Smartboard: Dec. 25, 2023

Basa succeeds Tara Hughes, a pre-K teacher at Santa Fe Public Schools’ Nye Early Childhood Center, as the best-of-the-best of the state’s teachers.

Originally from the Philippines, Basa has spent more than two decades in education, making it his mission to serve culturally and linguistically diverse students.

He’s served STEM ninth through 12th grade students at Twin Buttes Cyber Academy and Zuni High School for the past three years.

“Our students love him, and they are enamored with the work he does for them,” Zuni Public School District Superintendent Randy Ann Stickney said in a news release.

“He represents our school district in a remarkable way, but he will also do the same for the state of New Mexico.”

SFHS chamber orchestra named state Honor Orchestra

Santa Fe High School’s chamber orchestra, led by teacher and director Gabriel Tafoya, has been selected by the New Mexico Music Educators Association as the state’s 2024 Honor Orchestra.

The orchestra’s 18 students will perform six pieces at the University of New Mexico’s Popejoy Hall in Albuquerque at 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 11.

Tickets are free but must be reserved in advance. To reserve tickets:

popejoypresents.evenue.net

N.M. School for the Arts students take all-state honors

Many students at New Mexico School for the Arts, a public charter school that serves high schoolers from across the state at its Railyard campus, received all-state honors from the New Mexico Music Educators Association this fall. They are:

u Cheden Anastasion, jazz ensemble 3

u Phoenix Anastasion, concert band

u Xavier Arellano, mixed choir

u Narai Armour, symphony orchestra

u Angelina Barcena, treble choir

u Lily Diaz, treble choir

u Terra Donahue, concert orchestra

u Steele Dream, mixed choir

u Erika Easterbrooks, concert band and jazz alternate

u Giselle Ericson, mixed choir

u Cruz Gallegos, orchestra alternate

u Leon Garcia-Rivera, symphony orchestra

u Sawyer Garnaas, concert band

u Vikki Gonzales, treble choir

u Alivia Greenwald, concert orchestra

u Haven Hall, concert orchestra and jazz ensemble 3

u Clement Johnston, mixed choir

u Helena Kelemen, guitar ensemble

u Sofia Kunz, concert orchestra

u Tatum Laffler, treble choir

u Lila Loweree, symphony orchestra

u Doran Lucker, mixed choir

u Yoselin Luevano, treble choir

u Bunny Maisel, mixed choir

u Ash Mattia, symphony orchestra

u Noel McCoy, mixed choir

u Reid Meuth, symphonic band and jazz ensemble 2

u Ada Mobbs-Swinton, concert orchestra

u Addie Oracion, symphony orchestra

u Diego Ramirez, guitar ensemble

u Felipe Ramirez, concert orchestra

u Matthew Rickey, mixed choir

u Thoreau Rodriguez, symphony orchestra and jazz ensemble 1

u Nathaniel Romero, concert orchestra

u Jose Salazar, concert band

u Sofia Salazar, mixed choir

u Noa Schneiderman, concert orchestra

u Meyer Shapiro, jazz alternate

u Amaya Smith, concert orchestra

u Beatriz Tarango, guitar ensemble

u Keira Varela, mixed choir

u Alejandro Veleta, guitar ensemble

u Tyler Wildman, mixed choir

The New Mexican