Cherokee Immersion School facts for kids
The Cherokee Immersion School (ᏣᎳᎩ ᏧᎾᏕᎶᏆᏍᏗ, Tsalagi Tsunadeloquasdi) is a special school in Park Hill, Oklahoma. Here, students learn everything in the Cherokee language. It is for children from pre-school up to eighth grade.
The Cherokee Nation started this school in 2001. Their main goal was to save the Cherokee language. This language is in danger of disappearing. To join the school, students must be members of a federally recognized tribe. There is an application process because class sizes are small. After finishing at the immersion school, students often go to an affiliated school for grades 7 and 8. Attending this school can also help students get into Sequoyah High School (grades 9 through 12). In August 2018, about 141 students were enrolled.
Why the Cherokee Language Needs Help
The Cherokee language is very important to the Cherokee people. However, not many people speak it fluently anymore. In 2018, only about 1,520 Cherokee speakers were left out of 376,000 Cherokee people. This means the language is "moribund". This term means that children are not learning or speaking the language.
Most fluent speakers are older adults. Sadly, about eight speakers pass away each month. In June 2019, the three Cherokee tribes declared a "state of emergency" for the language. They called for more programs to help bring the language back. At that time, about 2,100 speakers were counted among the tribes.
How the School Helps the Language
The Cherokee Immersion School teaches students from pre-school through eighth grade. All subjects are taught in Cherokee. This helps students become fluent speakers. The school plays a big part in keeping the language alive for future generations.
In 2012, the Oklahoma Department of Education gave state tests. These tests were in English. The school's principal, Holly Davis, explained that younger students at the school learn only in Cherokee. Because of this, many students found the English tests difficult. Even so, the school earned a "C" grade on the state's report card system. Principal Davis said, "The C we made is tremendous." She was proud because it was the school's first year as a state-funded charter school. Eighth graders who graduate from the school are fluent in Cherokee. They often go on to Sequoyah High School. There, classes are taught in both English and Cherokee.
In 2022, the school was planned to move into the new Durbin Feeling Language Center. The building project for this center started in May 2021.
New Campus for More Learning
In November 2021, the school opened a second campus. They bought the Greasy School building in Greasy, Oklahoma. This area is in southern Adair County, near Stilwell. This location is special because it is in the largest area where Cherokee speakers live. The new campus gives more students the chance to attend an immersion school. After school, they can return to a home where Cherokee is spoken. This helps them practice the language even more.
