The Chemawa Indian School basketball team gathers for comradery before tip-off in their campus gym in Salem, Oregon.

Fond du Lac Ojibwe School recently held its Biboon (Winter) Celebration. It was an afternoon filled with Native crafts and activities. There were many stations that students and their families visited, including making birch bark rings, archery, wolf tracking, storytelling with hot cocoa, cookie decorating, sled dogs, pottery ornaments, decorating a bandolier bag and Ojibwe Family Feud. It was followed by a community dinner consisting of buffalo chili, cornbread, wild rice, Waldorf salad and carrot cake. It was a fun and informational event for everyone.

The Cherokee Central Schools pre-k and FACE classrooms celebrated the holiday season with a Christmas Program on December 19. Each pre-k class sang a Christmas song in the Cherokee language, and at the end of the program, all four classes sang two songs together. All songs were sung in Cherokee. Cherokee Central Schools pre-k students receive daily Cherokee language instruction from Ms. Sha-lo-li, their Cherokee Language instructor. The students learn and use the Cherokee language every day.

The beginning of the calendar year brings the start of a new semester, and there is no better time to reset study habits than after a long break. The new year is a time full of resolutions, and students and their parents and guardians can implement helpful habits to make the most of study time and improve academic performance.

The counselors at Many Farms High School in Many Farms, Arizona, guide their students daily to establish good habits and apply them to life after high school. Throughout their years as counselors there, Tullus Deschenie and Bobbie Bekay prioritize a few things that make a big difference.

The DOI Women’s Mentoring Program Pilot was launched in March 2022 as a platform to foster meaningful relationships through mentorships in which women build knowledge, confidence, and leadership skills to excel in their personal and professional lives. The program pilot is now preparing for its third cohort and is looking for mentors! If you have experience to share, a desire to support others in their career journey, and a willingness to commit to the year-long program, please consider applying as a mentor. The opportunity to mentor is open to all grade levels and job series.

The following is a summary of mentor responsibilities:

• Partner with a mentee for one year.
• Meet regularly and participate in mentor-mentee and program activities for two to four hours monthly.
• Promote and strive to meet mutual goals and expectations.
• Be eager and willing to grow and learn together.
• Give and receive constructive feedback.

This is an exciting opportunity to support the professional development of DOI employees by sharing knowledge and fostering the personal growth of a mentee. Submit your application on DOI Talent. The mentor application period closes on February 3.

Visit the DOI Women’s Mentoring Program SharePoint or email questions to doiwomensmentoringprogram@ios.doi.gov.

Attention School Leaders!

We’re looking for stories and photos to feature in our weekly Roll Call and on social media! Highlight the incredible things happening at your schools and celebrate your students, staff, and community with us.

Here are some exciting new opportunities to share:

• 🌟 Elementary School Teacher Day – January 16. Celebrate your incredible elementary teachers and their impact on students’ lives.
• 📚 100th Day of School. Share creative projects or events marking this milestone in the school year!
• 🎉 Positive New Year Habits – January. Showcase how your students or teachers are building positive habits to kick off the new year.
• 💻 Digital Learning Day – February 22. Share how your school embraces technology and digital learning innovation.
• 💖 Love Teaching Week – February 12–16. Spotlight the passion and dedication of your educators.
• 🙌 National Student Volunteer Day – February 17. Celebrate students making a difference in their communities through volunteerism.
• 🏀 Recreational Sports and Fitness Day – February 22. Show how your school promotes fitness and recreational activities.
• 🎨 National Arts Month – February. Feature student art projects and performances to celebrate creativity.
• 🗣️ Youth Leadership Month – February. Highlight student leaders and their contributions to your school community.

Don’t miss this opportunity to shine a light on your school’s successes and creativity. Send your submissions to lead@bie.edu or click the button below!

Integrated pest management is a sustainable, proactive, and effective way for school facility managers to deal with various pests like rodents and insects. IPM saves time, effort, and money while creating safer and healthier learning environments. This free webinar will highlight several IPM success stories from school facility managers representing districts around the U.S. and provide step-by-step guidance, including how to integrate IPM practices into existing staff roles and responsibilities.

January 28, 2025 | 2-3:30 PM ET | Including a 30 minute Q&A

Learning Objectives

• Learn the history of integrated pest management and the science behind pest management strategies.
• Learn the importance of controlling pests using IPM guidelines and its connection to student health.
• Learn about IPM implementation success stories from school districts across the U.S.

The January Principal Leadership Academy sessions will cover the "Writing Rescue Plan," a collection of ready-to-implement classroom activities and resources designed to remedy the most common pitfalls leading to "zero/non-scorable" student work. Leaders will explore the Writing Rescue plan, access resources, and receive tips on supporting teachers in implementing the pre-test mini-lessons and activities. These resources can potentially positively impact overall test scores this spring.

• Register for January 23 at 10:30 a.m. MT
• Register for February 4 at 1 p.m. MT
• Register for February 11 at 11 a.m. MT

• January 21 - Clean Water Act, Stormwater Pollution Prevention
• January 29 - Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, Tier II Chemical Reporting Awareness
• February 11 - AHERA Asbestos Awareness and Designated Person Training
• February 18
• Solid Waste Management and Reporting Awareness
• Hazardous and Universal Waste Awareness Training

• January 23 - Bed Bugs
• February 11 - EAP/Risk Analysis
• February 12
• Climate Change and Human Health
• OSHA 10 Courses
• February 13
• EAP/Risk Analysis
• OSHA Record Keeping