Diversity, Equity & Federal Program- January Newsletter

Director's Message

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Welcome back and Happy New Year!

Here's looking to a new year and all that can come with a fresh year. I hope everyone had a restful, safe, and healthy break. We are happy to have our students and staff back in our buildings and for the opportunity to provide distance learning for students as we continue to practice safety measures for Covid-19.

The new year has already brought us opportunities for engaged learning through the means of academic rigor, cultural proficiency, and trauma-informed strategies. Throughout our district, students are learning from the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings (OSEU) Standards, with 5,986 students having been taught directly from our Title VI Indian Education OSEU staff with our lesson database. In addition, schools are working on their implementation of Conscious Discipline, a trauma-informed research-based model, to provide students opportunities to gain life skills and social/emotional intelligence. As the year goes on we will continue to support students and families through district resources and programmings such as McKinney-Vento, GED Program, Title I, and alternative education pathways to meet students’ needs in their educational journeys.

As we continue the course, please remain healthy and safe! We are happy to be back and thankful to see the smiling faces of students both in-person and virtually after the break.

Thank you for all you do,

Thank you,

Whitnee Pearce

Director of Diversity, Equity & Federal Programs

McKinney-Vento Homeless/Migrant Program Overview

McKinney-Vento Services for students in temporary housing situations

What is McKinney-Vento?

Stewart B McKinney Homeless Assistance Act was signed by President Reagan and became law on July 22, 1987
the Act required states to ensure that all children experiencing temporary housing have the same right to a free and appropriate public education as children not experiencing housing issues.
In 1990 Congress expanded the state’s responsibility to eliminate all barriers to education
In 1990 funding was made available through the McKinney grant to help provide an array of educational and support services responsive to the needs of students experiencing housing issues.
All school districts are required to have someone on staff responsible for ensuring that students in temporary housing are able to attend school and eliminate barriers to their education
It is currently named the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Act

Which students qualify for services?

Students who do not have a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence qualify for services
Examples but not limited to:
Shelters
Motels/hotels
Living with friends or relatives due to economic difficulty
Living in a campground or campsite
Unaccompanied Youth (young persons not in the care of an adult)

What should you do if you think your student might qualify?

All schools in the Rapid City School District have the McKinney-Vento Verification of Eligibility form
Ask the school office staff for the form and complete it
Return the form to the school
One of the McKinney-Vento staff will contact you to discuss your situation and decide if you qualify
If you qualify support for your student will begin
If it is determined that you do not qualify but you disagree contact the McKinney Vento Coordinator or the office of Federal Programs

–McKinney-Vento Coordinator 605-431-8414

–Federal Programs and Grants 605-394-6892

For more information please check out our webpage or view the latest Rapid City Journal article on our program.

E- Learning Friday Cultural Events

E - Learning Friday Cultural Events

Every E-Learning Friday starting in October, we have had a different virtual online cultural event on the Rapid City Title VI Indian Education's FB page. We will be starting back in mid-January.

Jan. 15th- Kansas Middletent Part 1 Teachings on Long Hair

Jan. 22nd- Tyler Read

Graffiti Art with Lakota Language & Lakota Values

Jan. 29th - Linda Black Elk Traditional Tea & Medicine Workshop

*If you would like to sign up to receive a Tea Making kit, please message us here or email Angel.Lee@K12.sd.us by Jan.22nd, 2020 at Noon. Supplies are limited, so sign up today!

If you don't have Facebook, don't worry! Check out these videos and past videos on our Youtube Channel.

School & Student Shout Outs!

Valley View Elementary -

This summer over 150 teachers and administrators throughout the district became trainers in Conscious Discipline, strategies for trauma-informed and restorative practices. Two common strategies can be found at Valley View Elementary with the Kindness Tree and Wish You Well. Nice work, Valley View Vikings!

