Albuquerque Public Schools
Gratitude and Generosity
In her weekly message, Superintendent Blakey reflects on the inspiring story of Jackson Simpkins and the exceptional spirit of our students, staff and community.
Every now and then, I come across a truly moving story that reminds me of the goodness in the world and renews my spirit.
A five-minute film created by our Fine Arts department had that effect on me. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to watch it, it’s definitely worth your time. The film is about Jackson Simpkins, an Eldorado High School marching band student who unexpectedly found himself in a wheelchair due to Functional Neurological Disorder.
It highlights how an entire community came together to ensure that Jackson, a junior in the band’s trumpet section, could continue to do the thing he loved. Teachers, parents and school administrators rallied around Jackson, and that made all the difference.
But even more inspiring than the community coming together are Jackson and his family, who refused to give up when faced with a difficult situation. I’m thrilled to say that Jackson has progressed from using a wheelchair to using a glider that has him upright! This remarkable young man pushed through the barriers, demonstrating what’s possible when we refuse to give up and showing us what perseverance and resilience look like.
As we head into Thanksgiving week, I’ll be thinking about Jackson and the amazing community that mobilized to help him. I’m grateful for all of them.
One of the best things about my job as superintendent is that I get to see our students, staff and the broader community step up for one another time and time again. I see it in the contributions to the APS Education Foundation and the United Way of North Central New Mexico, and in the food drives and other service projects our students participate in regularly.
Earlier this month, APS Activities collected an entire truckload of food through its Drive Out Hunger initiative. Students throughout the district played a crucial role in promoting the food drive and collecting food to support families in need. Several APS departments also stepped up, including our Finance team, which collected a significant amount of food for the effort. Food collected is benefiting our McKinney-Vento Program, which serves students experiencing homelessness and those in unstable living situations.
Staff and students at San Antonito STEM Magnet Elementary School also held a food drive and collected more than 6,900 food items for the East Mountain Food Pantry. Principal Patricia Gallegos said the school has done the drive for five years as a way to give back to the community.
At Volcano Vista High School, seniors Hailey Peters and Ilynne Gutierrez were so motivated by the impact they made for local youth through the community service project they did last year that they decided to expand it by launching Project I.M.P.A.C.T. They are asking high schools throughout the city to adopt PB & J Family Services and fulfill wish lists that include warm clothing, toys and household items. Students at Tony Hillerman Middle School and Tierra Antigua Elementary, meanwhile, will be collecting winter coats for Alongside Ministries. The two organizations help families and single mothers experiencing financial hardship.
Nursing Services is currently hosting its annual coat drive, with nurses at every school collecting new and used coats until Dec. 3. School nurses have collected hundreds of coats since they began hosting the drive more than 10 years ago.
These are just a few of the many examples of generosity I see every day.
KOATs for Kids has donated thousands of coats to our students over the years. KRQE Cares has been helping students in our Title I schools through its Shoes for Kids, Food for Kids and Books for Kids initiatives. ABQ Reads, a partnership between the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and APS, has been sending volunteers to our schools to help young students with reading for over 20 years. Our APS Education Foundation collected $1.9 million in donations last year to support innovative programs and is on track to exceed that number this year. And APS employees pledged more than $90,000 to United Way of North Central New Mexico during the most recent campaign.
I am truly grateful for everyone at Albuquerque Public Schools and in our community who goes above and beyond to help our kids. Your continued generosity demonstrates that the human spirit is alive and well, and that we have so much to be grateful for.
That’s it for now. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!