It was called the District’s Elementary Bilingual Showcase, but it was actually trilingual and multicultural.
Parents who packed the center seats of the District’s Phil Thomas Performing Arts Center in Shiprock, New Mexico saw not only students showcasing their work in Navajo, but also some in Spanish through songs, dances, language, and presentations. Further, some Tsé Bit A'í Middle School students followed by four teachers performed Filipino dances in traditional outfits.
“The kids weren’t nearly as nervous as I was. They did a good job,” said Scott Rodgers, the Bilingual Spanish teacher at Judy Nelson Elementary School in Kirtland. “They performed well under pressure.”
What was it like for your students singing the classic French children’s song Frere Jacques in Spanish?
“It was just to the tune of Frere Jacques. It was a completely different song with different words. It’s just that melody,” Rodgers said. “It was a song about a little bear playing with a sheep and pulling on its ear.”
Approximately 550 bilingual students from across the District performed on stage throughout the February 19, 2016 event. Schools that participated were Nizhoni Elementary, Tsé Bit A'í Middle School, Newcomb Elementary, Judy Nelson Elementary, and Ojo Amarillo Elementary. Also participating were Kirtland Elementary, Mesa Elementary, and Eva B. Stokely Elementary.
"We wanted to bring everyone together to show families that attend the various cultures and traditions the students are studying," said Candace Keams-Benally, the District's Bilingual education coordinator.
"It's important to show what the students have learned because we have a lot of parents who wonder what is going on in the classroom. It gives the parents a chance to see what the teachers are doing in the classrooms with their students, whether it's traditional prayers, traditional songs, dances, or presentations."
Audience members included Judy Nelson, who sat in the front row at the base of the stage. Ms. Nelson, who had been a school secretary in Kirtland since 1967, has a new elementary school being built in Kirtland that the District, community members, staff, and students named after her.
Shanon Henderson, the District's Bilingual office secretary, was the backstage manager working behind the curtains for the event, essentially a traffic cop ensuring a group of students made it onto the stage at the right time, while another group waited in the wings ready to go.
"Running the backstage was a lot of work, but the best part of it was seeing the kids, how excited they were and to see them nervous. I was just as nervous that I had to make this event run right," Henderson said, adding Manfred Duncan, the Phil Thomas Performing Art Center's technical manager who was up in the control booth, did an outstanding job with lighting and sound and managing the event.
Newcomb Elementary students alone filled the entire stage during their performance. They sang four songs in Navajo and read a story in Navajo.
“I think it’s very important for the students to remember they’re Navajo first,” said Lorraine Lansing, a Navajo Bilingual teacher at Newcomb Elementary. “I always tell them if we remember who we are it’s much easier to get to where we are going. I always tell them always remember your grandparents, your parents if they’re there with you.
“A lot of my students live with their grandparents. I try to teach my students how to say hello, be helpful at home, and just be part of what is going on in their community.”
It was their first time performing Filipino dances at the Bilingual Showcase for some Tsé Bit A'í Middle School students and teachers.
“It is very important to share my culture with my students so they know where I came from,” said Sharon Diassan, a life skills teacher at Tsé Bit A'í Middle School, who is from the Philippines. She added it was part of her students’ education to learn and be exposed to different cultures.
Tsé Bit A'í Middle School students also read and sang in Navajo. That was mirrored by students District wide throughout the event, which began at 9 a.m., had a lunch break, and then continued into the early afternoon.
The opening ceremony included a welcome by Elvin Keeswood, the master of ceremonies, an invocation by Garry Jay, an Indian Education Committee member and a long-time educational advocate, a children’s prayer by Eva B. Stokely Elementary Prince Joseph Edison, and a presentation of the Colors by the Shiprock High School Marine Corps Jr. ROTC Color Guard, under the direction of ROTC co-instructor Sgt. Major (retired) Leonard Maldonado.
The opening ceremony also included the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mr. and Ms. Shiprock High School’s Josiah Todacheenie and Tyra Williams, the Pledge of Allegiance in Navajo led by Tyra Williams, and the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish led by Kirtland Elementary Bilingual teacher Scott Rodgers.
The National Anthem was sung in Navajo by Shiprock High School student and Miss Northern Navajo Teen Nicole Keeswood, followed by a moment of silence for military personnel.
Originally published on February 20, 2016