Day 3

 

We woke up early and packed everything up to leave the Red Scaffold Community Center.  Our next stop was Takini School some seven miles away.  Takini School is one of only a few organized education systems on the reservation and averages about 10 graduating seniors each year.  Our mission today was to assist with summer school.  During the month of July the school is only open on Tues, Wed, and Thurs. from 8 a.m.-noon for the kids to come in for breakfast, some opportunity to maintain or improve upon their reading and math skills and then to have lunch before heading out.  Bus service is available for them. 

We split up in to four groups and some worked with the kindergarteners, others with the 1-3 grade (mixed class) and others in the computer lab and p.e.  The computer lab was very nice with at least 20 new computers and some up-to-date learning games.  The gymnasium also appeared in good shape and was a favorite of the kids!  Most of our time was spent reading to the kids or listening to them read to us.  Most of us were pleasantly surprised to find out that developmentally most were right on track with their reading and math. We ate lunch with them before heading out to Eagle Butte.

We arrived in Eagle Butte around 2 p.m. and checked in to luxury accommodations at the Super 8.  First thing on the agenda for most were a shower and then a visit to the Dairy Queen for a blizzard. We met up again at 5 p.m. and drove 45 minutes to Cherry Creek for a carnival/supper sponsored by the Gettysburg, PA, Presbyterian Church. It was mostly a relaxed evening of fun and the kids were able to play carnival games, get their hair “spray-painted” and faces painted.  We were pleased to see most of the same people we have been meeting with all week and were able to continue conversations and felt welcome and part of the community.  In all over 200 people were at the event.

-Michelle Schlatter