La Junta JR/SR High School

Dear Parents & Guardians, We are excited to welcome our students back next week to in-person learning four days a week, and we look forward to the energy they bring each day. Our focus remains on the health and safety of our students and staff, while carrying out our vision for students, families, and community. We want to thank you all for your feedback on the surveys that have been presented. With more than 80 percent of our students and families opting for face to face instruction, it makes it nearly impossible to continue a hybrid platform in conjunction with a full time face to face option. Students who choose to attend full time virtually through Google Classroom will need to have their parent or guardian call the Jr/Sr High School at (719) 384-4460 and let the counseling center (Mrs. Addington, Mrs. Borton, or Ms. Monaco) know your decision. Please make this phone call by Thursday, October 15th at 4 pm. Students who choose full time, in-person learning will report to the building every day starting Monday, October 19, 2020. In the event a student is absent, the parent or guardian must call the attendance office (719) 384-4469 by 8 am that morning. This allows for them to log in remotely to their Google Classrooms that they have already been utilizing. If your child is sick, they can still log in remotely to get the instruction for the day. Please do not send your student to school if they are feeling ill. As our students return to school, we will continue to work with the Otero County Health Department to make data informed decisions. Over the past six months, we have overcome several obstacles, and we recognize the challenges ahead. We know it hasn’t been easy with the number of transitions we’ve made and our teachers and staff have done a tremendous job preparing for each learning model as we work to keep the student experience at the center of all of our planning. As we transition back to in-person learning next week, please remember this is new for all of us, and each day will become more familiar. Respectfully, Dan Nuschy, Principal La Junta Jr/Sr High School

The Patriot’s Pen and Voice of Democracy contests sponsored by the Veteran of Foreign Wars. These two contests promote patriotism and offer scholarships up to $30,000 on the national level for high school students and up to $5,000 on the national level for Jr. high school students. Voice of Democracy is for students in grades 9-12 and consists of a 3-5-minute audio recorded essay on the selected theme. This year’s theme is Is This the Country the Founders Envisioned? The student must submit a written version of their audio presentation with the audio and written copies identical. An application, found at http://ow.ly/Fsdo30reC9x should be completed online, then printed and submitted with the entry. The student must also submit a photograph of him or herself. (See further detailed instructions on the application form). Patriot’s Pen is for students in grades 6-8 and consists of a 300-400 word written essay. This year’s theme is What is Patriotism to Me? An application, found at http://ow.ly/fuLX30reCvX should be completed online, then printed and submitted with the entry. The student must also submit a photograph of him or herself. (See further detailed instructions on the application form). Each school is asked to submit their top three entries for each contest. All entries must be returned to Pat Gonzales at PO Box 169 Las Animas, CO 81054 by Thursday, October 30th. (Due to the short turnaround time, pickup of the entries can be arranged). For further questions, please contact Pat Gonzales via email at patti.shene@gmail.com or by phone at 719-468-8516. Thank you for your anticipated participation in this program.