Vol. 1 Issue 1 December 2012

STUDENT BUZZ: Kids speak out on school issues.Page 4

INSPIRING TEACHERS: Three top staffers at De Vargas. Page 2

CAREER CONNECTIONProgram offers vision of the future. Page 3

INDEX NEWS PAGES 2, 3 FEATURES PAGES 2, 3 OPINIONS PAGE 4 STUDENT BUZZ PAGE 4 COMICS PAGE 4

CELEBRATING A HALF-CENTURY

50 YEARS OF DE VARGAS

By Brenda Mejia Gonzales

D e Vargas Middle School celebrat-ed its 50th anniversary on Oct. 18. The celebration kicked off Homecoming week with Pajama Day, Jersey Day, Dress to Impress

Day, and of course, on the day of the football game, Spirit Day. Everyone dressed in De Vargas colors — orange, black, and white — showing that school spirit.

During seventh period, staff, students and visitors went out on the field and supported the team.

The school band played, and about 500 people attended the game.

Among the attendees was former student Norma Veronica Mendoza, who said, “Well, DVMS was a lot different when I came here 12 years ago. The band and the football team are great as always, but the building has changed a lot. I’m sure it’s as great a school, it always has been.”

According to Principal Diane Garcia Piro, several former principals were at the event, including the woman who was principal many years ago, Rose Fidel, whom Garcia-Piro es-corted around the event. “I was very honored to escort her around and I am also honored to be the principal of one of the oldest schools in Santa Fe,” Garcia Piro said.

De Vargas opened in 1962. Its first principal was Albert Catanach. Its first school newspa-per — which Garcia Piro recently found — was called The Shield. And now the school has us — the De Vargas Buzz.

Principal: Students are No. 1 concern

De Vargas students paint their faces before the 50th-anniversary celebration and Homecoming game. About 500 people attended.Photo by Amanda Worrell

Herding cats: DVMS football team reflects on tough seasonBy Sun Bogan and Ryan Romero

Our school’s football team had its ups and downs this season.

Among the ups, according to co-coach Dolly Hand, is the fact that it gives students a chance to stay fit.

“It’s important to give our students the opportunity to be athletes,” Hand said.

Football also gives students the chance to make friendships.

“The football team members are like my brothers now,” said player Benito Vega.

Though the team beat both Ortiz Middle School and Aspen Commu-nity’s Schools, it lost the majority of its games this year due to poor orga-nization, according to co-coach Jacob White.

“It’s like managing a herd of cats,” he said.

Another downside is that one of the players, Jordan Quintana, broke his forearm.

Though Quintana wasn’t happy about that, he said football is the funnest sport he has ever played. The team started practicing in late August and its last game was in mid-October.

Despite challenges, participants get fit, form friendships

By Karen Villalobos

De Vargas Middle School Principal Diane Garcia Piro’s main responsibil-ity is that the school’s roughly 500 stu-dents are learning. She works for Santa Fe Public Schools but reports directly to Almi Abeyta, the district’s chief academic officer. Still, she said, “I feel that I work mainly for the students.”

She graduated from Eastern New Mexico University with both a bach-elor’s and master’s degree. She later worked as a teacher there for one year. She set out to be a teacher and never thought she would become a principal.

She started working for Santa Fe Public Schools in 1997 and started her job as principal at De Vargas in the summer of 2010. She said she was inspired to become a principal because she wanted to make changes in the school and for the students. She likes serving students every day and loves to see a student getting excited about learning. She doesn’t like it when a student does not give 100 percent.

The biggest challenge in her job, she said, is not having enough time in the day.

“It’s really hard to be a middle school student in 2012,” she said, because there are so many exciting options available for students, and she worries that it becomes too much to handle.

Assistant Principal Marc Ducharme is the main person who helps her in her job, but she said there are also the counselors, teachers, secretaries, and other staff members.

“I think that being a principal is by far the best thing I’ve done in my career,” Garcia Piro said.

