Klukwan reopened its preschool this week after four years without a program. The move could boost enrollment at Klukwan School, which has struggled with low student numbers in recent years.
The preschool runs Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Free morning transportation, lunches and snacks are provided by the Chilkat Indian Village of Klukwan (CIV).
The class currently has three students in the process of enrollment. Klukwan school grant coordinator and interim CIV education liaison Justina Hotch said she expects enrollment to return to historical numbers of six to eight children.
Klukwan School has been challenged with low enrollment and threats to state funding and even closure. The village’s last preschool program was eliminated after the 2018-2019 school year due to “significant cuts to the state’s budget,” Hotch said.
“The district has struggled with enrollment in Klukwan partially because the village of Klukwan has struggled with population,” Chatham School District superintendent Ralph Watkins said. “There just aren’t a lot of people and that makes growing the school difficult. We feel like this preschool is going to be a way to organically build.”
Watkins said he hopes the preschool program will encourage enrollment in higher grade levels.
“Our mission is twofold,” Watkins said. “One, kids need preschool. It’s been studied and proven that early introduction into learning lays a foundation for later learning. Two, for Klukwan in particular, we want the program to have the potential to support enrollment going forward.”
The program has a specialized focus on Tlingit language and culture integration. Hotch, serving as the Tlingit language teacher until the role is permanently filled, says the program integrates Tlingit into everyday life.
“My role is to greet the kids in Tlingit and make interactions in Tlingit a normal way we interact,” Hotch said. “We’ve been learning weather, how to say how we’re feeling, how to ask how somebody is doing and how to talk about what we see or hear in Tlingit. We are gradually adding a little bit at a time.”
All students are taught the phrase “Gunalchéesh,” or “thank you” in Tlingit.
“One thing that our elders always emphasized with the kids is the foundational value of respect,” Hotch said. “In everything we do, understanding how we move through the world with respect for ourselves and one another is essential.”
The program also specializes in learning through outdoor play.
“Today we went outside and did observations on what is happening in the winter,” preschool teacher Cassie Miller said. “We made suncatchers with things we could find. We have been doing a scavenger hunt. Just getting outside and interacting with the environment in different seasons and seeing the differences, what plants and animals are around and being more observant of our surroundings.”
An open house was hosted on Jan. 13 for interested parents. Miller said “quite a few people” showed up.
“Some students were too young for the class this year but are looking forward to joining next year,” she said.
The advisory school board plans to host another open house in the spring.
“We’re really trying to be intentional in how we design the experience,” Watkins said. “Getting this early start would help us see what families are looking for. Integral parts in what this program becomes are through their feedback and participation in development.”
Enrollment is ongoing and free, and can be accessed on the Chatham School District’s website under Klukwan‘s page. Applications for the CIV education liaison and morning student driver are also available on the CIV website or can be requested at [email protected].