"Creo que si puedo, creo que si puedo."
In other words, "I think I can, I think I can."
Tidioute Community Charter School celebrated Day of the Child or El Dia Del Los Ninos last week, which is an annual celebration in Mexico.
At the charter school, Spanish teacher Gladys Archer developed a "book fiesta" in celebration of Day of the Child.
The fiesta started with Archer reading "Book Fiesta!" by Pat Mora. According to information provided by TCCS, Mora, with the help of the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos, held the first Day of the Child in the United States on April 30, 1997.
Elementary students gathered in the gym to have books read to them. High school foreign language students read to the students - in a special way.
Each grade had two high school students reading to them. One read the English version and the other read in Spanish.
"It really celebrates cultural diversity," Archer said.
In addition to making the students culturally aware, the fiesta served as a means of developing a love for reading.
"This is celebrating book joy," Archer said. "Hopefully we can develop a love of reading in these kids."
Following the reading in the gym, the elementary students returned to their classrooms to participate in art projects pertaining to the stories they just heard. The high school student served as artist aides for the project.
"The high schoolers were really excited about this and the little ones just love having the older kids work with them," Archer admitted.
First graders heard the story "The Little Engine That Could" or "La Pequena Locomotora Que Si Pudo." During the art portion of the fiesta, the first graders colored train cars and wrote something they thought they could do.
Students who attend TCCS participate in a summer reading program where books from a pre-determined list are read and activities are completed to go with the book. Archer described the Book Fiesta as a "springboard for the summer reading program."
"We want the kids to be excited about books and about reading," she added.