Through volunteer recruitment, training, and recognition efforts led by Brian Carter, (AmeriCorps*VISTA member) Joyce Preschool has been fortunate to receive the support of many highly-skilled volunteers this school year. As a program focused on language and literacy in Spanish and English, we keep hundreds of books on hand. Our books, written in both Spanish and English, have traditionally been kept organized based on curricular themes such as The Fall Season, Health & Nutrition, and Colors of my World. Upon the start of new month, Joyce teachers would collect all the books accessible to children in the classroom, and switch them with books reflecting the new month’s theme. Until a few months ago, you could have opened our storage closet to find box upon cardboard box of children’s books labeled in Sharpie by theme. The towers of book boxes teetered and tottered, climbing to almost touch the ceiling and blocking out the light from the window.

Then, thankfully, along came Breanna, a Library Science major and Joyce Preschool volunteer. Breanna spent months sorting books and creating an inventory system which will allow staff members and families to search for and check out a book for use - just like a real library! Formerly, we relied on an antiquated index card system in which families wrote their name with dry-erase marker on a laminated card, leaving the card for the staff to know who had which book. While functional, this method was time consuming. In addition to Breanna’s expertise, a recent grant from the Donaldson Foundation will boost Joyce’s capacity to embrace up-to-date library technology, including a barcode scanner and electronic book search software. These technologies will complement Joyce’s emerging curriculum website, another AmeriCorps*VISTA project, which allows Joyce staff as well as other subscribers to search for lesson plans by theme, keyword, learning standard, age, language, and more.

Breanna writes: I have always loved books and reading. Most people always say the one thing they notice about me is that I always have my nose stuck in a book. My love of reading is why I decided to go into the library field. I wanted to learn more about how to share my passion with others and how to develop my researching and technological skills. I found out about a position at Joyce Preschool at a volunteer fair and have been working with the school for months. The library wasn’t fully developed, the materials were lacking organization, and no one knew for certain which titles Joyce did or did not have. I have begun organizing all of the school materials and inventorying the titles. We now have a book shelf for some of the materials and our plan is to one day have a developed library. Thanks to the recent grant from the Donaldson Foundation, we can also purchase software and other items to help in cataloging and managing the collection and eventually the students will be able to check-out and return materials just as they would at any other school or public library. The library project at Joyce has been a crazy, funny, hectic, sometimes frustrating experience, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I am proud of the time I have spent at Joyce and the work I have done, and I’m excited to take the next step.

Make preschool possible for low-income children. Donate to Joyce Preschool’s Scholarship Fund to ensure access to high-quality, bilingual programming for families in need. Help us meet our goal by June 30, the end of our fiscal year!

Joyce staff members are accustomed to hearing spirited children’s songs sung in Spanish and English on a daily basis, but during these quiet days following the end of the school year, new words - in Malay - were filling the preschool’s halls with music and rhythm.

Rasa sayang, eh!,
Rasa sayang sayang eh,
Hey lihat nona jauh,
Rasa sayang sayang eh!

Joyce’s AmeriCorps*VISTA member, Brian Carter, started off the staff in-service training by teaching his “students” the words in Malay for stand, sit, paint, and dance. Brian spent two years in Malaysia working at Nur Salam childcare center before beginning his service at Joyce. Utilizing Brian’s knowledge of child development and proficiency in the Malay language, Joyce teachers and other staff members were able to experience language immersion from a different point of view Wednesday morning - as the students.

First, Brian spoke in a loud, commanding voice, making ambiguous gestures. He asked questions that no one understood, then called on individuals for their responses. He had expectations, but no one knew what they were. Sure, Brian was enthusiastic, and spoke clearly, but were his students learning anything?

Then, Brian switched his method. He wrote out the words “Rasa sayang” on the whiteboard, and made a heart-shape with his hands. This time around, when he led the class in song, he included clapping and knee-slapping as a way to participate. Brian jumped in the air and said, “melompat.” He held an invisible brush and made long, sweeping strokes through the air, repeating, “berwarna” Finally he waltzed with an imaginary partner in a small circle and said, “menari.” Everyone’s face lit up.

Brian utilized repetition, singing the Rasa Sayang song again, and again. He posted photographs. He found cognates between English and Malay and Spanish: activity = aktiviti = actividad. At the end of our short immersion experience in Malay, Joyce staff members were producing words, participating in music and movement activities, and eager to learn more. Sarah Clyne, Executive Director, followed Brian’s introduction with a presentation of dual language immersion best practices, and led a series of activities designed to reflect upon and hone Joyce’s quality two-way immersion techniques.

Your child can experience Spanish immersion this summer through one of Joyce’s five sessions of Spanish Immersion Summer Camp. Starting June 4th, with three added sessions in August. Register now!