Stevens High School -

Lakota artist, Marty Two Bulls Jr., worked with Alicia Coyne's art classes throughout the day on various projects and learning opportunities. Students learned virtually from Mr. Two Bulls Jr. and were able to work on a variety of pieces ranging from mixed media, drawing, to clay design. Mr. Two Bulls Jr. is the Department Head of Visual Arts at Oglala Lakota College and we appreciated his expansive expertise he brought to students.

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Our friends at Rapid Valley Elementary understand the importance of understanding triggers for both students and staff. They provide clear concrete ways for students to navigate their emotions and communicate their feelings appropriately and safely. Great work with our district’s Whole CHILD initiative!

99 students at South Middle School in Mr. Ley's classes learned about Lakota lodges and designed their own lodge covering. Students also learned about the kinship roles for each part of the lodge and the correct order each of the items should be placed from teachings from Corey Yellow Boy, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.

At North Middle School, students in the Eagle's Nest participated in the school-wide door decorating festivities. They worked with Title VI paraprofessional, Gene Swallow, to create their door decor which featured not only sewn llamas, but local animals such as the buffalo, prairie dog, skunk, and more!

Western Dakota Juvenile Services Center & Wellfully Program Updates

Our Program

Students at Western Dakota Juvenile Services Center and Wellfully are successfully completing and working for earned credits in both Fine Arts and Reading Electives through classes enriched in the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings.

In addition to learning about a variety of art concepts; students are reading supplemental primary texts from Oceti Sakowin writers to further their understanding of design, 2D art, and 3D art.

On January 20 at Western South Dakota Juvenile Services Center

•10 students will earn a half-credit of Fine Arts and 6 students will earn a half-credit of a Reading Elective.

On February 15 at Wellfully

•8 students will earn a half-credit of fine arts.

At both facilities, more students will earn their art credits as they are in the courses long enough to do the learning and complete more projects.

Check out some of the work they have accomplished!

Student Feature - Allison Wood, 10th Grader at Central High School writes about feeling different and what the world can do in working with people who think differently, like herself. Great work, Allison!

The Girl With The Squirrels

On the 9th of November, a girl was born, looking through the room. A shiny bright light across the room grabbed the little darling’s attention, that was the start of it all.

Two years later on the 9th of November, the girl was turning two, she stood in the curtains playing around when a photographer snapped a pic, the little girl hid in the curtains behind as she giggled and grinned away.

Two more years have passed now and the girl turned 4, in her little maroon dress. Whilst her friends played in the arcade she loved, she stared at the fuzzy dinosaur and could not look away, even when it was time for the cake she could not stop studying the purple and green fur, it took her mind away.

Kindergarten came and other things took the little girl away, the colors, the clocks tick, and the weird click in the halls. The little girl struggled to think of the answer to a question as simple as 20+4. Nobody cared and the teacher only paid attention to her husband whom she'd bring in and hang out with instead of teaching anyone.

First grade comes and the girl struggled to read in every way. Put in a program for students who struggle, the girl caught up to others. She could read, she could write, she could do most things everyone could do, but she still struggled to learn math because she would sniff her scented markers in the back of the room. The ticking of the clock and the mess in her desk made every word her teacher said drift through her head as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

Second and third grades came and left, she was now in her fourth-grade year and yet she still struggled to learn. All she remembers is reading a math problem and asking what multiplication was, despite them learning all about it at the beginning of that year.

Fifth grade year and the girl’s life changed, someone finally noticed. Her struggles were heard and her opportunity to learn like everyone else had come. To the doctors, she went, and she was asked a few questions and she finally got her answer. Why she stared at the clock, why she couldn’t read, why she couldn’t learn math, why she didn’t hear people talking when thinking of a monkey riding a horse with balloons.

Why didn’t she notice it sooner, why didn’t anyone see, she struggled to learn because of her ADHD. It's common for people to not think of it yet it's so obvious, she could not focus because she mentally couldn’t because she could only think of the balloon she lost when she was 4. She was put on a medication and the girl slowly learned the things she struggled with before.

