May / June '22 Newsletter
Last month, we celebrated May Center turning 10 years old! Students, alumni, and teachers honored prominent members in our community who made a significant difference to May Center over the past decade including:
Senator Mimi Stewart for sponsoring SB 398, a bill that requires all New Mexico schools to screen first graders for dyslexia and all New Mexico elementary teachers to have professional development in Structured Literacy.
Dr. Joyce Pickering for being a mentor, advocate and friend to May Center for over a decade. Dr. Pickering is Executive Director Emerita of Shelton School & Evaluation Center in Dallas, Texas, the world’s largest independent school for intelligent children with learning differences, where she has been a leader and educator for over 30 years. Our affiliation with Shelton has allowed May Center to become the first organization in New Mexico to offer national certification in MSL teaching.
The Nickoloff Family Foundation has supported May Center’s tutoring program at Aspen Community School, as well as literacy teacher professional development programs at Turquoise Trail Charter School and Pablo Roybal Elementary. Recently, the Nickoloff Family Foundation has taken their commitment to improving literacy outcomes for students in New Mexico to a new level by funding the formation of a new nonprofit, New Mexico Literacy Institute. Accepting the honor for the Nickoloff Foundation, was Kelsey Daly Brown and New Mexico Literacy Institute Executive Director Heather Fleming.
The award recognition ceremony was followed by a lively and moving performance of the 2022 edition of Where I Come From by students and alumni.
Thank you to everyone who attended and has supported us this past decade! We are honored to enter this next chapter with you all!
Pictured in order:
1. May Center alumni Jack Dunn, current May Center student Francisco Sandoval and May Center teacher, Trudy Moon
2. May Center Board President Dr. Edward Kleiner and co-founder and Executive Director Amy Miller
3. Senator Mimi Stewart
4. Dr. Joyce Pickering
5. Heather Fleming, Amy Miller, and Kelsey Daly Brown
6 & 7. May Center students and alumni performing "Where I Come From"
May School students celebrated the end of the year with field day fun! Students participated in a number of classic relays—sack race races, wheelbarrow races and egg and spoon relays. Of course, no field day is complete without a water balloon toss and water balloon fight. Rumor has it that even some teachers and administrators got in on the fun!
(L): Mr. Bret and Ms. Stephanie demonstrating the wheelbarrow race
(R): Field day sack race
Thank you May Center teachers. Together, you have fostered a year full of Teaching, Empowering and Nurturing our May School students.
Teaching: You demonstrate skilled teaching through direct, explicit instruction in reading, writing, math, executive function and social skills.
Empowering: You encourage May School students to grow in their academic independence, ability to navigate social situations and teach them to be able to name their strengths and needs.
Nurturing: You see, acknowledge and honor each student for their uniqueness.
Here's to another wonderful year at May Center!
The May Center community expresses our deep gratitude to May School Director Stephanie Binkley, who, for the last nine years, has been such an essential part of the growth and success of our school. Stephanie has been a consistent, grounding presence for May School students and parents, always reflective and empathetic in her interactions with all. She has been a wonderful role model for us all. We wish Stephanie all the best as she moves on to the next step of her journey in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We will miss Stephanie, and her children Addison and Brayden, who have also been such vital members of our community. We love you, Stephanie, Addison and Brayden!
Pictured: May Center co-founder Karen Lindeen, May School Director Stephanie Binkley, and co-founder and Executive Director Amy Miller.