Parents, guardians and relatives,

It’s hard to believe it’s already March. On March 9, 2018 the last quarter of the school year will begin and students will need to remain dedicated to their studies throughout the remainder of the semester. Spring Break will begin on March 19 – 23, 2018, so students get rested and gear up for the last quarter! In the meantime, there has been a lot happening here at Kinlani.

STEM

Larry Marek, FBD consultant, has been engaging students in robotics and STEM activities twice a week since October 2017. In addition, with the help of our VISTA volunteer, Vicki Anderson, the students engaged in an engineering challenge to plan the decorations for the Second Chance Valentine’s Dance held on February 28, 2018. The dance was well received even though the FHS students did not attend as planned due to the FUSD snow day.

Starting the process

Finished product

Engineering design challenge for gym decorations

Fundraising Trips

Two senior class sponsors and sixteen seniors have been fundraising for the past two years and are traveling to Hawaii for an educational and cultural trip during spring break; they will visit the Polynesian Culture Center, University of Hawaii, Dole Plantation, Diamond Head, Pearl Harbor and participate in a cultural exchange with peers from the NanaKuli High School.

Students will visit Polynesian Culture Center                           

Students will visit Pearl Harbor Memorial

College Trips

Twelve juniors and seniors recently toured the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, valley community colleges and one technical school. In hopes of narrowing down their college decisions, these students received information on academic programs, tuition, housing, and other pertinent information. These college trips are made possible through the Kinlani CLAN program, a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant.

Students at ASU

At Universal Technical Institute student try out the virtual welding simulator

Kinlani Film Program

The Kinlani Film Program will begin this month on February 23, 2018 and run through May, 2018. Students will learn all processes to create their own short film and one group film. A screening of the film Shinaab, “An Anishinaable man is restless in the city of Minneapolis, haunted by an ominous sense that he doesn’t belong” will kick of this event. The next session allowed students to film their own short videos with a viewing of this short film at the third. Kinlani Film Program will continue each Friday which Oakley Anderson-Moore as instructor for the program.

Kinlani Film Group

Boys and Girls Club Youth of Year Scholarship Awards recipients

Two Kinlani Dorm students were recently named as Boys and Girls Club Youth of Year Scholarship Awards recipients. In second place, Aurora Smith, junior won a $1,000 scholarship and a Samsung laptop with carrying case. Karrington Remiro, senior, won third place. She, too, won a $1,000 scholarship and a Samsung laptop with carrying case. Congratulations to these two students! Boys and Girls Club (BGC) of Flagstaff Native American Service Director, Mark Cox, has provide many opportunities for our students.

Aurora Smith, left, and Karrington Remiro right.

Leandria Gene, freshmen, Winslow Residential, first place winner of $5000 with Aurora and Karrington.

Know Your CLAN

The Know Your CLAN (culture/language, leadership, academics, and nutrition/wellness) quarterly conferences are made possible from a grant through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Challenged with scheduling conflicts, student sports, and daily activities, the staff decided last spring to dedicate one Wednesday per quarter to provide a variety of workshops to address our CLAN goals and objectives. While being informative, we try to make it fun and engaging for our students.

During our December 2017 Strategic Plan Action Planning session, a Parent Involvement Committee was created to generate more parental involvement here at Kinlani. Their first item of business was to invite parents to our Know Your CLAN Conference on February 14, 2018.

Nutrition – Clean foods, clean living presentation, Fall 2017

Wellness/fitness – tennis, Fall 2017

Culture – making blue corn tamales, Fall 2017

Miss Navajo Nation, Crystal Littleben, doing a breakout session. Spring 2018

FBD Miss Dook’o’oosliid, Carmen Joe, and Miss Navajo, Crystal Littleben, Spring 2018

Nick Moore, former Harlem Globetrotter, Keynote at Spring 2018 Know Your CLAN Conference

NNYAC

Cameron Kee, junior at Flagstaff High School and resident of Kinlani Dorm, was recently selected to serve on the Navajo Nation Youth Advisory Council (NNYAC). According to their homepage, “The purpose of the Navajo Nation Youth Advisory Council is to represent the needs and interests of Navajo Nation youth. NNYAC additionally seeks to increase youth involvement within our communities and the organization as a whole.” Along with Sarah Cambridge, he will represent Diné youth from the Western Navajo Agency on the NNYAC. Nizhoniyee’!

Cameron Kee receives his NNYAC pin from Honorable Council Delegete Nathaniel Brown

Cameron Kee proudly displaying his NNYAC pin

Career Launch field trips

In partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Flagstaff, Career Launch will expose students to careers with presentations by professional in their respective fields and trips to their businesses to show them firsthand what their jobs entail. Their first presentation was learning about careers in law enforcement and a visit to the Coconino County Detention Center. Future visits are planned to local businesses.

Police Chief Kevin Treadway talks about Law Enforcement as a career

A police officer talks about a police vehicle