Photo one: Los Alamos Online Learning Academy staff pose outside of the LAOLA Roadrunner office located near the LAPS District office. Staff members include, from left, Christine Monteith, Kate Hovey, Eva Abeyta, Kati Steinberg, Sarah Rose Sanchez, Becky Littleton, Jacque Griego and Colleen Goddard. Photo Courtesy LAC
LAPS NEWS RELEASE
Los Alamos Public Schools offers families not only brick and mortar options for educating students but an online option as well. Los Alamos Online Learning Academy (LAOLA) is a school of choice for students in kindergarten through 8th grade within LAPS. Though the Online Academy was established in 2020 in response to the Covid pandemic, it has become a permanent entity among the many structures LAPS has in place to meet the unique and varied learning needs of LAPS students.
On the first day of school buddies met to internalize the school theme that “We are Stronger Together” by creating a canvas of interlocking handprints. There was also a schoolwide tug of war that included all the Roadrunner teachers, students, siblings and adults. The morning ended with the school cheer which is, of course,” Meep Meep!”
Online learning provides a variety of advantages and opportunities for student growth and success. Students attend class online every day from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm. In partnership with families, teachers are able to provide individualized instruction to meet students’ learning needs. Teachers use explicit instructional strategies in whole and small groups, giving students time to practice skills in a synchronized learning environment. Students complete work independently and meet their teachers in the afternoons for questions, tutoring, and enrichment.
“Our asynchronous afternoon schedule allows the flexibility for students to pursue outside interests and passions such as sports, the arts, or 4H,” explained Mrs. Steinberg. “Our online families are able to travel and have children attend their regular daily classes from any location that has access to the internet. This kind of flexibility fosters student growth in responsibility for attending classes, accountability for completing assignments, and time management to get it all done.
“These are skills needed to be successful adults,” she added.
In 2020, LAOLA provided a rigorous full time online learning option for families who preferred to have their students attend school from home. This year, as more opportunities for in person student engagement and enrichment become available within the community, the Online Academy plans to expand student learning experiences by collaborating with community members and taking advantage of local resources.
“Some of the big changes this year include our combination grade-level classes, which allow for greater differentiation to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of our students,” explained Mrs. Steinberg. “We are planning our Roadrunner Adventure Fridays to coincide with monthly materials pickup. Students will be able to engage in hands-on science, math, and literacy activities as an extension of ongoing classroom instruction. They will meet in our resource space with their buddies or visit with community members such as Mesa Public Library, 4-H, the Los Alamos Historical Museum, the White Rock visitor’s center, and many more. In September, the 7th and 8th graders are visiting with reporters at the Los Alamos Daily Post to learn about journalism and the writing craft. The 5th and 6th graders will visit the Bradbury Museum as well as the Los Alamos Historical Museum to learn about the impact and influence of our community on New Mexico history. Our Primary team of K-2 students will be doing hands-on life science with their 3rd and 4th grade buddies to learn about the human brain.”
LAOLA teachers and staff enjoy online learning and the small class sizes, which allow them to get to know their students as individuals with unique strengths and learning styles. They love the trust that comes from being in their students’ homes each day and the relationships and partnerships created with the entire family.
“Our families tell us they like the flexibility to travel and pursue interests while attending class from anywhere in the world,” added Mrs. Steinberg. “They feel that our teachers are available to work with them and their children in a safe, trusting and enriching educational environment.”
Forty-seven students are enrolled in LAOLA for the 2022-2023 school year. They kicked off the school year with in person classes at Ashley Pond. The LAOLA Roadrunners, as they are known, met their teachers and classmates, talked about classroom expectations and computer safety, looked at materials and schedules, and learned about getting online for their first classes the next day.
Becky Littleton, Colleen Goddard, Eva Abeyta and Kati Steinberg have been teaching for LAPS for many years and took the opportunity to join LAOLA when it was established in 2020. This year, Mrs. Littleton is the K-2 teacher with fourteen students. Mrs. Goddard, Humanities, and Mrs. Abeyta, math and science, teach twenty-one 5th through 8th graders. Jacque Griego is teaching twelve 3rd and 4th graders., Instructional assistant for K-2 Christine Monteith joined the team this year after experiencing online learning as one of the LAOLA families.
Mrs. Steinberg transitioned from online 2nd grade teacher to LAOLA principal last year. Sarah Rose Sanchez returned this year as instructional assistant.
LAOLA students also benefit from all necessary student services provided by the resource and ancillary teachers from their partner school, Chamisa Elementary, as well as P.E., art, music and library with Chamisa Specials teachers.
“This year our 5th and 6th graders will partner up with our K-2 students, both online and in person, for weekly critical thinking activities and cross curricular crafts and projects,” said Mrs. Steinberg. “And our 7th and 8th graders will meet with the Middle Team 3rd and 4th graders as math buddies.”
On the first day of school buddies met to internalize the school theme that “We are Stronger Together” by creating a canvas of interlocking handprints. There was also a schoolwide tug of war that included all the Roadrunner teachers, students, siblings and adults. The morning ended with the school cheer which is, of course,” Meep Meep!”
