S moke S ignals
JUNE 1, 2017
5
233 students recognized for school attendance in April
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
To be one of the 233 Willamina
Elementary School students hon-
ored at the Wednesday, May 17,
April Attendance Reward Night
Jamboree held in the Tribal gym, a
student had to either have perfect
or outstanding attendance.
Perfect means “perfect” – no
missed school days, tardies or early
pick-ups during the month.
Outstanding was only slightly
less stringent – only one missed
day, tardy or early pick-up during
the month.
Approximately 47 percent of Wil-
lamina Elementary students – 233
out of 495 – achieved either perfect
or outstanding attendance in April,
which earned the student and their
entire family an invitation to the
jamboree put on by the Tribal At-
tendance Pilot Project.
According to Tribal Attendance
Family Advocate Rebecca Arre-
dondo, attendees to the event were
greeted by Education Department
Manager Leslie Riggs, Youth Ed-
ucation Administrative Assistant
Amber Yates, K5 Tutor/Adviser
Lead Kyla Evenson and Willamina
Elementary staff member Beth Bai-
ley, who signed them in and gave
them a raffle ticket.
A table of activities was staffed
by Kandee Little, Darlene Aaron
and Tammy Leno from the Health
& Wellness Center and attendees
received a free dinner of hot dogs,
apples, baby carrots, chips, punch
and water prepared by Willamina
School District Nutrition Specialist
Lynne Shore. The meal was served
by Family Services Coordinator
Audra Sherwood, Higher Education
Manager Bryan Langley and K5
Tutor/Adviser George Neujahr.
Youth were able to jump in two
bouncy houses rented from Port-
land Party Works and face painting
was offered.
There also were coloring sheets
set on some tables for parents and
children and a photo booth set up
on stage from Willamette Photo
Booths took a strip of four photos
with the words “April Attendance
Reward Night, May 17, 2017” writ-
ten at the bottom.
About $2,200 worth of raffle
prizes, including toys and games,
books, Kindle readers and grocery
and gas cards, were given away to
approximately 76 people.
Arredondo was helped by Youth
Education Program Manager Tim
Fourth grade:
Alejandro Are-
nas, Zoe Brewer,
Katherine Conner
Burks, Abigail Carr,
Finnian Clemans,
Nichole Goodwin,
Makyajay Grefs-
rud-Norwest,
Carson Healey,
Ta n d a l y n M c K -
enna, Madison
Oelhafen, Jaxon
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Arredondo
Olhausen, Laney
Students line up to play a game at an activity table
Skyberg, Michael
staffed by the Tribe’s Community Health Program
Smith and Colton
during the April Attendance Reward Night Jamboree
Walters.
Fifth grade:
held in the Tribal gym on Wednesday, May 17.
Adam Atherton,
Taylor Brooks, Ashley Clyde, Kaleb
Barry and Recreation Coordinator
Cruickshank, Mikalie Floyd, Dylan
Harris Reibach in organizing and
Graham, Jaylynn Hibdon, Rhianna
putting on the event, which attract-
Many Hides, Michael Moore, Mor-
ed about 350 attendees.
gan Moore, Michael Nolen, Olivia
Honored students were:
Sanders, Andres Segundo, Jose
Perfect
Segundo, Annabelle Vanhorn and
Kindergarten: Allayna Ash-
Jazmyn Waller.
ley-Sheker, Tiberius Bailey, Joshua
Sixth grade: Gabriela Arenas, Lew-
Balthaser, Nikolai Cabebe, Melanie
is Bliven, David Cooper, Christopher
Carr, Quincy Clemans, Briar Clem-
Ellingson, Zander Marmon, Mason
mer, Devin Doar, Zacheriah Gray,
Mercier, Elijah Rocco, Amber Saddo-
Cohlman Hubbell, Keylee Manley,
ris, Cody Scott and Colin Whitmore.
Auburn Mercier, Macie Murdock,
Outstanding
Elizabeth Neese, Joshua Patterson
Kindergarten: Gracie Brown,
and John Emmett Scarbrock-Edson.
Dominick Cavan Delapena, Kekona
First grade: Micah Bruckner,
Cumberland, Brayden Fox, Lane Gal-
Owen Campbell, Justin Cummings,
lagher, Logan Kneeland, Alexander
Riya Daligdig, Libby Ellingson, Anto-
Morris-Emerson, Kayden O’Leary,
nio Emery, Cloey Freeman, Mali’La
John Plummer, Paisley Risseeuw,
Grefsrud-Norwest, Alexzander Hill,
Hunter Robinette, Dylan Smith, Wil-
Elyse Johnson, Tobias Justman,
liam Terbush, Emery Warnicke and
Jordan Kittelman, Ashton Mankins,
Libby Warnicke.
