by Mary George
Choosing a student of the month is easy at the Akiachak School because we believe that all our students are special. Each has a gift. When we teach, we teach towards their strengths recognizing that learning is a mysterious phenomenon. Including all children is our mission. We care about each one and encourage in a variety of ways. Our words have power and the decisions we make daily influence a child’s mind.
We include Yup’ik dance and song, Yup’ik language and thought, elder visits, and counselors from the community to spend time with us. We choose literature that motivates students to read, work with art and numbers, incorporate our hands to handle wood to make masks and art. We tailor our discussions towards relevancy to make connections with family, community, and beyond.
Our district has adopted a Yup’ik Immersion program for kindergarten, first and second grades, with a low pupil-teacher ratio so that each child can get individualized attention. “Indigenizing” reflects who and where we teach, as children experience community connections. This month we celebrate:
K- Xander Bingham, Sonya Lott, 1st- Bella Frederick, Violet Howard, 2nd- Phoenix Diamond ,3rd- Abbigail Sitton, 4th- Layla George, 5th- Jed Nose, Eric Peter, 6th- Lorraine Snyder, 7th- Starlynn Charles, 8th- Cadence Diamond, 9th- Holly Laraux, 10th- Dennis Evan, 11th- Jonathan Evan, and 12th- Kaylee Phillip.
