Help Launch a Preschool in the Village of Joconal

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!