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SANTA FE HIGH STUDENTS SCORE IN MARKSMANSHIP CONTEST
Students enrolled in Santa Fe High School’s Navy JROTC program took top honors in the Navy National marksmanship championship in Phoenix earlier this year. Just 21 Navy teams from a field of 641 qualified in the national competition, and three of those teams were from Santa Fe High — an “unprecedented” record, Superintendent Veronica García said during Tuesday’s school board meeting.
García and the school board members honored the student teams, which placed first, third and 17th in the competition. The first- and third-place teams will represent the school and district at the upcoming all service (Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines) national competition in March.
The first-place team members are Gabe Gonzales, Joab Gonzales, Ilena Molina and Aryanna Holmes, and the third-place team members are Angelica Segovia, Bianey Velasquez-Nunez, Dominic Cordova and Marcus Fernandez.
DISTRICT TO UNVEIL STRATEGIC PLAN DRAFT
Santa Fe Public School’s Board of Education will unveil a draft of the district’s updated five-year strategic plan during a study session at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the district’s Educational Services Center at 610 Alta Vista St. Among the other action items on the agenda is possible approval of a resolution to support students who may want to take part in a national walkout March 14 to protest gun violence in schools. Visit www.sfps.info and click on the “board of education” link for a full agenda.
HIGHLANDS EDUCATOR TO OVERSEE TEACHER-PREP COUNCIL
The New Mexico Public Education Department appointed Virginia Padilla-Vigil, dean of New Mexico Highlands University’s School of Education, as chairwoman of the Professional Practices and Standards Council for three years.
Becky Kappus, educator-preparation program manager for the state Public Education Department, said in a news release that Padilla-Vigil “was highly recommended to Secretary of Education Christopher N. Ruszkowski by others in our profession as a thoughtful and caring professional who can give him the independent advice he seeks to make decisions related to approval of teacher education programs and establishing programs that comply with PED standards.”
Padilla-Vigil joined the Highlands School of Education faculty in 2002 and directed the university’s Rio Rancho Center from 2013-17. She was appointed interim dean of the School of Education in May 2017. Padilla-Vigil has taught on the education faculty for a variety of other colleges and universities in the Southwest. She was also an elementary school teacher in Pojoaque Valley Schools.
SCHOOLS CLOSED ON ELECTION DAY
Tuesday, March 6, is the municipal election in Santa Fe, and Santa Fe Public Schools facilities — many of which will be used as polling sites — will be closed for students and employees. The school board is planning to hold a meeting that day at 5:30 p.m., though the agenda has not yet been posted.