The Month of November at Mi Escuelita

Bethany: November was a community involvement month! There were so many wonderful presentations that exposed our children to various interesting topics. The Museum of Nature and Science came and presented about stars. They set up a planetarium using a dome tent and the children were really amazed.  All the teachers kept hearing was "Wow!" The children took a trip to the moon, saw stars, observed sunrise and sunset and located star patterns in the sky. Children were also introduced to dental health by Jason from Metroplex Dental Care, and he was very impressed with all that the children knew about taking care of their teeth. Also, our health support staff, Patricia and Daisey, did a wonderful presentation on hand washing.

 Cockrell Hill: They had a Harvest Dessert Contest and the winners were:
1st Place--Mrs. Rodriguez; 2nd place--Mrs. Martinez; and 3rd place--Ms. Lopez.
Honorable mention goes to Ms. Graciano--her cake had a lot of personality. 
Congratulations to the winners and thanks to the judges; Phillip and Lindsay. Frito Lay visited the children with Chester the Cheetah and brought coats for a few children. Mrs. Martinez and Mrs. Flores's classroom took a trip to Hawaii. Children had their passports, beach wear, and money to spend while there. They sure enjoyed their plane ride! Mrs. Rodriguez and Mrs.Fernandez had some Indians living in their classroom in a teepee.

Wesley Rankin: This month was filled with wonderful events! Prestonwood Christian Academy volunteers came and a fabulous time was had by all making dream catchers with the children, which was a great way for the children to learn about Native American culture. The children also did a reenactment of the original Thanksgiving for the volunteers. Texas Winds came and taught the children about the piano and cello. Their new favorite song is one they learned about the piano. The Museum of Nature and Science came as well and did an awesome presentation on magnets called “Magnet Mania.” The children learned so much and it was so cool to watch them as they discovered everything magnets can do. The staff would particularly like to thank Patricia, Daisey and Mr. Geary for doing wonderful presentations for the children. They did an awesome job!

St. Matthews: The month started off with the children having their pictures taken. Later, fifth graders from St. John’s Episcopal School came and did a science experiment with the children. It was gooey and fun!  Mr. Geary did a presentation on nutrition for the children and also spoke to the parents about nutrition during their parent meeting, which was greatly appreciated. The children sang Thanksgiving songs for the parents who attended the meeting.  The party really got started when the volunteers from Prestonwood Christian Academy arrived! They did face painting, reading, and lots of interacting with the children.  Ms. Silva and Mrs. Duran’s classroom had a dance party going on, complete with flashing lights and music filling the room. Everyone was dancing to children’s music. Patricia and Daisey also did their hand washing presentation for the children of St. Matthew's. They did an amazing job and really got the point across. The Museum of Nature and Science did the “Magnet Mania” presentation here as well. The hands-on activities with different types of magnets intrigued the children.  Last but not least, the children shared a Thanksgiving lunch with a member of their family and everyone got plenty of turkey!  Someone posted an “Eat Ham” sign but it clearly had no effect.


Crossover: November has been a short and exiting month at Crossover. This month they would like to highlight the fathers, uncles, grandfathers, great-grandfather and older brothers that attended the “Bring Dad to School Day” today.  These men came into the classroom and made hats, turkey hand prints and dream catchers with the children. It was great seeing them interacting with the children. They would also like to say a huge thank you to Patricia and Daisey for their hand-washing presentation--the children are still talking about it!


Buckner: The month started with Lifetouch taking holiday portraits of the students. Texas Winds came out  and exposed the children to classical music. Our “Bring a Dad to Lunch” Thanksgiving meal was success; we had over 50 fathers, grandfathers and male role models show up for the event and the children were ecstatic! Our guest speaker, Mr. Henry Jackson of Buckner Children and Family Services, shared a powerful motivational message for the males that attended and some of the mothers volunteered to serve the participants. To close off the month, our special services specialist will speak at our parent meeting about “Child Discipline and Guidance”. We have also invited Bryan’s Place Dental to share a little about what services they have available at their clinic for our community. This month they would like to highlight Class 1, where the children learned about Thanksgiving. They learned about the Pilgrims coming from England in a ship called the Mayflower and how the Indians showed the Pilgrims how to plant seeds and hunt turkeys. They also learned that the Pilgrims wore black hats while the Indians wore headdresses with feathers.

