CPS Native American Programs

Monday: Cultural Day w/ Cherokee Nation (Upper Elementary)

Cultural Presentation- Shanista Cloud (SWARM Enrichment)

Tuesday: Cultural Presentation- Peggy Price (SWARM Enrichment)

Wednesday: Cultural Presentation- Janelle Adair (SWARM Enrichment)

Thursday: Cultural Presentation- Nan Davis (SWARM Enrichment)

On Monday, November 17, Cherokee Nation cultural presenters visited our upper elementary school to give cultural presentations as part of Native American Cultural Day. Our students experienced activities such as blow guns, marbles, stickball, and the Game of Graces. We want to extend a big thank you (wado) to the Cherokee Nation for being such a great partner to our district!

On Monday, November 17, Shanista Cloud visited our SWARM Enrichment program and worked with the students to create copper etchings. We want to extend a big thank you (wado) to Shanista for being such a great cultural partner to our district!

On Tuesday, November 18, Peggy Price visited our SWARM Enrichment program and worked with the students to create native bracelets. We want to extend a big thank you (wado) to Peggy for being such a great cultural partner to our district!

On Wednesday, November 19, Janelle Adair visited our SWARM Enrichment program and worked with the students to create pinch pots. We want to extend a big thank you (wado) to Janelle for being such a great cultural partner to our district!

On Thursday, November 20, Nan Davis visited our SWARM Enrichment program and played marbles with the students. We want to extend a big thank you (wado) to Nan for being such a great cultural partner to our district!

In the Elementary School, Mrs. LeAnn Rogers created a Native American classroom library with books purchased over the years through the Cultural Classroom Books Initiative. This was a fantastic and creative way to celebrate Native American Heritage Month! Osda!

The 5th Annual Native American Programs Coloring Contest was held in November as part of Native American Heritage Month. This annual event is held through the high school and middle school libraries. All students in high school and middle school were eligible to participate. Each school's first, second, and third-place winners received an off-campus lunch at Corner Post. Thank you, Ms. Kara, Ms. Felicia, and Mrs. Spivey, for making this annual event possible!

In November, our Native American Program had the privilege of recognizing every teacher and staff member in the Colcord School District. We wanted to express our gratitude for the incredible work they do each day to support our Native American students and to help keep our culture and language alive.

Because more than half of our students are Native American, the work our teachers do goes far beyond traditional classroom instruction. They encourage cultural pride, welcome the Cherokee language into daily routines, participate in hands-on projects, and help create an environment where all students feel valued, respected, and connected to who they are.

As a small gesture of appreciation, we delivered a gift to every teacher and staff member last month. This gift was our way of saying Wado—thank you for the dedication, compassion, and support they continually show our students and families.

We are grateful for all our entire staff and the role they play in honoring culture, uplifting identity, and strengthening our community.

Wado,
Colcord Native American Program

Congratulations to Mrs. LeAnn Rogers on being selected to participate in the Cherokee Nation NATRI Curriculum Team for PK-3rd grade!

The NATRI project is designed to strengthen the partnership between the Cherokee Nation and educators, with a focus on increasing community engagement and retaining Cherokee educators. This team of Cherokee educators will support cultural connections for educators and students by designing an enhanced cultural curriculum for school systems.

Mrs. Rogers’ service on this team is an honor and an excellent opportunity! She joins Mrs. Chloe Thomas as the second CPS staff member to participate in the NATRI project. We are proud of these ladies' initiative and effort to develop a high-quality Cherokee curriculum. Osda!

Cherokee Language students have almost learned the entire Cherokee syllabary! Students have mastered over 70 symbols so far and will finish the semester by learning all of them. Students have also been building vocabulary in the People: General and Family categories, practicing words they can use in everyday conversations.

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, our students also visited the elementary school and read cultural books to kindergarten students, showing leadership and sharing what they have learned with younger learners.

Native American Studies students finished Unit 3: Trade Era and a Time of Transition, and Unit 4: Sequoyah and The Cherokee Syllabary. Students learned how trade changed Cherokee life and how Sequoyah’s creation of the Cherokee syllabary helped preserve Cherokee language and culture. To celebrate the end of Unit 3, students completed a hands-on craft that connected their learning to creativity and cultural understanding. The next unit that students will be learning about is Unit 5: The Cherokee Phoenix.

Cultural Arts students have been working on beaded Christmas ornaments, learning patience, focus, and creativity throughout the process. This project allows students to explore traditional and modern Cherokee beadwork techniques while developing fine motor skills. Students are taking pride in their work as they design meaningful patterns and create a finished piece to celebrate the season.

Students are preparing for the Cherokee Language Bowl in the spring semester!

JOM staff attend the annual JOM Art Competition Judging and Cultural Training on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, in Tahlequah, OK. We would like to thank the Cherokee Nation JOM Program for providing our program with a great day of training!

On Friday, December 12, 2025, JOM staff, students, and families attended the annual JOM Art Competition Reception in Tahlequah, OK. This year, our program had six students place art pieces. Great job to all our student placers, we are proud of you. It is incredible to see the talent of our students. We would like to thank the Cherokee Nation JOM Program for providing our students with this opportunity to showcase their ability, wado!

Title VI Parent Advisory Committee Meeting:

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Dan Draper Community Center

3:30 p.m.

JOM Meeting:

Thursday, January 8, 2026

Dan Draper Community Center

4:30 p.m.

All 2026 monthly meetings will be held at the Dan Draper Community Center at 2:00 p.m.

• Sunday, January 25th
• Sunday, February 22nd
• Sunday, March 29th
• Sunday, April 26th
• Sunday, May 17th
• Sunday, June 14th
• Sunday, July 19th
• Sunday, August 23rd
• Sunday, September 27th
• Sunday, October 25th
• Sunday, November 15th
• Sunday, December 6th

Remington Rogers

Federal Programs Director

JOM Contact

Title VI Project Director

Brook Nichols

Federal Programs Secretary

Chloe Thomas

Title VI Cultural Educator/Resource Specialist

JOM Special Projects Coordinator (MS & HS: 6-12)

Tanya Patterson

Title VI Cultural Educator/Resource Specialist

JOM Special Projects Coordinator (Lower ES: PK-2)

Katy England

JOM Special Projects Coordinator (Upper ES: 3-5)

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

School Website: https://www.colcordschools.com

Federal Programs Website: https://sites.google.com/view/cpsfederalprograms/home
Location: 433 South Larmon Street, Colcord, OK, USA
Phone: 918-326-4117
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colcordpublicschools/
X: @colcordschool