10
S moke S ignals
APRIL 1, 2017
More than 150 Native students honored
ruary Attendance Reward
Night held in the Tribal
Smoke Signals editor
gym.
More than 150 students
Students either had per-
were honored during Native
fect attendance or “out-
Student Success Night held
standing” attendance,
Tuesday, March 14, in the
meaning they missed one
Tribal gym.
day, had one tardy or left
Students in kindergarten
early one day, said Willa-
through 12th grade were
mina Elementary Tribal
honored for their atten-
Attendance Family Advo-
dance, as well as academic
cate Rebecca Arredondo.
performance during the
During the recognition,
2016-17 school year.
the
group Obo Addy Leg-
To be honored for atten-
acy
Project
performed.
dance, students had to have
Raffle prizes included
attended school 95 percent
two Chromebooks, instant
of the time or better and
cameras, games and gas
have no more than four
cards.
absences or tardies/leav-
Students recognized for
ing early during that time
attendance
in February
period.
were:
The Tribal Canoe Family
Kindergarten: Tiberius
performed a welcome song
Bailey, Rui Byrne, Brayden
to open the event and Trib-
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
Fox, Cohlman Hubbell, Au-
al Council Chairman Reyn
Emily
Sterling,
right,
shakes
hands
with
Kimberly
Roybal,
a
college
intern
with
the Tribe’s Youth
burn Mercier, Timothy Mur-
Leno, Secretary Jon A.
Education
Program,
as
she
receives
a
leadership
award
during
Native
Student
Success
Night
for
phy and Symphony Zimmer.
George and Tribal Council
kindergarten
through
12th-grade
students
held
at
the
Tribal
gym
on
Tuesday,
March
14.
More
First grade: Satara
members Kathleen George
Blanchard, Micah Bruck-
and Brenda Tuomi attend- than 150 students were honored for their attendance and academic performance during the
ner, Owen Campbell, Libby
ed.
2016-17 school year, and 10 students received leadership awards.
Ellingson, Mali’la Grefs-
Youth Education Pro-
rud-Norwest, Bailey Murphy, Stephen
Hattie Mercier, Sage Runningbird
gram Manager Tim Barry acted as
Sanchez-Haller and Wren Stone.
and Chase Fox.
master of ceremonies.
Second grade: Ezri Bailey, Logan
Seventh
grade:
Grace
France
and
Willamina School District Carrie
Clark,
Sophia Grout, Laila Holsclaw,
Piper Shrabel.
Zimbrick said that the Native stu-
Wyatt Hubbell, Konner Hyatt, Aliya
Eighth grade honorable men-
dent graduation rate for seniors at
ManyHides, Presley Savage, William
tion: Dominik Briant, Amaryssa
Willamina was 100 percent during
Stone, Nicholas Thayer, Conner
Mooney and Amelia Mooney.
the 2015-16 school year and that
Trammell and Kayden Zimmer.
lie Redhawk-Runningbird, Bayleigh
Ninth grade: Keeton Walker, Eliz-
the Native student dropout rate
Third grade: Paige Baker, Chenoa
Leno,
Aliya
ManyHides,
Laila
Hols-
abeth
Watson-Croy
and
Alexis
Rob-
has declined to 2.2 percent, a full
Freeman,
Lily Runningbird and Kisor
claw,
Owen
Campbell,
Samantha
ertson.
Honorable
mention:
Emma
6 percentage points less than that
Savage.
Hedrick, Gage Hernandez, Naomi
Shrabel.
state average. She added that kin-
Fourth grade: Austin Carrasco,
Haller, Presley Savage and Carter
10th grade: Nicholas Colton, Jor-
dergarten through seventh-grade
Baylee Demarce, Ava Fagundes,
Felton.
dan Mode, Jordan Reyes and Trin-
attendance has been improving
Makyajay Grefsrud-Norwest, Grace
Sheridan & Williamina high
ity Sherwood. Honorable mention:
this year with each grade seeing an
Lancour-Joles, Austin Langley,
schools (3.0-3.4 GPA): Tabor Cain,
Kailiyah Krehbiel, Aspen Wilson and
average of 10 percent improvement.
Bayleigh Leno, Haley Maerz, Kaikan-
Conrad
Farmer,
Evan
Leno,
Iyana
Makenzie
Aaron.
Students honored for attendance
im Mercier, Mikayla Mercier, Keylie
Holmes, Makenzie Aaron, Bethany
12th grade: Nikeia-Jordan Barton
were:
Runningbird-Redhawk, Landon
McKnight, Kaleb Reid, Trinity Sher-
and Andrea Grijalva.
Kindergarten: Tiberius Bailey,
Shrabel and Michael Smith.
wood, Nicholas Larsen, A.J. Farmer
Sheridan K-5: Brady Soderberg,
Brayden Fox, Cohlman Hubbell, Lo-
Fifth grade: Kazsia Connelly, Kei-
and Ezra Pacheco.
Imarianah VanScoyk, Bonnie Baker,
gan Kneeland, Auburn Mercier, Lyjah
lana Daligdig, Cohen Haller, Jacob
Sheridan & Williamina high
Hunter Mendenhall, Madalynn Mon-
Murray, Kayway Norwest, Paisley
Holmes, Rihanna ManyHides and
schools (3.5-4.0 GPA): Jordan
tano, Jaidyn Bolen, Wanbli Standing
Risseeuw and Kionna Smith.