Thanks for stepping inside our classrooms!

October Overview

Every month Mi Escuelita's Program Director compiles stories from each of our six sites and puts them all together for an overview of activities that happened in the last month. This month in particular we had a lot of groups of volunteers, one of which helped us put on a huge Field Day at our Buckner location. We bused all the children from all the sites to Buckner to celebrate. Thanks so much to our Executive Director, Gayle Nave, for putting it all together! Everyone had a great time!

Take a look inside our classrooms:

Buckner: This month they had a group of volunteers from Texas Instruments read in the classrooms and help spread the woodchips in the playground, a much needed job! Thank you volunteers for doing this for us! The teachers kicked off literacy month with a skit of the Three Little Pigs. We are so proud of the teachers for working together to create such a wonderful program for our students. This month they would like to highlight class 3, Mrs. Eshiett and Mrs. Villareal’s class. The teachers introduced their students to different math concepts such as the difference between small, medium and large, and the children sorted and counted color bears.  They also made patterns using shapes. In science, class 3 explored with gadgets and also examined nuts and bolts. They took them apart and found ways to connect them together. They also were able to charge a telephone gadget and reconnect a cord according to the way they thought it could power up a phone. Wow! We have little budding scientists among us!

Bethany: October was full of learning at Bethany! They had the Museum of Nature and Science come and do a presentation for the children involving learning about their body. She had lots of hands-on material--the children really enjoyed putting on a doctors coat, using the telescope, using their senses to find the matching smell! It was great! The fire department brought their fire truck for a presentation and the children tried on a helmet, went inside the fire truck and listened to the sound a fire truck makes when on a call. They also had literacy day where the children performed "The Little Red Hen" and parents made a book with their children, decorated pumpkins and sang finger-play songs with the children. They also had a pumpkin decorating contest and their volunteer reader Mr. David got to select the winners. Texas Instruments Facilities group also came out to fix Bethany's leaking roof, trim trees and install new shelves. A huge thank you to them! Last but not least, Mrs. Rodriguez would like to wish Mrs. Espinoza a very happy birthday!

Our Teachers in Little Red Riding Hood

 St. Matthews: It has been a very busy month at St. Matthew’s!  The teachers did a “Bring a Book to Life” performance for the children and acted out “Little Red Riding Hood”.  Ms. Romero did a great job of acting like the BIG BAD WOLF!  The Dallas Museum came to do their “City Critters” presentation which kept the children very attentive!  Everyone was excited to see the big, red fire truck pull up to our school!  The Dallas Fire Rescue squad introduced the different parts of a fire truck, dressed up in fire fighting gear, and answered questions for the children.  Class 1 (Ms. Silva/Mrs. Duran) made some very creative and edible fire trucks.  Next, Mr. Herrin’s advisory fifth graders from St. John’s Episcopal School came to act out fairy tales for the children. The children did an awesome job of acting out fairy tales for their parents. They knew their lines and played their parts like pros!

St. John's 5th Graders Acting Out Fairy Tales

Cockrell Hill: The Museum of Nature and Science presented “Basic Engineers”; Bear Creek Dental Bear visited the children and talked about dental hygiene; and Cockrell Hill police showed the children how to dial 911 and talked about what an emergency is. Also, Northwood University students came out twice to volunteer in the classrooms and the Ursuline and Jesuit students started coming. For their "Bring a Book to Life" celebration, the teachers presented “Little Red Riding Hood” to the children.  They are having good parent participation at the center and with homework!

 

Face Painting at the Fairy Tale Ball

Wesley Rankin: Wesley Rankin has had a very busy October that has been filled with so many awesome events! They had a very successful Literacy Night on October 8th where the parents enjoyed doing activities with their children in every classroom. I think the parents had more fun then the children! :) The classrooms brought a book to life and it was just fabulous. They did such a wonderful job and the children were just adorable. After that the gym was turned into a "Fairy Tale Ball" where the children enjoyed activities like bowling, musical chairs, face painting, ball toss and much more. It was so much fun and even more fun to watch the kids have a blast as they ran around in their cute costumes.

