Albuquerque Public Schools
Friday Night Lights are Upon Us!
In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey discusses the importance of extracurricular and co-curricular activities to a well-rounded education.
Being the superintendent of Albuquerque Public Schools comes with a number of perks. Tonight, for instance, I have the honor of doing the coin toss for the La Cueva-Volcano Vista football game at Nusenda Community Stadium. I’m not at all embarrassed to say that I’m just as excited to hear the marching bands as I am to watch the Bears and Hawks go at it on the gridiron.
At the end of the night, one of these teams will prevail, but in a larger sense, every kid who takes to the field is a winner. Every kid in the band is a winner. Same goes for our cross country and track and field teams, our swimmers, our choirs, our mock trial and esports teams, and those who participate in the countless other co-curricular and extracurricular opportunities we provide to our students.
Activities like football and band are vital to our kids' education. They give students a sense of belonging and teach them to keep going despite the early mornings, hot uniforms, and many hours of grueling practices.
Participation in these activities – all activities – teaches our students to believe in themselves and in their abilities to affect an outcome, whether it be a game, musical performance, or a mock trial case. And they create understanding and empathy among our students, fostering camaraderie and lasting friendships, even when teammates come from different backgrounds.
It’s the magical thing that happens when a group of people work toward a common purpose!
Our extracurricular and co-curricular activities help build well-rounded citizens and help students develop the skills, habits, and mindsets they’ll need to succeed in the real world. They also teach kids that success isn’t always automatic; there are times when they fall short and must deal with disappointment before working toward eventual success. We’re talking about perseverance, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and social awareness, qualities that are so important that our Board of Education included them in the goals they set to move our district forward.
Of course, extracurricular and co-curricular activities don’t just happen. We have an army of people throughout APS who dedicate their time and efforts to providing these opportunities to our students. We have coaches and athletic directors, band and choir directors and club sponsors. I’m grateful to every one of you for your hard work and for making a difference in the lives of our students. Thank you for all you do! And thank you to everyone who shows up to these games, performances, and everything in between. Your support means a great deal to our students!
I’m looking forward to tonight’s game between Volcano Vista and La Cueva, and, no, I’m not rooting for one team over the other. I wish both teams the best of luck.
Let’s keep encouraging our students to take advantage of the many extracurricular and co-curricular opportunities they have.
On another note, I’ll be delivering my State of the District address at 9 a.m. on Wednesday at Berna Facio Professional Development Complex. I recognize that most APS employees won’t be able to attend, but it will be streamed live on the APS YouTube channel, and it will be available to view after the event. I encourage you to watch it.
Have a great weekend!