Events & News

Dear Jaguar Nation School Community/Parents, Students, Staff,

I am excited to introduce myself as the new principal of Valencia High School. For the last four years, I have worked alongside Principal Albert Aragon and Assistant Principal Paul Carder. This administrative team has diligently worked towards moving Valencia High School towards Setting the Standard as one of the best high schools in the state. I have 27 years of experience in public education within Los Lunas Schools, and I am honored to serve this vibrant community and look forward to working collaboratively to support our students' growth and success Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of teaching various grades at the elementary level, which has deepened my understanding of the diverse needs of our students. In addition to my teaching experience, I spent six years in healthcare management, where I developed skills in leadership and organizational effectiveness that I believe will benefit our school community. These qualifications and experience reflect my commitment to continuous learning and my dedication to providing the best educational experience possible for our students.

As a lifelong resident of Valencia County, I am deeply connected to this community. I have been married to my husband, Joe, for 35 years, and we have three wonderful daughters, all of whom are graduates of Valencia High School, and two hardworking sons in laws. I am also the proud grandmother of two amazing grandsons who bring joy to my life.

At Valencia High School, we pride ourselves on our core values of respect and educational responsibility. These principles guide our educational practices and foster a positive environment where every student can thrive. I believe that by instilling these values in our students, we hope to prepare them not only for academic achievement but also for becoming compassionate and engaged citizens in our community.

As we head into the last 40 days of the year, I encourage open communication and partnership between home and school, as I believe they are essential for our students' success. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and ideas on how we can continue to uphold our core values and improve our school community.

Thank you for the warm welcome. Together, I am confident that we can continue to provide an exceptional educational experience for our students at Valencia High School. I look forward to the watching the Class of 2025 and those that follow step out into the world equipped and empowered to succeed.  Go Jags!

Respectfully,

Jennifer Otero
VHS Principal

Calling ALL Juniors at Los Lunas Schools! It's time to sign up for a FREE 2-hour test prep:

• Saturday, March 29, 2025
• 10am to Noon
• Los Lunas High School

These two hours will be jam packed with test questions and strategies to help you improve your score!

This event for is for ALL juniors from LLHS, VHS, and CHS. Sign up online now!

Would you like to train for a career working in the building trades industry to include Mechanical, Sheet Metal, and Electrical Construction?

The Heavy Metal Summer Experience (HMSE) is a free 30 hour program introducing high-schoolers and recent graduates (ages 15-19) to union job opportunities in the Mechanical, Sheet Metal, and Electrical Construction.

Once your camp is over, you can apply for an apprenticeship program with one of the local unions in your area!

Date: 06/19/25 - 07/17/25

The Valencia High School Student Council won State this year! They took home the 2025 Student Council of the Year Platinum Award.

For the past three years, the VHS Student Council submitted a report called the Student Council of the Year binder. They are graded on a rubric based on their involvement in the community, the projects they complete, the manner in which they run their council, and their involvement in the NM Association of Student Councils (NMASC). The daunting report includes pages and pages of reports reflecting on goals, and acknowledging their struggles.

If they score well enough, councils can earn either a bronze, silver, or gold-level award. In 2023 and 2024, the VHS Student Council took home the Gold Level Award. The students were under the impression that if you earned three consecutive years of gold, they would be eligible for platinum. Instead, they took home the top prize.

"This would have been year three, so they thought they needed one more year, but in fact they brought home the platinum award with a perfect score on their report," explained Ryan Navarro, the VHS Student Council teacher. "This is the culmination of three years of work built upon a foundation that goes even further than that."

The VHS Student Council also won second place in both the Judges' Choice and Delegates' Choice for their Environmental Awareness Project and first place in the Judges' Choice for their Staff Relations Project.

Congratulations to Mr. Aragon who will be moving on to serve as the Los Lunas Schools Personnel Director! Mr. Aragon will like to share a few words below: 

Valencia High School Community,

I want to take this opportunity to share. I will be moving on to serve as the Los Lunas Schools Personnel Director. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve as the Principal of Valencia High School. It has been an honor to work with the amazing people who are committed to all individuals who walk through the doors of Valencia High School. I would specifically like to thank families for their trust, and allowing us to make decisions in the best interests of our students. I would like to thank staff for their tireless work. I would like to thank students for allowing us to be part of their growth and success.

The graduations, and celebrations of students and staff has been wonderful to be a part of. The Fiesta de Valencia, the Road to Literacy, and the many ways we champion our students and staff has been nothing short of amazing. We have had the opportunity to see our students attend and earn scholarships to prestigious universities. We have seen our graduates become productive members of our community serving as educators, first responders, law enforcement and more. These are just a few accomplishments I have been honored to share with the Valencia High School community.

VALENCIA HIGH SCHOOL best wishes moving forward.

Albert Aragon | Principal | Valencia High School

Requirements

1. Students must plan to pursue a career in the field of Education via a higher education degree program.
2. Student must have a minimum 3.0 GPA
3. All applications must be received no later than noon on April 4, 2025 to the Counseling Office.

• List any activities, athletics, awards, community service, etc. you’ve been involved in.
• Type a paragraph (minimum 750 words) describing why you want to pursue a career in Education.  Please attach your paragraph to the application.
• Why are you pursuing a degree in Education?  Motivations? Goals?
• What is your attraction to an Education career path?
• Who are your role models in Education?