 

Our Parents as Actors

Crossover: Wow! October was a very exciting month here at Crossover.  At the beginning of the month our very talented teachers presented “Jack in the Beanstalk” to kick-off the literacy month.  The children's parents decided to join in the fun by acting out “The Three Billy Goats Gruff” and “Little Red Riding Hood”. It is so impressive to see our parents taking on acting to celebrate "Bring a Book to Life" as well! Hopefully we are bringing the joy of literacy to the entire family not just our students. To close Literacy Month with a BANG the children presented various books. All the children did a wonderful job, but they would particularly like to applaud the “Rocking Performance” by Class 4 in the “Three Little Pigs.” Also a Special Thank You to Caroline and Mark Davidson from Frito Lay for helping beautify our school.  Frito Lay had 38 volunteers who planted flowers, painted two classrooms, fixed closet doors, and donated landscaping/maintenance equipment such as a lawn mower, weed eater, blower and other garden tools!! Frito Lay--you are GREATLY appreciated! 

That's all for this month!

Volunteer Kickoff!

Were you a volunteer last year? Are you interested in volunteering with Mi Escuelita this upcoming year? Or do you just want to hear more about what we do and how you can get involved?
Join us on Wednesday September 1st from 12-1pm at our 4231 Maple location for lunch and learning about Mi Escuelita!

New, interested, and returning volunteers are invited for lunch and a brief orientation and training session, as well as the opportunity to sign up for the location and days of your preference.

Returning volunteers, we would love for you to attend so you can hear about new things going on at Mi Escuelita and also so you can share your experiences with new volunteers. Or bring a friend to hear about Mi Escuelita!

New and interested volunteers, we would love for you to attend and hear more about what volunteering at Mi Escuelita is like. There is no obligation to become a volunteer after attending.

If you can attend, please RSVP to csmiley@miescuelita.org. If you cannot attend and would like to set up an evening time or another day to meet, please let me know and we will accommodate you.

Directions:
We are located on the campus of Iglesia Bautista Ebenezer on the corner of Wycliff and Douglas. We will be meeting in their fellowship hall, which is directly off the front parking lot. There is additional parking behind the church, off of Douglas.

Graduation Pictures!

The end of the school year has come and gone and we are officially into summer! Our school year culminated with six beautiful graduation ceremonies ushering 245 of our students into kindergarten. Congratulations to all the teachers, parents and children that made this year a success! You can find pictures of some of the graduations on our Picasa web site listed below. Enjoy!

http://picasaweb.google.com/miescuelitapreschool?fgl=true&pli=1

The Month of May at Mi Escuelita

Curious about all the activities that go on at Mi Escuelita? Every month the site staff and our Program Director put together an overview of all the month's activities so that everyone at Mi Escuelita can know what's going on at all the sites and share in each other's accomplishments and joys. We wanted to invite you in to share with us as well. Here's a look at some of the things going on in the month of May!

Bethany: Children celebrated Cinco de Mayo with dress-up clothes and dances like the raspa. For Mothers' Day, the mothers got a Mary Kay make-over with the help of Ms. Cherle Moore Young and the children read a poem and sang a song for their moms. Mrs. Garcia and Daisy did a very engaging presentation on Stranger Danger. The Dallas Arboretum came out to teach the children about the life cycle of a butterfly, and last but not least Texas Instruments volunteers helped by installing a new wooden fence for the playground. A message from Ms. Rodriguez to the children going on to  kindergarten, “You will be missed but I know in my heart you will succeed where ever you are because you have the love from the teachers, parent, and staff of Mi Escuelita with you.”

Crossover: As we come to the end of this year Ms. Castillo begins to realize that she would have never been able to survive working as Site Manager at Crossover if it wasn’t for two very special people. Sometimes we overlook them and do not let them know how much we appreciate them. Ms. Castillo would like to recognize and thank the Family Advocates, Angeles Hernandez-Sierra and Diana Segovia, for making this one of the best learning years she has had. “With their help I was able to see how much they are doing to make Mi Escuelita run smoothly. They help many families at Mi Escuelita without even realizing that they are making a big difference in their lives. I admire their sense of humor whenever we get frustrated. They are wise in every aspect of their work and eager to help anyone when needed. Thank you Angeles and Diana--you have made it fun to come to work and I appreciate everything both of you have done!”

