April Happenings
April 7- Vernal Holiday- No School
April 14- Lottery for New Students for the 23-24 School Year
April 24 - 28- NM-MSSA State Standardized Testing for 3rd - 5th Grade Students
May Happenings
May 8-12- Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
May 18- Altura Prep’s Annual Showcase of Learning & Open House Last Names A-K- 5:30-6:15 pm; and Last Names L-Z- 6:30-7:15 pm.
May 27- Last Day of School
Dear Altura Prep Parents and Caregivers,
It is hard to believe we only have two months left for the 2022-2023 school year! Our students work hard each day as we prepare to take the New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement (NM-MSSA) at the end of the month. Last year, Altura Preparatory School’s students placed in the top 1% of schools in the State of New Mexico. We are confident our students will continue excelling academically on these standardized assessments this spring. As parents, your involvement in your child’s education has been critical to their success here at Altura Preparatory School, and we thank you for your partnership.
NM-MSSA Testing
The New Mexico Measurement of Student Success and Achievement (NM-MSSA) will be administered to students in 3rd- 5th grades the week of April 24 through April 28. The NM-MSSA captures statewide data in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Students across New Mexico in 5th, 8th, and 11th grades will also test in Science. Please ensure your child has a good night’s sleep and eats a well-balanced breakfast during the week of testing. As a reminder, we serve all students breakfast in the cafeteria from 7:30-7:50 am.
Lastly, we need a little extra hello from you! We ask each family in third through fifth grade to write your child an encouraging note for each day of the NM-MSSA testing. Before your child tests in the morning, they will have an opportunity to read a letter from their family member or special adult so that they can start the day with a big smile and feel ready to show the world how smart they are! We are confident that this will help your child to relax and do their best knowing that someone they love is thinking about them that day. We have attached an editable PDF copy here to help our parents accomplish this task quickly, especially for those families with more than one child in the upper grades. We know how busy all of our families are, but please know that your support makes all the difference in the world for your child. Don’t forget to enlist the help of other family members! Ask your child’s grandparents or favorite aunt and uncle to write them a note. Students can do incredible things when they know a village is supporting them.
Templates with five envelopes will be sent home with third through fifth-grade students on Monday, April 3. Please ensure we have them back at school by Wednesday, April 19, at 3:00 pm. You may also email me at [email protected] with your five PDF attachments, and I will put them in envelopes and prepare them for your child. Each envelope should have your child’s first and last name and “ Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5” in the top right-hand corner of the envelope. If you choose to email your letters, please label each PDF with the naming convention: “Student’s First Name_Students Last Name_Day__. ” Example: Cooper_Hines_Day1. Please do not hesitate to speak with Lissa if you have any questions.
Allergy Season
Springtime is gorgeous here in New Mexico, but it is also a key time of year for seasonal allergies from our state’s plants, weeds, and trees. With our students at Altura Prep, we often see a myriad of problems that are related to allergy-induced congestion while they are at school. We typically see a lot of nose-blowing, itchy and watery eyes and fatigued children due to nasal congestion, as many children are not sleeping well at night. Allergies can make having a good day at school very challenging!
Please let Ms. Cynthia know if your child experiences allergies at school or needs to take medication during the day. She will ensure you have all the paperwork in place to ensure your child is taken care of during allergy season.
Altura Prep’s Showcase of Learning & Open House
On Thursday, May 18, from 5:30 to 7:15 pm, our Altura Prep hallways and classrooms will shine brightly, ready for your children to showcase a year’s worth of memories and classroom work! Our Showcase of Learning is truly a “Can’t-Miss” event, so we hope to see all of our Prepsters and their families there to celebrate. It is always a great feeling to watch our excited children and their proud teachers display and discuss the countless innovative learning experiences that have been happening throughout the year in our classrooms. A big thank you in advance to all of our dedicated teachers and hard-working students for working so hard to make this evening possible for our Altura Prep families!
Due to parking constraints, we will have students with the last names of A-K attend the Altura Prep Learning Showcase and Open House from 5:30- 6:15 pm, and families of students with the last name of L-Z attend from 6:30-7:15 pm. Please make sure you attend at your given time slot.
A Gentle Reminder: Our Showcase of Learning and Open House is not an appropriate time for an impromptu parent-teacher conference or to interview the next grade level’s teachers on their educational philosophies and curriculum. Altura Prep teachers will be focused on helping their current students celebrate their many accomplishments by sharing their artifacts with their guests. Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Value of the Month- Being A Good Citizen
In April, we will focus on what it means to be a good citizen. At school, being a good citizen starts by respecting others. Being a good citizen makes our school feel safe, and students can focus on learning without interruptions. Good citizenship at school looks like raising your hand, listening carefully, cleaning up after yourself, respecting the school building and teachers, and helping a friend in need.
At a broader level, good citizens do the following:
- Give back to their communities
- Vote
- Respect our flag
- Are good neighbors and friends
- Do things to improve humanity
Young Explorers on PBS has a great video about citizenship with kindergarten through second-grade students at home. For our older children, Common Sense Media’s rings of responsibility video talks about citizenship and the importance of digital citizenship. It is a great conversation starter for upper elementary children with their own devices.
Life for children across the United States has been challenging, especially after a global pandemic, civic issues, and climate changes that have led to an unsettling time in our history. However, this is also a perfect time for children to learn how to act as citizens and make a difference. As Margaret Mead once shared, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”
Cena y Ciencia- Dinner and Science
On Thursday, April 27, 2023, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, we will host our inaugural Cena y Ciencia (Dinner and Science) event at Altura Preparatory School, for some of our fourth and fifth-grade students. (The number of students who can participate depends on the number of presenters we will have. )
Altura Prep is working in partnership with a group of Albuquerque Academy students responsible for envisioning this incredible event and piloting the program at Altura Prep. These high school students have created a nonprofit organization that aspires to bring STEM professionals and students from diverse backgrounds together, with the intention to inspire upper elementary students to explore and learn about different scientific realms, which may encourage them to consider a future STEM-related college pathway that may have otherwise been unknown to them.
Cena y Cienca will give our students a unique opportunity to enjoy dinner and an evening with local scientists in a relaxed atmosphere. Scientists ranging from geologists to veterinarians, biologists, dentists, engineers, and more, will volunteer to spend an evening discussing their field of expertise. Teachers, students, and STEM professionals will enjoy a three-course meal where students ask questions and STEM professionals share their enthusiasm and advice about their careers in science, technology, engineering, math, and science.
We would be honored to have a few of our own Altura Prep STEM parent professionals join us as presenters! We would like to have our final presenter headcount by Friday, so please feel free to reach out to Lissa Hines at 510.541. 8767 or via email at [email protected] if you have any questions.
Afternoon Pick-Up
Please remember to be on time to pick up your child/ren after the school day ends. Our school grounds are not supervised outside of the school day. We are required to contact law enforcement if a child is left on school grounds during unsupervised times if parents/caregivers cannot be reached. We want to honor the time of employees and their families, so we appreciate your support with timely afternoon pick-up.
We ask that you double-check if your child is wearing weather-appropriate clothing as we move to warmer days this spring. As it begins to warm up, please keep heavier coats at home and transition your child to a lighter jacket, windbreaker, or cardigan.
In Partnership,
Lissa and Meaghan
