Vol. 3 – March 31, 2023
Welcome to the Department of Diné Education’s weekly update newsletter. Each week, we will bring you the latest updates within DODE that showcase the work our staff put in on behalf of our Navajo children.
Read on to hear about this week’s big updates from our department and education across the Navajo Naiton.
The Gallup Bengals girls basketball team won the 4A state championship earlier this month and got to meet with Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren to commemorate their achievement on March 28.
The team reflected on their season as they got to speak with the president, during which they recalled the challenges they overcame by uniting and trusting in one another. President Nygren praised the team for their success and offered words of encouragement for them to keep striving for success.
“Anything you do in life as you move forward, always do things that make you feel joy in life,” he told the team. You may read the full release from OPVP online.
The president also met with other champion teams to celebrate their successes. The girls basketball and volleyball teams from Rock Point High School visited the Office of the President and Vice President on March 28 following their respective victories in the 2023 Arizona 1A State Championship earlier this month.
The students credited their hard work and strong mentalities for carrying them past their opponents this season. President Nygren praised the teams for their efforts and shared what he cited as the core values of his administration: competence, commitment, compassion, and teamwork.
“Continue to have that championship attitude. You’re not going to make every shot on the court or in life but just keep trying,” President Nygren told them. You may view the full release of the Rock Point team’s visit on the OPVP website.
SAVE THE DATE!
Next week, April 3 through 7, the Navajo Nation Early Childhood Collaborative under Navajo Project I-LAUNCH under DODE’s Office of Special Education & Rehabilitation Services is excited to present the 2023 Week of the Young Child!
This is an annual celebration to give public attention to the needs of our Din children and families as well as the available childhood programs and other services to assist with their upbringing. You may view the flyer below.
Each day at various centers around Window Rock, we will have staff as well as our sponsors and partners set up for each of the listed functions:
- Music Monday, 2 pm at the Navajo Nation Library
- Tasty Tuesday, 2 pm at Window Rock Sports Center
- Work Together Wednesday & Child Find Event, 10 am at Window Rock Sports Center
- Artsy Thursday, 2 pm at Window Rock Sports Center
- Family Friday, 1 pm virtual event
We invite everyone to come out to our schedule of events for these enrichment opportunities!
AROUND THE DEPARTMENT
- The Navajo Nation Library is hiring! If you or someone you know has the qualifications to be a Programs and Projects Specialist under the Torreon Branch Library, then check out the listing on the Navajo Department of Personnel Management website.
The vacancy is open through April 27, so feel free to share with anyone you believe can help our staff better serve our Navajo people and students!
- As we move into April, we expect to get further into spring sports and begin preparation for the upcoming gatherings and events that will follow in the coming months. While we are excited to share in our students’ success, we have continued to urge our school leaders to keep the safety guidelines in mind.
We continue to coordinate with the Navajo Department of Health to provide the most recent COVID-19 information that could impact gathering opportunities. You may see the most recent numbers on the NDOH website.
- Once again, we extend our congratulations to all our student athletes and teams across the Navajo Nation on all their hard work throughout the previous months. Regardless of the outcome of each school’s season, we are happy when our students give it their best effort and strive for success in any regard.
And on that note, we also wish our spring athletes the best of luck in their coming endeavors. It is warming up out there and we all await the games to be played out in the open fields.
That’s it for this week’s edition. Thank you for reading!
For the most up-to-date information on DODE events and news, visit the DODE website and follow us on Twitter at @NavajoNationEd.
Until next time!
- Cody M. Begaye
Senior Public Information Officer