By Kelly Waugaman | Executive Director
Preschool started in Joconal on Wednesday, January 17th. We have 17 little students ages 4 to 6 years old attending school in the classroom their parents built. Our new preschool teacher, Juanita, has been great with the kids. She came from a nearby village, and has been incredible with the little ones. With all the support from parents in Joconal, she loves her new job.
The students in our preschool are learning so much. For years, the students entering first grade in Joconal have struggled and often failed to pass in their first year. This sets them on a frustrating path to start their educational journey, so Juanita is starting with the basics. The students are learning the primary colors, shapes, alphabet, and how to write their names. These are things they weren’t learning until they started preschool at age 7!
Along with learning basics, they are being taught social skills. Having the opportunity to interact in a classroom is going to make a huge difference in their transition to first grade. Our Montessori program focuses on hands on learning with a goal to prepare these kids to excel in a school environment.
We’ve been amazed at how the kids have enjoyed school. Abigial, age 5, is one of our preschool students. She has been participating in the reading program for years, and was thrilled to have the opportunity to start school. She loves to learn, so she gets up early to make sure her mom can get her to school on time. She helps her mom with her older brothers and little sister, so she won’t be late for class. She tells us she wants to be a teacher when she gets older, and she practices by playing teacher at home with her older brothers.
On Valentine’s Day, the preschool and secondary students had a party together. The little kids put on a parade in the village. They had a great time sharing the masks they made as they marched through the village. I’m including pictures from the celebration. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
We cannot thank you enough for all your support for our project. We would not have a preschool in Joconal without your help! We are still in need of items for our school, so we would love any helping spreading the word. Please share our project with friends that would love to be a part of our students’ lives.
Again, thank you for being a part of their story! Our students’ lives look very different thanks to your help.
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