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Two Central Consolidated seniors earn Navajo bilingual seal; students, trustees call for more immersive instruction
Summary
The board recognized two students who passed the Navajo Nation bilingual seal proficiency: Cadence Yazzie of Kirtland Central High School and Isaac Merritt of Shiprock High School. Presenters and students urged more immersive and hands-on language instruction across grade levels.
The Central Consolidated Schools Board of Education recognized two seniors who earned the Navajo Nation bilingual seal of proficiency during public recognition on Thursday.
Jared Noble introduced the recognition and said five district students took the assessment this year and two — Cadence Yazzie of Kirtland Central High School and Isaac Merritt of Shiprock High School — passed. "This is a great opportunity," Noble said, and the board opened the floor for comments and questions.
Cadence Yazzie, a senior at Kirtland Central, told trustees learning Navajo through school and community support was one of her proudest accomplishments. "Growing up, Navajo was spoken but not always taught; I learned it through school and family," she said, describing elementary-level instruction as a foundation. Yazzie urged the district to make language classes more engaging: "I feel we need to make learning languages fun again," she said, advocating for hands-on lessons and expanded instructional time in the elementary grades and during summer programs.
Board members and residents praised Yazzie and the other student achievers. Board member Montoya and board member Aspis said the accomplishment shows how school programs can integrate culture and language while also meeting state academic requirements. Vice President Wells noted the difficulty of the assessment and encouraged broader recognition of the students.
District staff told the board the two successful students appear in the board packet links and the district would continue promoting bilingual proficiency. The district did not adopt a new policy during the recognition; the remarks were a public acknowledgment and a call from students and trustees to consider curriculum and scheduling changes to support language retention and engagement.
The recognition concluded with trustees congratulating the students and asking staff to share information about bilingual programming and assessment results as part of ongoing curriculum discussions.
