March 24, 2023 E-Newsletter
March 2023 Newsletter
Awaiting spring on the Pine Ridge Reservation
Dear Friends of the Lakota Waldorf Owayawa,

Did you know Owayawa is the Lakota word for school?

We started this year with several severe blizzards accompanied by extreme subzero temperatures and dangerous winds. Luckily, however, we have so far made it through the winter with no major damage, and our students have enjoyed sledding and building snowmen during recess.


Despite the days we had to close school due to the weather, our students are progressing well. They come to campus from three different districts. Most of the students are from the Medicine Root District, Kyle. Others are from Porcupine, Manderson, Ever Green and Sharps Corner. Our two school buses drive between 40-50 miles per bus route, 90-100 miles per bus per day, to bring our students to and from school.
An Update on Construction
We are excited to share that Phase 2 of our construction project is moving forward quickly. We were delayed six months because we had to change the construction company, but Rusty Pucket’s crew has stepped in, and they will work on Phase 2 until it is completed. This is the same local construction company that built our classroom wing in Phase 1, and we are happy to be working with them again!
Phase 2 includes a much-needed school kitchen, a cafeteria for our students, a meeting room for our teachers, one more classroom and administrative offices. Recently, the windows have been installed as well as the straw bale insulation.
Seeing the building take shape is a dream come true! It has taken us a long time to plan, fundraise, and complete each phase step-by-step as the funds became available.

With the grand opening of the building in August, the Lakota Waldorf School will also celebrate its 30th anniversary!
To Finish Our Construction Project We Still
Need Your Help!
We are thankful for the progress we are seeing and all the support we have received. Still, despite many reasons to celebrate, our construction project has put an enormous financial strain on the Lakota Waldorf School. Since 2016, the majority of our fundraising efforts have been dedicated to these much-needed campus updates. We are so close to making this dream a reality, but we need your continued support.

We still need to raise $10,000 for lighting and doors, and we are also fundraising for kitchen equipment. 

If you would like to help us to bring this vision to life, please click here: 
Where does my donation go?

If you would like to direct your donation to a certain area, please make a note (for example, kitchen equipment, construction, education program etc.). If you do not add a note, we will direct your donation to wherever it is most needed.
The Lakota Waldorf School Appreciates Your Generosity
Our work at the Lakota Waldorf School is only possible through your donations and generosity. 

None of our students pay tuition, and it is our highest goal to keep this school tuition-free in order to allow each child – no matter the economic status of the family – to attend our school.

The families of the Pine Ridge Reservation would not be able to pay tuition, so we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for making this school accessible to all children. 

You can also support us by forwarding this Newsletter to friends and acquaintances.
There are two ways to make a gift:

1. Use our website’s DONATE page (with PayPal Option)
2. Send a CHECK made to “Lakota Waldorf School” to P.O. Box 527, Three Mile Creek Road, Kyle, SD 57752
Please know that your gift – no matter the size – will help us to transform the lives and future of Lakota students living on one of the poorest Indian reservations in the United States.

Pilauŋyayapi!
(We thank you all.) 
Questions??
Visit our website at: https://lakotawaldorfschool.org
Or feel free to contact us at:
(605) 455-2487 or