Rio Rancho Public Schools

🚀 Vista Grande Elementary’s 5th Graders Went to Mars! 🚀 On April 24, our amazing team of fifth-graders joined nearly 1,000 students from across New Mexico at the Albuquerque Convention Center for the Mission to Mars expedition! 🌌 Our crew: Designed and presented a food supply system for Mars Created riddles packed with Mars facts for other teams to solve Performed and sang a Mars saga Built an impressive 8x8-foot habitat, which linked up with habitats from other schools to form a full Martian colony Their hard work, teamwork, and creativity paid off- they received an exceptional score for the day! 🏆 We are so proud of our future explorers and scientists. Way to go, Voyagers! #RRPSignites

Wow, what a night! Mr. Kramer, an incredible music teacher at Joe Harris Elementary, led an unforgettable third-grade music performance! Nearly 100 talented students took the stage, showcasing their skills after months of hard work. The turnout was amazing, with parents packing both the gym and cafeteria! We're so lucky to have Mr. Kramer guiding our students on their musical journey. Thank you to all who made this event so special! #RRPSignites

What a weekend for wrestling at Cleveland High School! The girls took home the 5A State Championship while the boys took 2nd overall! Congratulations to all the athletes who competed over the weekend in our own backyard at the Rio Rancho Events Center. 📸 by New Mexico Activities Association (NMAA)

Congratulations to Alexander McGee on becoming a finalist in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program! Alex ranked #12 out of 492 seniors in the Class of 2025 at Rio Rancho High School, is among the highest-scoring students in the nation, representing less than 1% of U.S. high school seniors. His outstanding achievements include missing only one question on the SAT in his junior year. We wish him the best as he competes for one of the National Merit Scholarships to be awarded in the spring!

Huge congrats to Rio Rancho High School Varsity Cheer for their awesome performance at the National High School Cheerleading Championship in Orlando, FL! 🌴 They earned 5th place in Small Coed Varsity Game Day! 🎉 What an accomplishment!

🌲 Family Fun Day at Shining Stars Preschool! 🌿 Our Forest Pod families came together for an incredible day of learning and bonding! 🤗 Parents and kids explored, played, and created memories through hands-on activities designed to spark imagination and connection. Huge thanks to our amazing Forest Pod staff for organizing such a memorable event! 👏 #RRPSignites

🎓 Teacher Residency Program at Rio Rancho Public Schools - Apply Now! 🍎 Aspiring teachers, don't miss this chance for a paid, year-long apprenticeship for the 2025-2026 school year! ✅ $35,000 stipend ✅ Hands-on classroom experience ✅ Various licensure areas available Apply by February 15, 2025: coehs.unm.edu/residencies

🌟 In celebration this month, we pay tribute to the strength, guidance, and enduring influence of African American educators, personnel, and innovators who have molded our educational institutions and neighborhoods. From historical groundbreakers to contemporary change-makers, their achievements continue to motivate future generations. We invite you to commemorate their enduring legacies, elevate Black voices, and expand our knowledge of African American history—a heritage that resonates with and shapes us all.

RRPS will be hosting a job fair and open house this Wednesday, February 5, 2025, from 4:00p.m. to 5:00p.m. at the District Office Training Center (500 Laser Rd NE, Rio Rancho). We are looking to hire a wide range of professionals interested in furthering our mission to ignite student potential. During this week's job fair, those in attendance can speak to district officials, ask questions, and get help through the application process. For a complete list of position openings within Rio Rancho Public Schools, click or tap the link below. https://riorancho.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx We'll see you at the open house! #RRPSIgnites #jobfair #hiring #nowhiring

The RRPS Curriculum and Instruction Department will be hosting an open house for science instructional materials that K-12 adoption teams are considering. We would like to invite you to attend! During the open house, you can personally review instructional materials, ask questions, and provide feedback. District representatives will be present to answer questions and give more information about materials at every grade level. Please review the flyer below for more information. When: Wednesday, January 29, 2025 - 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Where: RRPS Training Center, Rooms 1-3 500 Laser Rd NE, Rio Rancho We'll see you there!

🏹 Bullseye Brilliance: MCE Archery Team Strikes Gold! 🏆 Maggie Cordova Elementary's archery team continues improving! At the RRHS "Rams Quest for the Bullseye" tournament, the young archers hit a spectacular team score of 2,764, claiming the elementary division trophy! 🥇 Individual Standouts Julianne Roark (5th grade): 1st place with a stellar 256 score Brielle Alaniz (5th grade): 2nd place, scoring 253 Woody Santorius (5th grade): 3rd place with 254 points 🎯 Top Performers Elementary Girls Top 5: Morgan Hasana Olivia Call Mya Gabaldon Felicity Torres Layla Cortez-Perez Elementary Boys Top Performers: Issac Lopez Graeme Call Colton Havill Levi Thurman Coached by Toby Jackson, they're locked and loaded for the upcoming NASP NM state tournament - defending champions are on a mission!🏹🎯 #RRPSignites

🌟 Inspiring Leadership at ESE! 🌟 Mike Tupper, Regional Director of the Northeast Region for USGS, visited a 4th and 5th grade class at Ernest Stapleton Elementary School to share his insights on never giving up and what it takes to be a true leader. During his visit, he witnessed an incredible act of kindness by 4th grader Cade Miller, who took it upon himself to help a fellow student overcome language barriers while working on their project. Mr. Tupper recognized Cade's leadership by awarding him a special leadership coin from USGS—making him one of the few New Mexicans to receive this honor! 🎖️ We are so proud of you, Cade! Keep shining bright! 🌟

Last Friday, RRMS and RRHS represented the district at the annual New Mexico Music Educators Association (NMMEA) conference! The RRMS Phoenix Philharmonic, a collaborative orchestra made up of the Phoenix's concert band, choir, and orchestra programs, and the RRHS Wind Symphony had the immense honor of playing a sold-out concert at Popejoy Hall! The show was a result of both schools receiving special recognition from the NMMEA; the Phoenix Philharmonic was named this year's NMMEA Honor Orchestra, and the RRHS Wind Symphony was named this year's NMMEA Honor Band. The performance was absolutely wonderful, and every student involved did an outstanding job. We are so proud of both our Phoenix and Rams, as well as the RRPS Fine Arts Department!

