La Escuela

It was never Ray's idea to go to school in Mexico. It is like piano lessons. Your parents decide it is good for you and you are stuck with it.

Everybody seems to know that learning a language is much easier when you are young. Yet language instruction in Juneau begins in middle school. Here was a chance to get a head start.

Ray sailed off to preschool and also to kindergarten without a backward glance. But a new country, a new school and a new language all at one time was a different experience all together. He had tears in his eyes every morning for six weeks. He didn't want to go to school. He was used to helping other children in class and he didn't like that he needed help.

Two and a half months later, he is well adjusted. He has learned quite a bit of Spanish and does his volumes of homework with little assistance. His handwriting has improved quite a bit because if Ms. Luz doesn't think schoolwork is neat enough, she erases it. He has science and computer and yoga classes to supplement the basics. He wears a uniform.

The school is bilingual. Ray's morning lessons are taught in Spanish and his afternoon classes are taught in English. There are 21 children in his class and he is the only gringo. It is not the biggest or most expensive bilingual private school in town but it has proved to be an excellent school. And "honor roll" Ray has proven himself an excellent student.