Copy the email address below to paste: chap.attend@demingps.org

PSA: Possible Bus Route Cancellations

Good afternoon DPS parents and guardians,

As positive COVID-19 cases increase in our community and schools we have seen an increase in positive COVID-19 cases, isolations and quarantines impacting Deming Public Schools staff members.

Therefore, due to the shortage of bus drivers and other staff members, it is possible that you may see cancellations for some bus routes. A route will be cancelled as a last resort, only after we have exhausted all other options including having other bus drivers and qualified office staff cover open routes.

Parents and guardians will be notified via DPS App Notifications, Facebook, and Deming Public Schools website before school starts, should a bus route need to be cancelled. If your child experiences a bus cancellation, you are then responsible for making other arrangements to get your child to school.

We apologize for the inconvenience a bus cancellation may cause, and will only cancel routes if absolutely necessary. We are faced with tough decisions as positive COVID-19 cases rise and are doing all that we can to come up with ways to safely keep our students in classrooms. We appreciate your continued partnership.

PSA: DEMING HIGH SCHOOL AND MIMBRES VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL MOVING TO HYBRID COHORT SCHEDULE

Positivity rates for COVID-19 have surged in our community and in some of our schools and, specifically, at Deming High School (DHS) and Mimbres Valley High School (MVHS). Because of this, we are unable to cover classes with qualified adults, so we have made the difficult decision to move DHS & MVHS to a hybrid cohort remote schedule beginning Monday, January 24, 2022. The schedule for students attending DHS and MVHS will be:

MONDAYS & TUESDAYS

• IN-PERSON: 9TH & 11TH grade students

• REMOTE: 10th & 12th grade students

o Remote students will work on and complete assignments, asynchronously, via Canvas

WEDNESDAYS

• Continue as Remote Wednesdays with students checking-in, via Canvas, to each class as follows:

o 8:20-8:50 am – 1st period

o 8:50-9:20 am – 2nd period

o 9:20-9:50 am – 3rd period

o 9:50-10:20 am – 4th period

o 10:20-10:50 am – 5th period

o 10:50-11:20 am – 6th period

o 11:20-11:50 am – 7th period

THURSDAYS & FRIDAYS

• IN PERSON: 10th & 12th grade students

• REMOTE: 9th & 11th grade students

o Remote students will work on and complete assignments, asynchronously, via Canvas

This schedule will be followed through February 11, 2022. The district will reassess the situation at DHS & MVHS each week, and if rates decrease, we will re-open on February 14, 2022. We know this is a difficult time for everyone and we will continue to keep the public informed.

Deming Public Schools Update: Changes to the School Calendar

Deming Public Schools will continue remote Wednesdays for our secondary schools (6th-12th grades). The remote Wednesdays have provided valuable time to our teachers for planning and student support as well as helping with staff shortages. In order to support student success, the Deming Public Schools Board of Education has approved 5 additional Inservice Planning days for all schools. During these Inservice Planning days staff will attend with no students for planning, professional development, data research, and to develop dynamic lesson plans to support student success.

The 5 additional Inservice Planning days for staff with no students:

January 4, 2022

February 4, 2022

March 4, 2022

March 22, 2022

May 2, 2022

Currently there are 811 secondary students failing at least one class. To improve this, we are implementing Academic Advising Days for Red Mountain Middle School, Deming High School, and Mimbres Valley High School. These days will provide time for teachers to work with small groups of students to review grades, analyze Next Step Plans, ensure students are on track to graduate, and create Academic Contracts to drive rigorous learning for the semester. Below is the schedule for Academic Advising Days:

Red Mountain Middle School:

Wednesday, January 5, 2022-Only 7th grade students will attend school in person for Academic Advising(No Remote Learning this day)

Thursday, January 6, 2022-Only 8th grade students will attend school in person for Academic Advising

Friday, January 7, 2022-7th and 8th grade students will attend school in person

Deming High School and Mimbres Valley High School:

Wednesday, January 5, 2022-Only 11th and 12th grade students will attend school in person for Academic Advising

( No Remote Learning this day)

Thursday, January 6, 2022-Only 10th grade students will attend school in person for Academic Advising

Friday, January 7, 2022-Only 9th grade students will attend school in person for Academic Advising

Deming Intermediate School and Early College High School:

Wednesday, January 5, 2022-Remote Wednesday for all students

Thursday, January 6, 2022-All students attend school in person

Friday, January 7, 2022-All students attend school in person

All 6th-12th grades will continue with remote Wednesdays, January 12, 2022.

Any questions please contact your school or the district at (575) 546-8841.

Deming Public Schools 2022-2023 Instructional Calendar Survey

Deming Public Schools calendar committee is seeking input regarding the development of next year’s instructional calendar, start/end dates, and holiday break schedules. Stakeholder input along with state legislative outcomes will be compiled to develop 3 calendar options for consideration by the Deming Public Schools Board of Education.

