The holiday is a fond memory for Erendira Garcia, a Dual-language immersion teacher at Park Elementary, who brought the idea forward as a schoolwide celebration. Park Elementary is committed to bringing the world to its students through engaging activities and authentic experiences. This event embodies their mission of “Growing Good Humans” and creating connections between students and their school families.
Throughout the celebration, students were provided with opportunities to explore different hands-on activities that helped them learn about the rights and responsibilities of being a child and celebrated what makes childhood so wonderful. Stations throughout the school celebrated the right to express yourself, the right to play, privacy, the right to nutrition and health, and more!
Fourth-grader Amelia shared, "My favorite station was cooking because we got to make a snack!"
Fourth-grader Eli said, "I learned that some kids in the world have to work instead of going to school. I am grateful to live somewhere where I get to go to school."
Park Elementary also celebrated Día del Niño by hosting an after-school event where school families could come to learn, grow, and experience the celebration together. As part of the evening event, school families participated in a book swap, and remaining books were donated to the Central Wyoming Rescue Mission.
Principal Catellier shared that Día del Niño was an exciting opportunity to bring together school families while celebrating and recognizing others, “Even though our experience as humans, specifically as children, may differ depending on where we grow up, all children around the globe share rights-to education, health, play. The more we can make connections with others and think critically about how our lives are similar and different, the more likely we are to reach out, help others and make a difference in our community.”
The elementary DLI program at NCSD provides an opportunity for students to receive half of their primary instruction on Wyoming Content and Performance Standards in Science, Social Studies, Math, and Literacy in the target language (Spanish or Mandarin). The other half of a student’s day is spent in a traditional English classroom focusing on English/Language Arts Standards as well as supporting the Content Standards taught in the target language class.
Guadalupe Merino, a Park Elementary DLI teacher, shared, "With the Dual Language Immersion program, we are not only teaching the students the language but also immersing them in the holidays and the culture, and this was something that everyone could participate in with the purpose of celebrating children, which is our everyday goal."
Park Elementary School is committed to challenging its community to be creative thinkers who believe in their abilities and achieve their dreams!
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