Larry Yazzie

Wow!  We had an awesome day with Larry Yazzie!

Larry worked with our 4th grade classes privately to teach us two dances that are common in Native American culture; the fancy dance and the jingle dance.  Men and boys traditionally participate in fancy dance, and girls traditionally participate in jingle dance.

We learned a lot about American Indian culture, music, art, pow-wow, and indigenous traditions during Larry's presentation.  The students also got a good workout while they danced with Larry and his colleague, Crystal!

In the afternoon Crystal and Larry presented an assembly for the entire school.  At this presentation we got to see Larry in his dance regalia.  It was amazing!

The entire school got to learn all about pow-wows, they heard Crystal sing and play the drum, and they listened to Larry play the flute.

We all got to witness Larry's dancing talents while he was in his full dance regalia.  It was amazing to see how his outfit moved and how the bells on his outfit sounded as he danced!

Some lucky students got the opportunity to dance with Larry.  They had a lot of fun learning new dance steps.  The teachers even got the chance to dance with him.  I think the students enjoyed watching their teachers attempt to move like Larry!

At the end of Larry's presentation he and the students chanted, "I am special!  I am powerful!  I am a leader!"  This was a great message for our kids!

Star of the Week

Our star this week was Jacob!

Jacob taught us a lot about himself through his poster, poem and photos.  

He told us about how he participated in the Bike-a-thon last year where he rode his bike 43 miles!  We also learned that his favorite books are The Boxcar Children series, he likes to play video games, and his hero is his grandpa.

Jacob's special guests were his mom, sister, and grandma.

Thank you for doing such a great job, Jacob!

Larry Yazzie

As a part of our arts integration grant with the Perpich Center, Sibley will be hosting Larry Yazzie, the coordinator of the Native Pride Arts Group.  He will be leading a workshop with the fourth graders, and since he was coming we thought it would be great if he could share his expertise with the whole school!  We will be having an assembly for all students on Monday, March 25^th at 1:00.  

 

“The mission of the Native Pride Arts Group is to educate, inspire, motivate and empower diverse communities to bridge cultural gaps through Indigenous traditions.

Mr. Yazzie and his colleagues are particularly good at breaking common stereotypes and providing non-native people with a better understanding of the modern native experience. The presentation will enable us to address the Minnesota Arts Standards for our elementary students at Sibley.” 

Check out his website  www.nativepridearts.org to learn more about him and his presentation!

Star of the Week

Our star this week was Tyler!

During Tyler's presentation of his poster, poem, and photos we learned a lot about him!  He shared with us that his favorite TV show is Duck Dynasty, his favorite movie is Red Dawn, and his favorite book is Hatchet by Garry Paulsen.

It was obvious to all of us that Tyler loves everything to do with the outdoors.  He also loves baseball and wasn't able to decide which one he likes more when we asked him to choose.

Tyler's special guests were his mom and grandma.

Thanks for doing such a fantastic job, Tyler!

Star of the Week

Laynie was our star this week!

We were proud of Laynie and the great job she did presenting her poster, poem, and photos.  We learned a lot about her - for example, her hero is her mom, her favorite book is Little House on the Prairie, and her favorite food is tacos.  

Laynie's special guests for her presentation were her mom and dad.

Thanks for being our star, Laynie!  You were awesome!

Read Across America Day

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Friday, March 1st was Read Across America Day in honor of Dr. Seuss's birthday.  Our 4th graders enjoyed a "read-in" for most of the morning where they lounged around the room and read chapter books and Dr. Seuss books.  They also completed puzzles and answered trivia questions based on this famous author's books.  We had a guest reader from the Albert Lea Tribune as well, and then we watched The Lorax in the afternoon. 

                          It was a fun day of celebrating reading!

Spring Musical

Our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students did a wonderful job in our annual spring musical!

This year, they performed Disney's The Aristocats.  It was fantastic!