We invite students, parents, and Deming Public Schools staff to participate in this 5-10 minute survey. The link to the survey is available on our website at www.demingps.org or the direct link is below:

Survey Link (English and Spanish Version)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/XXRLWYK

The survey can be taken on just about any device, including your cell phone. The survey will close at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 31, 2022. Any questions please call (575) 546-8841.

PSA: Digital Ticketing

Deming Public Schools welcomes back spectators as your Lady Wildcats take on Silver City Colts on November 30, 2021 and RMMS Boys take on Snell Middle School on December 2, 2021.   Tickets can be bought digitally through GoFan by searching Deming High School or Red Mountain Middle School.  QR codes will be available at the entrance of all venues for fans who have not purchased tickets prior to arriving at each event.  Masks must be worn at all times except when eating.  Concession stands will be open for spectators at the High School, but no food or drink will be allowed in the gym.  Tables will be set up in the concession area.  Red Mountain will not have a concession stand until further notice.  For questions, contact Deming High School Athletic Department 575-546-8126.

PSA: Bus Transportation

Every Wednesday bus pick up and drop off will be 15-20 minutes early due to secondary schools being in remote learning.  This bus schedule will be in place until further notice. For more information please contact the Transportation Department at (575) 546-8841.

ANNOUNCING: REMOTE WEDNESDAYS

·DEMING INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL (DIS)

·DEMING HIGH SCHOOL (DHS)

·MIMBRES VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL (MVHS)

·EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL (ECHS)

·RED MOUNTAIN MIDDLE SCHOOL (RMMS)

WHEN: Beginning Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Deming Public Schools (DPS) continues to face critical staffing shortages. We have largely been able to avoid impacts to our students as the result of the outstanding efforts of our administrators, teachers and staff who have gone above and beyond in their flexibility and creativity to cover the gaps. This situation has prevented staff from having the time they need to properly plan and prepare lessons for our students and, in some cases, caused multiple classes to be housed in the gym with limited supervision. As a result, we have made the decision to move DIS, DHS, MVHS, ECHS, & RMMS to a remote setting on Wednesdays beginning November 17, 2021, and until further notice.

Each school has developed a Remote Learning Schedule. We will also offer Grab and Go meals for students to take home for Wednesday remote learning and we will have hotspots available for students who do not have internet at home.

IT TAKES ALL OF US TO KEEP OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL

For ALL schools, please note the following:

·Students will receive credit for attendance when they CHECK-IN at the scheduled Zoom time.

• If a student does not have access to internet, even with a school provided hotspot, the student will be marked present if the work is completed and turned in; if work is not turned in, the student will be marked absent.

·Teaching Staff will be at their school site and available during the scheduled Zoom sessions to provide instructional support.

·Hotspots will be provided to any student who does not have access to the internet at home.

·Students with disabilities will have the option of attending, in-person, on Wednesday mornings.  Case Managers will be reaching out regarding this option.

Deming Public Schools Student Success

Deming Public Schools continues to ask for public and parental support in encouraging students to attend school on the days they are healthy and physically able to attend. Transitioning from a virtual setting back to the traditional education model has had its challenges. The Department of Assessment, Research, and Student Success is focused on getting students in the classrooms and ready to learn. Student Success Liaisons are assigned to schools across the district to identify students at risk of becoming chronically absent and to identify and remove barriers that may prevent students from regularly attending class.

The New Mexico Public Education Department analyzes districts by their chronic absenteeism rate. Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student not being in attendance for any reason for ten percent or more of the school year. For Deming Public Schools this means that students who miss more than 17 school days are considered chronically absent. Curving chronic absenteeism is important to DPS as students who fall into this category are more at risk to have low and failing grades, repeat grade levels, and have a lower graduation rate than their peers. Also, students who are absent from the classroom for ten percent or more of the school year are more likely to engage in dangerous activities such as substance abuse, delinquency, participate in gang activity and drop out of school completely. Research has proven attendance and achievement to be interrelated. Through improving attendance across the district DPS hopes to reduce the achievement gap and increase school performance.

PSA: Bus Routes

Some bus routes that use South 8th St. may be delayed up to 10 minutes for pick up and drop off due to road construction, starting Monday, September 27.

Substitutes: We Need You!

Deming Public Schools is hiring substitute teachers. “Substitutes are critical to our schools and ensure student learning can continue.  To stabilize our workforce and attract substitutes, we have changed the pay structure.” said Superintendent, Vicki Chávez “Come share your knowledge and invest in our kids!”

·Substitutes will receive $300 after working 10 full days for Deming Public Schools. This is a one-time incentive.

·Class I and Class II Substitutes who substitute in teaching positions on Mondays and/or Fridays from 9/20/2021 – 12/3/2021 will be paid $125 for those days. The substitute must work a full day in a teaching position(s).

·New substitutes hired on or after 7/28/2021 will receive $315 for attending orientation training and completing required observation days. Returning substitutes hired on or after 7/28/2021 will also be paid for attending orientation training.

To apply please visit www.demingps.org and click on “Join Our Team!”.

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