Gabrielle Arsiaga/News-Sun When it comes to answering a call for service, National Guard Specialist Cassandra Sierra and Sergeant 1st Class Clarence Galassini are all about doing their part —whether that be in a classroom or out on the battlefield. As a way to help alleviate some of the staff shortages New Mexico schools have been experiencing due to the COVID-19 …

Andy Brosig/News-Sun Preliminary spring enrollment numbers are in at Lea County’s two colleges and the news is pretty good. New Mexico Junior College, which resumed classes for the semester on Monday, reported 1,538 full-time students enrolled for spring, said Cathy Mitchell, vice president of student services. University of the Southwest Provost Ryan Tipton reported, with more than a week of …

Jal schools go remote for 4 days amid virus surge CURTIS C. WYNNE NEWS-SUN JAL — With an abundance of caution, and some degree of optimism, the Jal public schools closed in-person classrooms this week due to increased positive coronavirus tests. Students returned to remote learning for four days. Jal’s junior and senior high schools were dismissed early on Thursday …

Jal schools go remote for 4 days amid virus surge CURTIS C. WYNNE NEWS-SUN JAL — With an abundance of caution, and some degree of optimism, the Jal public schools closed in-person classrooms this week due to increased positive coronavirus tests. Students returned to remote learning for four days. Jal’s junior and senior high schools were dismissed early on Thursday …

DOROTHY N. FOWLER/NEWS-SUN The New Mexico Junior College board had a busy Thursday night board meeting prior to Christmas. Board members adopted a multimillion dollar renovation/building plan for different parts of the campus, approved a document that will allow administrators to evaluate professional teaching staff performance, accepted the resignation of long-term Western Heritage Museum education director Mary Lyle, and approved …

ANDY BROSIG/NEWS-SUN Members of a relatively new after school club at Heizer Middle School in Hobbs got a big surprise recently. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Club was formed by instructor John Perales to enter the New Mexico Supercomputing Challenge, an annual competition designed to introduce middle and high school students to critical thinking skills and project-based learning …

ANDY BROSIG/NEWS-SUN Members of a relatively new after school club at Heizer Middle School in Hobbs got a big surprise recently. The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Club was formed by instructor John Perales to enter the New Mexico Supercomputing Challenge, an annual competition designed to introduce middle and high school students to critical thinking skills and project-based learning …

Building on the principals of the successful MyPower program for middle school girls in Hobbs, two staff members at Heizer Middle School are bringing a similar effort to boys in the same age group. Project XY is the brainchild of Daleen Evelo, parent attendance liaison at Heizer, and Jessica Ramirez, the school’s social worker. The idea behind the program — …

New Mexico Junior College’s board of trustees agreed to reallocate $180,000 for an Academic Success Center. The money was originally earmarked last month for a woman’s golf program development. Interim NMJC president Steve McCleery told the board he recognized the need to add women’s sports to the school’s athletic program, but he is concerned because student academic success rates have …

When it opens for the 2022-23 school year, the Career Technology Education Center Hobbs will host a variety of paths for students to prepare for careers after high school. And the Hobbs Municipal Schools Board of Education learned more about what those pathways will look like Tuesday. CTECH Principal, and HMS Operations Director, Zeke Kaney presented the new course guide …