Submitted by Rene Carroll
An individual’s heritage is a part of who they are and how they see themselves in the world and community. Helping Washougal’s Hispanic middle school students discover a deeper understanding and appreciation of their culture is the focus of La Chispa, an engaging program that teaches leadership and life skills, promotes the value of bilingualism, and instills a sense of pride.
“Students tell me it feels good that the school district cares enough to create a program just for them,” said Sandra Renner, WSD Spanish speaking family liaison coordinator. “For one reason or another they don’t always feel like the other school programs are for them. This gives them a chance to express and explore their ethnic backgrounds, be a part of the school and part of the community. It helps them to stand out a bit and demonstrates they are just as important as other students.”
In previous years, Washougal students would travel to other Clark County schools to take part in a larger ¡La Chispa! one day regional events focused mostly on high school students. When the opportunity was not available due to the pandemic, Jemtegaard Middle School Principal David Cooke asked his two school counselors, Kirstin Albaugh and Danielle Bruno, to bring the experience to their school.
“We wanted it to be meaningful and authentic for the students,” said Bruno. So, the two set out to gather the right team of people that included Renner; Wendy Butler, Student Assistance Professional in Prevention and Intervention at Canyon Creek Middle School/JMS; Becky Nordstom, CCMS Counselor; and UNITE! Washougal Coalition which provided snacks, transportation and shirts.
The program meets on Wednesday mornings at Jemtegaard Middle School. Each of the five sessions features guest speakers, games and activities that introduce concepts around team building, self-reflections, sharing and just time to play and get to know each other.
“Student have told me that La Chispa helps them to have a voice and be able to express themselves and be proud of who they are and where they come from,” said Renner. “The most successful part is to see that the students have goals for what they do with their lives and what they want to become. It is what their parents want for them to be successful. Many of the parents sacrificed a lot and have worked extremely hard to make a better life for their child. They tell them all the time; we don’t want you to just have a job, we want you to have a career. Parents want their students to do things in the world and show others they care.”
“There is so much value to having the program right here in our schools,” said Butler. “It helps create personal connections with students that they can take with them to high school. We also have local parents helping out and it is meaningful for them to see that support.”
Damaris Castro and Sarahi Castro are local parents in the community who “volunteer for anything and everything,” according to Renner. “They have been a tremendous help doing all that they can like program reports, signing students in, helping with activities, explaining activities in Spanish, and working with students individually,” she said. “They are very connected to the students. They even go with me to deliver food boxes to families, hand out flyers, and proofread translated materials.”
Both Damaris Castro and Sarahi Castro are using this experience to improve their own English language skills. Washougal High School student Daniel Lara, who is Sarahi Castro’s son, also attends to help translate for the two when needed.
“The program is so important to help these students to learn about their culture and not to be embarrassed to speak their language,” said Damaris Castro. “We want them to know that it is a good thing to speak two languages.”
Sarahi Castro added “It is important for these kids to be proud of their culture and where they come from. Some of their parents have struggled so their children can do better than they did.”
“It is cool for this group of kids to understand how special it is to live with two cultures,” said Albaugh. “It is a gift to be celebrated!”
Washougal High School Spanish teacher, Areli Lopez, was La Chispa’s first guest speaker on May 5. “She talked to the students about her own journey and learning English as a second language,” said Albaugh. “Her presentation was given in Spanish and was interrupted in English. She impressed upon students the value of asking for help when you need it, advocating for yourself and the importance of education, being bilingual and being proud of where you are from.”
Nordstrom spoke to students on May 12 and told the story of her father, who was the oldest of seven siblings who worked in the fields of the Yakima Valley. He is fluent in Spanish, the only one of his siblings to be, and was encouraged by his parents to assimilate into the dominant culture. Nordstrom grew up in a middle-class household in Camas, WA and told the students how her father would sometimes work three jobs to provide for the family.
“Attending Camas schools, I was one of only a few students who looked like me or had backgrounds like I did, and I felt underrepresented among my peers,” she said. “Understanding my father’s challenging life and seeing his strong work ethic and with influence from my mom, helped mold me into who I am today, a hardworking, educated woman who puts family first.”
“It is stories like this that help students see that others like them have made it and so can they,” explained Renner. “I have had parents tell me that their student came home and told them these stories. This shows we are getting through.”
The May 19 session featured Eddie Esparza, founder and leader of One of a Kind Drum Line, a group of student musicians from Vancouver Public Schools, who perform at high profile and community events around the Portland area. Esparaza, who grew up locally, shared his message of overcoming obstacles and how those experiences can provide tools to be more successful in life. “Great things can happen if you follow your passions,” he said, slipping easily from English to Spanish in his remarks. “And it is important to stay in school to get an education to back up those passions.”
“Personally, my mom got me interested in coming to La Chispa,” admitted Denise Corona, JMS eighth grader. “She said I’d meet a lot of people and be able to learn about my culture.” Corona’s mom was right! She has made a lot of new friends in the first three weeks, friends she expects to keep as she takes steps into high school. “And all of the teachers and guest speakers have been amazing,” she said. “It is great to see people who are successful and hear how they felt when they were younger and what they have overcome. It helps you believe that you can do anything if you really try.”
Corona first dreamt of becoming an Air Force pilot but now is considering being a personal trainer. “I like the idea of helping people with their weight loss and fitness goals and being a part of their success,” she explained.
“I love that I am getting to know this group of kids at a different level,” said Bruno. “I am getting to learn about their hopes and dreams and talking about their culture and families is amazing.”
In addition to La Chispa, WSD has a number of other efforts in place to assist Hispanic students and families.
- Hosts Spanish Speaking Family Nights at Hamllik Park to help non-English speaking parents navigate school programs and forms, ask questions and connect them with local social services.
- Spanish Speaking Tutoring to help students who may already speak English but have parents who are Spanish speaking, and may not be able to provide help on school assignments that other students receive at home.
- Spanish Speaking Liaison Sandra Renner provides a point of contact for families who need assistance and are not sure where to start, and who may need support navigating the school system.
- Spanish Speaking Peer Tutoring, which is student to student assistance facilitated by teachers via Zoom and connects students who need help with peers who can help language learners and explain academic concepts in easier to understand words.
- The new Dual Language Kindergarten, for Spanish- and English-speaking students, is currently accepting enrollment for the 2021-22 school year.
- The new ParentSquare communication system, which provides translated messages from teachers, school offices, and district-wide communication in many languages, and supports immediate, two-way translation between Spanish speaking families and school staff.
- Translated materials available on the district website, social media and flyers going home. Even the WSD Family Resource website includes a help button for Spanish translation.
- English Language Learner program staff coordinate with schools to support language services and education for students learning English, which includes meeting with classroom teachers to ensure ELL students are able to participate in classroom activities, monitoring academic progress and supporting ELL students with schoolwork, and assisting with translation and other services.
“I am proud of all the work WSD is doing to help our students to not just survive at this time during the pandemic but actually thrive,” said Jason Foster, former Spanish Speaking tutor at JMS and Washougal Learning Academy principal. “The biggest breakthrough with the success of these programs was the District decision to hire Sandie Renner as the liaison to the local community. It is her connections with families that made the difference and got people to participate. She is the most hardworking and dedicated person I know and is completely selfless in her efforts.”
“I hope our La Chispa students honor this opportunity and think about how lucky they are to have a community, school district, counselors and everyone who has gone over and beyond to make it possible for them to be whatever they want to be and do whatever they want to in their live,” said Renner. “They just need to make the right choices to go down the right path. Many of their parents sacrificed so much, and these are opportunities they did not get. These students are supported.”
What’s Coming Next
Melissa Espinoza, PhD Researcher, Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh will speak to the students via a Zoom connection on May 26. She will talk about being bilingual and how it shaped her relationships and experiences. “I will touch on what it means to embrace who you are and how that grounds us when confronted by experiences that make us feel like an outsider,” she said in an email confirming her participation. “Our experiences as Latinx connects us to other people and shapes the way we understand not only our own society but how we understand other places.”
The La Chispa guest speakers for the final June 4 session will be Rosalba Pitkin from the Clark College Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and two Spanish speaking students who will describe their family origins and the opportunities open to them by furthering their education and attending college. Sandie Renner will also share her own story and struggles that helped shape her life.
With the success and popularity of this year’s La Chispa, according to Butler, plans are already underway for the program to be bigger and better and offer even more connections for Washougal students next year.
