Christmas Season Tradition

Each year at KSL they get unique donations for Quarters for Christmas. This year, 5-year-old Ezra collected a quarter from all 50 states and made a collector's item, to help make his quarters worth even more.

This would be a fun tradition to start at Esperanza as a school. 

Involving Grandparents

On November 16, 2011 KSL posted this article about a study that supports what Hispanics have apparently instinctively known all along—that family means extended family. 

A new study praises grandparents for helping kids be kinder and, in some cases, smarter.

 "The bottom line is that grandparents have a positive influence on their grandkids that is distinct from the effect of the parent-child relationship," said lead study author Jeremy Yorgason.

 It's that experience and the investment in spending time with grandkids that researchers say has a tremendous influence on kids.

 For the study, Yorgason and a team of researchers interviewed more than 400 kids ages 10 to 14. After one year, they found the kids were kinder to others outside their immediate family and friends - and, in some cases, smarter.

 While Yorgason encourages grandparents to be more involved in their grandchildren's lives, he says that if kids don't have grandparents of their own, families should try to find a similar adult figure to spend quality time with.

We at Esperanza will want to intentionally do things that involve grandparents (and in some cases adopted grandparents) and extended family. 

Volunteers! Volunteers! Volunteers!

Last night I watched a KSL segment on Project Tutor. As I watched the program and then read the transcript this morning I have been impressed once again with how important volunteers are for the success of our scholars.

As we look for volunteers the following are some sources:

• LDS Humanitarian Services


• AmeriCorps


• University students like the Adelante Program at Jackson Elementary in Salt Lake City School District


• Middle school students such as Latinos in Action and/or Coca Cola Valued Youth Program


• Senior Citizens


• Salt Lake Chamber Education Task Force


• Hispanic Chamber of Commerce


• Neighborhood people


• Parents

As we use volunteers it is important to train them, listen to their ideas, and show appreciation for them. It is also important to use pre and post testing when we have volunteers involved in projects such as tutoring so that they can see the fruits of their labors.