PRIMED FOR SUCCESS:
Guadalupe School
BY JENNY HOR
F
ifty years after opening its doors, Guadalupe School
continues to fulfill its commitment to transforming
lives through education and ensuring school readiness for
parents and their children.
“When you walk down the halls and see our students,
what you recognize is tremendous potential,” Pater says.
“We get to see this potential unlocked everyday by the
way we get to interact with our students.”
Nestled in the heart of Rose Park, the school incorporates
a family learning model with five programs that span from
infancy to adulthood. These distinct resources got the
attention of the White House Initiative on Educational
Excellence for Hispanics, which recognized the school
as a Bright Spot in Hispanic Education.
By recognizing the importance of the community
surrounding them, Guadalupe School is working to continue
the relationships they’ve built and to create many more.
Counselors make in-home visits to expectant mothers and
help parents recognize that they are their child’s first
teachers. Children then enter Toddler Beginnings, preschool,
or the K-6 charter school. Adults can enroll in English
language or citizenship classes.
“When you look at the demographic we’re talking about
in this area, in the past, there have been issues with access
because of language or economics,” Executive Director
Richard Pater says. “I think one of the things we’ve been
able to do is to provide an environment in which our
students and families feel like they belong.”
Data from the Utah State Office of Education shows that 87
percent of the charter school’s students are Latino/Hispanic.
Adult learners listen to their instructor during English class.
Students reciprocate the feelings of Pater as they speak
affectionately about their school. Sixth-grade student
Jazmine Montoya enjoys class because she can interact
with students from similar cultural backgrounds.
Montoya’s classmate Diego Perez adds, “I love this school
because it has great teachers and great times.”
On the other end of the learning spectrum are the adults who
attend classes to further their English language skills.
For many of the adult learners, the complexity of learning
English produces moments of frustration but the end goal of
communicating with others makes the process meaningful.
English is what allows them to help their children with
their schoolwork and to speak with family doctors.
Executive Director Richard Pater.
A student participates in an art
activity at Guadalupe School.
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