The Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School Dormitory Program has its Mission Statement: "To prepare students with the academic, spiritual, cultural and social skills needed to be productive world citizens and lifelong learners within a residential setting that acknowledges each student's special circumstances and abilities."
The 95-561 School Board has approved of a therapeutic based program for the dormitories. Reality Therapy is approved as the programmatic base of the program, along with parenting and communication skills, social skills, and a parent partnership component.
The Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School Dormitory Program is made up of four dormitory wings, Little Boys, Big Boys, Little Girls, and Big Girls. The younger dormitory houses students grades one through six, and the older dormitory have grades seven through twelve. The students must be attending the Cheyenne-Eagle Butte School, and must have a local parent or guardian. Most of our students are bus students who choose to stay in the dormitory rather than ride the bus each day.
The Dormitory Program is a five-day program, where the students can check in Sunday night, and are checked out Friday afternoon. There are from two to four students in each dormitory room, and the Seniors have the option of having their own room. The meals are taken in the Dinning Room, which is located between the boys dormitories and the girls dormitories. The students get up and get ready for breakfast and school in the mornings, and come back to the dormitories right after school. The oldest students have free time after school and in the evenings. The younger students are required to stay on campus unless they have a pass to go somewhere. All students have a study hour each day. The Indian Health Service clinic is available for regular, emergency, mental, dental, and eye care. Parents are generally responsible for taking their child to the clinic.
Activities in the dormitories include computers, playground, basketball, swimming during the first part of the school year, roller blades, bikes, trips to movies, and a few week-end trips. There are monthly birthday parties in each dormitory, and there is an Incentive Program where each student earns points that can be used in the Points Store every two weeks. This is similar to an allowance.
There are three staff on duty in each dormitory, one from midnight to eight, and two after school, so that there is always someone with the students when they are not in school. Additionally there are Dorm Managers for the Boys Dorms, the Girls Dorms, and the IRG Program. There is one IRG staff person in each of the younger dorms to address special needs of children. There is one full-time Counselor that works with all the students. We hope to have tutors available more regularly throughout the academic year to help the students with their homework.