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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 15, 2017)
2 12 OCTOBER 15, 2017 Honors in Education 2016-17 The 2016-17 academic year was very successful in regards to providing ed- ucation-related services to our Tribal members both here in Grand Ronde and abroad. In working with the Oregon Depart- ment of Education and Willamina Ele- mentary School, we were able to lessen chronic absenteeism. We assisted record numbers of post-secondary students complete programs. Early Childhood Education staff worked hard to become a Preschool romise provider and subse- quently applied to an Early Head Start Leslie Riggs expansion grant and won, allowing us to provide services to another 28 families. The Tribal Library continued to provide an excellent and much-needed service to our community. Our Chinuk Wawa Language Program continues to deliver an excellent language program to the families who access it and also to the local high school students, employees and folks at Lane Community College. The Youth Education Program continues its mission to enrich the lives of our Tribal youth and to assist them in performing better in school, making sure they are getting the education that is their right. All of this is assisted by the Family Services Coordinators, who continue to work so well with our families in need. I would be remiss to not mention our support and administrative staff. They are the hubs, the ones who make sure we are all running smoothly, like one big, well-oiled machine. Overall, suffice it to say, the Education Department, as a whole, is doing great, looking to the future needs of our membership and finding ways to improve. I am very proud of the work we do and of the people who do that work. Once again, I am humbled by being given the opportunity to do such important work with these wonderful people. The following pages will assist in telling our story in a much more vibrant way than I ever could. I hope you enjoy them. hayu masi (many thanks) Leslie Riggs Education Department manager Chinuk Language Program The Chinuk Language Program offers educational programming and classes taught in our language of chinuk wawa. The programs offered are the Lilu Preschool Class, K-3 Chinuk Elementary half-day program and the high school and adult classes. These programs serve more than 50 students of various age groups each year to strengthen the use of chinuk wawa in and out of the classroom setting. Lilu Preschool Classroom: The Lilu chinuk classroom is for 3- to 5-year-old students with parents and families who have an investment in continuing and strengthening our language. The classroom offers an opportunity for students to be taught in a culturally rich environment and spend their day immersed in the language. K-3 Chinuk Language Program: The kindergarten through third- grade Chinuk Language Program is offered as half-day immersion for stu- dents who attend Willamina Elementary School. Students receive literacy instruction through the Chinuk Language Program in the morning and then attend Willamina Elementary School in the afternoon to receive the rest of their academic blocks. The curriculum used in the chinuk language classroom offers children and families cultural curriculum that strives to meet the common core standards required by the state. High School Chinuk Class: Chinuk wawa is offered through the Willa- mina School District as one of two language classes offered for students to graduate with an Honors diploma. In addition to filling graduation require- ments, students who take the chinuk language class also have the opportunity to earn up to 24 credits for college through Lane Community College. Adult Classes: Adult classes are offered with Kathy Cole for employ- ees and parents who wish to get an introduction to the language. These classes cover basic language use and are currently being held from noon to 1 p.m. in the Youth Education building. The chinuk language staff also provides various activities throughout the year for the community to participate in. These activities include: • Chinuk participation in the preschool home-based program; • Weekly K-5 Chinuk Club; • Chinuk literacy nights; • Stick game night; • Celebratory potlucks; • Chinuk Family Language Retreat. The following is a list of students who successfully completed their final years in one of our chinuk language programs. Lilu students: Hudson Hubbell, Riley Freeman, Desirae Martin, Eva Juardo, Tayi Knight and Aubrey Campbell. K-3 Chinuk students: Sophia Ortiz. High School Chinuk Language stu- dents: Bethany Berry, Jordan Reyes and Colton Keightley. H onors in E ducation S moke S ignals Full-time College Program The Full-time College Program pro- vides funding for members of the Con- federated Tribes of Grand Ronde who are attending college on a full-time basis in pursuit of a vocational degree or certificate, associate, bachelor’s or grad- uate degree from a nonprofit regionally accredited college or university. There are no residency requirements for this program, so Tribal members across the country can access the program. Tribal Council has generously sup- Bryan Langley ported the higher education programs over the years. Our program maximum funding limit for a community college is $2,400 per term and $3,600 per semester and for students attending a university the funding limits are $4,000 per term or $6,000 per semester. To be eligible for funding students must have completed high school or have completed a GED, apply for federal financial aid by completing the FASFA, been accepted for admission into an approved accredited institution, apply for at least one scholarship and be an enrolled Grand Ronde Tribal member. Applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the beginning of the term/semester that they want to attend. Students are required to meet a minimum academic standard of earning a 2.0 GPA, and maintain full-time status per term/semester. If students meet the academic standard they are eligible to receive the funding each year up to a maximum of 15 terms or 10 semesters. Tribal funding is not intended to cover all cost for attending college. Members are encouraged to apply for other scholarship opportuni- ties. Members can contact Mercedes Reeves, our academic adviser, for more information on scholarship opportunities. Tribal members interested in attend- ing on a full-time basis at a community college should contact Joshua Clift at 503-879-1635 or Joshua.clift@gran- dronde.org. Those students interested in attend- ing on a full-time basis at a college or university level should contact Bryan K. Langley at 503-879-2276 or bryan. langley@grandronde.org for more infor- mation or to obtain an application. Joshua Clift Every year we celebrate the accom- plishments of our Grand Ronde Tribal members who have completed their college degree and are ready to enter the workforce or move on to an advanced degree. This year was no different as we celebrated the accomplishments of 45 Tribal members who graduated and earned certificate through graduate degrees. Degrees earned ranged from business to accounting to social work to the arts. The mission of Education Program is simple: get educated and that is just what our members are doing. Noncredit Program The purpose of the Noncredit Program is to assist enrolled mem- bers of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde in obtaining funding for courses that do not provide college credit hours. The Noncredit Program may assist with the funding needs for enrollment, tuition and required equipment and supplies necessary for the completion of the course. Applicants are eligible for up to $500 per academic term. Summer term: July 1-Sept. 30 Fall term: Oct. 1-Dec. 31 Winter term: Jan. 1-March 31 Spring term: April 1-June 30 Applicants must submit a completed Noncredit Program application and accompanying course verifications (a copy of the registration or a billing invoice that clearly shows course cost and billing informa- tion) to the Tribal Education Department at least 10 days before the registration deadline, or the beginning of the course if no registration deadline is given. All educational institutions are subject to review by the Education Department before approval of grant awards. Recipients must provide verification of successful completion once the training is complete. Please contact Joshua Clift, Noncredit Program coordinator, at 503- 879-1635 or e-mail joshua.clift@grandronde.org for more information or to receive an application. Fee assistance Enrolled Tribal members can request assistance with test fees (i.e. GRE, SAT, LSAT, ACT) and admissions application fees. Contact Higher Education for more information at 1-800-422-0232, ext. 2275.