September 1, 2022
– By Debra Goble –
As the beginning of the school year approaches across our state, we find students with many mixed emotions. For some students, there is a feeling of excitement. For others, it’s a time of turmoil.
The public schools in Blountsville, Alabama, occasionally enroll Guatemalan students who do not speak English. It is truly a challenge for a five-year-old child to be in a brand-new environment without a familiar face, especially when the adult they are with does not speak their Guatemalan dialect (there are 25 dialects) or Spanish.
The first day of school can be hectic for any family. But trying to register your children while dealing with language barriers, a limited number of translators, and an unfamiliar school system can add multiple layers of stress. It is very important to identify new students early so they can be assigned a classroom teacher. This will remove some of the uncertainty.
To take away some of the stress and prepare families for the upcoming school year, I work with many Guatemalan families in my community starting in July to register their children for school. It is important that I go to wherever is convenient and comfortable for them – in their home, yard, or front porch. This helps build trust. Hopefully, this helps make them more comfortable on the first day of school. If we can get the registration done prior to the first day, the student will be ready to attend Meet the Teacher Night and the first day of class.
To take away some of the stress and prepare families for the upcoming school year, I work with many Guatemalan families in my community starting in July to register their children for school. It is important that I go to wherever is convenient and comfortable for them – in their home, yard, or front porch. This helps build trust. Hopefully, this helps make them more comfortable on the first day of school. If we can get the registration done prior to the first day, the student will be ready to attend Meet the Teacher Night and the first day of class.
Meet the Teacher Night allows students to get to know their teacher and receive their schedule. School supplies are packed in backpacks waiting to help the student feel better and more included in our school. There are Spanish translators that help students register and coach parents on school procedures and how they can help their children at home. However, Guatemalan dialects are so unique, so the translations aren’t always perfect. The translators often use visual aids. Those have been very helpful to prevent miscommunication. Because Meet the Teacher Night is already so busy and parents and children get a lot of information thrown at them, visiting the Guatemalan families ahead of time can relieve some of the stress.
Creating a welcoming community all year long
It is important to make our new neighbors feel welcomed to the school and the community during the whole year and not just in August.
To keep all families informed, school information from our county Board of Education is announced by a phone call announcement system. The information is delivered in Spanish and English. Our English as a Second Language program uses an app downloaded to our cell phones. We can text announcements and reminders in English. The message will be received by Spanish-speaking families in Spanish. This has been very helpful to our students and allows them to be up to date on school matters.
Our Guatemalan neighbors are part of our community, but they often feel segregated into their own community. As a whole, the broader community needs to continue to increase opportunities for our neighbors to feel welcome all year. The broader community should be intentional about sharing resources, ensuring everyone is invited to events, and encouraging everyone to get involved. Community members help shoulder the positive impact of including all cultures for years to come. Making this extra effort will help all neighbors feel welcome.
Blountsville strives to welcome all students who attend our school, and I know we can continue to be even more welcoming. It is truly amazing how fast non-English speaking children learn the English language. Taking these extra steps for students helps create an equitable situation. Many become very successful students who obtain scholarships and further their education thanks in part to resources focused on equity.
