Education in Progress
On December II, 1969, Alcatraz's new "Big Rock School" opened its doors for the first time, admitting 12 enrolled students, ranging in levels from kindergarten to level 6. Since this time, the school has reached a peak enrollment of 22 students on December 30.
The instructors; Linda Aranaydo, Creek; Vicky Santana, Blackfeet; Douglas Remington, Ute, and Woesha Cloud North, Winnebago, with the assistance of the permanent aides, Justine Moppin, Mono, and Rosalie Willie, Paiute, and a number of teenagers have all worked coooperatively to give each child as much individual and group attention as needed.
The Big Rock School was set up as an experimental school, with the order of subject material flexible, varying with each individual student. The guidelines the instructors use for the student depend entirely on how the subject material is grasped by the student, and how this learning fits into his own growth and development.
The subject material itself includes reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, health and science studies. There are also native studies, which include native history, culture, and as much specific tribal information as may be provided by the parents of the children, and others familiar with this field.
Francis Allen, Sac & Fox, is our very able instructor in Arts and Crafts. Under his direction,all of the students may participate in native arts such as beadwork, leatherwork, wood carving, costume decoration and sculptural activities.
An
important part of our studies are the field trips, which we go on at
least once every twoweeks. So far, we have visited the San Francisco
Zoo, the Planetarium, and the Oakland Art Museum. The children of California
tribes were especially interested in the Indian exhibit at the museum,
and responded enthusiastically to the artifacts pretaining to their
own tribes.
Alcatraz Nursery School
Alcatraz Nursery School was started in December in the caretaker's building
although it was previously in operation in the office quarters of the
main cell block.
When it originated , the nursery was operated as a day care center for the working mother on the island. Now, although the basic idea is the same, the nursery has evolved into a pre-primary institution and enables the youngsters of Alcatraz to learn through a wide variety of stimuli such as painting, modeling clay, collages, paper cut-outs, block building, story telling,and most interesting song - sessions in which Mr. Francis Allen, Sac & Fox, participates bysinging Indian songs to the children.
The nursery enrollment includes from 7 -12 children in ages ranging from 11/2 years to 5 years and is staffed by Maria Lavender, Yurok, and Lu Trudell, Sioux. Lunch and a mid-morning snack is furnished to the children during the school week. The staff is interested in procuring more help and is asking mothers to donate at least one hour a day. We are also interested in what the individual mother wants her child to learn while attending Alcatraz Nursery School.