Buckner - The parents prepared a scrumptious luncheon for the teachers and staff for Teacher/Staff Appreciation. The teachers and children have been preparing for the Graduation/End of the Year Ceremony. The teachers have created some cool bulletin boards. Very creative!  Buckner staff would like to send a shout out to all of our volunteers!  The Foster Grandparents have worked especially hard this year to help in the classrooms! Buckner administration would like to recognize all of the teachers for their dedication and hard work during the 2009-2010 school year.  We did it….Lo hicimos!!!

Wesley Rankin: The month started with an incredible Cinco de Mayo presentation that all the children participated in. Tons of parents and family members came to see the children dressed up in ethnic Mexican clothing and perform wonderful songs. It was just beautiful! Then Wesley Rankin had the pleasure of the Dallas Fire Department coming to visit us, where the children had the opportunity to see inside an ambulance, but this was not the best part! All the children got to see Jessica transform into a firewoman, wearing the full fire fighter outfit, mask and all!  Check out the pictures, you are sure to enjoy! They ended the year with such a magnificent graduation, it was truly beautiful! Jessica would like to thank all the Wesley Rankin staff for helping put on such an awesome graduation. You ladies rock! Also the staff of Wesley Rankin would like to thank Phillip and Caroline for coming and helping on such a hectic day, you guys are the best!


St. Matthews: The children celebrated Cinco de Mayo with a traditional dance and the parents showed the children how to make homemade tortillas. This month the children are focusing on the themes: sea animal, aquarium, under the sea and learning all about the Hawaiian culture. They are enjoying the beach props in their dramatic areas and building castles, and fishing in the sand/water table.


Cockrell Hill: The teachers planned a special presentation for the Jesuit Volunteers on their last day. Our children sang for them and the volunteers described their experience at our center with the children. For Teachers' Appreciation Week the office staff brought treats each day for our teachers and the parents in each class wrote a card for them. On Mothers' Day our teachers prepared a delicious breakfast for all the mothers and each class sang a special song for them. This week is Fun Week for the children: we had pajama day, tacky day, water day (the children had lots of fun yesterday), and the Arboretum did a presentation for our children. Today our children and staff had a farewell party for Maxie Moore, the church’s pastor. The children sang for her and presented her with a special thanks award. We will miss her! It has been a great partnership with the church since she has been the pastor. We wish her all the best in her future! 


As we say goodbye to our graduating children I would like to wish them all the best in life and thank their teachers for getting them ready to succeed in kindergarten. I would like to end the overview for this year by a couple of quotes that Buckner teachers posted on their bulletin boards.     


Ms. Negrete and Ms. Arredando’s class

If you plan for a year, plant a seed.  If for ten years, plant a tree.  If for a hundred years, teach the people.  When you sow a seed once, you will reap a single harvest.  When you teach people, you will reap a hundred harvests. By Kuang Chang


Ms. Arrellano and Ms. Urbina’s class

When I was small I was afraid

The teacher helped me, and art I made

I splashed in water, collected worms.

Never knowing how much I learned.

Pretending how to put out a fire

I was a princess, crown of bended wire

I practiced how to write my name

And soon enough it brought me fame!

This was the greatest place to grow.

Now off to kindergarten I will go

My head held high

I will try not to cry.

By Teri

Thank you everyone for an awesome school year! We have worked, played, and learned from each other. It is a true blessing to work with each one of you. You have displayed great team work, dedication and passion for your work. Have a save and restful summer!

Until next year!

Prerna Richards

Program Director

May 27, 2010

Week of the Young Child

Last week, April 11th through 17th, was the Week of the Young Child (WOYC).  Celebrations were in full-swing at Mi Escuelita, culminating in a carnival for our students and their parents on Friday. While it was a week of fun on campus, one of the main objectives of WOYC is to spotlight the needs of young children and their families.  The mission of Mi Escuelita aims to teach English to children from all cultures and to prepare them for academic success.  Reaching this goal presents several obstacles that our community must combat.  Some of the issues facing the preschool include:
-Limited English proficiency at home.
-Living at or below the federal poverty line.
-No family history of educational attainment.

