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Anída’ííníilta’ T’áá Íídáá’

It was a great summer. You all spent time with your family members and travelled with your families. It is good that you continue to grow with your families. In addition, the pause from busy school work that allows you to teach from the home.

Rough Rock Elementary School

Even then, the Navajo  Studies teachers attended the Native American Language Teachers’ Institute course at UNM in Albuquerque, NM.

Others attended various summer workshops like the BIE Summer Institute in Denver, the Singapore Math workshop in Las Vegas , the NWEA Fusion conference in Portland and the Technology conference in San Diego.

Culturally, we say we seek new knowledge which will become plans we implement so that we are satisfied with the results we obtain.

In the spirit of the four directions, let’s put this new knowledge into action. As a result, we will be graduating students that will successfully carry our Navajo language, Navajo ways of knowing and Navajo ways of doing into the next generation.

School News

Expanding “Immersion" 

This school year, a 6th grade Navajo-medium classroom has been added. It is more commonly known as “immersion”.

Squash blossoms are added one at a time as the vine grows.

Sally Begay has the ultimate challenge in teaching the multi-grade-level classroom of 4th, 5th, and 6th combined. We all need to assist her in any way possible.

This is our 6th year implementing our “immersion” model which starts out as “full immersion” from kindergarten through 4th grade. At 5th grade beginning in quarter two, students are introduced to English reading instruction for the first time for 45 minutes daily (15%). At sixth grade, this increases to 90 minutes and is progressive until at 8th grade, 60% of the day is through English. The 40% in Navajo is to continue to develop oral communication skill in Navajo and to develop Navajo to higher levels of proficiency.

Thank you all for your help! We currently have 48 students in “immersion”.

Focus Areas

Two Focus Areas for Navajo Studies

Navajo Studies would like to focus on two areas based on the five areas of culture-based education and the superintendent’s intentions.

Focus Area 1 will be to heighten the level of Navajo language use. All departments are asked to use Navajo with each other and model it for the younger generation.

Focus Area 2 will be for Rough Rock to get back into being the “hub” of Navajo language and culture. As a result, we will be working with other schools to promote Navajo.

Curriculum Instruction Assessment Grading Reporting

What’s the latest ‘Intel’?

As a district, we must improve the way we track student learning.
 

One way to ensure that is through a well documented curriculum aligned to specific standards. This is referring to the RubiconAtlas units you all are currently working on.

Quarters 1 and 2 need to be complete along with the assessments. As we bring you training, we expect those to be completed.

Corn is believed to be a food item that opens the mind for new knowledge.

How we teach what we want students to know and do also plays a major role in what students actually gain as knowledge and skills.

Thank you to all for your effort in transforming to an effective way to monitor students learning Navajo.

Professional Development

Learning Even More!

We will continue training on assessments, the curriculum and technology.

Melody Highlen will return to continue on assessments training  so you can finish the products.

In the curriculum area, we will provide training on the various parts of “Understanding by Design”, also known as UbD in addition to Common  Core State Standards. A tentative schedule was developed.

In the technology area, we will bring a trainer on how you can effectively use the interactive board, Promethean. In doing so, our students will be more engaged so that they learn and retain more Navajo.

 

Navajo Studies News

A Tribute to Ruth – The Journey Continues

The late Ruth Roessel was a true advocate for all Navajo students. She sang songs and prayed for these students.

Horses are our journey.

Ruth was always disturbed by any student with their heads down on the desk, disengaged, walked the halls or were suspended from school. She believed in giving our Navajo students every opportunity to learn whether it was in Navajo or not. She wanted to enrich the lives of the young.

Ruth believed that what we do now as far as students learning from us as teachers and adults is what our future will be. If we prepare them well, we will have a strong future continuing to speak our language and doing what Navajos have practiced since time immemorial.

Many of you share this belief. Let’s embrace this belief and continue to strive for an excellent future for the Navajo Nation.

Continue to sing those songs and say those prayers

Navajo Nation News

ODLA

ODLA stands for Oral Dine Language Assessment.

Rough Rock is a grant school. What that means is the Navajo Nation also gets to say what Rough Rock should do. As a grant school, Rough Rock must comply with Navajo Nation policies.

One such policy is to implement ODLA. We would be forwarding assessment results to the Navajo Nation so that they can track the progress of Navajo language learning by students.

Navajo Studies will forward you information regarding when students must be assessed. It begins this school year so we need your help.

BIE News

What is that 15%

As everyone knows from the past school year and summer, the Common Core State Standards will be implemented this school year.

Sunrise over the Lukachukai.

As a BIE school, it comes with implementing Navajo standards as well. That’s the 15% the BIE will require.

What does this mean? Instead of AIMS, we will now use NWEA testing.  NWEA will assess on Common Core State Standards. It will also assess students’ knowledge on Navajo standards. What this means is 85% of the test will be on Common Core State Standards and 15% will be on Navajo standards.

This is the reason why we are developing curriculum and assessments using Rubicon Atlas. Be ready!

Theme

“Ad7n4es3: It began to grow.”

Each year, Navajo Studies has a theme that has cultural significance to student learning and progress.

Traditionally, this theme  is designated for “Traditional Days”. However, the theme is appropriate for the  school year.

Several years back, as RRCS received word that it will receive funding for new school facilities, it made its plans to bring student learning up to par. As our ancestors practiced, we proceeded.

The first thought was to prepare a plan that would get students to where they need to be. This came in the form of songs and prayers, a seed planted at the groundbreaking location, now, the current site of the elementary school.

The themes chosen for the next seven years were strategically chosen to follow the sequence of the corn growth. Each stage, or school year, adds onto the previous year to reach maturity, or our goals. The cycle is then  appropriately repeated with the new.

In this way, we will all walk in beauty.

About the Newsletter

As we progress with this newsletter, we will begin to convert this newsletter to using the Navajo language.

At this point, not all of our technology is “Navajo” compatible and we will be working on that as the year progresses.

This newsletter is intended for dissemination of information regarding Navajo Studies at Rough Rock Community School so that we continue to improve our Navajo Studies program. It is not intended for student use nor is it intended as instructional materials.

The rainbow engulfs all people and natural elements on earth and in the sky.

If you would like to submit articles regarding Navajo Studies success or other related information that you would like to share, please submit them to me electronically via email.

At this point, there is no determination made on when this newsletter will be disseminated. Your suggestions are welcome!

All information disseminated through this newsletter will be at the Navajo Studies discretion. This is an informal newsletter to serve the purpose of sharing information.

Thank you and enjoy a new school year!

Speak Navajo!