The Yakama Nation Tribal School cheer squad in Toppenish, Washington.

Katch and Tristen, seniors from Little Wound School in South Dakota, were selected to participate in the 2024 Indigenous Bowl in California on the Soboba Indian Reservation. Hosted by the 7G Foundation in partnership with colleges across the U.S., the event highlights student-athletes from Indian Country.

To qualify, Katch and Tristen each wrote a 500-word essay about their academic and athletic achievements and personal goals. The foundation focuses on grade point averages and educational aspirations, selecting 50 students annually. The Bureau of Indian Education is proud of Katch and Tristen for earning this opportunity and taking steps toward their future.

Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kansas, recently held its fall graduation ceremony, honoring students who achieved their higher education goals. The event featured Shawnee Tribe Chief Benjamin Barnes as the keynote speaker. Chief Barnes, elected in 2019, has been a strong advocate for cultural preservation, declaring 2021–2030 as the Decade of the Shawnee Language to revitalize and celebrate the Shawnee heritage.

The Santa Fe Indian School Parent Advisory Council hosted its annual PAC Holiday Bazaar, which was successful due to support from local vendors, guests, students and staff. The event, which continues to grow yearly, thrived again in 2024. Proceeds from the Holiday Bazaar serve as the primary fundraising source for the annual PAC Honorary Banquet, which recognizes students who achieve Honor Roll status for three consecutive quarters.

The Bureau of Indian Education is organizing NASIS training for the first half of 2025 and wants your input on topics! Are there areas where training hasn’t been offered recently? Do you have new staff who need support in specific areas? Share your suggestions with us!

This optional survey is brief and should take just a few minutes to complete.

Derreck Wheeler is a grants management specialist for BIE's School Operations Division. Last year, he began working with the Bureau's nutrition consultant, Lt. Cmdr. Casey Cavanaugh, to take advantage of BIE’s Nutrition Wellness clinic hours. Wheeler signed up for free consultation sessions via Teams in March 2024 and started regular bi-monthly visits.

Wheeler took control of his health and diet five years ago with the help of a dietitian. Since then, he has completed several half-marathons, including one in Vegas, while wearing an alien costume. Wheeler has completed two full marathons and is now working on training for an Iron Man competition. He shared the success he has gained through regular Nutrition visits and check-ins with Lt. Cmdr. Cavanaugh.

"She helps me with the science side of training and diet," Wheeler said.

Through virtual nutrition sessions, LCDR Cavanaugh provides tips on what to eat and a schedule that works for her clients. Wheeler refined what he had already been working on through nutrition counseling and boosted workout results. He feels the healthiest he has been in a long time.

"Your health is your wealth," Wheeler said. "People are always willing to help you. You just have to be willing to ask for help."

A new National Policy Memorandum regarding the BIE’s Indigenous Food Hubs Program has been published on the Indian Affairs Policy and Directives website as of December 20, 2024.

NPM-EDUC-38: Indigenous Food Hubs at Bureau of Indian Education Schools—Through this policy, BIE promotes and provides best practices to support the Indigenous food initiative, which enriches education experiences by integrating valuable cultural and nutritional insights into BIE schools and programs.

GIVE STABILITY

Children are our future. Ensuring their well-being includes many facets: physical health, mental wellness, educational opportunities, extracurricular activities, socialization, and much more. It can be overwhelming to think about everything that goes into raising a well-rounded person, so focusing on a specific, tangible piece of the puzzle can be helpful. For example, research shows that reading to young children three or more times a week promotes language acquisition and is linked with overall success in school, so ensuring families with young children have good books in the home to read is the first step.

CFC-participating charities connect children with mentors, organize community sports programs, offer after-school tutoring, provide counseling services, implement summer camps, and distribute nutritious food. Awareness programs and educational resources can help youths recognize the dangers of drugs, seek help in violent situations, obtain early job training, and access necessities that aren’t always available at home. Hopefully, this critical support intervenes before children can be exploited or trafficked, but charities stand ready to assist even in those horrific circumstances.

Here are a few examples of how when you GIVE HAPPY through the CFC, you can GIVE STABILITY through charities working in the children & family support cause area:

• Assist those hoping to expand their families through adoption.
• Host community youth sports programs.
• Install accessible playground equipment so all children can play.

⭐ The last day to give to the Combined Federal Campaign is Wednesday, January 15, 2025! ⭐

The Bureau of Indian Education Indigenous Food Hubs encourages students and families to learn about nutrition, agriculture, Indigenous food culture and cooking inside and outside the classroom with Harvest of the Month.

Each monthly packet features a recipe, a coloring book page, and a nutrition and fact sheet focused on a different culturally relevant food in season. The Indigenous Food Hubs schools will also prepare at least one meal during the month that showcases that food.

Visit the Indigenous Food Hubs resources webpage on BIE.edu for more information.

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!

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 16 at 10:30 a.m. MT
• 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 10 - SPED Setup and SPED End User
• January 13 - Attendance Office
• January 14 - SPED Setup and SPED End User
• January 15 - New Look and New Features
• January 16 - Scheduling Part 1 and Scheduling Part 2
• January 17 - Teacher Credentials/Quality and Staff FTE

• January 13 - Training Plan Overview Outline
• January 21 - Clean Water Act, Stormwater Pollution Prevention
• January 29 - Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act, Tier II Chemical Reporting Awareness

• January 14 - ADA Compliance
• January 15 - OSHA 10 Courses
• January 16
• ADA Compliance
• Fire Door Inspection
• January 23 - Bed Bugs