Cynthia Ruiz De Palencia’s daughter, Helen, once brought a flyer home that was promoting free English classes to parents who were interested in learning it as a second language.
Ruiz De Palencia joined the adult ESL Program under Golden Oak Adult School in partnership with the Saugus Union School District. In the short three months since she began the program, she can now confidently check on her daughter’s and son’s schoolwork, help when they may have a question on how to solve a problem, and even understand what their teacher has to say during parent-teacher conferences.
“I like it so much because it’s a very good resource that they give to all parents and it’s free,” she said.
Many parents like Ruiz De Palencia who pursued learning English, all from different backgrounds and cultures, had an intimate fun gathering at the Rio Vista Elementary School multipurpose room for a Thanksgiving celebration and potluck on Thursday morning.
Attendees made up of two-parent classes in the program ranging from advanced to beginning levels laughed, mingled and enjoyed all kinds of different foods with one another.
“It’s a wonderful group of parents that are working so hard to improve their English, and while they’re in class with me,” said ESL Teacher Jeanette Geiger. “Most of their children are here at Rio Vista, or other schools.”
Geiger, who is often referred to as “Teacher Jeanette” or “Maestra” by her adult students, has heard many success stories of parents who have joined the program.
“Students are excited that their parents are here. It’s helped them want to do better,” said Geiger. “Parents tell me, ‘You know they share what they’re learning in class.’ The parents are reading to their children, so they’re engaged, they’re involved with the schoolwork, and it’s just a wonderful step up.”
The classes are usually made up of up to 50 parents, she added, with more actively enrolling.
During the festivity, a handful of parents and grandparents shared words of how much the program has helped them gain a new skill and form new friendships and a sense of community.
The Golden Oak Adult ESL Program has expanded throughout the years and now provides classes at Golden Oak, William S. Hart High School, Sierra Vista Junior High School, Rio Vista Elementary School, and Canyon High School, according to Golden Oak Bilingual Secretary Kenia Sandoval.
Many of the parents are educated, she added. “We have pediatricians, we have engineers, we have architects, a lot of the people here … you wouldn’t know it [but] they’re very educated,” and it’s just the language barrier they struggle with, Sandoval said, adding that many parents who join the ESL program eventually begin to enroll in other classes at the adult school and they become certified in trades, or earn diplomas.
Just like traditional school, the parents in the adult ESL program must complete assignments and sometimes do homework with their own children.
Ruiz De Palencia said she sits with her daughter and they both do schoolwork together, which has become a positive experience for them both.
“Now that parents are in school, the kids become aware of the importance of coming to school,” said Ji Ae Jeong, family and community liaison for the Saugus district who was in attendance with Angela Jolley, and a few other colleagues.
“We’ve seen a lot of parents as well as their own students, gain more confidence, whether that’s on campus or outside … they’re getting jobs, taking different classes that they thought they’d never take and they’re encouraging their students to really do more,” added Jolley.
