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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2000)
1999-2000 EDUCATION ISSUE dOO0! MIS 3M& (MM aniJ 1Mj3K)S By Joann Empey, Before & After School Caretaker The past year for the Youth Education, kindergarten 5th grade program, has been a very busy one. Native American students have been tutored at Willamina Elementary School in reading and math by Title IX Teacher Penny Buckingham and myself. Many of the students have made considerable gains with of the help of teachers, staff and volunteers. Because students have made such great strides improving their grades we encouraged them to apply for the Achieve ment and Recognition Awards, sponsored by the Tribe's Education Division. Native American students attending Grand Ronde Elementary School are also offered tutoring in reading and math by Margaret Wilds. They too have shown great improvements. Some Tribal students were promoted from the Learning Resource Center (LRC) Program into full-time classroom at Grand Ronde Elementary. We are very proud of all the hard-working students at both elementary schools. Margaret and I also assist Title IX with cultural education. This winter, 31 of the 37 Native American students at Willamina participated in the Trail of Tears Commemorative Walk held in Grand Ronde on Feb. 25, 2000. The students are already asking when that will happen again. All the students from Grand Ronde Elementary participated in the commemorative walk. A wonderful lunch was provided by the organizers for all of the participants. A special thank you to the organizers and to volunteers who helped supervise the students. Not only was it a special bonding time for Tribal members, but an important history lesson for us all to remember. Margaret and myself are available for Individual Education Program (IEP) meetings for our students when Tribal representation is needed. If the need should arise, we are also available to be Tribal liaisons for parents and teachers. -o ro o a. The Tribe's Before & After School Care and Full-Day Care Summer Program and Tribal Wellness work together to staff this youth education program for Tribal kids in grades K-5. We provide a warm, safe, risk-free, encour aging and learning environment for our students. The Before & After School Care Program and the Full-Day Care Summer Program are for working parents or for parents in school or training. 25 students participated in the 1999-2000 Before & After School Program at Grand Ronde Elementary. In 1999, 20 Tribal students participated in the All-Day Care Summer Program. In 2000, 20 Tribal students participated in the All-Day Care Summer Program. Chinook Jargon is taught by Tony Johnson from the Tribe's Cultural Department. He teaches at Before & After Care and the Summer Program. It is such a great opportunity for the students. Drumming and Native dancing is taught and led by Vernon Kennedy from the Wellness Program. Kathleen Feehan from Natural Resources arranges ecological projects for the Summer Program. Educational field trips are taken during the school year on Full-Day Care days and during the Summer Program. Educational field trips are also taken in conjunction with Coyote Camp, a day camp for the Grand Ronde community at Grand Ronde Elementary. In 2000, the Summer Program provided two weeks of swimming lessons and horseback riding lessons. Other ' activities include: roller skating, bowling, hiking, basketball, T-ball and some water activities. The Summer Program also visited the Lawrence Gallery in Bellevue, Oregon, where well-known Native American artist Carol Grigg had her work on display. To coordi nate with the visit, we did some watercolor painting. Grigg recently published her first children's book in 1999. During the Summer Program we have quiet reading and journal writing time each day. Tutoring in reading and math is available to Grand Ronde Tribal students during the school year and in the Summer Program. Interested in tutoring? Parents may call Joann Empey or Margaret Wilds at 879-2318. ORfjCON COAST Jorden George, Ukiah Lorn boy, Kimberly Roybal, Synon Allen and Shane Reibach enjoy a trip to the Oregon Coast Aquarium during Spring Break. tf '' Mtir" ' i Miranda Provost and Justine Colton learn how to Joann Empey, Vernon Kennedy and Pearl Mekemson, along with the Before & After School Care Program, make recycled paper from Tribal member Connie gave a drumming and dance demonstration at Duniway Middle School during their Summer Care Program. Graves during the Summer Program this year.
