A heartfelt thank you to all the amazing volunteers who served as Santa’s Elves and made sure everything ran smoothly. We are so grateful for the wonderful parents and guardians who brought their children to enjoy a joyful evening of crafting and holiday fun.
We were even visited by Santa Claus himself, who took time out of his busy schedule at the North Pole to greet the kids and take pictures! We wish we could share every single photo—there were so many magical moments.
✨ Happy Holidays to you all!
With warm wishes,
Tara and Leda
Family Engagement Center
Parents/Guardians, if you would like your child to call Santa, here’s a number they can use to hear a special message from him.
Have a joyous evening!
Please see the attached agenda for this week's Board of Trustees meeting on Thursday the 11th:
https://sites.google.com/hardin.k12.mt.us/hardin-school-board/home
Please note regular board meetings will be at the Family Engagement Center (636 W. 5th St.) unless otherwise noted.
The Hardin Middle School Science Fair will be Friday December 19th in the middle school gym. Students will be judged throughout the day. Students that qualify will compete at the regional science fair in Billings. If you are interested in judging all day, please contact Mike Flamm at 665-6310.
Good morning! The GBB parent meeting has been rescheduled for Friday December 5 at 6pm in HS cafeteria. Thanks
Coach Farmer, Red Cherries and Spotted Wolf.
Expect lots of fun, laughter, and the chance to learn new ways to cook amazing food. Bring the whole family—everyone is welcome!
Call now to sign up!
RISE, created by MT OPI during the pandemic, continues to foster connection, culture, and leadership among Native youth. Meeting biweekly, RISE provides opportunities such as leadership committees, youth panels, and a permanent youth seat on the MACIE board.
We are incredibly proud of our Hardin High School RISE leaders for representing their community with confidence, culture, and heart.
Families had an amazing evening creating crafts, laughing together, and enjoying a festive night of fun. We are so grateful for everyone who came out and made the event special.
🎄 Coming up next:
Christmas Crafts for Hardin Schools will take place next Tuesday, 11/9/26. We can’t wait to celebrate with even more families!
A huge thank-you to all the families who attended and helped make the night memorable.
This month’s Literacy Night is extra special! Crow Agency Public School teachers and staff will lead families and community members in exploring Ammiláau, our dynamic e-learning platform that brings the Crow language to life. Developed with Crow educators, linguists, and community advocates and in partnership with Crow Language Consortium, The Language Conservancy, Little Big Horn College, and the Crow Tribe, Ammiláau combines recordings, images, dialogues, and expert guidance to help students connect with their language and culture. Now you can see it in action! This platform is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program (NAM).
CAPS Literacy Night is part of the Ammaaleíéhkuua (“Place We Go for Knowledge”) Project, a five-year language revitalization initiative created through a grant written by Dr. Cummins during his time as Principal and the Language Consortium. This project strengthens the Apsáalooke dual-language immersion program through new curriculum, cultural picture books, proficiency assessments, and professional development for teachers and families.
Come see how Ammiláau brings our language and culture to life. See you there!
During their holiday break, our dedicated teachers spent time training to implement Ammiláau, meaning “our language” in Crow (Apsáalooke).
Ammiláau is a dynamic e-learning platform that brings the Crow language to life. Developed in collaboration with Little Big Horn College, Crow educators, linguists, and community advocates, it draws on years of recordings, images, dialogues, and expert input to support learning both inside and outside the classroom. Some of our teachers are already using Ammiláau to help students connect with their language and culture. The platform is funded by a generous grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s Native American and Alaska Native Children in School Program (NAM).
Crow Agency Public School continues to build on the vision of the Ammaaleíéhkuua (“Place We Go for Knowledge”) Project, a five-year language revitalization initiative created through a grant written by Dr. Cummins during his time as Principal and the Language Consortium. This project strengthens the Apsáalooke dual-language immersion program by developing new curriculum, cultural picture books, proficiency assessments, and a digital learning platform. It also provides professional development and family literacy opportunities to support language growth across the community.
