Indian Education Newsletter

Indian Education
Program
Edmond Public Schools
Indian Education Program
Spring, 2014
Vol. 8, Issue 1
Welcome our New Employee
Hello, my name is Brent
Greenwood and I am the
new Indian Education program assistant. I’m half
Chickasaw and half Ponca
and although I just came on
at the department, I’m no
stranger to the program. My
wife Kennetha and I have
served as parent committee
members for several years
now and our children’s involvement with Indian Education has been a positive
experience for us all. For
the past 19 years, I was employed by the Norman
United States Postal Service
as a rural letter carrier. In
my part-time, I’m an active
artist, exhibiting and selling
my acrylic and mixed media
paintings from Oklahoma to
New Mexico to Paris,
France.
I was born and raised in the
Oklahoma City area and
hold an Associates of Fine
Arts from The Institute of
American Indian Arts in
Santa Fe, New Mexico and a
Bachelors of Fine Arts from
Oklahoma City University.
As the father of a high
school senior and freshman,
Lynn Danvers Retiring
We would like to extend our
gratitude for Lynn’s work with
our Indian Education Program.
After ten years as our Program
secretary, Lynn will be retiring . She will have more time
to enjoy her dogs and weaving. We wish her the very best.
I want to thank you for the
I can’t stress enough the
benefits of continuing one’s
growth as an individual by
going on to some form of
postsecondary education. I
often tell my own children
that knowledge is power and
it helps level the playing field
when you’re out in the
“real” world.
Currently, I am working with
the Santa Fe High School
students to address any
needs they may have. If I, or
the program, can ever be of
assistance, don’t hesitate to
call us. For more information on my art, please visit
brentgreenwood.com.
Thank you!
Victoria
Eckiwardy
opportunity of working with
this program. I have enjoyed it
a great deal and believe that
contact with each of you has
enriched my life. Lynn
“The Lord bless you and keep
you; the Lord make His face
shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his
face toward you and give you
peace. “ Numbers 6:25-27.
The program will be presented
at the EPS Board of Education
Meeting Room, 1001 W. Danforth.
Refreshments will be served at
6:00 PM and will be followed
by student performances.
Please RSVP by Thursday, April
17th. (Contact info on back.)
Inside this issue:
Language Fair
2
OISHS
2
Powwow Singing
2
Metro Handgames
2
Tutoring
2
JOM Activities
2
Honors Activity
2
Challenge Bowl
3
School Supplies
3
Chickasaw Nation Visit
3
Red Earth Festival
3
Oklahoma’s Promise
3
ACT Testing
3
Title VII Update
4
Upcoming Dates
4
Pics, Pics, Pics
4
OFFICE to
Stay at
Rankin ST.
Cultural Program
Edmond’s Indian Education
Program will be providing a
Cultural Program on Monday,
April 21st. Riverside Indian
School student performances
will be presented by: Riverside
Indian School Club, Riverside
Indian School Li’l Ramblers and
Apache Crown Dancers from
Whiteriver & San Carlos.
We would like to thank Mr.
Andrus and Boulevard Academy staff for accommodating
our Tuesday evening activities
and classes. Your continued
support is very much appreciated.
Victoria was named 1st Runner
Up at the 2014 Little Miss
Indian Oklahoma City Competition and Performance on
Friday, March 21st at the Destiny Christian Center in Del
City.
The office will continue to
be housed at 1216 S. Rankin Street. The building is
the Custodial Building between the YMCA and Central Middle School.
Please note our new phone
numbers and website address located on the back
of this newsletter.
Indian Education Program
Page 2
Oklahoma Native American Youth Language Fair
“My Language Goes with Me”
The Annual Oklahoma Native
American Youth Language Fair
will take place on April 7th,
PreK-5th and April 8th, 6-12th
grade students. Information
for the Fair is at their homepage:
http://nal.snomnh.ou.edu/fair
The Song with Language category of previous years has
been split into two sections:
Historic Song with Language and
Modern Song with Language.
Also at the time of the Fair,
the museum will be hosting the
NMAI exhibit Ramp It Up! This
exhibit features Native skateboarders and skateboarding art
from across America.
ONAYLF will include a special
artwork category Language
in Skateboard Art to go
along with this exhibit.
enjoy participating in this annual event.
So far, our students are making
plans to enter in the video,
spoken, singing, poster and
PowerPoint categories.
Each year Edmond students
Missouria, and Kiowa tribes.
Several general powwow songs
known as “inter-tribals,” will be
introduced along the way. Having sang and competed with
drum groups such as Grayhorse,
Redstone and Rough Arrow, Mr.
Greenwood has over 20 years of
singing experience. He knows
that he would not be where he’s
at today if certain elder singers
hadn’t taken the time to share
with him stories and knowledge
of the songs he wanted to learn.