Although these barriers certainly challenge our staff and our teachers, in partnership with the community, we have begun to surmount them.  So, when you smile at pictures of our children donning their bunny slippers and bathrobe for Pajama Day (Monday), remember that our children need continued access to high-quality early childhood programs, like Mi Escuelita.  After all, we can either invest now in our children and enjoy a more vibrant nation of healthy, achieving children.  Or we can fail to make the investment and pay the price: increased delinquency, greater educational failures, lowered productivity, less economic competitiveness, and fewer adults prepared to be effective, loving parents to the next generation of children.

A Day in the Life of a Volunteer

 I am a student at SMU and I volunteer at Mi Escuelita 2-4 hours a week. I really enjoy my time at Mi Escuelita because of the kids, staff, and opportunities that I have to get involved and help out. I come in the afternoons after the kids wake up from their naps. The kids slowly roll off of their cots and are not quite awake when I get there but after a snack they are jumping with energy! I love the interaction with the kids and helping them with small projects. The main purpose of volunteering at Mi Escuelita is to help the kids practice speaking English. It is also great practice for me because I get to practice listening and understanding Spanish to help them learn the English words. For example I was cutting out lady bugs one day and some of the kids in the class came to the table and wanted to cut also so they decided to cut out some hearts. One little girl asked me to draw her a “Corazon” so that she could cut it out and I said “a heart?” She was confused until I drew the heart and pointed at it saying “heart” and I had her practice saying the word. She got it after pronouncing the word a few times and now every time we cut out hearts I always have her practice saying “heart”.
    After the kids play inside for a little while at their different play stations, we then go outside. The kids love playing out doors because they can finally run around! They enjoy taking turns on the swings so I help by pushing them. I am trying to teach them how to pump their legs and swing by themselves. It is quite a  task for kids their age and I have forgotten how it is something that is learned and not a natural movement.  I also try to help the children practice saying please. When I push them on the swings I have them say please to ask for me to push them. At first they were confused by the idea and could not remember the word but afterwards they figured out that when they said please I would push them. I love watching the kids learn at Mi Escuelita. The school is run very well and all of the teachers and staff are helpful, sweet, and always trying their best. If you love children and volunteering, I would definitely recommend Mi Escuelita.

Post written by Gloria Steinke, Mi Escuelita volunteer from SMU.

A Volunteer's Perspective

In my last post, I mentioned the butterfly effect.  The metaphor may seem trite (read: there’s even an Ashton Kutcher movie thus entitled), but it certainly encapsulates the experience and impact of a volunteer at Mi Escuelita.  The crew of dedicated volunteers contributes so much, but at times, the individual’s work feels so tiny – like the flutter of butterfly’s wing. When I think back to my first afternoon in the classroom reading stories, I can only marvel at these alacritous and ambitious kids.  They switch from Spanish to English as easily as they do a silent nap to raucous play.  I find the children’s spirit and their growth truly remarkable.  The cynic’s assessment that helping a teacher hang the students’ latest art project represents tedium more than progress is, however, irrefutably contravened by the number of big hugs from tiny arms.  To the kids (and the teachers and the staff), it’s these little things that not only make a big difference, but make all the difference.
Interested in making a difference?  Check out volunteer opportunities here: http://www.miescuelita.org/volunteer.php

This post was contributed by Sarah Stinnett, a Mi Escuelita volunteer from Southern Methodist University.

Spring Time at Mi Escuelita

It’s spring time at Mi Escuelita, and though we may have lost an hour, the teachers haven’t lost a step!  Each of the five classes has just started a three-week unit on a different friend from nature.  In Mrs. Espinoza’s class, the students are learning about caterpillars and their metamorphosis into butterflies.  On Monday morning, I read Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar to the kids to kick off their studies.  What a throwback!  I remember that book from my preschool days (only 17 years ago!).  Aside from being a cute story with even cuter illustrations, the book teaches the days of the week, counting, and nutrition.  The youngsters were keen to learn more about the fuzzy critters, so Mrs. Espinoza presented a beautifully drawn life cycle of the butterfly to engage scientific thinking skills.  Other fun activities in the unit include rainbow caterpillar paintings and butterfly masks.  It’s great to see the students ‘buggy’ about biology.  The ‘butterfly effect’ has definitely hit Mi Escuelita!

