Roll Call - October 23, 2026

A student at Kaibeto Boarding School in Kaibeto, Arizona, has fun playing with Legos at a classroom table.

Duckwater Shoshone Elementary School played a meaningful role in the community’s recent Every Child Matters gathering held in recognition of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The gathering focused on honoring generations of Native children affected by the Indian boarding school era and highlighting the importance of healing and remembrance.

Students from the DSES Drum Group offered three songs to honor the students of those schools. They opened with a Flag Song, followed by an Honor Song, and concluded with “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” chosen for its connection to cultural teachings about the Milky Way and the spirit’s journey. The bright stars are understood as the footprints of ancestors who traveled before.

The DSES Drum Group helped community members reflect while demonstrating the strength and continuity of cultural teachings, songs, and traditions carried forward by today’s students.

Lower Brule Schools celebrated an impressive showing at the South Dakota High School Activities Association State Journalism Convention Awards, earning top honors across multiple categories and demonstrating exceptional strength in student journalism. Lower Brule High School received the prestigious Sweepstakes Award, the highest cumulative score across all entries.

The Eyapaha newspaper earned a “Superior” rating, highlighting the quality of storytelling and reporting produced by the student team. In photography, Jorrel, Xikannie, and Taylor earned “Excellent” ratings for their standout visual work.

Students also excelled across a wide range of newswriting categories. Marlee, Jorrel, and Jamaica earned “Excellent” ratings in sports writing, while Macy and Chazlyn received “Excellent” ratings for feature stories. Francheska earned an “Excellent” rating in editorial writing, while Chazlyn and Jolie earned “Excellent” recognition for general newswriting.

Superior ratings further highlighted the program's strength: Francheska in feature story; Xikannie in editorial; and Francheska again in general newswriting. Chazlyn earned the top honor in all newswriting divisions — the Superior Award for the highest‑scoring entry — for an outstanding editorial.

These achievements reflect students' dedication to strengthening their storytelling skills and elevating student journalism. Congratulations to the hardworking students at Lower Brule!

Many Farms High School continues to strengthen staff commitment to student safety and preparedness. Earlier this month, staff members renewed their First Aid, CPR, and AED credentials, reinforcing the school’s focus on creating a secure and supportive learning environment.

This renewal ensures team members remain confident and up‑to‑date in responding to emergencies, giving students the reassurance that trained adults are equipped to act quickly and effectively. Continued professional development in life‑saving skills helps maintain a safe campus and supports student well‑being in meaningful, everyday ways.

The renewed certifications highlight the ongoing effort by Many Farms High School staff to model responsibility, preparedness, and leadership — qualities that directly contribute to a strong, student‑centered educational community.

Pyramid Lake School in Nevada hosted a memorable Senior Night celebration honoring Lady Lakers Volleyball seniors Jordan and Amelia. Both seniors were recognized for their dedication to the program and their contributions throughout their high school volleyball careers. Each received flowers, a balloon bouquet, gifts from school representatives and family members, and an engraved plaque commemorating their years of commitment to the Lady Lakers.

The evening’s celebration set the tone for an exciting match as the Lady Lakers took on Excel Christian. The team delivered a strong performance, winning 3–0 and adding extra excitement to the senior festivities. The match showcased the teamwork, determination, and school spirit that define the Lady Lakers program!

As we move deeper into the school year, we’re excited to showcase the events, learning moments, and celebrations happening across BIE schools. We’re now collecting content for October and November, and we invite you to share the stories that reflect the heart of your school community.

We’re looking for:

• Fall festivals, family nights, and cultural celebrations
• Halloween
• Red Ribbon Week activities
• Native American Heritage Month lessons, displays, and events
• Veteran’s Day programs
• Classroom projects, artwork, and hands‑on learning
• Any school milestones or reflections as we close out the first quarter

Your contributions help us showcase the incredible work happening across our schools. Please send in your content so we can celebrate and share your stories!

Please include a brief description with each photo and ensure students pictured have the appropriate media release on file. Your stories help keep our communities connected and inspired!

This month we highlight hominy, a traditional food with deep roots across North America. Made by simmering dried field corn in an alkaline solution — a process called nixtamalization — hominy becomes more nutritious, unlocking niacin and adding calcium while providing fiber, complex carbohydrates, and plant protein. This technique began in Mesoamerica thousands of years ago and traveled north through trade and kinship networks until many corn‑growing nations and tribes developed their own versions and names for hominy.

This month’s packet features cultural history, nutrition facts, activities, and a Three Sisters Hominy Stew recipe made with corn, beans, and squash — all traditionally grown together to support one another in the field and on the table.

The Bureau of Indian Education is initiating a Tribal Consultation to seek tribal input and guidance on two proposed policies: the Personal Wireless Devices & Digital Wellness Policy and the K-12 Student Artificial Intelligence Acceptable Use Policy. BIE is committed to providing a safe, culturally enriching, and academically rigorous environment for all Native students, while recognizing the profound impact new tools and technologies have on education.

Please bookmark this form and share your upcoming events and milestones with us so we can identify opportunities for BIE and Indian Affairs leadership to participate and celebrate with your school community.

We’re especially interested in ribbon cuttings, groundbreaking ceremonies, policy or program announcements, cultural celebrations, student showcases, major academic or athletic achievements, community events, and other significant school milestones.

Sharing these events early helps us coordinate leadership participation, amplify your school’s accomplishments, and ensure the great work happening across BIE schools receives the visibility it deserves.

Please review the following memo from the Director's Office that addresses the BIE's policy regarding usage of the Bureau's official letterhead. It addresses modifications, templates for various purposes, and more.

The Teaching with Technology Weekly Webinar series is hosted weekly by the STEP Education and Training team. Coaches lead each engaging session on a topic that increases teachers' confidence in Blended Learning and Educational Technology Strategies. Additionally, they’re at the ready to answer questions from any topic educators bring about Schoology, classroom strategies, digital curriculum resources and more. The current Teaching with Technology series is "Blended Learning for Mixed-Grade Classrooms."

Join the BIE School Operations Division Finance Team for a series of virtual lunchtime trainings on best practices for school financial professionals. Topics are wide-ranging, from inventory logs and submitting UDO certifications to year-end memos and researching transactions. These sessions will take place on Thursdays from July 2026 through April 2027.

Supporting schools with their new resource, the Strategic Transformation of Education initiative launched a Monthly School Website Help Desk on the second Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. EST. The one-hour call features a short training topic, such as a new feature, content strategy, or FAQs, followed by an open session for problem-solving and answering questions.