The sessions are open to any
male student that wants to learn
and gain a better appreciation
for the singing that takes place at
Tutoring for 2013-2014 School Year
The Indian Education tutoring
component has been providing
tutorial services since the month
of September. Students have
been attending sessions at various school sites and on Tuesday
evenings at Boulevard Academy.
Tutoring will be winding down
for the following students. The
last Tuesday evening group session for the elementary and
middle school students will be
April 29th. All tutoring for the
elementary and middle school
will end the week of May 2nd.
High school students will have
their last Tuesday evening group
session on May 13th. All high
school tutoring will end the
week of May 16th.
Students are to be commended
for their time, dedication and
hard work for the school year.
We would also like to say
THANK YOU to our tutors for
their time and effort.
Twenty-three students from
Edmond Public Schools were
nominated to the Oklahoma
Indian Student Honor society.
We are awaiting confirmation of
their acceptance at this time.
Those selected will be honored
at an Induction Ceremony &
Reception dinner in Broken
Arrow on April 17th. Students
will be notified of their nomination. We appreciate your time
in completing your nomination
information. Thank You.
Metro
Handgames
Powwow Singing Class
During the
school year, Indian Education
offers a “southern” style powwow singing instruction on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:00pm
at Boulevard Academy. This class
is led by Indian Education assistant and Ponca tribal singer, Mr.
Brent Greenwood. Also of
Chickasaw heritage, Mr. Greenwood has been working with the
boys for several years now.
Drum etiquette and history is
discussed along with the various
styles of song that accompany
the many forms of American
Indian dance. The majority of
“war dance” songs that are sung
come from the Ponca, Otoe-
OISHS
all the tribal powwows and
dances. Former and current
students of the class have entered their own drum group in
the annual Oklahoma Native
American Youth Language Fair
competition and placed. At this
time, there is no female component to the class as women singers would normally sit behind
the male singers to help sing
along the chorus. However, all
are welcome to come sit in and
listen. The drum is open to any
other tribal singers and we invite
you to join us on Tuesday evenings.
JOM
Activities
The annual Metro Handgame
Tournament is being hosted by
OKC Public Schools Native
American Student Services on
Saturday, May 3rd at US Grant
High School (5016 S Penn Ave,
OKC). Lunch will be at 12 PM
with the tournament beginning at
1PM.
Schools expected to participate
are OKCPS, Western Heights,
Moore, Norman, Putnam City &
Edmond.
Those interested in participating
should contact our office as soon
as possible so practice times/
locations may be set up.
Indian Education
Honors Activity
JOM student activities are being
scheduled. After school or evening cultural classes will be
scheduled during the month of
May. These classes will help
students prepare for the Red
Earth Youth Art Festival.
The Indian Student Honors activity is being scheduled for April
28th at EMHS cafeteria.
Chickasaw Nation will be scheduled for a cultural program at
the end of May. They will be
sharing Chickasaw dances and
stickball. You may contact us for
detailed information.
(Contact information is on the
back.)
Please contact our office to
RSVP if you are planning on
attending.
Indian Education Program
2014 OCIE Challenge Bowl
The beautiful Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma was
the host to this year’s event. This was Edmond Indian Education’s
first year to compete in the statewide all Indian Challenge Bowl.
High school groups with names like “Dog Soldiers” and “War Ponies” were tested on their tribal knowledge and wit to earn a spot
as one of the top four teams. By finishing as one of the final four,
those teams would be televised in a Mind Games competition on
local Oklahoma City station KSBI. Going by the name “Fireproof”
and led by Edmond North senior and team captain, Me-Way-Seh
Greenwood, the team won four games before being eliminated by
one of the top four finishers. Their first loss was to the eventual
2014 champion. So out of 22 high school teams, Edmond did well,
finishing in the upper half of the competition.
Other members of “Fireproof” included Edmond North students:
Anevay Greenwood, Austin Bigheart and Noah Williams; Autym
Benton of Summit MS completed the roster. Team sponsors were
Mrs. Grace Smith and Mr. Brent Greenwood. Parent committee
members Kennetha Greenwood and Rhonda Benton were also in
attendance. We were so proud of our students for doing their best
despite having less than three weeks of study time that we treated
them to some chocolate from the Chickasaw-owned Bedre’ chocolate factory.
The Edmond Indian Education department is already looking forward to next year’s competition and plans to have 2 teams entered.
The event was organized by the Oklahoma Council for Indian Education. Their guiding principles are to promote Indian education at
all levels of learning, expand cultural awareness and collaborate with
other organizations to the benefit of Indian students within the state
of Oklahoma.
Page 3
School Supplies
For Eligible JOM Students
Johnson O’Malley School Supplies
will be available next fall at our
office at 1216 S. Rankin St.
Eligibility guidelines include:
Student must be enrolled in
the Edmond Public School
District.
