So a few weeks ago Kiera brought home a flyer from school for the Johnoson O'Malley Indian Exemplary Student awards. I didn't really know what it was and thought you had to pay to go and so I thew it away. About a week later a co-worker that has kids who also attend the same school district asked if we were going. I told her about throwing the flyer away so she got me another one since her husband is on the board. The Johnson-O’Malley Act was a law passed by the United States Congress to subsidize education, medical attention, and other services (such as school supplies, tutoring, scholarships etc.) provided by the states to Native Americans, especially those not living on reservations.
The awards were give to native american students with good grades. Kiera doesn't exactly have "grades" in kindergarten but she is still performing "at grade level" so I guess they counted that. She also kept calling it "Cherokee Awards" since she is Cherokee and we kept explaining it is not only for Cherokee's but all the other tribes also.
This is pretty much the only smile we got out of Kiera that night. She was kind of in a funk that evening.
And a little bored.
The called out each school and then named off all the children who were receiving awards. Once they got to her school she perked right up. They called her name and she marched right down with a swing to her walk. Here she is walking across the stage after receiving her certificate and shaking hands with everyone before receiving her medal. Oh crappy phone picture, it doesn't zoom in too well from the distance.
She is 6th from the left. Oh and her future husband is up there too. HA! They were in pre-K together and ended up with the same kindergarten teacher, which was neat because in our town all kids go to one school for pre-K but then go to a different elementary school depending on wher they live. He saw her when we first walked in and ran up to say hi. She had (has?) a big crush on him and even had dreams about them getting married before. He is freaking adorable and his mom is gorgeous too.
She harldy even cracked a smile while she was up there.
She came and sat back down and we told her congratulations to which she replied "I had no idea I would win!!" She will definitley win one every year because the girl is going to do well in school, we will make sure of that. She is such a smart little thing and I take her education so much more serious than I ever did my own.
Next up a group of highschoolers came out dressed in tradidtional ceremonial outfits did different dances with an explination for what each dance was for.
Afterward we went down and had some cake and punch at the reception. Oh there is the smile (and Dada!). Of course she was happy, sugar was involved.
1 comment:
What a great thing to do! Glad to hear she has already picked out her husband, makes it so much easier as she gets older. :)
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