Introduction
The Kayenta Middle School is one of four schools within the Kayenta Unified School District. The four public schools are on the Navajo reservation located in the northeastern part of Arizona: the ABC pre-school, elementary, middle and the high school. There are about 2,000 students in the district with 92% Navajo (Dine') student population. The region is located in a rural area, and the nearest town is about 150 miles away. The community serves smaller outlying rural towns within a fifty-mile radius, busing students at four a.m. from their homes and returning home at eight p.m. to some areas. Many parents prefer their children attending the Kayenta public school because of the demands and rigor of the Common Core Standards Curriculum and the 3-12 sports program.
I teach one of the six fifth grade classes. Each classroom cluster ranges from 25 to 30 students with varied learning styles. There are general education, special education, and English Language Learner students in our inclusion classrooms. Many of our students are raised by their grandparents (cheii or nalii), or their aunts or uncles. Many Diné families reside within a large extended family, living in their grandparents' home. Some families have strong traditional ties with Diné culture and language, and some families prefer the Western Christianity belief. But, the typical knowledge parents share is that the Diné culture and language are important, and is declining rapidly.
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