Sequoia Magrum is one of the phenomenal special education teachers here at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. Whenever I was in my office at the start of the school day, I had a chance to see her doing her work.
One of our day students, "Ian," who comes to Dakota Memorial School at the Ranch for school but is not a resident, starts his day in the Chapel Narthex next to my office. Mrs. Magrum is always with him. He needs to debrief and prepare himself for each school day, and Mrs. Magrum does that with him.
Her gentle questions about how he slept, if he had breakfast, and what he’s looking forward to are all part of the routine. If our therapy dog, Sydney, is at work that day he throws her ball down the hall, she retrieves it, and she gives him her best cuddles. Ian can do the work of school, but he needs a transition time to be successful. Mrs. Magrum understands that and helps him build confidence.
What I really look forward to each day is Mrs. Magrum’s morning video of school announcements. Sometime between working with Ian and the start of the school day she records the video which is shown in each classroom. On the video she talks about the weather, the lunch menu, any special National “days.” She calls out a student or two who had successes the day before, whether it was being in class all day or finishing a particular book. She talks about any special events or explains words that may be unfamiliar in the announcements – things like “Arctic Blast” in the weather, or what “National Cheese Ball Day” might be about. She ends each day’s announcements by standing for the pledge of allegiance.
Sometimes she has one of the students join her, and those videos are just treasures. One week, 12-year-old "Braeton" sat beside her for the video. Braeton struggles with sitting still and interrupting. He is smart and funny. He has learned to push people away by becoming increasingly aggressive when uncomfortable. His trauma taught him that coping skill. Now he is trying to learn other skills.
There he is in the video, sitting next to Mrs. Magrum. As she goes through the announcements she intermittently asks Braeton to read a section or asks him a question about one of the items, “It does feel cold out today, doesn’t it Braeton?” He is fully engaged, listening, responding, reading.
At the same time, he was delightfully doing something else. He had a baseball cap on the chair next to him. The kids don’t wear hats in school, but his had obviously not made it to his locker. As the video progresses, he strokes the hat’s brim, then holds it. Then he puts it on. Then he puts it on backward. Then sideways. Then off, then backward again.
Mrs. Magrum just kept doing the announcements and he kept participating, all while the hat made its journey. I giggled, then was again so grateful to work with great Ranchers.
This teacher saw the progress Braeton has made. He could sit, contribute, be present… he just needed to move a little… with his hat.
Please keep our staff and kids in your prayers.
In His love,
Joy Ryan, President/CEO
Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch
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