 |
|
|
 News from Around Banderas Bay | June 2007 
Bilingual Celebration at Academia Bilingue
 Harold Sokolove - PVNN
| | Rocio Hernandez, age 10, receives her Certificate of Recognition from Laura Serrano. | 
| | Each child describes Academia. "This is our patio... these are our flowers..." | 
| | The class recites the alphabet, the months and counting. | 
| | Claudie Verdant leads the storyhour kids in their performance. | 
| | Singing "Just Sing," by the Carpenters. |
The boys and girls who completed the latest session at the Academia Bilingue in Bucerias showed off their newly acquired English language skills at an end-of-session party on June 16th.
There were 55 students in the language classes, ranging in age from 7 to 12 years old. The classes took place five days a week from April 16 to June 14. Story hour was held every Saturday.
"The session was designed to only be 6 weeks long, but the kids wanted it to keep going," according to Laura Serrano, the staff person who is organizing the programs at the Academia while Judi Conrad, the Academia's founder, is temporarily back in the States.
"So the 6-week session turned into an 8-week session and the teachers were glad to do more," she says.
Serrano was also proud to point out that the number of participants had almost doubled from the 30 kids who were in the first session of the Academia, which just opened its doors this year.
The party consisted of a short "performance," in English, by each of the grouped-by-age classes, as well as the Saturday storyhour kids. An audience of about 50 parents and invited "friends of the Academia" were on hand to see what the students and teachers had accomplished.
The teachers were Serrano and Alison Doncaster, assisted by Claudie Verdant, who also handled storyhour duties.
The performance segment was followed by a social time together and included refreshments put together with the help of the chef at the Manos de Amor Children's Shelter in Bucerias. Each child was handed a Certificate of Recognition during the social hour.
The Academia Bilingue is a dream come true for Conrad, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who recently retired in Bucerias.
She soon became aware that both Mexican nationals and Anglo residents and visitors were expressing a need and desire to acquire bilingual and cross-cultural knowledge.
Using her experience as an educator and her knowledge of educational resources, she began to envision a neighborhood center where language classes and other activities to facilitate cultural exchanges could take place.
In 2006, with her own funds, Conrad purchased a house in a busy Mexican neighborhood and began the job of remodeling it into a useable community center. An open house was held in January and prospective language students, adults and children, signed up for classes that started in February.
Today, the Academia Bilingue consists of space for teaching language skills, a computer room and a library.
There is also a large open courtyard suitable for large groups to have community meetings and lectures. The Amigos de Bucerias Civil Association will be initiating its monthly speakers night this year at the center.
Serrano has been focusing all her energy on the session just ended. Now, she says, she can devote her time to organizing the details of the Summer Recreational Session, from July 9 to August 3, for boys and girls, age 6 to 12.
Conrad and Serrano are hoping to find sponsors who will help cover some of the expenses of the Academia and its programs or activities. For more information on how you can help, please send an email to Judi Conrad at judconrad@yahoo.com or Laura Serrano at serrano.lau@hotmail.com.
 |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us