Language no barrier to Parents Talk

Molly Shore

Olivia Preciado was worried her son Daniel, a kindergartner at

Jefferson Elementary School, might be dropped from his class because

he will be gone for more than two weeks on a trip with his family.

Preciado, one of seven mothers at the school’s English Learners

Advisory Committee Parents Talk meeting Thursday, spoke about her

concern through Spanish translator and parent Sonia Arce, who heads

the monthly meeting.

Principal Lynn Perske told Preciado that reenrolling her son would

not be difficult.

“It’s just a real minor kind of thing,” she said, assuring

Preciado her son would go into his same class, and that by taking him

off the class roster, it would not show up as an extended absence.

Monica Hernandez was at the meeting to speak about the difficulty

she has helping her daughter with her homework.

Arce told the Spanish- speaking parents she is available at 2 p.m.

Mondays to help their children with homework.

Rita Hardtunyan attended because she wanted to know what is going

on in the school and how she can help.

The three mothers and several others who sat in on Parents Talk

relied on translators to clarify for them what was being discussed.

Ana Arzumanyan translated the meeting’s conversation to Armenian

for Hardtunyan’s benefit.

When the meeting ended, Perske took the parents on tours of their

children’s classes.

The next meeting, which will also include Korean translation, is

at 9.m. Feb. 20 at the school.

Providencia Elementary School also has a monthly meeting,

Hablemos, for Spanish-speaking parents.

For more information on this program, call the school at 558-5470.