Principal Update

Dear Parents,

Spring break next week offers a much needed rest for our students, faculty and staff. This time off also provides the opportunity for families to spend more time together. Students will return to school on March 23rd  hopefully re-energized and focused to finish the school year strong. It is imperative that all students avoid unnecessary absences, come to class on time, make up any assignments that are missing, and complete all work to the best of their ability. We especially ask our seniors to really avoid senioritis and maintain that self discipline that will carry them through to graduation.  

Tomorrow marks the midway point of the second semester. Midterm progress reports will be posted Tuesday, March 24th to OnBoard no later than 5:00 p.m. Please contact your child’s teachers directly with any questions or concerns. If your child is struggling academically, I encourage them to take advantage of individual teacher help either before school, at lunch, or after school. Students may also take advantage of peer tutoring as well as work with our college and career counselor on an academic support plan. If your child is experiencing high anxiety or stress, I encourage them to see our mental and behavioral health counselor for support. We have many resources to support your child and will do everything we can to help them be successful.

March 23-25 our accreditation visit from WCEA will take place. As a result, we will be on a meeting schedule on Monday, March 23rd and will be on a half day schedule, with student release at 12:25, on Wednesday, March 25th.

The 2026-2027 Course Catalog is published and will be available on our website under the Academics tab then Curriculum tab. The course catalog will also be provided to all students via Google Classroom. The 2026-2027 course selection for returning students will not take place until March 30th due to spring break and our accreditation visit. We encourage you to review the course catalog with your child to help them be prepared to select the appropriate core courses and desired electives. We will be providing course selection support on that day as well. 

Congratulations to our orchestra students who participated in the NCNMMEA Orchestra Music Performance Assessment last week and were awarded Superior ratings from all 3 judges and a 98/100 in sight-reading! Next up is the State Contest in April. The students played beautifully on Thursday and represented St. Mike's very well! I’m also very excited to share that both of our choirs qualified for the NMAA State Choir Contest after their performances on Wednesday at the NCNMMEA Music Performance Assessment!

Congratulations to our boys basketball team advancing to the state semifinals and playing today at The Pit at 1:15. Go Horsemen! 

Yours in Christ,

Martin C. Sandoval, Principal 

Academics:

Counselor Corner – Scholarship Opportunities

Several scholarships are currently open and accepting applications! I encourage students and families to explore the opportunities below and review eligibility requirements and deadlines carefully. Taking time now to apply can make a big difference later.

•    Men's College Scholarship: https://givagrant.com/register/5b47752f-3fcf-4b44-92b1-bb21bbdf97dc 

•   2026 Toyota High School Scholarship Challenge: https://1003thepeak.iheart.com/content/the-toyota-high-school-scholarship-challenge/

• Santa Fe County Homemakers Club Scholarship: https://santafeextension.nmsu.edu/

• Montezuma Lodge #1 AF & AM Scholarship Provides schoarships to assist first-year college studentss from Santa Fe with related costs. This scholarship is available to any student residing in Santa Fe with active plans to attend a qualified college-level studies program in the following year. $2000-$3000 per awarded applicant depending on available funds. Pick up the information page and application in the College Counselor office.

STEM OPPORTUNITY

Have a high schooler interested in STEM? Blackwell Research Institute is an organization that works to support high school scientists through transformative STEM programs. Check out this opportunity for your student to do a quarter-long opportunity to conduct a research project with one-on-one mentorship from a PhD researcher. 

https://www.bwnri.org/hsrs

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf1Z4SD-y6dtTmp-NgjI6vqkcrHunl7eOvqkYdAXtaOSK2Lvg/viewform

FREE SAT BOOTCAMP

I have discovered a free SAT Bootcamp through a platform called Schoolhouse collaborating with the College Board. 

• For the rest of the Spring, they will be offering rolling SAT Bootcamps, meaning there will be new Bootcamps starting every week. If you are taking a weekend test in the Spring/Summer, I encourage you to try out the prep here: https://schoolhouse.world/sat-bootcamp

Give it a try and see how you like it! Happy studying!

Summer Physics Camp

The 10th Annual Summer Physics Camp invites young students to dive into the exciting world of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) through hands-on experiences and real-world exploration. Participants will learn alongside leading STEM professionals—including scientists and engineers from Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory —while discovering, creating, and innovating in the inspiring setting of the New Mexico School for the Arts.

For more information:          https://newmexicoconsortium.org/summer-physics-camp/

https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/internships/summer-schools/summer-physics-camp 

EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIPS