SMART BOARD

SPOOKY TIMES AT SANTA FE SCHOOLS

Halloween is approaching, and several of the school district’s facilities will host Halloween carnivals and fairs for the public to enjoy, with proceeds generally going to help school programs of some sort. Carlos Gilbert Elementary School on Griffin Street downtown has one of the most popular Halloween events, with a carnival, haunted house, costume contest, ghost slide, food, a basket raffle, laser-tag games and a lot more. Plus, Marshmallow Bob will show up at the event, slated for noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Visit www.carlos gilbertpk.com for a full schedule and ticket prices. (Some events are free).

Santa Fe High School’s choir will hold a fundraising Creepy Car Show and Halloween Carnival from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday on the campus at 2100 Yucca St. Car registration takes place at noon, and car prizes will be given out at 5 p.m. The event also includes a haunted house, food, games, costumes and other treats. Admission is $20.

Visit individual school sites to learn about similar events.

ROSWELL EDUCATOR NAMED NEW MEXICO TEACHER OF THE YEAR

New Mexico Secretary of Education designate Christopher Ruszkowski announced last week that Roswell educator Jessica Sanders has been named the 2019 New Mexico Teacher of the Year. She teachers sixth- and seventh-grade science at Berrendo Middle School in Roswell. Sanders has been teaching for 12 years, including three at Berrendo. In November 2017, the New Mexico Academy of Science named Sanders the New Mexico Science Teacher of the Year. She also has won other awards, including a Golden Apple.

The New Mexico Teacher of the Year program began in 1963. Each year, the state’s 89 public school districts and charter schools are invited to nominate outstanding educators as the New Mexico Teacher of the Year. The recognition is based upon classroom performance and the strength of the application. The state’s Teacher of the Year represents New Mexico in the National Teacher of the Year competition and will attend the 2019 Teacher of the Year meeting in Sunnyvale, Calif.

DISTRICT HIRES NEW CHIEF ACADEMIC STRATEGIST

Santa Fe Public Schools has named Debbie Rael as the district’s new academic strategist to manage, monitor and evaluate the district’s school-turnaround strategy, with the goal of improving student outcomes. She previously served as the state’s deputy Cabinet secretary for school transformation at the Public Education Department. Superintendent Veronica García introduced Rael, whose career in education spans 27 years, at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

SANTA FE GIRLS’ SCHOOL HOLDS OPEN HOUSE

The Santa Fe Girls’ School, an independent facility that serves female students in grades six through eight, will hold an admission open house from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at its campus at 310 W. Zia Road. The event will give potential students and parents the chance to learn about the school, as teachers, students and graduates will be on hand to answer questions. The school currently serves 38 students and has the capacity for 45. Visit www.santafe girlsschool.org or call 505-8203188 for more information.

NINA OTERO COMMUNITY SCHOOL SOLAR EXPANSION MEETING

Santa Fe Public Schools plans a solar panel expansion at Nina Otero Community School in March and April. The district will hold a meeting to discuss this plan from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday in the school library on the campus, 5901 Herrera Drive, up the street from Capital High School. The presentation will be given in English and Spanish. The project is not expected to have much, if any, impact on parking at the school. Call Lisa Randall, the district’s Sustainability Program Coordinator, at 505-204-1925 for more information.

NOMINATE YOUR BEST TEACHER

The Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation and Centerra-Los Alamos are soliciting nominations for the Excellence in Teaching Award for educators in Rio Arriba County and Pojoaque. Nominees must have taught at their current K-12 public, tribal or charter school in Rio Arriba County or Pojoaque for at least three years. Their peers, other teachers, administrators and current and former students may nominate them through the online form at www.lanlfoundation.org/ teacheraward by Nov. 2. Organizers will choose seven teachers to honor and give each of them an engraved plaque and $1,000. For more information, contact Doris Rivera at 505-753-8890 or doris@ lanlfoundation.org.

SANTA FE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPEN HOUSE

degree? Interested Santa in Fe pursuing Community a college College will host an open house for prospective college students, their families and community members from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the college’s campus at 6401 Richards Ave. College representatives from the college and its Higher Education Center’s partner institutions — New Mexico Highlands University, Northern New Mexico College, the University of New Mexico and Bellevue University — will be on hand to answer questions and provide information on financial aid, support services and academic programs.

Attendees will be able to tour the college’s educational facilities, the William C. Witter Fitness Education Center, the Fine Arts Center, the film studio and more. The open house is free and no registration is required. For more information, contact Marcos Maez, the college’s director of recruitment and community outreach, at 505-428-1779, or visit www.sfcc.edu.