Quentin McCormick.
Reyes
(4.0),
JC
Rogers,
William
So-
Bear,
Rayauna
Meneley,
Chloe
Ayala
First grade: Satara Blanchard,
Sixth grade: Brooklynn Bailey, Kai
derberg and Andrea Grijalva.
and Quinton Dunn.
Micah Bruckner, Owen Campbell,
Connelly, David Cooper and Christo-
Sheridan & Williamina middle
Sheridan Japanese School: Mad-
Riya Daligdig, Libby Ellingson and
pher Ellingson.
schools (3.0-3.4 GPA): Dominik
ison Justen and Noah Gerbrandt.
Brayden Hibdon.
The event was sponsored by
Briant, Darien Leno, Chazz Leonard,
Students honored for their aca-
Second grade: Ezri Bailey, Rylee
the Tribe, state Department of
Vivyan Lopez and Amelia Mooney.
demic performance included:
Bishop, Redsky Clawson, Wyatt
Education and Willamina School
Sheridan & Williamina middle
Sheridan & Willamina K-6:
Hubbell, Konner Hyatt, Samuel Lan-
District in an effort to improve
schools
(3.5-4.0
GPA):
Madison
Brady
Soderberg,
Jaidyn
Bolen,
cour-Joles, Ailya ManyHides, Nati-
Native student attendance in the
Aaron, Isabelle Grout, Moses Mer-
Imarianah VanScoyk, Sabrynna
lynn Mercier, Benjamin Moore, Lela
local schools.
cier, Sophia Stewart, Wyatt Baker,
Willis, Bonnie Baker, Shaiyla Krebs,
Murray, Landon Risseeuw, Ekias
In 2014, a study performed by the
Jacey Smith, Amaryssa Mooney and
Meleena Montano, Chloe Ayala, Lio
Sabin and Tidus Sabin. Honorable
Chalkboard Project and funded by
Haley Ayala.
Norwest, Azen Pacheco, Quinton
mention: Nicholas Thayer.
Spirit Mountain Community Fund
Sheridan Japanese School:
Dunn, Sophia Ortiz, John Marrufo,
Third grade: Aiden Campbell,
found that Native students in Ore-
Kaleigha
Simi
(4.0),
Macie
Ayala,
Michaeli
Mercier,
Lily
Runningbird,
Amaya George, Sophia Ortiz, Angel
gon public schools had elevated lev-
Sean Gerbrandt, Noah Gerbrandt,
Mae Townsend, Ethan Sabin, Ben
Patterson, Lily Runningbird and
els of chronic absenteeism, which
Madison Justen and Raven Harmon.
Powley Jr., Daysia Duran, Mason
Corben Hibdon. Honorable mention:
led to academic underperformance.
In addition, 10 leadership awards
Mercier, Kylie Smith, Samantha
Paige Baker and Gracie Allen.
Chronic absenteeism was defined
were handed out. Recipients were:
Bearface, Lacey Haller, Gracie
Fourth grade: Austin Carrasco,
as missing 10 percent or more of
High school: Isaiah Holmes and
Mercier, Sophia Grout, Natilynn
Baylee Dumarce, Ava Fagundes,
school days.
Emily Sterling.
Mercier, Cohlmann Hubbell, Allison
Jayce Jackson, Grace Lancour-Joles,
Students who miss that much
Middle
school:
Jayden
Saldivas
Haller,
Ian
Mercier,
Rylee
Bishop,
Gracie Mercier, Kaikanim Mercier,
school
are unlikely to ever read or
and Ashten Leno.
David Cooper, Auburn Mercier,
Sadie Risseeuw, Michael Smith,
do math at grade level or earn a
K-5: Orrin Reid, Madalynn Monta-
Danilo Contreras, Baylee LaBonte,
Karsen Towner and Landon Shrabel.
diploma, educational studies have
no, Kaleigha Simi, Kaikanim Mercier,
Grayson Hubbard, Wanbli Standing
Honorable mention: Gage Hernan-
found.
Jaidyn Bolen and Tidus Sabin.
Bear, Rayauna Meneley, Jayden
dez, Kiah Runningbird-Redhawk and
In reaction to the study’s findings,
LaBonte, Hunter Mendenhall, Ca-
Keylie Runningbird-Redhawk.
the
Grand Ronde Tribe has worked
den
Meneley,
Henry
Standing
Bear,
Fifth grade: Kazsia Connelly,
on
improving
student attendance,
Madalynn
Montano,
Austin
Car-
Kelana Daligdig, Lily Gehrke, Jacob
especially
in
Willamina where
rasco, Lilliyana Rideout, Corben
Holmes, Rihanna ManyHides, Ben
approximately a third of students
Hibdon, Orrin Reid, Paige Baker,
Powley Jr., Ethan Sabin, Summer
are Native American and most of
Kelana Daligdig, Cohen Haller,
On Thursday, March 16, students
Townsend and Jaylynn Hibdon.
those are Grand Ronde members
Chloie Guardiola, Hattie Mercier,
attending Willamina Elementary
Sixth grade: Kai Connelly, Chris-
or descendants. n
Kady Smith, Brooklynn Bailey, Key-
School were honored during Feb-
topher Ellingson, Bryanah Lopez,
By Dean Rhodes
February Attendance
Reward Family Night