Students stick with school

Early college high school’s first year deemed a success

Bulletin Staff Report Friday, June 10, 2011 Volume 43 Number 23

Las Cruces Public Schools is reporting that all 112 freshmen in its early college high school will be returning to begin classes in its new building on the New Mexico State University campus.

A community group of educators and business leaders called The Bridge pushed for the creation of an early college high school as a national best practice for academically focused students to take classes at a university or college campus environment. Early college high schools enjoy a 95 percent graduation rate, nationally.

LCPS opened the new school last July before construction began on its building at NMSU’s Arrowhead Center. Doña Ana Community College provided classroom space for the first group of students.

The Arrowhead Park Early College High School (APECHS) prepares students to graduate with both a high school diploma and a two year college degree in four years. APECHS students completed their first college-level dual credit course, ninth- and 10th-grade honors English classes and posted district-leading attendance rates. “I like that we’re a small community and we all know each other,” said student Marina Calderon. “We’re like a big family. Here we all communicate with each other, and we’re all under four teachers. Our school motto is ‘We are the Trailblazers.’ So without the teachers taking that risk for the first-year students, we wouldn’t be anything.”

General Dynamics to expand at NMSU

Sun-News report

Posted: 07/10/2009 09:27:06 AM MDT

http://www.lcsun-news.com/ci_12809279

LAS CRUCES — General Dynamics announced that it will expand its SpacePlexSM facility at New Mexico State University’s Arrowhead Research Park.

Called SpacePlex 2, and set to open July 22, the facility will have 15,000 square feet of office and lab space along with room for preparation of government proposals and a secure work area, reports Fran Ford Jacques, director of public affairs for General Dynamics C4 Systems.

“It’s designed to support national space and satellite programs and complements the current SpacePlex facility, which was dedicated in 2001,” Jacques said via an e-mail. “The original SpacePlex is a 12,000 square foot facility supporting 30 General Dynamics workers.”

Jacques said the new facility will eventually employ about 40 people.

According to a release, one immediate effort will be the preparation of a proposal for the Goddard Space Flight Center’s Space Network Ground Segment Sustainment program. SGSS will modernize the ground system and network for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System.

General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Va., reports that it employs approximately 92,900 people worldwide.

“For three decades, General Dynamics workers have supported NASA projects from key New Mexico vantage points including NMSU in Las Cruces and the nearby White Sands Complex. Beginning with a contract to provide ground support for NASA’s TDRSS program in 1978, the company’s space and satellite-related operations have outgrown a number of local facilities. SpacePlex 2 is within walking distance of the current SpacePlex facility, which was dedicated in 2001,” the release states.

More information about General Dynamics is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.