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Seniors Robert Crawford, left, Marquis Bullplume
watch as their classmates receive their robes.
)urnal onoros Dy Nata ~e
and Jessica Cruz
Indian Education
Program shows
results in Shelton
schools
By NATALIE JOHNSON
nataZie@masonco~tT~t3 ,corn
Shelton High School seniors will gradu-
ate on June 9, and some of them celebrated
the milestone early at the Indian Education
Awards Banquet last Friday evening.
Some of the 18 Shelton High School se-
niors in the program who will graduate this
year also participated in the Shelton In-
dian Education Button Robe Project. Their
families proudly presented them with their
robes at the ceremony.
"They are to celebrate a milestone in
people's lives," said Indian Education staff
member Melanie Willig. "Some families will
take them and when they graduate college
will add to them. They wear them to special
occasions."
Students who were presented with their
button robes by their families included
Kristina Bechtold. of the Squaxin Island
Tribe, Marquis Bullplume of the Blackfoot
and Swinomish tribes, Robert Crawford,
of the Cherokee Tribe, Jessica Cruz of the
Squaxin Island Tribe. Chris Knudsen, of
the Squaxin Island Tribe. Kushiab Mc-
Cullough, of the Skokomish Tribe. Marissa
Morken of the Squaxin Island Tribe, Colton
Twiddy of the Skokomish Tribe and Kas-
sidy Whitener of the Squaxin Island Tribe.
Each year since 1995, seniors at SHS
who are of Native American descent have
had the opportunity to be a par~ of the but-
ton robe project.
In April 19,95, a group of members of
the Squaxin Island and Skokomish Tribes
began making button blankets for Native
American Students graduating from SHS.
The project was created to honor and in-
spire at-risk Native American youth and to
encourage them to graduate high school.
"This is my first button robe banquet,"
said Molly Baasch. director of special ser-
vices and the Indian Education Program at
the Shelton School District. "I'm amazed ...
by the creativity I'm seeing this evening."
Baasch said 86 percent of SHS semors
enrolled in the program graduated in 2011.
While presenting their children with
their robes, many parents and guardians
proudly boasted that their child was the
first in one or more generations to graduate
high school.
Vicki Engel, the button robe project coor-
dinator, spoke about the importance of the
program, and said she would continue to be
a part of it for as long as she could.
"I don't dance, I don't drum, I don't sing.
This is the part of culture I will stick with
as long as I can see and as long as I can
sew," she said.
The Shelton School District's Indian Ed-
ucation Program receives federal funding to
provide extra help, tutoring and guidance to
students of Native American descent.
"With the help of our tutors and also our
community members ... we are just doing a
great job with these kids," she said. "These
kids are really proud of what they've done."
At the annual year-end program, staff
members in the program recognized all 353
children in the program, starting with ele-
mentary students and progressing through
the grades to the program's seniors.
SHS senior Colton Twiddy, top,
stands with his button robe at
the Shelton Indian Education
Awards Banquet last Friday night.
Family members present SHS
senior Chris Knudsen, above, with
his button robe at Friday night's
annual Indian Education Awards
Banquet.
The families of students in the program
were treated to a traditional barbeque
salmon dinner at the Shelton High School
SUB.
The students got awards from their teach-
ers for accomplishments in math, science,
English and general classroom behavior,
and from the Office of the Superintendent
of Public Instruction for attendance rates.
"This is so inspiring for me to see so many
people who care about their children's edu-
cation," Willig said to the crowd.
Baasch gave all the credit for the success
of the program to it's staff members, includ-
ing: Willig, who works with students at
Bordeaux Elementary; Ruth Bowcutt, who
works with students at Evergreen, Moun-
tain View and Olympic Middle School; Triv-
Jan Nault, who works with students at Oak-
land Bay Junior High School and SHS; and
Carri Fennel from CHOICE High School.
Those staff members gave unending
praise for their students.
"Thank you for sharing your children
with us," Nault said.
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Shelton-Mason County Journal-Thursday, May 24, 2012 - Page A-3