Online learning provides a variety of advantages and opportunities for student growth and success. Students attend class online every day from 8:30 am to 12:15 pm. In partnership with families, teachers are able to provide individualized instruction to meet students’ learning needs. Teachers use explicit instructional strategies in whole and small groups, giving students time to practice skills in a synchronized learning environment. Students complete work independently and meet their teachers in the afternoons for questions, tutoring, and enrichment.
“Our asynchronous afternoon schedule allows the flexibility for students to pursue outside interests and passions such as sports, the arts, or 4H,” explained Mrs. Steinberg. “Our online families are able to travel and have children attend their regular daily classes from any location that has access to the internet. This kind of flexibility fosters student growth in responsibility for attending classes, accountability for completing assignments, and time management to get it all done.
“These are skills needed to be successful adults,” she added.
In 2020, LAOLA provided a rigorous full time online learning option for families who preferred to have their students attend school from home. This year, as more opportunities for in person student engagement and enrichment become available within the community, the Online Academy plans to expand student learning experiences by collaborating with community members and taking advantage of local resources.
“Some of the big changes this year include our combination grade-level classes, which allow for greater differentiation to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of our students,” explained Mrs. Steinberg. “We are planning our Roadrunner Adventure Fridays to coincide with monthly materials pickup. Students will be able to engage in hands-on science, math, and literacy activities as an extension of ongoing classroom instruction. They will meet in our resource space with their buddies or visit with community members such as Mesa Public Library, 4-H, the Los Alamos Historical Museum, the White Rock visitor’s center, and many more. In September, the 7th and 8th graders are visiting with reporters at the Los Alamos Daily Post to learn about journalism and the writing craft. The 5th and 6th graders will visit the Bradbury Museum as well as the Los Alamos Historical Museum to learn about the impact and influence of our community on New Mexico history. Our Primary team of K-2 students will be doing hands-on life science with their 3rd and 4th grade buddies to learn about the human brain.”
LAOLA teachers and staff enjoy online learning and the small class sizes, which allow them to get to know their students as individuals with unique strengths and learning styles. They love the trust that comes from being in their students’ homes each day and the relationships and partnerships created with the entire family.
“Our families tell us they like the flexibility to travel and pursue interests while attending class from anywhere in the world,” added Mrs. Steinberg. “They feel that our teachers are available to work with them and their children in a safe, trusting and enriching educational environment.”
Parents report that they occasionally like to pop into classes to observe the exciting learning that happens daily. Some students have said that they have stronger relationships with their online classmates than they had with in person classmates. They also report that they feel safe from bullying, have good relationships with their teachers, like the focus on explicit instruction and often feel that they have a clear grasp of the content.
“As a former classroom teacher, instructional coach, and online teacher, I have the privilege of bringing all that I have learned and experienced to the role of Principal of the Online Academy,” said Mrs. Steinberg. “I know, work with, and support all the students in our Academy. We see each other in class and in our weekly school assembly. Our teachers have built relationships with our students that allow us to ‘dissolve the screen’ to the point where it feels like we are physically present with each other.”
She continued, “We have to have high expectations for student participation and behavior to make online learning work. To accomplish that, we help students make connections to, and form strong relationships with, each other, their teachers, and their community. We guide our students to develop responsibility and accountability to ensure that their learning is meaningful. Teachers strive for a high degree of student engagement and enable students to have a higher degree of agency over their learning. This year, upper team students are planning and leading their own online cooking club. Middle team students will be organizing their book club. We want to see what our students can achieve and support them to accomplish their goals.
“Roadrunners show us over and over that they are Defying Expectations every day!”
LAOLA Open House
The Online Learning Academy Open House will take place by virtual meet on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. LAOLA families are invited to join the meet using their student’s laptop in the Roadrunner Rally Google Classroom.
5:30 pm – 5:48 pm (Meet link: Roadrunner Rally Google Classroom)
Chat with the Principal on the Roadrunner Classroom Meet
Introduce some of our community partners- Chamisa PTO, boy and girl Scouting, YMCA after school program.
5:50 pm – 6:10 pm
K-2nd grade meet with parents
6:15 pm – 6:35 pm
3rd – 5th grade meet with parents
6:40 pm – 7:00 pm
6th – 8th grade meet with Parents
5:50 pm – 7:00 pm
Join community members in separate Meets to ask questions about participation in extracurricular activities.
- Meet link – Girl Scouts hosts Host Grace Wiele, Stephanie Haaser
Phone Numbers: (US)+1 573-746-2028 PIN: 766 195 586#
- Meet Link – Scouting hosts Kate Hovey & Chris Monteith
Phone Numbers: (US)+1 209-837-3174 PIN: 786 614 489#
- Meet link- Chamisa PTO Host Alison Watkins
Phone Numbers: (US)+1 443-429-0929 PIN: 729 879 406#
- Meet link- YMCA afterschool program host Jamie Allbach
Phone Numbers: (US)+1 828-515-4860 PIN: 200 764 525#