Bridgette Manley, Bowen McGuire,
First grade: Tamra Beasley, Sa-
Bailey Murphy, Tristan Newton, Ed-
tara Blanchard, Benjamin Carr,
ward Pike, Vanessa Springer, Wren
Heidi Clyde, Kashaya Denham,
Stone, Destiny Taylor and Carly
Maxwell Dunn, Anessa Franks, Riley
Wertz.
Second grade: Ezri Bailey, Haylee
Barker, Daniel Carr, Grace Christian,
Redsky Clawson, Aven Cox, Hailey
Cummings, Joseph Goodwin, Laila
Holsclaw, Makenzy Hoopingarner,
Wyatt Hubbell, Konner Hyatt, Jacob
Johnson, Samuel Lancour-Joles,
Aliya Many Hides, Trenten Pickard,
Trinity Rose, Presley Savage, Eliana
Schmid, Bryson Smith, William Stone
and Nicholas Thayer.
Third grade: Matthew Atherton,
Paige Baker, Billy Carr, Ryan Collier,
Cody Davis, Francis Eddy, Nevaeh
Fisher, Chenoa Freeman, Deann
Goleman, Travesia Gomez, Coben
Hibdon, William Holbrook, Kyleigh
Johnson, Michael Lanchester, Evan
Loika, Kenton McGuire, Sophia Ortiz,
Chloe Reed, Jacob Sanders, Aurora
Scoyne and Wyatt Warnicke.
LaChapelle, Belle Lehnherr, Cicily
McKenna, Bridgit Milliren, Annalivia
Saldivas, Logan Walters and Devon
Wilcox.
Second grade: Max Baller, Rylee
Bishop, Jayce Cavan Delapena,
Logan Clark, Issac Emery, Integri-
ty Gunder, Aleena Leno, Nacoma
Liebelt, Tristan Mankins, Ke’Lani
Martinez, Lillian Matocha, June Mc-
Cracken, Nakaya Mercier, Natilynn
Mercier, Ben Moore, Ethan Owings,
Allison Perez, Reanna Powley, Han-
na Reed, Landon Risseeuw, Preston
Taylor and Jace Warnicke.
Third grade: Bodhi Baller, Juliana
Justman, Leah Longley, Asher Max-
well, Michaeli Mercier, Daniel Mestas,
Laura Moore, Trey Norton, Chance
Patton, Lyliana Rideout, Joshua Roc-
co, Kayleigh Saddoris, Kisor Savage
and Alexander Stephens.
Fourth grade: Evelyn Anderson,
Emilia Arguello-Plemmons, Saman-
tha Bearface, David Cabrera, Julia
Cabrera, Ezra Dattage, Baylee Du-
marce, Ava Fagundes, Kylie Gandy,
Connor Gustin, Evan Kyllonen,
Grace Lancour-Joles, Bayleigh Leno,
Haley Maerz, Steven Mehr, Gracie
Mercier, Kaya Moreno, Nicholas
Oden, Alex Perez, John Quinones,
Landon Shrabel and Raquel Whiffen.
Fifth grade: Connor Clifford, Ka-
zsia Connelly, Keilana Daligdig,
Gracie Dunn, Gavin Dunwoody,
Matthew Eddy, Ryan Goleman,
Tiffany Lanchester, Alexia Loucks,
Ben Powley, Blake Sanchez, Ashley
Taylor and Makenna Thomas.
Sixth grade: Brooklyn Bailey, Kai
Connelly, Miguel Correa-Guzman,
Skyler Fowler, Kyle Herod, Bryanah
Lopez, Aryana Murphy-LaChance,
Mo Scott, Annie Shafer, Sarai Weeks,
Alexis Wertz and Anthoney Whiffen. 
Budget protest
Photo by Rob Greene
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Tribal Council Vice Chair Cheryle A. Kennedy spoke during a press
conference on Thursday, May 25, at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest
Indians Mid-Year Convention held in Portland regarding President
Donald Trump's proposed 2018 federal budget. The proposed budget
eliminates $64 million in federal Native American funding for education,
$21 million for law enforcement and safety, $27 million for natural
resources management programs run by Tribes and $23 million for
human services. The proposed budget also would eliminate funding for
Tribal work on climate change and cut block grant programs that provide
housing assistance for Native Americans. Kennedy joined Tribal leaders
from Oregon, Washington, California, Montana, Idaho and Alaska in
calling on Congress, which has the ultimate say on the federal budget, to
restore funding to Tribes during budget negotiations.