Help Launch a Preschool in the Village of Joconal

Our first year of preschool is quickly coming to a close. We have watched the students learn and grow. Over the past couple months, they have moved far beyond their ABC’s. They are learning about all the types of transportation. In science, they are learning about the process of plants. In language arts, they are learning new vocabulary and the parts of a story. Thanks to support from the community and volunteers, our students have learned so much.

Our teacher, Juanita, and volunteer, Flory, have been working with the kids to make sure they are all ready for next year, especially the students moving into 1^st grade. Flory has volunteered her years of experience as a PHD in Education to make sure Juanita is meeting standards with each and every one of our students. With help from a parent volunteer each day, our students are receiving an incredible education. There are so many investing in the education of these kids.

One of those people is a dedicated grandmother. Isabel lives at the top of a mountain with her children and grandchildren about 25 minutes from our preschool. One of those grandchildren, Helen, is in our kindergarten class, so Isabel walks her granddaughter to school and picks her up every day, while Helen’s parents work.

At the beginning of the school year Helen was struggling in school. She began school with a disability that caused her to struggle with the reading exercises. Early on, our teachers were concerned that her disability would prevent her from progressing. Helen’s mother was worried, but that didn’t stop Isabel from making that hike every day to get little Helen to school. This persistence paid off.

In just 5 months, Helen was not just reading, but has memorized and recited the Guatemalan pledge of allegiance in class. To put just how incredible that is into perspective, many students graduating from 6^th grade struggle with memorizing the pledge. The words are advanced and hard to pronounce, but Helen can rattle it off perfectly. None of the teachers would have guessed that Helen would be the student to excel.

We are confidently sending her to 1^st grade next year certain that she will thrive in school. There have been many people that have played a part in that success. I hope you know that you are one of those people. Thank you for being a part of their story!

We are halfway through the first year of our preschool! Thank you for your help getting us to this point. We cannot believe how quickly the year is going. Even more importantly, we are blown away with how much these children are taking in. We weren’t sure how well the kids would do considering that in the past more than half of the children failed and had to repeat 1^st grade, but these kids are learning fast and well.

In the classroom, the students have learned letters, numbers, colors, shapes, and days of the week. Now, they are just starting to learn how to write their names and match letters with sound. This is especially fun for them to practice with the secondary students during our reading program. Many of these kids have been a part of our reading program in the past, but now, they have a basis for words and sounds as they explore different books in our library.

After talking with parents of a student, we were reminded how important this program is for the future of Joconal. They were both so thankful that their daughter had the opportunity to begin her education in preschool. Neither of Leslie’s parents had the opportunity to start school at her age, nor did they have the opportunity to pursue education after 6^th grade. They both knew that this would set their daughter on a path to a brighter future, but in January, they weren’t sure how she was going to do.

At the beginning of the school year, Leslie was struggling to keep up with the other kids. It continued through the first few weeks of school. Her mother became very worried that her daughter was not going to be able to learn. Now, Leslie is one of our best students. She breezes right through the alphabet and days of the week song. She enjoys learning so much that she goes home to teach her little brother what she is learning in school. We love to see that change in students, and can’t wait to have her brother in school next year. It is students like Leslie that remind us that our current circumstances don’t have to define our future.

Our teacher, Juanita, is doing an incredible job getting Leslie and the rest of the students ready to move into Kindergarten and 1^st grade, but she couldn’t do it alone. Juanita has help in the classroom everyday from one of the parents. It is their help that ensures that the students are all getting the one-on-one attention they need, so kids like Leslie don’t fall behind. Even more importantly, it has kept these parents involved even when they aren’t helping in the classroom. The parents that built the classroom did not quit after it was complete. They are working each day to help shape a better future for their kids.

Again, we cannot thank you enough for all your support for our project. We would not have a preschool in Joconal without your help!