Puente de Hózhǫ́ students host Ducey
Navajo Times | Krista Allen Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey shakes the hand of a young Diné student at Puente De Hózho Elementary during Ducey’s statewide back-to-school tour. The student introduced himself in Diné bizaad and thanked Ducey for visiting Flagstaff.
Navajo Times | Krista Allen
Puente De Hózho Elementary principal Dawn Trubakoff explains to Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey how the school mirrors the vision of the school: building bridges between cultures and rich languages such as Spanish and Diné bizaad.
FLAGSTAFF
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey last week visited Puente De Hózhǫ́ Elementary as part his statewide back-to-school tour.
Navajo Times | Krista Allen
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey shakes the hand of a young Diné student at Puente De Hózho Elementary during Ducey’s statewide back-to-school tour. The student introduced himself in Diné bizaad and thanked Ducey for visiting Flagstaff.
Flagstaff Unified School District ’ s Puente De Hózhǫ́ was one of Ducey’s stops on his back-to-school tour, in which he presented the school with $500 for its library. Each kindergartner and first-grader at Puente also received a book donated by children’s book publisher Scholastic.
Puente De Hó zhǫ́ students on Sept. 9 treated Ducey to traditional Mexican folkloric dancing, Diné bizaad and Spanish presentations, and the national anthem sung in Din é bizaad and in English.
“ This is not an event, ” said Dawn Trubakoff, the principal at Puente De Hózhǫ́ . “ This is what we do every single day.”
After a brief tour of the school with local education leaders, including Northern Arizona University president Rita Cheng, Ducey listened to a number parents who shared their “ Puente ” experience and how the school is enriching the lives of their children.
“ Puente has given us diversity and exposure to so many different children from different cultures, ” said Heather Zeigler, a parent of a fourth-grader. “ This (school) has helped (my) child to become well-rounded and to appreciate all individuals. ”
“ We ’ re giving them a gift of the future, something that is lifelong and that opens many doors, ” another parent added.
According to the history of Puente De Hózhǫ́ , meaning “ Bridge of Beauty ” in Spanish and Diné bizaad, mirrors the vision of the school: building bridges of beauty between rich languages and cultures of the American Southwest.
Trubakoff said the reason the students at Puente are learning their language is because of self-identity.
“ Once they leave this school, they ’ ll be able to be independent, be a stronger person, and to make it out there in the society, ” a Din é teacher explained. “ That ’ s why we (teachers) teach them of their self-identity and their roots. ”
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey visits a third-grade class at Puente De Hózho Elementary in Flagstaff. Ducey visited Flagstaff Unified School District’s bilingual magnet school as part of his statewide back-to-school tour.
Astonished by the school, the educators, parents and students, Ducey said the school is “ awesome. ”
“ You can really see what makes a school excel, ” he said. “ It ’ s the leadership. ”
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