5 years passed and the girl could keep up, she finally felt almost normal. She could focus, she could write, she reads, she does math like everyone else, occasionally her mind slips. She does sports which helps her stress levels drop since that little mind slip could make her not finish her work in class. She still takes breaks to be her true self on the weekends, no homework, nothing important to do, no chores, why take ADHD meds if she’s not doing important stuff.

Now sitting in her Spanish class thinking of the past, wondering why God chose her, why she was unfocused, why she thought of random things that happened when she was 4. Why it's like she has little squirrels in her head running around in her thoughts. it's not a bad thing and it could be worse, if nobody noticed she still could be struggling, she would still be sitting here, staring at a clock-watching every second go by, but instead, she is happy that she is who she is, with her little squirrels, her skills, and the way she swims as if she had gills. She holds her head up high as she accepts the fact that she learns differently because there isn’t a soul that she knows who is exactly like her. I should know because I am Allison Wood, the girl with squirrels, struggling for most of my life, I finally feel normal, like a person who belongs, took me 16 years to figure it out, so here I am sitting in my Spanish class telling my story to all.

ADHD is a struggle and more people need to watch for it in children. For them to go through the struggles and being called dumb or stupid by your substitute teacher and classmates, you start to believe it, you feel bad about being you, no kid should go through that as I did. I want to prevent kids from going through years of struggle without anyone noticing the signs of ADHD. So please watch for the signs and struggles, the squirrels, and the troubles that ADHD can cause.

Staff Spotlights

"I LOVE my job! I am so very passionate about suicide prevention and have been so encouraged by the progress our district has made in this area. I also get the privilege to work closely with our social work team, providing guidance and program development. We are so fortunate to have such a wonderful team of social workers in our district working diligently to meet student and family needs! I am also fortunate to have the opportunity to work closely with our Behavior Management Systems partners as well as our Connecting With our Youth partners. The Rapid City area has wonderful collaboration between service providers, and we are fortunate to have community partners in our buildings providing support services to our students."

Sarah Zimmerman is the Social Emotional Education Coordinator district-wide. She coordinates suicide prevention, social work services, and several of our community partnerships focusing on mental health support and resources.

" I love using the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings with K-12 students because students do great work with these standards that elders wrote for our state!"

Gabrielle Seeley is an Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings Educator with our Title VI Indian Education program. Gabrielle works with students throughout our district including at our alternative education places such as Wellfully and Western Dakota Juvenile Services Center to provide culturally rooted, engaged learning opportunities. She also creates lessons and works one-on-one with teachers in our district to implement the Oceti Sakowin Essential Understandings standards.

Department Highlights

Winter Coat Donation - American Indian Services Prep program donated over 30 coats for our Family/Student Coordinator, Kerri Stephen, to provide to high school aged students throughout our district in need. We are thankful for our continued partnerships and support within our community.

Title VI Virtual Coloring & Prize Drawings-

Over the break, the Office of Title VI Indian Education provided currently enrolled Kindergarten students in our program Lakota Language Consortium Lakota Alphabet Coloring Books.

RCAS Title VI Kindergarten Students are virtually coloring to showcase their awesome artwork using their Lakota Alphabet Coloring Books.

To participate, have your Kindergarten student color, decorate, paint or artify in any way a coloring page from the Lakota Alphabet Coloring Book.

Once your student has completed their artwork, you can submit a photo in any of the ways listed below to showcase their work! Email to angel.lee@k12.sd.us or tag the photo on Facebook to RCAS

Title VI. Weekly prizes will be drawn for students who participate!

Cookie Decorating!

Students at General Beadle, Knollwood Elementary, and North Middle were surprised on the last day of school before Winter Break with cookies to decorate from Jerry's Cakes & Donuts. Students in Lakota Language classes and the Eagle's Nest were allowed time to decorate their cookies and enjoy their delicious treats before the break officially started!

Suicide Prevention Workshop -