The Holbrook Unified School District No. 3 Governing Board met last Tuesday, during which they received a presentation from Holbrook High School (HHS) math teacher Jerald Nez on the Institute for the Native-serving Educators (INE) program.

“Participation in the INE program was to learn how to be culturally relevant and culturally sensitive in the material form mathematics,” explained Nez, adding that it is a curriculum writing program.

Nez looked for what he struggled most with in his curriculum, and chose to focus on geometry proofs. Geometric proofs are given statements that prove a mathematical concept is true and must include multiple steps. “Geometry proofs is a pretty tough skill to learn while you’re in geometry.”

Nez also had to do extensive research about his culture and how it could relate to this teaching. “I was able to talk to Navajo elders from my community about traditional songs, prayers and historical information to get a better understanding of how I can relate Navajo culture to geometry, or the thinking of deductive reasoning,” he explained, “I was able to create a curriculum for students so that they could learn some cultural knowledge.”

The program took about 10 months to complete and is housed in Northern Arizona University’s (NAU) Office of Native American Initiative. “This curriculum really opened my eyes to how I continue to incorporate more understanding,” Nez stated, and encouraged other teachers to partake of the program.

Superintendent Dr. Robbie Koerperich commended Nez for his accomplishments in the program. “I just want to recognize his efforts because this is one of the most challenging professional developments that a teacher can embark upon.”

Koerperich explained that INE is a national program provided by Yale University in partnership with Northern Arizona University and various other colleges throughout the country. He added that the district does incentive for teachers to participate, as they receive a stipend of $1,800 through Title II funding. Nez is the fifth educator from the Holbrook Unified School District (HUSD) to participate in the program.

The board also approved the preliminary request letter to the Arizona School Facility Oversight Board to evaluate the impact of retiring multiple buildings that have outlived their useful life at Hulet Elementary School. This letter will recommend the School Facility Oversight Board conduct a thorough analysis of the retirement of the Hulet facility, as well as present options for repair, replacing or restructuring of the K-5 elementary schools. Hulet Elementary requires substantial renovation that may not be cost effective for an aging facility.

In other business, the board:

* Approved final adoption of SOMOS Spanish supplemental curriculum from The Comprehensible Classroom after undergoing a 60-day review.

* Approved the supplemental biology curriculum, “Biology Curriculum Bundle Plus Interactive Notebook” by Biology Roots after undergoing a 60-day review.

* Approved the continuance of Policies KF, KF-RA, KF-RB, KF-EA, KF-EB, KF-EC and KF-ED, which pertain to community use of school facilities. Annually, the Governing Board approves the fee schedule and usage policy for school facility use.

* Approved Policy JFABDA Admission of Students in Foster Care for first reading. The revision updates the policy for specific requirements for admission of students that are currently under foster care guidance.

* Approved the updated job description for the registrar/receptionist job description for Holbrook High School.

* Approved the updated job description for the attendance clerk job description for HHS.

* Approved the updated job description for the human resource job description.

* Approved a 25 cent per hour increase for kitchen personnel that attain the ServSafe certification for additional responsibilities in food service operations. The district is required to have at least one certified ServSafe food handlers at each site during administration of food services. The increase is for staff that attain the certification.

* Approved the HHS Show Choir to travel to and perform at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., during the week of March 13-17. The HHS Show Choir participants and sponsors will fund their own cost for the trip with the support of the use of Suburbans to transport uniforms and equipment, as well as district liability insurance coverage.

* Approved support staff employments of Rachel Benally, transportation, move to 12-month status; Abrian Dickson, facility worker; Cayla Serna, HHS school secretary; Teri Tafoya, HJHS substitute secretary; and Amanda Tsosie, HHS attendance clerk.

* Approved support staff resignations of Gabriel Greymountain and Alysha Jackson, both bus monitors.

* Approved support staff retirements of Layton Paddock, transportation lead mechanic; and Teri White, Northern Arizona Vocational Institute of Technology (NAVIT) career clerk.

* Approved the certified employment of Jamal Johnson, district substitute teacher.

* Approved certified resignation of Meagan Newton-Pender, Park Elementary.

* Approved extra duty for Nora John, Margaret Smith and Courtney King, both food service Serve Safe certified; Aaren LaRose, Holbrook Junior High School sports official and HHS game help; Evan Mondragon, facility services NAVIT driver; Sandra Padilla, HJHS sports help; Suzanne Powell Indian Wells Elementary School curriculum/scheduling wit/wisdom; and Kris Taylor, IWES curriculum planning DMS.

* Approved volunteers Samuel Meeks, HHS choir musical help; Cierra Meyers, HHS choir choreographer; David Shumway and Debbie Shumway, both HHS choir chaperones; and Ryan Taylor, HHS/HJHS wrestling and running club.

* Approved professional leave for Cheri Grau and Kevin Fosbrugh, NAU recruitment fair, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Deb Koerperich, Positive Behavior Intervention (PBIS) Support coaching training, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Dawna Bitsoie, Arizona Department of Education oral language development, no cost to the district; Andrea Tomlin, Deb Koerperich, Ray Ann Terry, Patty Singer, Bernice Gover and Dawna Bitsoie, all for two sets of PBIS training, cost to the district is use of a school vehicle; Heidi Hunsaker, Arizona Music Educators Association in-service conference, cost to the district is $320; Laura Layden, Kara Gardner, Ericka Hunt, Language Essential for Teachers or Reading and Spelling conference, cost to the district is $655; Charles Haussman, ADE/Career and Technical Education strategic plan committee, cost to the district is $237; and Lori Williams, Athletic Directors meeting, no cost to the district.

* Approved expense and revolving vouchers totaling nearly $1.2 million.

* Approved payroll and expense vouchers totaling nearly $2.3 million.

* Approved personnel pay for Andrea Tomlin, Deseg PD Beyond textbooks, $500; IWES, Deseg PD Beyond textbooks, $5,000; and Bus driver incentive Dec. 2022, $3,770.

* Approved requests by cross county to host a junior varsity basketball tournament, expected to earn $3,000-$5,000; HHS basketball Krispy Kreme fundraiser and Fan Cloth fundraiser, each expected to earn $1,000; HHS baseball wall banner sales, expected to earn $200 per banner; and HHS softball beef jerky sales, expected to earn $6,000.

* Approved donations received from Allen Mitchell for one battery powered Yamaha ATV power wheel to be provided to a student in need as a secret Santa gift; and Rebecca Slade for two Make Your Own Comic Book pack, two LOL Surprise Secret Reveal Wall Art and two Sensory Ball Pack as student incentives during PBIS quarterly awards assemblies.