By Don “Flip” White
Nya:wëh sgënö swagwehgoh-
Agwadeyësta’ Do:gë:h is currently seeking additional volunteers for our gently used retail store Nearly New. Extra help is needed on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Volunteers provide customer service, work the register, and help out with organizing, sorting, and displaying our merchandise. Nearly New has a very relaxed atmosphere and we have our share of fun and laughter with our customers. Our plan is to expand our days of operation but we will definitely need additional volunteers to do so. Other areas where volunteers can help are with fundraising and organizational events. With the onset of good weather, farmer’s markets are getting ready to kick off their season, Agwadeyësta’ Do:gë:h would like to participate in the markets but need more volunteers to do so.
In addition, we continue to seek out those who would like to get involved with our Board of Director and Advisory Committee activity. We are growing and evolving and welcome participation, direction, and suggestions from the community at large.
Please note that all of our Board of Director meetings are open to the public; everyone is welcome to attend.
If interested in volunteering and getting involved, please contact:
Darlene Miller – 716.378.9818,
Michael Schindler – 716.390.7270,
Flip White – 716.244.0431.
So what have we been up to?
First, revenues from Nearly New are currently being used to assist with another Montessori Scholarship. On-going Professional Development is a priority for Agwadeyësta’ Do:gë:h’s strategies and plan for the FKS language staff and the school in general.
A huge shout out goes out to the Seneca Nation DPW Department. They did a wonderful job in putting together new playground equipment at the FKS campus. Good weather is back and the kids at the school will surely put this new playground equipment to good use. We are grateful and appreciate their help and partnership. Nya:wëh.
Our Sugar Shack is up and running. This past spring ‘the Shack’ was given a test run. It passed the test and is now operational and plans are underway to prepare for the spring of 2022 and a full season of maple syrup production! The list of those who helped out with the Sugar Shack is long, you know who you are and all of you deserve kudos for a job well done, we can’t thank you enough.
This Sugar Shack is another step toward making the FKS campus self-sufficient. Next maple season we will have need for volunteers to operate the Sugar Shack, monitor the ‘burn’, collection of the sap, cut wood, etc. Please let us know if you are interested.
We would also welcome any assistance with the animals, the High Tunnel Garden Project, maintenance of the facilities and general upkeep of the Medicine Walk. Our hands are full but the students, the school, and language are all great causes.
We are coming to the end of year 1 of the 5 Year Esther Martinez Initiative language grant (EMI). Here is a list of the objectives of year one.
• Two FKS teachers will complete Montessori Certification in Elementary 1 and 2.
• Additional Montessori teachers are needed as the school will be expanding in the fall of 2022.
• To gain greater proficiency of the Seneca language; FKS staff attends daily Seneca Language classes. These classes provide both conversational and culturally based language.
• To move closer to 100% Seneca Immersion Instruction, FKS staff will increase the daily amount of time they speak Seneca in the FKS classrooms.
• To influence FKS parents to participate in language learning with their children; innovative language learning materials are being produced to enable parents to practice and speak Seneca with their children in and outside of school.
On June 23, 2021 at the FKS Annex, at 6pm, we will host a public meeting to review, in more depth, year one of the EMI grant. This meeting is for everyone and we encourage your attendance.
The staff at FKS and all those directly involved in the EMI grant are to be commended for their commitment and dedication. They have successfully taken on added responsibilities due to the grant requirements. They are all doing a great job and making a difference.
We appreciate your time and consideration.
Nya:wëh.
