible for kindergarten, a child must have reached his or her fifth birthday by August 
31st, 2012.
Parents or guardians must bring  their child to preregistration, along with his or her birth certificate,
proof  of residency and immunization records. The kindergarten teacher will meet with  the child and parent or guardian as part of the registration process to do a  skill assessment of the student.
Immunization boosters will be  provided for students needing them.
Children will be registered on  a first-come, first-served basis at each building.
Registration at Columbus Elementary will take place this Friday from 8:30 to 11:30 and 1 to 3.

(Deming) -- The Luna County Sheriff's Department is increasing its annual donation to
Class Act, the drug-free and alcohol-free after-graduation party in Deming.
Sheriff Raymond Cobos said this year's donation, which comes from Community D-W-I
funds, will be over 900-dollars.
The Sheriff's Department usually budgets a 500-dollar donation from its C-D-W-I
funding, but had remaining money in the account after camera/radar units and
breathalyzers were purchased with the state funds. 
Lieutenant Jon Mooridian said they asked state Traffic Safety Bureau officials if the
remaining 419-dollars and 32-cents could be added to the 500-dollar donation and the total given to Class Act... and state officials approved the donation.  Mooridian said there is a provision in the grant for prevention measures... and one goal of the funding is to reduce teen alcohol-related crashes in the state.

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