Auburn School District

  

 

Auburn School District leadership believes every child will succeed and we envision 100% graduation for our students.  This will happen.  Students must do their part,  parent/family support will accelerate student success; schools will adjust to meet the needs of students and we will develope and enhance our community relationships so that students will have holistic support.  ASD values their relationship with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the many associated departments within the tribe that we collaborate with on behalf of students, including: The Culture Program provides constant and ongoing cultural support as evidenced by our shared program logo; the Tribal College provides many College and Career opportunities for students; Behavioral Health provides resources as needed for students and staff; the Education Department provides leadership and programatic support for students.  

 

The Native American Education Program staff are honored and humbled to work with and assist children with Native American heritage.  We strive to ensure that each and every Natiive American child feels valued, finds their strengths, grows skills that will serve them beyond high school, develop healthy habits and contribute to healthy future for Native people and the communities in which they live.  We are blessed to work with our students and value our relationships with our our famlies.  

 

The parent or guardian must complete a Title VI Federal 506 Eligibility form and turn in to childs' school.  The child can be counted if they are enrolled in a federally recognized tribe, OR if their parent or grandparent is/was enrolled.  There is no blood quantum required to enroll and participate in the program.  This form only needs to be completed once for a student’s entire time in Auburn School District.   Please see the "506 Form" button on side bar on left for lists of federally recognized forms and a sample form.  Please contact Native American Eduation Program for more information.      

  

There are over 70 tribes represented in the Auburn School District. Grades of these students range from pre-K through grade 12. Nearly one-third of our Native student population in Auburn School District is represented by enrolled members of the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe.

 

Tribes represented by our program students for the 2020-2021 school year are: Ahtna, Aleut, Apache, Arikara, Athabaskan, Assiniboine, Blackfeet, Bristol Bay, Catawba, Cherokee, Chickasaw, Chignik, Chinik Eskimo Community, Chippewa, Choctaw, CIRI Regional, Coeur d' Alene, Colville, Crow, Curyung, Enterprise Racheria of Maidu, Grand Ronde, Haida, Hopi, Inupiaq (Alaska), Little Shell Chippewa, Lower Elwha S'Klallam, Lummi, Makah, Metlakatla, Minto, Muckleshoot, Nana Regional, Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape, Navajo (Arizona), Nez Perce (Idaho), Nisqually, Nooksak, North Fork Rancheria, Northern Arapaho, Nulato, Oglala Sioux, Ottawa, Pechanga Band of Luiseno, Port Gambell S'Klallam, Pueblo, Puyallup, Quinault, Rosebud Sioux, Seminole, Seneca Cayuga, S'Klallam, Snoqualmie, Standing Rock Sioux,  Suquamish, Swinomish, Tlingit (Alaska), Tohono O'Odham, Tsimshian, Tulalip, Turtle Mountain Chippewa, Umatilla, Upper Skagit, White Earth Nation, Wyandotte, Yakama and Yurok. 

 

While not counted as part of the federal program, we honor our First Nations relatives and welcome them to participate in our programs.  Representing these communities are students with ties to Blackfoot(Siksika), Klahoose, Nootka, Sechelt, Shuswap, Pine Creek Cree and Tsawwassen.  

 

"Indian Education" is a part of the public school system because of legislation by the United States Government. Title IX laws state that: "(1) the Federal Government has a special responsibility to ensure that educational programs for all American Indian and Alaska Native children and adults--(A) are based on high quality, internationally competitive content standards and student performance standards and build on Indian culture and the Indian community; (B) assist local educational agencies, Indian tribes, and other entities and individuals in providing Indian students the opportunity to achieve such standards; and (C) meet the special educational and cultural related academic needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students."

 

• Increase Academic Achievement
• Increase Knowledge of Cultural Identity and Awareness
• Increase Career Readiness Skills

• Students will continue to share aspects of their culture at school events across district,
• The Native American Education Program will collaborate with other programs that support Indigenous youth to share and celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day in October, 
• Heritage boards will be featured across district during Native American Heritage month in November, 
• Continue to support the Native American Youth Leadership Academy (NAYLA), 
• Native American Youth Leaders will raise awareness of issues that pertain to Native American communities, 
• Continues working with district staff to include tribal history, culture and government in the curriculum, 
• Continue to provide professional development opportunities for teachers and staff that serve Native American children, and
• Encourage parents to participate more and persuade the Parent Advisory Committee to learn more about the program and its potential.

• Grade and Attendance monitoring and support
• Homework help
• Parent Advocacy/Assistance in navigating school system, ie communicating with teachers and administrative staff, attend IEP meetings and more
• Information on college and career workshops and events to support the district mission of preparing all students for their futures
• Scholarship and financial aid information for secondary students.
• Cultural enrichment opportunities
• Speakers and presenters from the Native community
• Cultural field trips and events with an emphasizing college and career readiness

• Advocacy (attending parent/teacher conferences with parents by request
• Advocacy for Native students and their families at the school and district levels
• Family culture nights
• Parent Advisory Committee Meetings.

Program families, please be sure we have your updated contact information on file!

 

One way we communicate with students is through Google Classroom, so encourage them to accept our invitation so they can receive messages quickly from Native Ed program staff.  We communicate with families through email and also by their indicated preference (take survey below so we know.)

 

We ask families to join our REMIND APP classrooms.  This will help us keep you informed and "remind" you of program events like district wide meetings and culture events. Parents, we can text and call each other through the REMIND APP also! This is really important now that we are doing distance learning this fall!  

 

Robin Pratt, Native American Education Coordinator, All Schools. (253) 931-4880, ext 702125; Cell (541) 460-7540;rpratt@auburn.wednet.edu.    

Leslie Mizuki, Native Ed. Teacher and Intervention Specialist, Auburn High School. (253) 931-4880; cell (253) 693-8561; lmizukilo@auburn.wednet.edu.

Brooke Broussard, Teacher, Virginia Cross Native Education Center.  (253) 833-1536; bbroussard@auburn.wednet.edu. 

TBD, Native Ed. Intervention Specialist, Olympic Middle School.  (253) 931-4966.  tbd@auburn.wednet.edu.  

Sharleen Shown, Title VI Native Education Liaison, Chinook Elementary (and other schools by request).  (253) 931-4880; sshown@auburn.wednet.edu.