Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians
Special to Valley News
Along with learning their ABCs, numbers, and the Luiseño language, students at the Soboba Tribal Preschool are looking forward to more field trips and fundraisers this year. Families were invited to visit the classrooms and talk to the teachers at a back-to-school event on Aug. 28.
“We have a lot more activities planned,” Preschool Administrator Lenora “Ponie” Mojado said. “We have more than 15 new students this year, but a lot of returnees, too.”
She said there will be more focus on social-emotional learning (SEL), which involves self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making. Lessons will revolve around identifying feelings and learning how to express them in a positive way, and be adapted to each specific age group. Preschoolers will learn more through play therapy while kindergartners can understand bigger concepts and grasp ideas since many already possess social-emotional intelligence.
Preschool teacher Julissa Garcia has assistance from Instructional Aide Jess Thompson and preschool staff member Jasmine Basquez, who they have dubbed it the “Home Sweet Classroom.” They have set it up to closely mimic a household to help the children make the transition from their first experience of being away from home. They have a reading garden, a kitchen, and a laundry room. There are framed photos of family members throughout the room.
“We want to make them as comfortable as possible, making it feel homey in here,” Garcia said. She said the children are opening up a lot more already, and they are seeing their unique personalities emerge. The focus will be on improving fine and gross motor skills that will be achieved through crafts and fun activities. They are also trying to incorporate the Luiseño language into their lessons a lot more this year.
Pre-kindergarten teacher Ana Garcia and Instructional Aide Alaina Adkins have a “Welcome to the Jungle” classroom theme, and the children are loving it. From a reading hut area where they can pretend to be animals in the forest to areas for art and life skills, students are encouraged to be “wild about learning.”
“We are offering a lot of hands-on learning for the first part of the semester, and after winter break we will offer more in-depth lessons to prepare them for their transition into kindergarten,” Adkins said.
She said many of the children in her classroom attended the preschool last year, so they are familiar with the campus already. There are three new students that have been added so far and she said they are adjusting very well.
“It’s their first experience being in an environment with other children their age but they all love doing the new things we put out for them, so it makes us happy that they enjoy it,” Garcia said.
Marian Chacon’s great-grandson Brian is four years old and his older sister Violet, who graduated from the Soboba Tribal Preschool, is in second grade now. Brian treated his family members to a grand tour of all the different areas he utilizes in his pre-k classroom.
Shakoora Kabeer has two daughters at the school this year—Daiya Muhammad, 3, and Sumaya Muhammad, 4. She said enrolling them at the preschool came at the perfect time as she also has a newborn, Safiya, who is only a month old.
Kindergarten teacher Laura Aldrete said things have been going well since school started in early August. To conserve paper, the children are using dry-erase workbooks and are working on their fine motor skills. The students are seated in small groups of three, which is a change from last year’s class, where each desk was independent.
Chase Davies has a son, Hunwut Castello, in preschool and a daughter, Moyla Castello, in kindergarten, and loves the school. She said Moyla has lots of friends and cousins in her class.
“They do a lot with their culture and teach them words of the day and week in Luiseño,” Davies said. Even though this is his first school experience, she said, once Hunwut gets on campus, he loves it.
Families were treated to a delicious stew created by Head Chef Anita Morillo and her kitchen staff Arturo Horta and Perry ReDonde, served in the multipurpose room. Also on hand were vendors that offer resources to families with children of all ages. School psychologist Rachelle Peterson shared her role with families, which includes spending mornings at the preschool to provide emotional and behavioral support, counseling, skills building, family support, and more.
Representatives from Soboba Tribal Family Services shared the various programs they offer to support families. Alicia Golchuk, Desiree Salazar and Catherine Gonzalez were available to answer questions and share information.
Health Education Assistants Hosea Jones and Taylor Hart with the CalFresh Healthy Living program for Riverside University Health System offered activity books that make it fun for young kids to learn about eating healthy. They also brought along a fresh fruit punch to show that there are delicious-tasting, healthy alternatives to sugary drinks and sodas.
“We plan to stay connected to the preschool and provide nutritional information whenever we are invited to do so,” Jones said.
Sylvan Learning has tutors working with some of the kindergarten students Monday-Thursday and they also offer assistance to Soboba Tribal TANF students of all ages. “Parents find it helpful that the tutoring closes any gaps their child may have,” Lead tutor Victoria Valenzuela said. She added that being able to do their homework in that setting is a huge benefit for the students.
Tribal Family Partners Project Coordinator Jessica Plumlee shared a fishing game with the young people that helps enhance hand-eye coordination, while bringing awareness to her program to the adults. The home visitation program serves mothers and babies as it is built around mindfulness and can help reduce any postpartum issues that new mothers may have. “It’s all about keeping our families strong and healthy,” she said.
Also hosting tables and handing out goodies for the children at the event were members of the Soboba Fire Department and the Department of Public Safety.
The Soboba Tribal Preschool provides comprehensive education for children from preschool to kindergarten, and staff is committed to creating a pathway to success. Age and developmentally appropriate lessons and activities are designed to engage children and promote growth in all areas. Its quality programming and nurturing environment meet the educational and developmental needs of children living on the Soboba Indian Reservation and surrounding tribal communities. The Luiseño culture and language play a significant role in the school’s curriculum.
Mojado, who works closely with Administrative Assistant Maria Hernandez, said she hopes to get more parent volunteers this year. She said they are also encouraging parents to make sure the students arrive on time so as not to cause a classroom distraction. Mojado added that while there are definitely times children need to stay home due to illness and other factors, she wants parents to understand that missing school means their children are missing out on important lessons, as many things are taught on a graduated basis and all stepping stones are necessary to reach their full potential.
For more information, call 951-487-8732 or visit https://preschool.soboba-nsn.gov/.