De Vargas Middle School Principal Diane Garcia Piro says, “I feel that I work mainly for the students.” Photo by Gustavo Gonzalez

De Vargas BuzzFormer students, staff visit school for birthday bash

“Well, DVMS was a lot different when I came here 12 years ago. ... I’m sure it’s as great a school, it always has been. ”Norma Veronica MendozaDe Vargas Middle School alum

Page 2 DE VARGAS BUZZ December 2012

The Inside Buzz

By Daniel Cubillo and Jacqueline Mata

Ms. Shannon Reider has worked for Santa Fe

Public Schools and De Vargas Middle School for two years as our in-school suspension (ISS) teacher.

She feels that being an ISS teacher is both “very chal-lenging and very rewarding.”

The most common reasons kids end up in ISS is because of classroom disruption, she said.

She wanted to be an ISS teacher because she knows a lot about student behavior and feels she can help stu-dents in this position.

“I like seeing students go to ISS who really learn their lesson,” she said.

She said she can see anywhere from one to six students in ISS each day.

“Then I have students who are sent to my room for 11-minute ‘step-ups’ (or time-outs) throughout the day.

“The amount of step-up referrals can be anywhere

from three to 20 students per day.”

Reider studied early child-hood education and child psychology from Tulane University in New Orleans.

She volunteered in the public-school district in New Orleans and said she saw the devastation of Hurricane Katrina firsthand, later work-ing with students who were

impacted by that tragedy.When not teaching, she

likes to take yoga classes and hike. “If we work together, we can be the best middle school in Santa Fe,” she said.

ISS teacher sees rewards of helping kids improveShannon Reider specializes in student behavior

ISS teacher Shannon Reider poses with three of her students. “If we work together, we can be the best middle school in Santa Fe,” Reider says.Photo by Brenda Mejia

By Randi Jimenez and Jennifer Lopez

T hroughout Ms. Guadalu-pita Calles’ 39 years of teaching, she has inspired students and helped them

improve their math skills. She was raised in Santa Fe and is the oldest of five children. She decided to become a teacher after her sister showed her the excitement of teaching. She earned her degree in education at the

New Mexico State University in Las Cruces.

She has taught at De Vargas Middle School for four years. The most rewarding element of her job, she said, is when her students reach their full potential. “Sometimes it’s frustrating because all the students are smart, but they choose not to use their brains,” she said.

In her free time, Calles enjoys spending time in her garden, taking care of her family and her horses. She also enjoys visiting with friends. She has one son, one daughter, one stepson, two grandsons, three step-granddaughters and maybe one more on the way. She also keeps occupied with numerous pets — two cats, six

dogs, two birds, three horses and a lot of fish.

When asked what the funniest or craziest thing was that happened to her while teaching, she said, “It was Halloween. I was teaching kindergar-ten. That day was pajama day, and I wore long johns. I didn’t know that they ripped and that the drop-drawer was open. None of the kids told me but it was a good thing I was wearing underwear. When I took the kids to lunch, another teacher told me.”

Her favorite food is green enchi-ladas and sour cream. Her favorite drink is Pepsi. Her favorite candy bars are Snickers and Reese’s peanut-butter cups. Her least favorite thing to do is wash dishes.

GUADALUPITA CALLES

Inspiring math students for nearly forty years

Math teacher Guadalupita Calles is shown with “De Vargas Buzz” reporters Jennifer Lopez, left, and Randi Jimenez. Photo by Amanda Worrell

Teacher says best part of job is watching kids reach full potential

By Maydi Alvarado, Mercedes Archuleta and Jolene Roybal

N atasha Karoline Choe teaches English-language arts for seventh-graders at De Vargas Middle School. She wanted to become a teacher to help give a voice to students who didn’t have a voice. “I saw people who don’t have anyone to speak out for them,” she said.

Before she became a teacher, she wanted to become a journalist and worked as an editor for The Trinitonian, the school newspaper for Trinity University in Texas. She majored in English, Spanish, and economics at that school and speaks four languages: English, Spanish, Russian and Polish.

Mrs. Choe described herself as a nerd growing up. She didn’t have many friends. She liked to read, sing and listen to music. While attending college, she sang in bars at night to earn money for tuition. On a good night, she made up to $350.

She said the hardest thing about being a teacher is “grammar because English is so difficult. I want kids to read something that is well written.” She loves being a teacher because she loves her stu-dents: “Kids see things more clearly. ... Kids are better than adults because they are fresh people.”

