Students in Samantha Cooper’s first grade class at Lujan-Chavez Elementary were hard at work the first day of school. After Cooper greeted each of her new pupils with a hug, high five, or a heart hand gesture, the students began their first task of the day: writing their name or making their favorite animal out of Play-Doh.
“Today they’re going to create a first day memory book,” said Cooper, a teacher at Lujan-Chavez for 11 years. “We’re going to (read) “First Day Jitters,” have some jitter juice, a little dance party. I’m always excited for the first day of school and new students. I’m ready.”
The Socorro Independent School District eagerly welcomed students back to the district’s 51 campuses on Aug. 5, 2024.
With endless opportunities in top-notch academic programs, championship athletics, award-winning fine arts, innovative Career and Technical Education, and much more, students and staff were all in to seize their opportunities and succeed in the 2024-25 school year.
ALL IN to seize new opportunities
Melanie Roman Naciff was excited about starting her senior year at El Dorado High School. Roman Naciff, who is in the school’s International Baccalaureate program, looked forward to participating in senior year traditions like Senior Sunrise and Senior Sunset.
“I’ve grown up here a lot,” Roman Naciff said. “I really am excited to kind of cherish all these last moments.”
The new school year brought in several new highly anticipated initiatives. SISD rolled out 25 new electric school buses on the first day of school. These buses have zero emissions, which will help create a cleaner environment for students, staff, and the community.
Students and the SISD community will enjoy athletic and special events at the new Student Activities Complex or SAC II. Socorro High School and Horizon High School will play the first game at SAC II on August 30.
Zuri Ariana Diaz was eager to be back at Hueco Elementary School this year to see her friends and meet her new teacher.
“I’m starting first grade and I haven’t been in school forever!,” Diaz said. “I missed my teacher, but I’m still going to see her, and I missed all my friends.”
Elementary academies provide exceptional learning opportunities
At SISD's six elementary academies, students looked forward to exploring their interests in the arts, health sciences, environmental sciences, or Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM).
Before the school year began, Sierra Vista STEAM Academy proudly earned the National Certificate for STEM Excellence (NCSE)—Campus Certification from the National Institute for STEM Education (NISE).
“SISD is the place to be, and our teachers want to go above and beyond and do everything that they can to ensure all of our students are learning at high levels,” said Sierra Vista STEAM Academy Principal Ashley Adcox about the certification.
At O’Shea Keleher Whole Child Academy, Principal Laura Garcia said students will be doing a lot of great things this year. The academy’s whole-child approach strongly emphasizes mental health and social-emotional learning to help students develop a healthy outlook on life.
“We have health labs that are going to be opening up,” Garcia said. “We have our innovation lab; we have our garden. So, our children are going to get to experience a lot of neat things this year, and we're excited to have them experience that.”
Team SISD is ALL IN for You
New this year, the district has launched the ALL IN for You campaign, which prioritizes customer service to ensure families continue to choose SISD schools as their preferred educational option.
Jacque Astorga said enrolling her children at Horizon Heights Elementary was the best choice for her family. After her son, Oliver Esparza, had a great experience in kindergarten last year, she enrolled her daughter, Amerie Esparza, in the school’s Pre-K program.
Astorga volunteers at the school and said she would recommend Horizon Heights to other parents.
“I love it here. It is one of the best schools that I've been to,” Astorga said. “I love that it's so family oriented and that the kids come first.”
ALL IN for Attendance
Increased attendance also will be a primary focus for SISD this school year. The district will implement attendance initiatives as part of its ALL IN for Attendance campaign to improve student and teacher attendance at school.
Students like Felix Alexis Villa, a second grader at Loma Verde Elementary School, and Victoria Galindo, an eighth grader at Captain Walter E. Clarke Middle School, said they were excited to attend school because of the different activities their schools offer.
Villa said he looked forward to his science class, dancing in PE and making new friends. Galindo, a cheerleader, said she was eager to participate in different activities during her final year in middle school, such as robotics.
“My first day of school this year was so incredible,” Galindo said. "I met my new teachers, and I already feel them trying to push us students to be great. I am so excited to see what happens this year, and I know that we can achieve great things!”