Newsletter

Download the Fall 2026 newsletter (PDF)

This accessible HTML version presents the same information as the printed newsletter in a screen reader and mobile‑friendly format.

Thank you to everyone who entered the Surprise Spring Raffle!
The 2nd place photo is featured here on the cover!

Enjoy this piece of New Mexico from a fellow NMPSIA member.

Photo was captured in the Sierra Blanca Mountains, Ruidoso, NM.
Photo credit: K. Chamberlin
Scenic view of the Sierra Blanca Mountains, Ruidoso, NM

What's Inside

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We would love to feature your photo in the next NMPSIA newsletter! You can submit landscape photos taken in New Mexico for a chance to win prizes and have your photo featured. Email your pictures to KAYLYNN.ROYBAL@PSIA.NM.GOV.

Benefits Corner

It's Open/Switch Enrollment

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Open/Switch is October 1 - October 30, 2026

Benefits elected are effective January 1, 2027.

Note: Employer contribution is 80% regardless of salary for school districts and charter schools.

Before you choose to keep your elections as is and move on with your day, take a few extra minutes to make sure your benefits still fit your life.

The Coffee Test

You wouldn't buy a year's worth of coffee without thinking about it, right? Well, Open/Switch enrollment is deciding how you'll pay for healthcare for the next 12 months.

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Imagine your favorite coffee shop offers two ways to pay...

Option 1: Pay $6 every time you order a coffee.

Option 2: Pay $30 a month for 7 cups of coffee.

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Which option is better?

The answer depends on how often you drink coffee. If you only stop in once or twice a month, paying as you go probably makes sense. But if you're there every weekday, the monthly option could save you money.

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Choosing a medical plan works much the same way.

A lower-premium plan may be a great fit if you don't expect to use many healthcare services.

A higher-premium plan may cost more each paycheck, but it can reduce what you pay when you visit the doctor, fill prescriptions, or need other medical care

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The best choice for you isn't necessarily the one with the lowest premium. It's the one that best matches how you expect to use your benefits in the coming year.

Added value to your benefits: No-Cost Programs

  • 24/7 Nurse Advice Line
  • $0 Behavioral Health Programs (for innetwork services)
  • Customized Wellness Plan
  • Diabetes Prevention and Weight Management Programs
  • $0 for diabetes supplies from Approved Formulary
  • $0 blood pressure cuffs
  • Health Coaching
  • Incentive & Rewards Programs
  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Programs
  • Monthly Communication & Topics
  • Monthly Skill Builders
  • Self-Directed Courses and Self-Help Tools
  • Tobacco Cessation Programs
  • Chronic Disease Programs
  • Wellness Ambassador Program
  • Health & Wellness Challenges

Visit the NMPSIA Open/Switch Enrollment Page for:

  • Carrier Benefit Video Presentations
  • $0 Behavioral Health Programs (for innetwork services)
  • Summary of Benefits
  • Rate Sheets
  • Wellness Offerings
  • List of Documents you need to enroll
  • dependents (Program Guide)
  • Added Value Benefits And More!

Wellness Spotlight

Embrace the Fall Season!

Fall isn't just pumpkin spice latte season (no matter how delicious they are), it's also brain-boosting season.
As daylight shifts and temperatures drop, your nervous system gets a gentle nudge to recalibrate. Cooler air wakes up your senses, changing light patterns spark creativity, and those crunchy leaves? They offer free stress relief, courtesy of sensory grounding! This fall do the things you love, that bring you joy and that support your health and wellness!

Try these ideas to help

Step outside and crunch leaves

Sensory grounding like this helps reduce stress and bring your mind back to the present moment.

Create Something Seasonal

If it makes you smile, lean into it. Carve a pumpkin with friends or family, decorate your space with fall colors, or make a simple DIY craft. Creative expression supports mood regulation and strengthens social connection

Enjoy a Fall Treat Without Overthinking It

Grab a caramel apple, sip a warm drink, or enjoy a seasonal soup. Nourishing yourself with foods tied to comfort and tradition can boost emotional wellbeing.

