Teacher Alejandra Sanchez reads a book to her students with Trevor Steen sitting in her lap at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center last March. More than 8,000 students in the district of 106,000 speak English as a second language. For years, educators in Northside Independent School District have worked through challenges posed by the need to educate children in this population who don’t understand their teachers and to communicate with parents who speak another language. Roughly 1,800 refugees were relocated to San Antonio in the previous two fiscal years. His teachers at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center didn’t know how to comfort him. Alejandra Sanchez, a teacher at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center, listens to her students in class last spring. Eight years ago, when my eldest child and I arrived in San Antonio as Iraqi refugees, we had an empty apartment and one small bag of clothes. Varshik Manda plays on one of the five outside playgrounds at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center last spring. Kids’ names mark how tall they are on a measuring board at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center last spring. The little boy repeated “ba-na-na,” enunciating each syllable, Cazares-Mesquiti said. … He was 4, still spoke in his native language of Telegu and couldn’t tell his teachers that he missed his mom and newborn baby brother. This support, which so many immigrants and refugees have received here, is why the Cities Index, a new report from the bipartisan nonprofit New American Economy, recently named San Antonio a highly livable city for immigrants. Varshik Manda would cry every morning at the start of school. William Douglas colors in class at Pre-K 4 SA’s North Center in 2019. The report, which measures how well cities integrate their immigrant and refugee communities, commended us for helping immigrants achieve high rates of home-ownership, a low cost of living and access to both health care and education. About half of Varshik’s class spoke another language before learning English. Many of them started the school year with little or no English vocabulary. Refugees in San Antonio challenge, enrich preschools. Bhuvikaa Reedy, right, and Gabriel Carlos play with slime in class at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center last spring. Though the resettlement numbers have decreased in 2011, a large population of refugees remains. Learn More about San Antonio's Immigrant Community. Introduction . Like many immigrants and refugees, I was highly educated when I came to the United States — with a bachelor’s of law degree from Iraq — but I spoke no English. Varshik Manda, center, plays with Trevor Steen on one of the five outside playgrounds at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center last spring. Chart. She earned her Master's in Counseling from the University of Texas at San Antonio … The parents also share a desire to preserve their children’s native language so they can communicate with family members back home. It was exactly the welcome we needed after my family was forced to flee our native country, due to our association with the U.S. military. Photo: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News. Though some of her classmates speak the same languages at home, they converse in English at school. I’m also pursuing a masters of law degree at St. Mary’s University. Lillian Jones paints a picture in class at the Pre-K 4 SA North Center last March. Her experience observing the criminal justice system exposed her to the social emotional learning needs of children, a topic she is passionate about on the education beat. Lilyann Cazares-Mezquiti, a teacher at Pre-K 4 SA North Center, plays with two girls as Gabriel Carlos builds with blocks in 2019. Varshik was very quiet during activities last fall, said his teacher, Lilyann Cazares-Mesquiti. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. On ExpressNews.com:Community creates soccer club for refugee children. San Antonio's News, Traffic and Weather, San Antonio news, traffic and weather station and Home of The Joe Pags Show, Advertise on News Radio 1200 WOAI, Get Results, Advertise with News Radio 1200 WOAI, Get Results. “He had a lot of transformation,” Manda said. He selected a dinosaur that he soared above the other children playing on the floor. From that day on, I knew this city was home. “It really hones in on the craft of the teacher to be able to provide that instruction and stay in tune with what the student is understanding and what the student is not understanding,” Raga said. San Antonio city, Texas. By the second half of the school year, Varshik was the one waking up his dad to go to school, Manda said. General Advocacy Legal Services Race & Ethnicity Politics Children & Youth General Education Community Faith-Based International Gender Homeless & Housing Immigrants & Refugees GivePulse … Fortunately, I was accepted into the Prepare Adults For College (PACE) program, which enabled me to take free English classes and prepare for the community-college entrance exam. 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A. downtown area, ‘Beacon of light’ was going strong at 90 — until COVID struck, S.A. nurses and organizers demand help as COVID crisis continues, Student takes UTSA to court over COVID-19 suspension. “My mom said I need an English book so I can learn English, but I don’t have an English book so I’m not reading it,” Varshik said.

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