Native American school in New Mexico, United States
Te Tsu Geh Oweenge School, also known as Te Tsu Geh Oweenge Community School,[1]Te Tsu Geh Oweenge Day School,[2]Tesuque Pueblo Day School,[3] and Tesuque Day School,[4] is a Bureau of Indian Education (BIE)-affiliated tribal school,[2] located in Tesuque Pueblo, New Mexico.[5] It has elementary school grades.[5]
The school was formerly directly operated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). It includes Tewa language instruction and emphasizes communitarian points of view.[6]
In the period 1984-2003, the school had 14 people acting as principals. Circa 2003 it was common for teachers in the special education field to only work at this school for a short period of time.[3]
By 2003, the campus included the main building and several temporary buildings. In 2002, the enrollment was 34, and in 2003, the enrollment was 19.[7]
In the 1970s the school had multi-grade classrooms with free-form learning environments, and older students were expected to assist younger students. Food preparation was part of the curriculum.[8]
Campus
Its original building, made of adobe, was established in the 1930s and previously served as a residence for teachers.[7] In 2015 James McGrath Morris wrote that the main building that year had a similar appearance to its original one.[9]
In 1977 Rosanna Hall of the Santa Fe New Mexican stated that the school was given decor like that of a residential house.[8] In 1987, the school had two buildings, with the main building having the library, kindergarten classes, and a class with grades 4–6. The cooking facility and a class with grades 1-3 were in the second building. Inez Russell of the Gannett News Service described the campus as "cozy".[6] By 2003, the campus included the main building and several temporary buildings.[7]
Student matriculation
Some alumni, as of 1987, moved on to the public district-operated middle school of Pojoaque Valley Schools, while others moved on to Santa Fe Indian School, a BIA/BIE-operated secondary school.[6]