Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
Contributor
While the start of a new school year offers students a familiar setting to begin their studies at the next grade level, Noli Indian School has also implemented some changes that greeted those returning to campus in August.
The biggest alteration is the decision to go to a four-day school week. The students still need to put in a certain number of hours to complete the academic year’s requirements so adjustments are being made, such as reducing the length of breaks and adding more instruction time each day to make sure they meet their goals.
At the annual Back-to-School Night, Aug. 21, parents got to meet the teachers, visit the classrooms, and ask questions about their kids and/or what can be expected this year. The event began with them being treated to a spaghetti dinner at 4 p.m. Since Noli serves grades 6-12, some students are transitioning to high school and possibly new teachers as a result.
Noli School Board members overseeing the 2025-2026 school year are President Darryl Silvas, Vice President Mia Basquez-Gonzales, Secretary Avellaka Arviso, and members Sandy Boniface and Lucille Briones.
Briones, who has served as president and vice president in the past, has been on the board for about 20 years. The group meets on the first Friday of each month.
“The most satisfying role on the board is watching the kids grow at Noli if they have attended from middle school and all of high school and then graduated and succeeded with the help of staff,” she said.
Sabrina Smith teaches middle school science and a couple of high school science classes. She explained that her style of teaching is very hands-on. “I think you learn better through experiments,” she said. She feels that the additional seven minutes per period allows the class to participate in more activities each day.
From energy to genetics and climate change, Smith plans to cover a wide range of science topics and has already experienced students asking interesting questions. “I don’t do a lot of lecture teaching,” she said. “I ask questions to engage students and lead them in their own discussions and learning. I have found that this method gives students a chance to be scientists and learn real-world skills.”
High school science teacher Jay Dagostino is also in charge of the agriculture program and is helping out with the physical education department. Lessons about chemistry, biology, and solar energy are being covered at the start of the year. The students are also getting a bit of firsthand electrical experience, learning basic wiring of a three-way switch with a hands-on model to use.
His middle school agriculture class is learning about plants and the seasons, doing soil testing and building a fence for the fall garden they planted. They are involved with a jewelry-making project so they can learn a little about metallurgy and also silversmithing with help from Noli aide Sheldon Subith.
“I would say my classes are 75% hands-on and 25% classroom teaching, so I can give them the information they need,” Dagostino said. “They learn best by doing.”
He said the high school students recently made breakfast burritos from eggs that the school’s chickens laid. He enjoys teaching the youth how food goes from farm to fork. “Even if they aren’t into it, they can understand where everything comes from,” he said.
Summer Herrera is new to Noli this year, teaching art and middle school culture. As an artist herself, she enjoys showing others how to incorporate art and culture into projects. Her students recently made cattail dolls with materials sourced from the Soboba Reservation. Her favorite medium is mixed media, and she also enjoys photography, which led to her helping with Noli’s yearbook class, too.
“The kids are great,” she said. “They love the hands-on projects.”
Herrera’s cousin Tashina Ornelas has been teaching culture at Noli for 20-plus years. She shared a PowerPoint presentation with parents who stopped by her classroom during the back-to-school night event. One project she said students really enjoy is helping to make bird skirts for the girls attending Soboba Tribal Preschool. “Now I have students in my high school class who remember when they received their skirts in preschool,” she said. This year, the class plans to make bird shirts for the preschool boys, too.
Ornelas also oversees an after-school beading club, which has grown in popularity. “This is my home; I grew up out here, and it feels great to be here and working around Luiseño and Cahuilla people and others,” she said. A new program this year will be focusing on the six core traditional values. “As Native people, we have these concepts, so we are helping students realize that what they are already doing is cultural, so they can make that connection.”
Reciprocity is giving in return as much as or more than what is received; Hard Work requires being diligent to prepare for physical and social demands; Personal Control & Moderation is about not expecting reward for hard work and controlling emotions in appropriate settings; Trustworthy & Accountable means making responsible decisions; Respect is about understanding and valuing the insight of elders and older people; and Order & Precision means acknowledging the power in all the things you create as carelessness may lead to unintended consequences.
“I’m always pushing students,” Ornelas said. One of the hands-on activities her students have already done is processing prickly pears for jams, jellies, and syrup, using plants grown on campus.
Andrea Duran teaches Spanish I, II, III and is hoping to incorporate more field trips into her classes’ curriculum this year. She also co-coordinates the AVID program with Sabrina Smith. The program’s mission has changed, focusing on college and careers, whereas in the past the program focused solely on college-bound students. It’s now an all-inclusive program for every student.
“I think it encourages students because they learn important communication, presentation and reading and writing skills, preparing them for the real world,” Duran said, adding that she has 23 high school students enrolled in the AVID program.
Additionally, Kekai Bryant-Williams teaches math, Sonia Modesto is the Special Education teacher, Jacquelin Phillips teaches Reading, Emma Herrera is the English teacher, and Justin Thillens has been added to the roster as the new History teacher. Jonathan Ruiz has switched subjects to become the Physical Education teacher and the school’s Athletic Director. Tyler Shaw and Fernando Gomez, who serve the school in other capacities, are coaching the football team and sharing lead duties.
School psychologist Rachelle Peterson joined the staff at the end of last year and shares her time between Noli and the Soboba Tribal Preschool. She provides many services to the students and their families.
Counselor Seandee Brown welcomed visitors to the Wellness Center, a space she created for all students in a classroom that housed the former library. Brown said the students put in a lot of time and energy to help her put it together at the end of the prior school year.
With mood lighting, soft music, and lots of comfortable seating, the center offers a place for students to unwind, relax, or enjoy snacks and games with friends. The student-led space is set up the way they wanted, based on a survey Brown sent out. She said the students didn’t want candy available, just fruit and cold water. During a recent high school lunch break, she said there were 30 students in the center.
“I will personally help them finish assignments, if that’s what they need,” Brown said. “I like to interact with the kids, so I just follow their lead. The ambiance stays the same and they police themselves. It’s become a great space.”
