Dear Canutillo Familia,
The summer break is normally a time when you don’t hear much about what is happening at our campuses. Most of our teachers and students are off for a much-deserved vacation and that means our schools tend to be a little quieter. That’s why it has been heartwarming for me to see so much activity happening with students and employees who, despite being off on break, continue to represent us and make the Canutillo name shine bright.
We kicked off the week by learning that a group of incoming freshmen at Canutillo High School spent several days in school learning more about what they should expect as members of the first Criminal Justice P TECH class. These young men and women not only toured the beautiful CHS campus, they also walked over to the El Paso Community College Northwest campus that will provide them with college-level courses as part of the P TECH program. How exciting to know that these freshmen will graduate high school in four years with so many certifications that they will be able to head to college with plenty of college credit and the ability to start work at age 18 in a law enforcement job that can pay them up to $60,000. Not bad for a teenager!
On Monday evening the Board of Trustees recognized a group of young ladies who traveled to a national cheerleading competition and came back as champions. The Alderete Middle School cheer squad participated in the Cheer & Dance/Drill Team America Competition in San Antonio and came back with three big titles: 1st Place with a ranking of Superior, Grand Champions of the Junior High/Middle School Division and Outstanding Routine & Outstanding Stunts. Canutillo ISD cheer is near and dear to my heart, so this one made me extra proud.
On Monday the Board approved the appointment of Candice Marrufo as the next principal of Canutillo High School. This position is critical to the continuation of our academic success, and we wish Ms. Marrufo great success. We know that she has embraced the Eagle Spirit and we can’t wait to see what wonderful things she will implement at our flagship school.
Lastly, I want to commend every single campus in our District for achieving the coveted No Place for Hate designation from the Anti-Defamation League of the Southwest. No Place for Hate is a program that CISD has implemented for more than 10 years to promote inclusivity and cooperation among students and staff. It is great to see the commitment our schools continue to show toward Social and Emotional Learning, and to have students embrace this philosophy is truly a joy. Congratulations to all the schools!
As I mentioned last week, we have some difficult decisions ahead of us as Board members. Our budget remains of critical concern to us and we will meet again next week to determine how we can move forward with having as little impact to instruction and our employees. We will update you with the outcome of our budget hearings.
Have a great weekend. ¡Un abrazo!
Patricia Mendoza
President
Board of Trustees