Student must provide tribal
documentation to the Indian
Education Office.
the EPS Free or Reduced
Lunch Program.
Supplies will be given out on Friday and Monday, August 15th
& 18th, beginning at 9:00 AM and
continuing to 4:00 PM.
Please be reminded this service is
for eligible JOM students and
they must qualify for the free or
reduced lunch program.
Student must be eligible for
Chickasaw Nation: HS Student
Benefit Information
Germaine Fields, a Higher
Education Specialist from the
Chickasaw Nation, recently
visited our high schools. She
had a wealth of information for
our 9th through 12th grade
students addressing:
Outstanding Achievement
Nominations
ACT Vouchers and
Reimbursements Fees
Programs, Grants and
Scholarships
Many tribes will offer student
incentives; please contact your
tribal Higher Education department for more details.
Honors Club for Students
maintaining All A’s and B’s
and/or Perfect Attendance
You may also contact program
staff to set up appointments
on opportunities that may be
available.
RED EARTH FESTIVAL
June 5-7, 2014 Remington Park, OKC
Oklahoma’s Promise—
FREE COLLEGE TUITION
Discover the promise of FREE
college tuition. Visit the Oklahoma Promise website at:
www.okhighered.org/okpromise
There you will find helpful links
explaining “How It Works:”
Application Requirements
Scholarship Benefits
Each year, Edmond student artwork is well represented in the
Youth Art Competition. The competition is divided into three age
groups with art categories in pottery, painting/drawing/graphics,
sculpture, basketry, beadwork, cultural items and jewelry. Prize
money is awarded to the top three in each category and students
age 9-18 are encouraged to participate. Visit www.redearth.org
Stay tuned for upcoming evening sessions to work on your entries!
Students Requirements
Required High School Courses
Scholarship Conditions
Brochure & Application
This process must be started
during the student’s 8th, 9th or
10th grade year. Parents are encouraged to apply early.
ACT TESTING
Check back in August. We will be starting
sign up for the October ACT test as soon
as possible after school starts.
Edmond Public
Schools
The Edmond Public Schools Indian Education Programs consist of Title VII and Johnson
O’Malley. Both programs are federally funded through the Department of Education and
the Department of the Interior. The programs have been in the Edmond Public Schools
since 1974 and 1989, respectively. Both programs have their unique services and activities that are provided and scheduled by the program during the school year.
CURRENT CONTACT INFORMATION
Edmond Public Schools
Indian Education Program
1216 S. Rankin Street
Edmond, OK 73034
The Edmond Indian student population is approximately 5% of the Edmond Public
Schools population. The tribal makeup is comprised of 57 federal and 2 state recognized
tribes from Oklahoma as well as other states across the nation and Canada.
Phone: 405-726-3300, 3303, 3301, 3302
Fax: 405-340-2917
GOAL: To increase the avenues and broaden the educational tools through which
Native American students may connect with their culture, thereby enhancing cultural
identity while promoting success in the academic arena.
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Website: www.edmondschools.net/
AboutUs/Curriculum/IndianEducation.aspx
Title VII Indian Education and
Johnson O'Malley Program
Native American
Expressions Classes:
Baskets and
Presentations
2013 NIEA
Convention
South Dakota
Crazy Horse Memorial
Otoe-Missouria Language Video Production
Upcoming Important Dates
Apr 7-8—Oklahoma Native American
Youth Language Fair, Sam Noble Museum, Norman, OK
Apr 18—April Day—No School
Apr 21—Cultural Program—Riverside
Indian School Groups, EPS Board of
Education Meeting Room, 1001 W.
Danforth Rd.
Apr 28—Indian Ed Honors Activity,
EMHS Cafeteria
May 2—Putnam City High School
Youth Pow-wow. Gymnasium. Head
Singer is Brent Greenwood. 6:3010:30pm, 5300 NW 50th, Warr Acres
May 3—Metro Handgame, US Grant
HS, OKC, OK
May 3—Western Heights Pow wow,
Bridgestone Intermediate, 1700 S
Council Rd, OKC
May 20—Title VII Public Hearing,,
Boulevard Academy
May 23—Last Day of School
Jun 5-7—Red Earth Festival, Remington Park, OKC, OK
Aug 15 & 18—School Supplies, 1216 S
Rankin St., 9 AM to 4 PM
Aug 19—First Day of School
Indian Youth Career Day at OSU, Stillwater
Title VII Update
Most recently the Title VII Part I application was
submitted to the Department of Education; this
included our student count. Students who completed the federal form entitled, Title VII Student
Eligibility Certification were counted. Our Part II
application will be due at the end of May. This is
our 2014-2015 application.
Our Public Hearing will be scheduled for May 20th
at Boulevard Academy at 6:00 PM. Interested parents are encouraged to attend.

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