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New Mexico Parent Teacher Association Newsletter | |
The mission of NMPTA is to make every child's potential a reality
by engaging and empowering families and communities to advocate for all children.
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New Mexico PTA wants to wish you all a great start to the new year! We hope the close of 2024 went well for you and you're ready to advocate for children in your community with new energy for the new year.
What are some things you can do to step up your PTA efforts? Here are 5 great ideas:
- Review the top 10 things we wish PTA leaders knew. See more info below
- Grow your membership and enter the third quarter membership challenge
- Connect with other local PTA leaders in our Facebook group and Wind Down Wednesdays
- Attend New Mexico PTA's Legislative Day in Santa Fe on Sat, Feb 22, 2025
- Get ready to attend our Annual Convention on April 25-26, 2025
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CELEBRATING DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR
New Mexico PTA celebrates the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King was an advocate for equality in a time of intense segregation and discrimination in the U.S. His day of remembrance, the third Monday in January, was established in 1986 and was also designated a day of service in 1994. Dr. King encouraged all Americans to volunteer to better their communities. He also advocated for nonviolent resistance against injustice. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. In the midst of advocacy for workers on strike, Dr. King was assassinated in 1968. His influence lives on in the U.S. and across the world.
| Image credit: WikiImages on Pixabay | | | |
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THE STATE PTA NEEDS YOUR LEADERSHIP!
Take the next step in your PTA leadership and join the New Mexico PTA Board of Directors. The state Board supports local PTAs and connects with National PTA. The positions are 2-year terms. Get more information about the open positions here. Letters of interest are due Feb 1, 2025 to candidate.applications@newmexicopta.org.
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APPLY FOR THE SAVING FOR SUCCESS AWARD
Up to 50 eligible students in New Mexico will receive a Saving for Success Award of $1,000 invested in a 529 education savings plan account with The Education Plan®! Consideration for the award is based on academic achievement, community involvement, and higher education goals.
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ALVARADO ELEMENTARY RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL DESIGNATION
Alvarado Elementary School in Albuquerque, which has an active PTA, received a National Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Distinguished School designation. Only 100 schools across the U.S. receive this prestigious designation, which Alvarado received specifically for exhibiting exceptional student performance and academic growth.
The Distinguished Schools program recognizes federally funded schools for outstanding academic achievement. The program highlights qualifying schools that have successfully used their ESEA funds to improve the education of all students, including those who are economically disadvantaged.
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MEET THE THIRD QUARTER MEMBERSHIP CHALLENGE AND GET FREE ENTRY TO THE NEW MEXICO PTA CONVENTION IN APRIL | |
Membership is a year-round effort! Your PTA should be gathering new members all year long to support your mission and year-round support of students in your community. Check out this Membership Minute from National PTA with great ideas for signing up new members in the new semester. (The video really is only a minute long!)
Congratulations to the 30 PTAs that met the second quarter membership challenge. The third quarter challenge is to report 110% of last year's membership by Mar 25 to receive a free registration to NMPTA's Annual Convention!
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NEW YEAR, NEW SUPPORT ON MATH AND MORE | |
As we head into the second half of the year, it's a great time to find out how your child is doing with key grade-level skills in math and reading.
In partnership with Understood.org, Learning Heros launched the Learning Heroes Assistant AI to answer parent questions about how to support grade-level progress, partner with teachers, or understand learning and thinking differences.
Get answers on questions like, “How can I support my child with their math homework?” or “I think my child may have a learning difference, how can I be sure?”
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New Mexico PTA came up with a top-10 list of do's and don'ts we wish every PTA leader knew. Our list focuses on issues like self-care, communication, cooperation, and doing the right thing. In the next several newsletters, we'll focus on a "do" or "don't" to help you in your PTA leadership.
#1 - DON’T overextend yourself. Your health, family, career and personal life are important. Giving extra to PTA is wonderful and supports our kids, but it should never be at a personal cost. If you need help, reach out to your State Board mentor. We’re here to listen and help support a healthy balance.
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CELEBRATE STUDENT ARTISTS AT THE VIRTUAL STUDENT ARTS SHOWCASE | Is your student a PTA Reflections artist? Do you want to learn from other Reflections student artists? RSVP for the event and tune in for National PTA’s virtual 2025 Reflections Student Arts Showcase on National PTA’s YouTube Channel Jan 29 at 5 p.m! You’ll get to hear from a selection of student artists and learn about their national award-winning art from the 2023-2024 “I am Hopeful Because…” Reflections program. | ATTEND THE SOARING MINDS NETWORK MEETING FOR SPECIAL ED | The next meeting for the Soaring Minds Network, which focuses on special education issues, will be held on Jan 30 at 6 p.m. at the Sandia Presbyterian Church multipurpose room. It will be an open format where anyone can come in and bring up a topic that they’d like to discuss or share. | | |
NMPED OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION LAUNCHES A NEWSLETTER FOR FAMILIES | New Mexico Public Education Department's Office of Special Education launched a newsletter full of resources and tips for families with unique needs. | | |
GRUPO VIRTUAL DE APOYO PARA FAMILIAS DE NINOS CON DISCAPACIDADES | Jan 29, 2025, 10:00-11:00 a.m. -- El grupo de apoyo, por Parents Reaching Out, le proporcionará un lugar seguro para compartir sus experiencias y conectarse con otros padres. Le proporcionará un espacio para hablar sobre los éxitos, las frustraciones y las preocupaciones que enfrenta como padre de un niño con una discapacidad. | | |
MAKING CONNECTIONS: VIRTUAL PARENT SUPPORT GROUP | Jan 29, 2025, 10:00-11:30 a.m. -- The Making Connections group, by Parents Reaching Out, provides a forum to share your experiences parenting your child or grandchild with disabilities and connect with other parents. | | | | | |
