Student's program integrates foreign, U.S. children

By Anna Herkamp
Staff Writer

Juan was in the fifth grade when he moved from his home in South America where he spoke only Spanish. Because he didn't know English when he moved to Lafayette, he found it difficult to communicate at his new school.

He even had to draw pictures for the cafeteria workers at lunchtime to tell them what he wanted to eat.

Life was even more difficult when making friends became impossible because of his language barrier. He had no one to play with at recess and no one would talk to him.

Melinda Foley, a junior in the School of Science, was working at Washington Elementary School tutoring second graders in order to complete the required hours of "outside" work for her Spanish minor.

Foley saw Juan crying one day and was devastated to see that the reason he was crying was because he could not communicate. Foley wanted to help.

Juan and Foley began to go over flashcards with English words and magazine cutouts of pictures on the back. Slowly but surely, Juan began to understand English and was able to interact with others at school. Foley decided she wanted to do more; so she began Making A New Opportunity for Students, an after-school program that allows children from all backgrounds, especially Hispanic, to interact with others from similar and different backgrounds.

Foley started the program, also called Las Manos, which means 'the hands' in Spanish, with the goal of reducing the prejudices and misunderstandings that the mixing of cultures can present.

Foley is a pre-med major with a Spanish/psychology minor who hopes to be a pediatrician one day. However, she said the Peace Corps is what she’d like to participate in immediately after college.

Foley keeps busy with her major, double minor and Las Manos, with which she spends about 10 hours each week.

Theresa Hayes, a second grade teacher at Washington Elementary describes Foley as a "saint," in reference to how much she has helped English as a Second Language students. Foley began teaching lessons for Hayes’s class as part of her minor, and then moved on to helping children like Juan.

"The kids look forward to it all week," Hayes said. "I hear them talking about it way before Thursday."

"Las Manos" educates kids by introducing a new country every week, and when possible, throwing in a little Spanish as well. Foley makes learning about new cultures fun by introducing the new material with games to help the students relate.

Billy Norrington, a fifth grader at Washington Elementary, said he likes the program because he "gets to learn about new places" — his favorite so far is Egypt.

On a typical day, Foley will go to Washington Elementary and wait for classes to end for the day. She will set up her materials, photocopies, pictures, snacks, etc.

She will begin the week’s lesson with a brief overview of the country they are learning about. She will usually use crafts or art projects to help visually.

Jenni Grahm, a first grader, said she likes to learn new words and phrases. Both Grahm, Terri Gore, and the fifth graders said that they liked making cards for veterans on Valentine's day.

Edita Bravo, a fourth grader, said that Las Manos teaches children things that help them learn what is being taught in school. Some students, she said, even pay attention better after being in the program.

Rick Norrington has two children who participate in Las Manos. He said he's impressed with the program because learning about people from different nationalities has helped his son and daughter, Billy and Evelyn, keep involved in school.

Foley said her real reward is seeing students who didn't know each other, or are of different backgrounds, helping one another.

"It’s the smallest things that count, especially when they don’t think I’m looking and an older kid will tie the shoes of someone younger, or they compliment each other, that's my ultimate reward," she said.

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