This is her second year at De Vargas Middle School, but unfortu-nately for us, Choe is leaving Santa Fe next summer to relocate to Texas.

MRS.CHOE’S STORY

Natasha Karoline Choe, a seventh-grade language arts teacher, loves reading, singing and listening to music. Photo by Mercedes Archuleta and Jolene Roybal

Language-arts teacher’s goal is to help her students have a voice

By Gustavo Gonzalez

S uperintendent Joel Boyd is responsible for what you are learning.

As he put it when he visited the Citizen Schools’ jour-nalism class at De Vargas Middle School, he is sort of the principal of all the Santa Fe Public Schools.

Among other education-related jobs, Boyd was a middle-school teacher (science) and later assis-tant principal before he came to Santa Fe this past summer.

“I’ve worked in six different districts,” he said.

He is 33 years old and said the most challenging part of his job is working to please a lot of people.

He said his first act as superin-tendent was to meet with every-one he could — “a lot of people”

— in staff and community forums. He transferred here from Phila-

delphia last summer because he wanted to work in a smaller city.

He likes sports, movies and spending time with his family. And, he said, he really likes reading.

Originally Boyd wanted to be a baseball player.

Though he was not always a good student in school, he told himself, “I can achieve.”

While speaking about the journalism field to members of the De Vargas Buzz, he said, “What is really important is to be honest. If you are going to be a journalist, you have to take it seriously and respect your job. Be honest and trustworthy.”

He writes a column every month for the Albuquerque Journal.

He believes that if you have faith in yourself, despite the ob-stacles, you can succeed.

As he said, “I’ll never stop believing in myself.”

December 2012 DE VARGAS BUZZ Page 3

The Inside Buzz

By Betzaida Rodriguez Ruelas

“Everyone needs to do something for their country,” said Frank Montaño, president of Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education, when he visited the Citizen Schools journalism class at De Vargas Middle School earlier this semester. Living in America, he said, is a big opportu-nity for anyone.

A self-employed man — he runs Fiesta Tours — Montaño is currently serving his second consecu-tive term on the school board. His term ends in February 2013, and as of press time he had not decided whether he would run for office again. He repre-sents Turquoise Trail Charter School, Amy Biehl Community School at Rancho Viejo, Nava, Kearny and Sala-zar elementary schools, the Academy at Larragoite and De Vargas Middle School.

He said the school board has three basic responsibilities: to hire and su-pervise the superintendent, to provide strategic direction for the district, and to develop and implement policy.

Sports led Montaño into politics be-cause when he was younger he played sports and would always get hurt, and breaking an arm while playing football was the final straw. So he got inter-ested in politics. He ran for student council in high school and served as one of the city councilors for the city of Santa Fe, and is now school board president. He tries to visit every school in his district two times a year.

“This country offers great opportuni-ties,” he said. “Enjoy them and take advantage of them because they may go away someday and never come back.”

By Jose Medina and Betzaida Rodriguez Ruelas

Citizen Schools is a program that helps students achieve personal and academic goals through extended learning hours. Students get to have fun while they learn through apprenticeship programs working with amazing New Mexican teachers and volunteers.

Among the Citizen School programs are journalism, Golf/First Tee Santa Fe, Healthcare and You, Bicycle Maintenance and Robotics.

According to Kendra Engels, campus director of Citizen Schools at De Vargas Middle School, Citizen Schools offers

these programs to connect students with what they learned in the classroom to their future.

As Citizen School journalists, we visited the Robotics apprenticeship class.

Teacher Louis Sinoff, a computer pro-grammer, volunteers to share his tech-nological knowledge and time to teach robotics to students.

“Robots are fun to control and they are like smart students,” he said.

Robots will not move unless you tell them, he said, via computer chips that control their every move and action. Two of the students in this Robotics ap-prenticeship, Jorge Montijo and Brian Iturralde, said their toughest challenge was trying to direct their robots through a maze.

We also took a field trip to The New

Mexican’s printing press plant on the south side of town. We were able to see how a newspaper is printed and meet new people there. One of The New Mexican’s tour guides is Michelle Chavez, who showed us the newspaper archive room, where old New Mexican issues dating back to 1849 to who-knows-when are stored.

No one is allowed in this room except for the person who stores and maintains those papers.

