A School's community

By Alondra Reyes

At Paseo Senter Apartments, near Senter Road and Wool Creek Drive, there isn’t just a park or homeless people but a place that I always pass and takes me back to when I was little. Where many memories were created and brought joy. A place that has existed since 2008 where friendships were created and various generations continue to go to: GoKids Childcare Center. 

I was able to talk to my former teacher,  Esther Roa, who continues being a teacher and mentions how she started her interest in the education field with her daughter and then attended Cosumnes River College where she took the courses needed. 

Ms.Esther: “I was a volunteer at my daughter’s headstart class, I was a housewife so I was at home taking care of the kids and taking them to school, I would volunteer my time at my daughter’s preschool and then I was interested on early childhood education”

Ms.Esther, as she is best knows as, has been part of GoKids before it was even the organization GoKids, originally known as Estrella Family. She was lucky to have applied here back in 2008 and get accepted this being her first job in the education field that she has applied to. 

It wasn’t easy starting off by herself as they were low on staff and only had four staff members at that time. Between the sixteen years of working here, Ms.Esther has had many coworkers and supervisors leaving and coming which could be found challenging or frustrating but, on the other hand she has had a fun experience working with new people. 

Ms.Esther: “I build relationships with them, you know they count on me to do stuff andI try my hardest to it and my personality is really easygoing and can get along with different people and you know different cultures and stuff like that, it’s been ok”

Now, GoKids has gotten acknowledged more, the amount of kids enrolling increased, and the staff has grown. Her current teacher assistant, Elizabeth Ramirez, can agree that it has been a joy of a ride working with Esther who knows how to bring them as a team, bring out the best of them, and encourages them to continue working hard.

Ms.Elizabeth: “I’ve learned a lot being with her, how she evolves with the kids, how creative she is… and I feel like its helped a lot being there with her, I’ve learned so much with her and how to develop myself with the kids and the parents, to have really good communication”

Ms.Elizabeth and Ms.Esther both work together to help the children learn and have fun at the same time. There are two classes of different age groups in which focuses on the development of the children in order to get them ready for kindergarten. 

Ms.Esther: “Preschool 1 is mainly for social and emotional learning and you know learning routines and stuff like that, to share, learning vocabulary and language, and Preschool 2 carries those skills over too and we build on that, teach them more of everything else”

GoKids has done an incredible job with their students as they have former students visiting them. Making the struggles worth experiencing for these wonderful recognitions in which their students come to thank them. It brings joy to teachers like Ms.Esther who has seen her children grow into wonderful teenagers or adults. 

Ms.Elizabeth who is just starting her journey, is beginning to get to know each kid’s personality and is building connections with them.

Ms.Elizabeth: “When the kids come towards one and you feel that love the kids have towards you, that they also feel you part of them, that trust they have with you, for example when they see you and they are like ‘hey hey hey, good morning Ms.Elizabeth’ or times like when a girl told me ‘Ms.Elizabeth why don’t you come other days, why only a little days?’ that makes me feel that they feel comfortable with us, that they enjoy being with us”

Ms.Elizabeth is also learning how to deal with the stress when it comes to hectic days. She is learning how to treat each child as they are each their own person and don’t listen the same way.

Just like the kids, the staff had good days and bad days. There are days when the teachers aren’t getting along because they have different ideas on doing their work. Now, dealing with these struggles doesn’t change their mind of continuing to do what they love best, being with the kids.

Ms.Esther: “I still loved to do what I do, I’ve been asked why don’t you become a supervisor, you know… this and that, I don’t want to be in the office all day so I rather stay in the classroom with the kids”

Now, the kids aren’t the only people who they see everyday but also their parents. They are faces they become to familiarize themselves with and begin to build a community of their own.

Ms.Esther: “All kinds of people walk in through this door, people from everywhere, you know… Colombia, Mexico, just everywhere, Vietnam, China, it’s just a lot, Nicaragua, you know honduras, we have a lot of people coming through here, yea it’s been nice” 

Parents are also a big part of the school, having them involved into school activities brings this school joy. Ms.Elizabeth who is hispanic and speaks spanish as its her first language tends to help some of these of parents she says. 

Ms.Elizabeth: “There is a lot parents who have difficulty with the language English so they need help and support with the language so right now that is the help we are giving to them, when the parents are having difficulty or want to ask something, they come towards us to be able to tell the teacher what are the bothers of the parents”

At the end of the day, the kids are tired and their parents pick them up. It has been a stressful and fun day, the staff of GoKids are ready to turn off the lights, close the door, and prepare for the next day with their kids, their joy and the reason they love their job.