Teachers Ingrid Moreira and Mercedes Trejos have been collaborating this year on J. Taylor Finley Middle School’s Community Club, which has brought together participants in both the dual language and English as a New Language programs.
“The [Community Club] program is a way to build foundations, leadership, a sense of community and family within the middle school,” Ms. Moreira said. “The program identifies student role models and places them in the role of leadership. The community club offers guidance, support and encouragement aimed to develop competence and character of the students.”
Club members have embraced the mission of the group. “Community brings upon many benefits to our students from which they can enhance their skills,” Ms. Trejos said. “Such benefits include, but are not limited to: helping to develop school culture and appreciation; increasing peer support and encouragement, as sense of belonging, and improving reasoning, and better decision making skills.”
The group recently held its second gathering of the year in the school library. “We had a very successful meeting with the students,” Ms. Moreira said. “We also had the pleasure of having Tri-CYA members Andy Melendez and Manuel Zelaya work with us along with high school students Angie Mata and Keylin Quintanilla.”
The meeting itself was termed “very successful” as students learned more about Tri-CYA and the organization’s after school programs. The teenagers filled the Finley library and were attentive during the presentations.
“Angie spoke about her experience as a dual language student in the district and how she has been progressing in the language through the years,” Ms. Trejos said. “Keylin spoke about her experience as an ENL student and how she’s been progressing. Both students spoke about all the support that they have received from their teachers, peers and the community program. We had a positive outlook for their future and resources available to them within the community.
More Community Club meetings are planned for the near future.
