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Principal's Message

Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year!  It is great to get back to a more “normal” way of attending school.  My name is Andrew Klinkenberg and I am the current principal of Tijeras Creek.  I have replaced Ms. Diann Buckingham who served in this position for the past 19 years.  She put into practice foundations that make our school great.  I thank her for creating such an outstanding learning environment for our scholars.     Our Mission is simple but powerful: “Together we ensure all students will achieve at or above grade level.”  Our focus is to provide all students with what they need for success. ALL means ALL.
Our school test results for the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) for the 2021-2022 were the highest among the district.  Our overall scores for students at or above standard were the following:
 
  • Language Arts 83% of our students
  • Mathematics 77% of our students. 
 
Those are outstanding scores and it is due in part to our highly qualified staff who are committed and support our students to be successful.  We use a Multi Tier of Systems Support that addresses student gaps as well as provides rigorous enrichment to ensure all students get what they need.  There is a commitment to work with our students four times a week and there is also time dedicated for teachers to collaborate with each other.  We have found this to be a very effective method. 
 
We are a Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) school in which we focus on recognizing positive behavior and being restorative in our approaches to student behavior.   Our philosophy is “ Be a buddy not a bully”.  We dedicate time to teach and structure our students on the behaviors expected as a Tijeras Creek Tiger.  Through consistency and positive reinforcement we strive to maintain a safe learning environment for all.   This past year, Tijeras Creek was recognized as a Platinum award winner in the state.  This is the highest honor a school can earn.  
 
Tijeras Creek values their community.  Our PTA provides our students with a plethora of events and supplements that help to enrich the school experience.  We have Meet the Masters Art, school play, and many other family activities.  We are a great team.  Thank you to the PTA for all the support.  
 
Follow us on INSTAGRAM at @TCtrailblazers to see the activities and day to day student experiences as we go through the school year.
Let’s have a great 2022-2023 school year. 
 
Sincerely,
Mr. Klinkenberg (Mr. K.) and the entire Tijeras Creek staff