This post was written by Sarah Stinnett, a Mi Escuelita volunteer from Southern Methodist University.

Passport to Mexico - A Summer Camp for Preschoolers

This summer children will take an imaginative trip to Mexico and be exposed to the language, customs and traditions of the Mexican culture. Mi Escuelita Preschool and The Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico are joining forces to bring more than sixty years of combined teaching experience to preschool aged children at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church and lead them on an exciting educational journey south of the border. The program is open to all children in the community.

Four days a week for three weeks in July, children ages 4 through 6 will participate in a fun-filled, educational half-day preschool program that will allow children to appreciate the diverse culture in which we live. The exciting program will expose children to:

· Language introduction focusing on beginner vocabulary and conversational Spanish taught by the accredited Mi Escuelita Preschool teachers
· An introduction to Mexican folk dance, music and theatre provided by the renowned artists of the Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklorico
· An introduction to the cultural arts and crafts of Mexico

The program will culminate in a grand performance for family, friends and the entire community. Space is limited so enroll your child now at http://www.miescuelita.org/summer_program.php.

The 20 x 20 Campaign

Ask at least 20 of your friends to donate at least $20 to Mi Escuelita. $400 will match a low income parent's monthly tuition payment and keep their child in school at Mi Escuelita. Just cut and paste the paragraphs below into an email and you are on your way to changing a child's life forever.


I'm on a mission. My goal is to raise at least $20 from 20 friends today!

Mi Escuelita Preschool is an efficient, strong organization that teaches English to children of all cultures so they will excel in school and graduate from high school. In a time when high school dropout rates exceed 60% in Dallas, Mi Escuelita stands tall in the battle against illiteracy and educational mediocrity. It helps children overcome the language barrier and prepares them to succeed in school. Unfortunately, the economy has taken its toll on everyone and Mi Escuelita is no exception. Costs continue to increase while donations have declined. Classroom spots are empty as parents are challenged to pay even the lowest of tuition fees. Simply put, parents need scholarship assistance.

I am a strong supporter of Mi Escuelita's and I hope that you will join me by investing in this wonderful school. Mi Escuelita is making a dramatic impact on the lives of hundreds of children today. Will you partner with me to help them?

Please go to Donate to Mi Escuelita and to make your gift and help change a life.

Thank you so much.

Mi Escuelita Society is Hosting a Valentine's Social!

Fall in love with Mi Escuelita Tuesday, February 9 from 5:30pm to 7:30pm at Chocolate Secrets.

Network with other Dallas professionals who share your interest in making a positive impact in our community.

Find out how YOU can make a difference in the lives of children: volunteer to read your favorite children's stories over lunch, share your talent in the classroom, front office or on a special project, or make a financial commitment to help children at Mi Escuelita succeed.

$20 at the door gets you 2 gourmet chocolates, a glass of wine, coffee and tea, and 10% off all purchases from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm. Proceeds will benefit the Carolyn Strickland Education Fund.

We look forward to seeing you Tuesday, February 9th!



Chocolate Secrets
3926 Oak Lawn Avenue
Dallas, TX 75219-4606
(214) 252-9801
map

Constant Contact User? Save Mi Escuelita Money!

Like many other companies, we use Constant Contact to keep our friends updated about what's going on at Mi Escuelita through emails. It's a service that we find very useful, and we'd like your help to get it for free!

Constant Contact has a program called Cares4Kids, where any paying customer of Constant Contact can sponsor any non-profit agency that meets the following criteria:

• Provides literacy, arts or educational programs for children or
• Helps children develop and promote entrepreneurial skills or
• Supports after-school programs

It looks like Mi Escuelita qualifies! Now we just need a sponsor. If your company uses Constant Contact, please considering sponsoring Mi Escuelita. It's an easy way to support us at no cost to you or your company. All it takes a short online form! Contact Jan Zeigler at jzeigler@miescuelita.org or Caroline Smiley at csmiley@miescuelita.org if you're interested.

For more information, check out their website here:  http://www.constantcontact.com/about-constant-contact/cares4kids.jsp