Native American Student Services
Spring 2015 Oklahoma City Public Schools Native American Student Services Newsletter Native American Summer Day Camp Native American Student Services 900 N. Klein OKC, OK 73106 405-587-0355 www.okcps.org Special Points of Interest OKC Metro Hand Game Scholarship Info Upcoming Events! Goard Dance Society Native American Summer Day Camp is just around the corner! Our camp is open to K-6th grade OKCPS Native American students. The camp is free, students are fed breakfast and lunch and we do provide transportation from one north side school and one south side school to the camp location. Students older than 6th grade are encouraged to attend as volunteers. Students will have a week full of Native American cultural activities, speakers, crafts and field trips. The camp will be from June 15-18, 2015. Applications will be available on April 13, 2015 on our website or at our NASS office. School Supplies and School Uniforms Every year, JOM students are eligible to receive a starter school supply kit and school uniform assistance, BUT you must apply every year. There are a few changes for this year: 1.We have combined both the school supply and school uniform application. Please only mark the item(s) you are applying for. 2.We are lowering the amount students receive for school uniform assistance to $30/student. We are doing this so that we are able to give more students vouchers. APPLICATIONS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT OUR OFFICE OR ON OUR WEBSITE ON APRIL 13TH. PLEASE APPLY EARLY! For questions, call NASS at 587-0355 OKC Metro Hand Game Join us for the annual OKC Metro Hand Game! All OKCPS Native students and families invited! OKC Metro Hand Game Saturday, April 11, 2015 Boulevard Academy 215 N Boulevard, Edmond 12:00 pm: Lunch 12:30 pm: Games Begin Hosted by Edmond Indian Ed. For more info call 587-0358 Elementary Academic Awards Every year, NASS gives out academic awards to elementary students. Students must be nominated by a teacher, staff, Native American Advisor or principal. •Nomination forms will go out to schools on March 30th. •Parents will be notified the week of May 4th, if your student is receiving an award. •Awards will be given out on May 12th at Grant High School at 6pm. If you have questions, please call NASS at 587-0355. Kuduks Hudi Gourd Society The Kuduks Hudi Gourd Society is OKCPS Native American Student Services’ newest cultural program. This program is geared for OKCPS Native American male students in grades pre-k to 12th. The gourd society is overseen by our wonderful veteran gourd dancer, Lorenzo Beard, Pawnee/ Cheyenne/Arapaho. Mr. Beard has invested a lot into this pilot year, and we wanted to do something to tie his work to our society. We decided to name the gourd dance “Kuduks Hudi” which means Little Bears in the Pawnee language, in honor of our amazing mentor. Kuduks Hudi was formally introduced into the arena at the NASS 8th Annual Contest Powwow on November 22, 2014. Each boy made their own bandolier as a way to learn and increase their cultural identity. Our hope for this group is for the young men to become connected to their culture, find a love for gourd dancing, and remain with the group throughout their school years. Since being introduced the society has been invited to dance with the OKC Powwow Club and at the Wichita Healthy Generations dance. Many community members have expressed nice supportive compliments about the boys. We are thrilled to have young men and their families sincerely engaged and committed to the society. We are excited to see how it will grow. If you have a student interested please contact Rochell Werito at 405-587-0358 for more information. Upcoming Events Scholarships April 2 Cultural Night, 6pm, OKCPS Admin Bldg April 9-10 OKCPS Native American Student Art Show, Penn Square Mall Juniors & Seniors - Now is the time to start applying for scholarships. NASS can help you! April 11 OKC Metro Hand Game, Noon, Boulevard Academy, 215 N Boulevard, Edmond April 30 Native American Senior Honor Banquet, 6pm, Will Rogers Garden Exhibition Center (Seniors Only) May 7 Cultural Night, 6pm, OKCPS Admin Bldg May 12 Native American Elementary Academic Awards Assembly, 6pm, Grant HS Contact Sarah Botone at shbotone@okcps.org Here are a list of a few scholarships: •OCCC- OKC GO www.occc.edu/okcgo •Questbridge www.questbridge.org •Fastweb www.fastweb.com •www.scholarships.com May 19 Indian Taco Sale, 10am—1pm, Choctaw Tribal Alliance Building Check with your Tribal Higher Education Department for scholarship information. ResoNative Youth Dance Troupe OIGA-Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association The Resonative Youth Dance Troupe is our most popular cultural program. The Dance Troupe is an official representation of the OKCPS Native American Student Services and ambassador of good will. The troupe performs for schools, organizations, and competes annually in the Operation Eagle Battle of the Plains in Dewey, Oklahoma. The troupe is made up of OKCPS Native American students from Pre-K to High School. Currently, there are eighteen tribes represented within our dance troupe. The Dance Troupe is not only a way to educate and celebrate diversity, it also allows our performers to gain confidence in public speaking, networking, and cultural knowledge. If there are any students that may be interested in joining our dance troupe or would like to request a performance please call Rochell at 587-0358. The John Marley Scholarship Fund is for the children of casino industry employees. The deadline is April 2. No exceptions. Applicant requirements: an application, essay, 2 letters of recommendation, official high school transcript, and a copy of an official acceptance letter or class schedule for a Technical School, Community College, or University. For questions about the essay or requirements contact Sheila Morago at Sheila.morago@oiga.org Indian Taco Sales are fundraisers to help with our Senior Banquet. Pick up only. Each taco is $5. To order: call 587-0355 or email Joann at jward@okcps.org! Help Support our kids! Native American Student Services 900 N Klein, Room 428 Oklahoma City, OK 73106 (405) 587-0355 Native American Student Services Staff Central Office Staff Dr. Star Yellowfish, Administrator................................ elyellowfish@okcps.org Joann Ward, Administrative Secretary.......................... jward@okcps.org Sarah Botone, College & Career Program Coord................shbotone@okcps.org Rochell Werito, Cultural Program Coord........................ rwerito@okcps.org Native American Advisors Geneva Meely: Arthur, Jefferson MS & Parmelee.............. gmmeely@okcps.org Yafke Marks: Hayes, Webster MS & Bodine...................... ymarks@okcps.org Taylor Mann: Taft, SE HS, & Southern Hills..................... tlmann@okcps.org Pat Myers: Grant HS & Centennial HS............................ pdmyers@okcps.org Delana Ayers: Adams, Roosevelt & Prairie Queen.............. dsayers@okcps.org Michael Herron: NWC, CSAS, & Kaiser........................... mjherron@okcps.org Rebecca Hamilton: Coolidge, Fillmore & Hillcrest............ rdhamilton@okcps.org Michael Elizondo: Arthur, JMHS & Taft MS....................... melizondo@okcps.org NASS Main Number: 405-587-0355 STAY INFORMED!! Join the Native American parent/student listserv! Get the latest information on our NASS dept and community events! We will do a monthly email blast about any new information from our department and promote community events. To join the listserv, email Sarah at shbotone@okcps.org.
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