Welcome to American Horse School

Overview American Horse School is a small Public Law (PL) 100-297 Elementary Grant school located in the heart of the Oglala Lakota Nation in Allen, South Dakota. Nearly all students enrolled at the school are members of a federally recognized tribe with the majority being members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. American Horse School is one of 10 elementary schools on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and it provides accredited educational services for approximately 330 Oglala Lakota children in grades Pre-Kindergarten through eight. In addition to being a PL 100-297 Grant school, American Horse School is also managed by a 5 member board elected-at-large from within its service area and is governed by the Oglala Sioux Tribe, Department of Education. American Horse School has a service area that covers the village of Allen, S.D. and extends to the local villages and towns of Kyle, Batesland, Swett, Martin, and others. 

History In 1934, at the height of the Great Depression, American Horse School began its long and distinguished service to the Allen community on the Pine Ridge Reservation. It began with the consolidation of two rural district day schools set-up under the direction of the Dawes Act. Day School #20 set at Yellow Bear Camp on No Flesh Creek, and Day School #21 set about a mile north of the Church of the Inestimable Gift. These two school buildings were moved to the site of the new school to become housing for teachers. Accordingly, the Allen community joined the North Corn Creek, the East Bear Creek, and the West Yellow Bear communities in a new modern brick school-casting the mold for a successful and prosperous future. Soit was that the United States Department of the Interior of the Indian Affairs, commissioned the Indian Emergency Conservation Work to construct a brick school that would maintain 100 students. Work began August 2, 1933, and was completed April 1, 1934.

American Horse School received its name in a very unusual manner. The principal at Kyle had an American Horse nameplate for the Kyle school…Alas, the Kyle parents did not want that name, so the principal persuaded the new school to accept the nameplate and be named after the great Chief American Horse. Some information links about Chief American Horse can be used below: Native Americans Past and Present (Chief American Horse) (Separate Web Site) Indigenous Peoples’ Literature (American Horse) at Indians.org (Separate Web Site).

Latest Updates – INFORMATION UPDATED 02/13/2019

School will be released early – after breakfast today – 13 February – due to broken water main.  School will be postponed until further notice.

Remember we are having a new schedule until Sunday March 31st for the safety of our students.

Regular Student Hours: 9:30 to 4:00 MONDAY Through FRIDAY.

(students are considered tardy at 10:00)

21st Century Tuesday and Wednesday 4:00-6:15

8th Grade Parents please remember to donate for the bake sales and ball games.

There was a Rural Water main issue in Pierre, so they had to shut off the water in order to fix the issue. Housing water was out all night. The children will eat breakfast and then be sent home. I have been assured that the issue will be fixed at some point today. So tomorrow we should be on schedule.

• 14th- Lifetouch Spring Picture Day
• 14th February- 8th grade class will be doing a bake sale on Thursday afternoon
• 14th February- Boys Basketball at Porcupine @ 3:30 PM
• 18th February- No School All Chiefs Day
• 19th February- Boys Basketball home against WKDS @3:30 pm
• 19th-20th   February-21st Century Afterschool Program 3rd-8th grade 4:00-6:15 pm
• 21st February- Boys Basketball home against Bennett County @ 3:30 pm
• 21st February- 8th grade class will be doing a bake sale on Thursday afternoon
• 22nd February- Boys Basketball home against O.L.L @ 3:30 pm
• 23rd February- Teca Wacipi Okolakiciye Oelrichs 1 pm
• 25th February – Boys Basketball home against Red Cloud @ 3:30 pm
• 26th & 27th   February-21st Century Afterschool Program 3rd-8th grade 4:00-6:15 pm
• 26th February – Boys Basketball at Red Shirt @ 3:30 pm
• 28th February – Boys Basketball home against Crazy Horse @ 3:30 pm
• 28st February- 8th grade class will be doing a bake sale on Thursday afternoon
• 1st March- END of 3rd Quarter!!

Intermediate Lakota Phrases

Weather

Tankal magaju – It’s raining outside

Tankal icmna- It’s snowing outside

Tankal osni= It’s cold outside

Mahpiya ota- There are many clouds.

Canku slusluste- The roads are slippery

Tankal omani ki slusluste- The sidewalk is slippery

Intermediate Lakota Words

Weather

Cold- Osni                                           Blizzard- Iwoblu                                 Ice- Caga

Sunshien- Maste                                 Sleet- Waheca                                     Fog- Po

Wind- Tate                                          Rain- Magaju                                      Clouds- Mahpiya

Slippery- Slusluste                              Frost-   Heyunka                                  Snow- Wa

Muddy- Hlihlila                                  Whirlwind- Wamni omni

American Horse School

Parents/Caregiver Read A thon

Come in the month of January, February until March 15th

Parents and Caregivers of American Horse School Students are invited to join their child/children during the Dr. Seuss Read A Thon. The classroom teachers will provide books for you to read to your child. Once you have read a book to your child, the teacher will give you a certificate that can be turned into Jodi for a book at the book fair.

A special thank you to the American Horse School Board and Administration for providing this opportunity for our children.

Scholastic Bookfair March 25^th– April 5th

The top 3 readers in each class will be rewarded and the class from each grade level that reads the most words will have a class celebration.

Any questions please contact Jodi Richards at 455-1209.

Public Information Links:

South Dakota 6th Grade Vaccination Requirements (School entry requirements for South Dakota 6th grade students include):

• One dose of Tdap vaccine (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis)
•  One dose of MCV4 vaccine (meningococcal ACYW)
• The requirements apply only for 6th grade entry and transfer students 6th–12th grade
• If a child is 10 years old when entering the 6th grade they have 45 days after their 11th birthday to be vaccinated
• Read more at this link

Equal Opportunity Provider (USDA) Notice

Parents – please download and read the Flu Letter if you don’t have a copy here:

Parents – please review the Parent-School Compact Letter if you have not seen or signed it here:

2017 Consumer Confidence Report and Certification Links Below:

2017 CCR Certification

2017 Certification Report

Civil Rights Training: Civil rights training specific to the federal child nutrition program is an annual requirement and must be completed each new program year. All employees that deal with student eligibility, meal service to students, and their direct supervisors are required to complete this annual training. The training slides can be accessed here.  The following personnel who trained this year can be accessed here.