Summerton students highlight Cocopa heritage and student achievements at board meeting

Students, teachers and school leaders from across the Somerton Elementary District presented cultural projects, awards and student art during the Nov. 13 board meeting hosted at a Cocopa Nation site.

Presentations included a student reading by Noa Valtier on what it means to be a ‘tiger,’ awards for reading and perfect attendance at Orange Grove, an ELC cultural assembly led by Ladonna Crab that emphasized bilingual learning and respect for traditional dress, and art projects from Summerton Middle School that used earth tones to explore Colorado River landscapes. "Remember we have a culture to be proud of it; yes we're American but we have a culture too," Ladonna Crab told the board as she described curricular work tying students to family traditions.

Several principals and instructional leaders described how classroom activities connected to local indigenous history and culture. Patty Shepard, instructional strategist at Desert Sonora, showed a short video of student work and said the school had celebrated Mexican Independence Day and planned field trips to the Cocopa Museum. Summerton Middle School principal Rul Rascon and assistant principal Noi Castro described an art unit emphasizing textures and landscape colors.

Why it matters: staff said these activities help students connect school learning to community heritage, bolster bilingual and cross‑cultural understanding, and encourage museum and field‑trip experiences. Multiple schools invited board members and parents to attend future events and noted the district will continue scheduling museum visits in March or April.

The presentations were part of the agenda’s showcase segment; they produced no board votes but included formal recognition of student achievement and announcements of upcoming student events.