The Hollister School District ended its Migrant Summer School program on July 12 with students performing dances they learned to an audience of peers, teachers and families.
With close to 320 students participating on the Ladd Lane Elementary School campus, and another 30 doing a “packet program” off-campus, students gained a deeper understanding of what it means to choose a healthy lifestyle while hitting core subject areas.
“Our focus was on nutrition, fitness, social awareness and mindfulness,” said Migrant Summer School Principal Christina Atkinson. “We still had a core of math and reading in small groups.”
Atkinson said students participated in hands-on lessons, STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) activities, and had access to technology.
Rosa Sanchez, the English language development teacher for grades four through seven, was on campus to “support teachers with our English language learners.”
One lesson that stood out to Sanchez involved teaching students about healthy food choices and utilizing new vocabulary.
“We made bean soup and our students not only had the opportunity to cook their own bean soup, but they also learned how to read nutritional labels,” she said. “As they cooked they learned the names of different cooking items/utensils and how to measure. It was great to see them collaborating and using all the new vocabulary that they had just acquired.”
Another special moment for Sanchez was when students visited locations such as Point Lobos as part of the learning process.
“Some students shared they had never seen the ocean until that day,” Sanchez said.
Throughout the summer session, students also had guest speakers and instructors, such as CalFresh Healthy Living, to help enrich lessons for students.
“We want the kids to be excited about coming to school and learning,” Atkinson said.
Kathia Herrera of Royal King Dance Academy was one off-campus instructor who worked with students.
Acknowledging that many students were shy and hesitant when starting her dance course, Herrera talked about the joy of seeing students come out of their shells to learn something new.
“One of the most important things working with kids in this program is building up their confidence,” Herrera said. “Our tool is using dance and music.”
As the event came to a close, that confidence was evident. Students were encouraged to go into the audience to bring family members and guests down to dance with them.
“Once you open up their horizons there is nothing that can hold them back,” Herrera said.
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