West Sedona School held a National Hispanic Heritage Month event with a bilingual reading of the 2019 children’s book “Señorita Mariposa” by Ben Gundersheimer, followed by student leadership recognition, on Friday, Oct. 11.
“I loved the story, though, hearing it read in both voices, and on some pages it would start with English, and on other pages it would start with Spanish, and I just think it’s a great metaphor for what we are trying to do [at] West Sedona,” WSS Principal Alisa Stieg said following the assembly, during which first-grade teacher Patty Falsetto read from the book in English and fellow first-grade teacher Maritza Serrano read in Spanish.
The first-grade students also did a march across the cafeteria representing the annual migration of a monarch butterfly, the only insect known to make a two-way migration in the same way as birds.
“I love that we’ve got an English-speaking teacher and a [bilingual] teacher, but that the two of them got together and put together a dance and a song and the story, and that it connected to their curriculum of animal migration,” Steig said.”
Steig announced that the winner of the school’s door decorating contest for National Hispanic Heritage Month was Becky Parks’ third-grade class, which created a tribute to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. Honorable mentions went to Kelly Cadigan’s fourth-grade and Alicia Pallares’ fifth-grade class.
Several of Falestto’s students afterwards talked about what they had been taught about monarch butterflies.
“They go across the country because they need to lay their eggs,” Graham Wyatt said.
“Butterflies are important because they pollinate flowers. I like how they smell and I like the colors,” Athena Fox Graham said.
Oliver Isaac and Karsen Lookhart also discussed their favorite facts about butterfly morphology and how they complete their life cycles.
During the assembly, the school administration announced that WSS Title 1 Specialist Erin Gonzalez had earned the title of staff of the month.
”[Gonzalez] is on multiple committees, all geared at student achievement and helping close gaps,” Stieg said. “She is an amazing team player.”
Third-graders Karolina Carillo and Piper Wagner were named students of the month.
“Both of them are excellent leaders here at our school,” Stieg said. “Their teachers nominated them, and based on what the teacher said and what I’m kind of looking for, positive role models and powerful leadership. It is very scary as a third-grader to advocate for doing what’s right, and both of those girls are well known for doing.”
Steig said that having observed Carillo advocating for a fellow student during an after-school club was a contributing factor in her selection.
“Piper is a quiet leader,” Steig said. “She’s always doing the right thing. Hers is more action than voice, because if you want to look to see somebody doing the right thing, all you have to do is look at Piper.”
Steig also announced that WSS would be partnering with Low Income Student Aid to hold a quarterly incentive program to increase attendance. Classrooms with the highest attendance averages will be rewarded with pizza parties. Students with a 90% attendance rate will be entered in a drawing for a $50 gift card. Parents who get their students to school on time and teachers with perfect attendance will similarly be entered into a drawing for $50 gift cards.
LISA treasurer Eric Wyles stated that the LISA board of directors will be voting to expand to Sedona Red Rock High School during their board meeting on Oct. 22.