Build Micro‑Routines for Calm

Tiny habits can have an outsized impact this time of year. Try an evening wind‑down routine, five minutes of journaling, sit outside while focusing on your breathing or a short gratitude moment while you watch the leaves change.

Bring Community Into Your Wellness

Walk with a neighbor, visit a local fall festival, or share a fall recipe with a friend. Across global health traditions, community engagement is one of the most powerful protective factors for mental wellness

You won't want to miss WALKTOBER!

Mark your calendar, lace up your walking shoes, rally your favorite co-workers!

Get more information HERE.

This year’s event is packed with weekly challenges, prizes, friendly competition, and tons of feel‑good inspiration. And returning this year is the highly successful "Walking Mindfully" with Michelle Duval! This is a way to turn your daily steps into moments of calm, rest, and reset.

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Pumpkin Date Cookies (Dairy Free and Vegan)

  • 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup canned pureed pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 1/3 cup dates (about 4 dates), pits removed and roughly chopped into large pieces
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Pumpkin date cookies

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with a sheet of parchment paper.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together with a large spoon the flour, oats, ground flaxseed, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt and baking soda. Set aside.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the pureed pumpkin and maple syrup.
  4. Add the pumpkin and maple syrup mixture to the larger bowl with the oats mixture. Mix everything well. Add the chopped walnuts, chopped medjool dates and shredded coconut to the mixture, and mix everything well.
  5. Using a tablespoon, place cookie dough on the parchment covered baking sheet, placing about a tablespoon and a half of the dough for each cookie and placing cookies an inch or so apart.
  6. Bake for about 18 minutes and remove from the oven. Allow the cookies to cool before storing them in a covered container for up to 5 days.

Risk Resource

Restorative Practices and Stress Reduction

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Restorative Practices

Did you know, Poms & Associates offers a Restorative Practices Program?

In the past, schools primarily focused on traditional “zerotolerance” policies, which rely on exclusionary and punitive disciplinary practices. The disparities this creates can be seen in dropout and graduation rates, referrals to special and gifted education programs, and differences in school funding and resources.

Alternatively, Restorative Practices promote inclusiveness, relationship-building, and problem-solving through methods such as circle conversations for teaching and conflict resolution, and conferences that bring victims, offenders, and their supporters together to address wrongdoing. Instead of punishment, students are encouraged to reflect on and take responsibility for their actions and develop plans to repair harm.

Another key component is ensuring every student has a trusted adult at school, which strengthens safety, wellbeing, and academic success.

Poms & Associates works with districts throughout our state to implement Restorative Practices.

"This work has strengthened our school culture by providing students with opportunities to reflect on their actions, take responsibility, repair relationships, and remain engaged in their learning..."
- Penasco Superintendent Michelle Gonzales

Because of Restorative Practices, schools across our state have seen success, including the following:

Taos Middle School: 42% decrease in discipline referrals

Dexter Middle School: 60% reduction in physical aggression or fighting

Download the flyer to learn more

OR contact Darron Walter, Safety and Security Consultant.

Sign up today! No-Cost, Regional Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise Training

Poms and Associates in partnership with NMPSIA and other state agencies will hold 6 Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercise trainings. The trainings will be held in each region of the state, throughout the month of October. The training includes a hands-on, scenario-based cybersecurity tabletop exercise designed specifically for higher education, public, and charter schools. Register today, and select the location and date you would like to attend. The address and other details will be sent in a follow up email closer to the event.

Register here!

Reducing Stress

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The beginning of a new school year can be a stressful time for school staff. While stress can give you a rush of energy when it’s needed most, if it lasts a long time, a condition known as chronic stress can become harmful rather than helpful. The National Institutes of Health published the list below to help you relieve some stress.

  • Get enough sleep
  • Exercise regularly
  • Build a social support network
  • Set priorities
  • Think positive
  • Try relaxation methods like meditation or deep breathing
  • Most importantly, don’t be afraid to seek help.

Your mental health is important! 988 connects people in crisis to trained behavioral health counselors. This service is available in New Mexico.