The newspaper printing machines came from Germany and use up to six ink tanks of primary colors. If you read Pasatiem-po, The New York Times and other news-papers (including the De Vargas Buzz), they are printed by The New Mexican’s printing press.

Citizen Schools is in its fifth year at De Vargas Middle School. It has 22 different apprenticeship programs this year, and this is how it teaches students about vari-ous careers in life.

Board president speaks on service to country

Frank Montaño

Santa Fe Public Schools Superintendent Joel Boyd, 33, speaks to students in the Citizens Schools journalism class. Boyd was a middle school science teacher and principal before coming to Santa Fe. He has worked in six different districts. Photos by Randi Jimenez

Superintendent: If you believe, you will achieve

Boyd told the jour-nalism students that he originally hoped to become a baseball player. He wasn’t always a good student in school, he said, but he told himself, “I can achieve.”

Boyd talks to journalism class about how he overcame his own obstacles in school

Citizens Schools offers students insight into careers

Robotics teacher Louis Sinoff, a computer pro-grammer, says robots are like “smart students.” Photo by Jose Medina

Montaño encourages ‘Buzz’ staff to seize opportunities in U.S.

Program helps kids connect class lessons with future goals

Kendra Engels

“ If you’re going to be a journalist, you have to take it seriously and respect your job. Be honest and trustworthy. ” Joel Boyd

Page 4 DE VARGAS BUZZ December 2012

Opinions

By Osman Barragan Chavarria

De Vargas Middle School’s Stu-dent Council is a group of sev-enth and eighth-grade students

from each first-period class who help make De Vargas Middle School a better learning environment. As Student Coun-cil members, we are here to advocate for and represent the student body.

To be in Student Council you must be a responsible leader and an academic achiever.

Candidates have to compete to see who will be elected by their classmates to be class representatives.

If you are accepted, then you either have a choice to be a representative or choose another position.

There are five other positions: eighth-grade president, seventh-grade president, student-body president, secretary, and treasurer.

This year our eighth-grade president is Miguel Marquez and our seventh-grade president is Anaya James.

Our student body president is Monica Benavidez and the secretary is Alba Her-nandez. The treasurer is Luc Du Charme.

After these positions are chosen all the members will work in a community with these leaders to help with com-mittees overseeing student leadership, community services, school dances, and academics.

The community-service committee is responsible for raising money for the school.

The dance committee helps plan and make the dances possible, and chooses the music played at dances.

Student leadership committee helps by planning assemblies, including honor roll.

Student leadership’s committee is made up of all the council officers. The academics committee controls the grades and makes the honor rolls for each quarter.

I love being on and feel very excited about the 2012 DeVargas Middle School Student Council and that is why I serve on it.

Working for Student Council makes a difference

TRIBUTE TO GARFIELD BY ANGELICA ALCAZAR BAD EGGS BY DIANA MORA

MY VIEWSTUDENT BUZZ

Do you think the dress code is too strict? — Compiled by Mercedes Archuleta

“ Yes, because it is boring to wear the same style of clothes.”

Briza Mendoza Munoz, grade 7

“ Yes, because you spend more money on clothes that fit the dress code.”

Melissa Raucho Chavirra, grade 7

“ Yes, because you can’t wear what-ever you want and run out of school clothes.”

Juan Torres, grade 7

“ Yes, because people can’t express their feelings and show that they are unique.”

Ronald Ayala, grade 7

COMICS

What is the best and worst thing about De Vargas? — Compiled by Brenda Mejia Gonzales

“ The best thing is the teachers. The worst thing is drama.”

Jennifer Castillo, grade 7

“ The best thing is cool people. The worst thing is too much drama.”

Valentin Castillo, grade 7

“ The best thing is my friends. The worst thing is get-ting out of school at 5:30.”

Alondra Armenta, grade 7

“ The best thing is my friends. The worst thing is drama.”

Ashley Zubia, grade 7

What do you think of bathroom passes? — Compiled by Karen Villalobos

“ They help people get out of class.”

Leah Sorrell, grade 7

“ They are a privi-lege.”

Ariana Padilla, grade 7

“ I do not think that there are enough.”

Angel Rascon, grade 7

“ We should have more.”

Aleah Montoya, grade 7