Atrisco Reaches Out to 9th Graders ; School Promises Strong Academics

By Jack King Journal Staff Writer

Students registering Friday for Atrisco Heritage Academy High School, Albuquerque Public School’s new college preparatory school on the West Mesa, said they are looking forward to the educational opportunity.

At least one parent said she appreciated Atrisco officials’ vigorous attempts at reaching out to the community they plan to serve.

Classes start Tuesday.

Registration for the first class of the new school ran from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday. From 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., APS buses carried students and parents from the Westgate Community Center, on the city’s West Side, to Central New Mexico Community College’s Student Support Center cafeteria, off of University Boulevard, where the registration took place.

Atrisco Heritage Principal Karen Sanchez-Griego said 506 students had preregistered in the spring. By 4 p.m. Friday, 331 students had arrived to sign up.

Sanchez-Griego said the school, being built to help reduce overcrowding at West Mesa High, is only holding classes for ninthgrade students this year, but is to add 10th and 11th grades next year.

Atrisco is not a charter school, she added, but an APS secondary school, with a rigorous collegepreparatory curriculum. She and school counselor Alma Rodriguez have visited more than 300 Southwest Albuquerque families since July 2007 to explain the school’s plans.

Alexandria O’Donoghue, whose daughter Maureen registered Friday, said she appreciated the outreach effort.

“Karen came to our home to talk to us about her vision for the school. She’s really passionate about her vision for the school and about students. Plus, I think she’s a good role model for my daughter,” O’Donoghue said.

Maureen said Atrisco’s a mbit iou s cu r r icu lu m appeals to her because she wants to pursue a Ph.D. in one of the sciences, or maybe an M.D.

“I’d like to be a CSI (crime scene investigator) or maybe a doctor — something that helps people,” she said.

Charles Saenz, another ninth grader registering Friday, said he chose Atrisco because “it’s a good school.” Sanchez-Griego said Atrisco’s permanent building, under construction at 10800 Dennis Chavez, is expected to open in October. Until then, the school is temporarily housed in the old Bernalillo County Courthouse at 501 Tijeras.

(c) 2008 Albuquerque Journal. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.