Teachers/Staff: Jennifer Bohlman, Cindy Bear Cloud, Dominica Bear Crane, April Chandler, Rochelle Deputy, Sunny Gardner, Nicolette Haleyalbung, Cherlee Iron House, Clarena Hugs, Lavonna Little Owl, Carrie Old Coyote, Jolauna Pickett, Ruby Peterson, Nicole Real Bird, Reva Not Afraid, Christina Turnsplenty, and Regina Yarlott. Facilitators: Amberly Howe & Bianka Rock Above
We are thrilled to bring these powerful resources into our classrooms to help keep our language strong, alive, and thriving for future generations. Thank you to our amazing educators for their dedication to our students, our culture, and our future. Special thanks to Crow Agency Public School Principal Sherry Foote for her continued support, and to our trainers Bob Rugh and Jamie Marquez-Bratcher of The Language Conservancy for guiding this learning experience. Ahóoh
Our students celebrated Native American Heritage Month with beautiful and talented dancers from Hardin schools. We’re grateful for this meaningful celebration.
A huge thank you to the KRC/Primary IEFA Committees for their outstanding planning: Ms. Hanson, Mrs. Iron, Miss GoodLuck, Miss. Haleyalbung, Mrs. Wagenaar, Mrs. Benson, Mr. Holds the Enemy, Miss Chavez, Miss Stewart, Mrs. Pretty On Top, Miss Two Leggins, Ms. Pretty On Top, and Tina Pretty On Top and Principal Roxanne Not Afraid for her dedication for her commitment and support. Your dedication made this celebration meaningful and memorable for our students and community!
Students experienced a beautiful celebration of culture, stories, and tradition. The day began with the story of the Teepee, and Acorn HoldsTheEnemy brought it to life through setup and teaching.
Presentations and activities included:
Buffalo Presentation – Sunny Gardner
Story Time – Lark Real Bird Paz
Dancing & Singing – Starry Round Face and Julian Blacksmith, Wolfbear and Buzzy Covers Up
Students wrapped up the day with berry pudding, organized by Marlo Sprang and prepared with the Kitchen Staff, along with warm frybread made by Jana Alden, a delicious way to end a meaningful celebration.
We appreciated the KRC IEFA Committee Tina Pretty On Top and Dean of Students Tiffany Schroeder for organizing this wonderful event, with special thanks to Principal Roxanne Not Afraid for her support.
Indian Education for All Learning Centers at the Big Horn Academy
Over the past two days, students and staff participated in meaningful and culturally rich IEFA Learning Centers, engaging in hands-on learning that supported identity, creativity, and cultural understanding.
We offer our gratitude to the presenters who shared their teachings, talent, and time with our learners:
Les Left Hand – Spoke on identity, the importance of knowing who you are, and offered a smudge for our group.
Autumn Whiteman – Guided students in crafting their own earrings. Vanessa Afraid of Bear, Miss Crow Nation – Presented on Parfleche and traditional design teachings.
Christy Morse – Led students in creating Native Christmas ornaments.
Thank you to the following teachers and staff for your participation and continued commitment to IEFA: Jill Wegner, Christy Morse, Mark John Bayaban, Juvi Mula, Mary Price, Sariah TwoLeggins Dawes, Autumn Whiteman, and Lavern Old Elk. With appreciation to Principal Taylor Sidwell for supporting and encouraging this learning opportunity.
We continue this journey together, lifting culture, honoring identity, and learning through tradition.
Hardin Intermediate School Cultural Learning Day Highlights
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, students explored traditions and hands-on learning through engaging centers:
💧 We Are Water Protectors – environmental stewardship
🌌 The Star People – Native astronomy and storytelling
💎 Choker-Making – students crafted traditional chokers
🖌️ Ledger Art – teachers guided students in history and technique
🐂 Bison Range and the Flathead Reservation Lesson – Teacher Jenna Janssen on bison and their importance to the land and culture
Special Guest: Dan Dan Brien presented on hunting, emphasizing respect for the land and safety
👏 Special thanks to Tia Ware and the Intermediate IEFA Committee (Alyssa Pretty Weasel, Jackie Spint, Jenna Feller, Jamie Chandler, Alex Other Medicine) for their excellent planning, with support from Principal Angie Egbert and Dean of Students Victoria Chavez.
In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, students enjoyed a meaningful day of hands-on cultural learning:
🧺 Lullabies & Cradleboard — Mary Iron and Mrs. Benson
🌟 Peyote Stitch & Beading — Vanessa and Acorn
💎 Beadwork — Amber White
🐎 Old-Time Saddle — Joree LaFrance
🎶 Hand Games — Chauncey Little Light, Scotty Dawes
🕺 Push Dance — Lana Stand & HMS Indigenous Club and CJ Other Medicine
🍞 Indian Pudding & Frybread — Amy Hanson
👏 Special thanks to Amy Hanson and the Primary IEFA Committee for their excellent planning, with support from Principal Roxanne Not Afraid.
✨ A wonderful celebration of culture, community, and tradition!
