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.