🎉📚 Reading Opens the World 📚🎉 What an amazing event we had at Ernest Stapleton Elementary School on Saturday. Here's a quick recap of the highlights: 240 volunteers worked tirelessly to set up and unpack 24 pallets of books! 226 educators each received 50 books to enrich their classrooms. 440 families took home 10 books per child, fostering a love for reading at home. 🐶 The wonderful team from Tales of Joy READ brought their therapy dogs for some furry cuddles. Families had fun making Swiftie friendship bracelets! 🎨 Sundance Dental provided essential dental supplies. Our dedicated nurses from UHPNM offered blood pressure checks. Safety tips were shared by our friends at RRPD and RRFD. Special thanks to the American Federation of Teachers for providing the books! This event was made possible by RRSEU in partnership with the United Health Employees of NM. We opened our doors early at 10:45 AM, and the line was out the door in the cold! The enthusiasm did not stop, with steady traffic throughout the day. Thank you to everyone who joined us in celebrating the joy of reading! Together, we’re opening new worlds for our community.

Dear RRPS parents and guardians of middle and high school students, Due to requirements by the Public Education Department, Rio Rancho Public Schools will be altering our previously approved 2024-2025 calendar. Unfortunately, our Jump Start day is no longer recognized as an instructional day by the PED; therefore, we must add instructional time to our calendar. Please review the following for information on an upcoming calendar change: Monday, January 6, 2025 will be a 50/50 synchronous/asynchronous instructional day for middle and high school students. Information about this day, including lesson plans, will be provided to you by your child’s school. This change will help align the district with PED requirements without extending the year further into the summer. We appreciate your understanding and support. Rio Rancho Public Schools

🎉 Exciting News from Vista Grande Elementary! 🎄 We are thrilled to announce that Vista Grande Elementary has been selected to represent New Mexico in the America Celebrates ornament display at the National Christmas Tree in Washington, D.C.! This year, our talented fifth grader, Maximo Risso, designed an incredible ornament that symbolizes our rich history, heritage, and culture. A huge thank you to Liz Lockhart, our amazing art teacher, for guiding Maximo and all the students who participated in creating these beautiful ornaments. Over 15 Grizzly students contributed their artistic talents, and all 24 ornaments are proudly hanging on the tree! The America Celebrates display surrounds the National Christmas Tree on the Ellipse, south of the White House, showcasing ornaments made by students from every state and territory. Join us in celebrating this wonderful honor and the spirit of creativity that brings our community together! To learn more about the tree and see pictures, go to https://www.thenationaltree.org/about-the-tree/ #RRPSignites

Rio Rancho Public Schools has a new mobile app. It's everything RRPS, in your pocket. Suitable for download on Android and iPhone devices, our mobile app will keep you informed, up-to-date, and looped in on all the latest events, alerts, and news about Rio Rancho Public Schools. The app also lets you search the staff directory, research RRPS programs and services, check lunch menus, read through our live feed and more. Downloading the app is as simple as 1, 2, 3: 1. Visit the App store or Google Play store on your smartphone or Download the app for Android at https://bit.ly/3n0sdFW for iPhone at https://apple.co/34RzWQc. 2. If visiting the App Store or Google Play Store, search "Rio Rancho Public Schools, NM" and look for the orange box with our RR logo inside. 3. Click the install button.

Who says you need to go to the beach to make a castle? Students at Sandia Vista finished their Medieval unit by creating their own castles! #RRPSignites

Parents, please remember to report serious concerns, especially safety or well-being, to our STOPit app. Using direct reporting tools like our Rio Rancho Public Schools STOPit app, sending an email, making a phone call, or simply speaking to a school administrator in person is a far better way to ensure concerns are effectively addressed versus using social media to voice concerns. Posting concerns online can spark rumors, spread misinformation, and even create unnecessary panic. Social media often amplifies a situation and many times online postings contain information and context that are misleading or not accurate. Submitting concerns through the appropriate channels, like the STOPit app, allows for a more focused, private, and effective resolution. Your report goes straight to the people who can help and take action—whether that’s the school administrators, security, counselors, or law enforcement. Whether you are concerned about safety, bullying, self-harm, or suspicious behavior, the report will be timely reviewed and sent to the appropriate officials or staff to investigate and take appropriate action. With the STOPit app, users can anonymously submit tips, attach photo or video evidence, and privately message school leaders with the necessary information to help everyone involved. If you haven’t already done so, we urge parents and guardians to download the STOPit app and become familiar with its features. This will not only enable you to guide your children in using the app but will also demonstrate our collective commitment to the safety and well-being of our whole school community. The STOPit app is also located on our RRPS and each school’s websites.

Introducing Moving Forward: A Grief Support Group for RRPS Students We are offering a safe, supportive space for elementary, middle, and high school students navigating grief. Our Moving Forward group is designed to help students process their emotions and build resilience through peer connection and professional guidance. 🗓 Two Sessions Available: Session 1: October 8 - November 19, 2024 Session 2: February 18 - April 1, 2025 Both sessions will take place every Tuesday from 5:30PM to 7:00PM at Eagle Ridge Middle School. Dinner will be provided for attendees. For more information, and to sign up for either session, please reach out to your student's grade level counselor.