Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Students awarded Navajo bilingual seals praise culture; board hears concerns about middle/high school instruction
Loading...
Summary
Two Central Consolidated students who earned the Navajo Nation bilingual seal recapped an awards ceremony and urged more engaging language instruction at middle and high school levels; board members discussed program engagement and classroom methods.
Two students from Central Consolidated who received the Navajo Nation bilingual seal described their awards ceremony in Flagstaff and urged the district to make Navajo language classes more engaging for older students.
Cadence Yazzie, representing Kirtland Central High School, told the board the awards assembly was “an amazing feeling” and said learning the language had been meaningful. In remarks to the board she advised teachers to “make it fun for our youth at the elementary school… and at the middle school and high school as well.”
Nathan Brady, who recorded a presentation included in the meeting packet, praised both Cadence and Isaac Merrick of Shiprock High School for speaking and singing at the ceremony and for encouraging families to use Navajo at home.
Board members and staff acknowledged the achievement and discussed instructional approaches. One trustee noted that some students reported Navajo instruction became less engaging in middle and high school — “it's not fun anymore… it's just paperwork” — and said the district should consider curriculum and delivery changes to keep students involved. Kate Morris, district gifted‑and‑talent coach, later noted the district is working with partners and will continue to revise programming.
The presentations were part of the board’s recognition agenda; the board did not take formal action on Navajo program policy during the meeting.
