By JOHN HOINSKI
Staff Writer
Adjusting to a new school can be a problem
for any young child. Remembering the names of
classmates, making new friends or just learning
the teaching material itself usually requires at
least some period of transition.
Now, picture how much more difficult that
transition can be when you're from a different
country, speak a different language and have
less than two months to make that adjustment.
That’s the frightening situation two students at
the Gate of Heaven Elementary School in Dallas
were confronted with when they arrived here
from Costa Rica a short time ago.
But, in just six weeks, Federico and Klaus
Kuhn Delgadillo, -fifth and third grade students
respectively, have made such an impact on their
fellow classmates and have been so delightful
that teachers say they blended in right from the
start.
“There was no period of adjustment,” Eliza-
beth Umphred, Klaus’ third grade teacher said.
“He is an outstanding student, perfect scores.
All you have to do is explain something to him
once and he picks it up.
“And he’s not timid. He teaches the kids some
Spanish words and we even include some in our
spelling tests. Sometimes he’ll read poems in
Spanish and then English and the students really
their eyes when they found out he was going
back after Thursday,” (The two flew back to
Costa Rica last week.)
Fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Marcella Hiller,
echoed the same high praises for 11-year old
Federico. ‘“He fit right in immediately,” she
said. “There was no period of adjustment. The
kids took to him and he blended right in with
them.
‘He just gave a report on his country to the
other students during the Catholic National
Education School Week at a reading assembly.
And he not only gave the report but he stood
there and fielded different questions with no
problems. He was very poised.”
Although the adaptation had seemed very
smooth to those observing, both boys agreed
there was one very noticeable difference.
“We're not used to talking English in Costa
Rica,” Federico said. ‘We have bi-lingual
schools back home where they speak Spanish
and English. But most of the time, we speak
Spanish. When we’re at home and when we’re
with our friends, that’s the language we use.”
For nine-year old Klaus, the problem was a
little different. ‘‘Sometimes I get stuck on a
word or sometimes people talk too fast and I
don’t understand what they say,” he stated.
Aside from those slight setbacks, both demon-
strated an exceptionally strong command of the
language. The two learned to speak English
three years ago on a visit to Miami, and despite
the long in-between period of time, neither had a
problem reading, writing or speaking it.
The boys had been staying with their aunt,
Lucia Kuhn, and her husband at Newberry
Estates where they moved to from Nicaragua a
few years ago.
“It’s been a lot of fun for us,” Lucia said. “We
don’t have any children so when they arrived it
was like having an instant family. And they’re
both very nice.”
Like everyone else who has come in contact
with them, she, too, was impressed with their
initiative and intelligence.
“One of the first things Federico asked me
when they got here was, ‘what can I do to earn
more money?’ ’she said. ‘‘He’s been shoveling
snow and delivering papers. He's always think-
ing. Even when he watches TV he’s thinking,
always creating. And Klaus is the same way.”
The two were spending their summer vacation
here in Dallas, but flew back last week to begin
their normal school year. Their outstanding
either.
Sister Davida, principal of Gate of Heaven, in
fact, received a correspondence from Marielo
Alipizar de Jimenez, principal at Saint Joseph’s
Primary School, where both attend, lauding
their academic and overall standing.
For his part, Klaus gave this reporter a very
impressive English composition describing his
country, family and his experiences here in the
Wyoming Valley.
Both have already seen more states than most
boys their age. Besides their trip to Miami
several years ago, they also made the two-day
drive from Miami to the Back Mountain. In
addition, they took in New York City, including
Staten Island.
The boys said they would miss their new
friends and teachers and the different animals
they had seen, but most of all they said they
would miss the snow. :
“We had a lot of snowfights,”” Federico said.
“We made barricades and went sleigh riding.
Back home it’s very hot. We live near the
equator so we never have snow. Even on the
coldest days all we wear is a sweater.
Dallas Post/Ed Campbell
Visiting students
Pictured here, from left, are Klaus and Federico Kuhn
Delgadillo, two Costa Rican children who spent their
summer vacation studying at the Gate of Heaven Elemen-
tary School, Dallas. The two boys, who were described as
‘outstanding’ students, spent six weeks in the Back
Mountain school before they returned home last week.
By CHARLOT M. DENMON
Staff Correspondent
and characteristics of children from conception to
nursery school age, in preparation for working with
the children during the second half of the school year.
The high school students also developed packets of
Junior and senior students in the Child Development
Class at Dallas Senior High School are presently
conducting a nursery school for 16 three-year-old
children, a school which runs over four class periods
until March 20. Following the end of the three-year-old
sessions, a second session for four-year-olds will begin
April 8 and run through May 22.
The high school nursery school project was first
initiated in 1974 by Mrs. Nancy Goeringer after
discussing it with other people. It was the outgrowth of
a psychology class and came at a time when the
Vocational Act allowed for such a type program. Some
of the children who were in Mrs. Goeringer’s first
group in 1974 are now members of the sophomore
class at Dallas High School.
The 16 children now attending the high school
students nursery school project Thursday of each
week, sessions similar to the average nursery schools
in the area.
Every day, the high school students in the Child
Development Class are assigned different projects: as
well as each student being assigned a certain day to
act as director of the nursery school. That student is
responsible for planning the day’s activities under
Mrs. Goeringer’s direction.
{ Each junior and senior student in the class is also
assigned one or two of the children to whom they are
activities for the children - including projects that
either amuse or teach such as matching games,
puzzles, learning colors, etc. The high school students,
in their role as teachers, conduct group activities with
the children, teach crafts, teach sign language, help
the children make gifts, and plan happy birthday
celebrations for the children.
They play original games and activities that teach
the children motor control, to identify such well-known
items as Noah’s Ark or snowflakes, and teach them
the alphabet and numbers.
Colorful decorations are on all of the walls and serve
a dual purpose to amuse and to teach the children. All
of these decorations have been made by the high
school students prior to the beginning of the project.
Each child has his or her own name tag to wear in
class and each also has his or her own locker.
To the observer, it is difficult to determine who
enjoys the nursery school sessions more — the high
school students or the children. Students who have a
free period or lunch period following class often forego
their free time to spend it with the children. The
children look with anticipation for their “friend” for
the time they are in the class. And when it is time to
g0 home, many of the children want to remain with
their new friends. 2 :
The success of the nursery school project is evi-
Children comprise 23 percent of
the population of the United States
and somewhere between 1.5 and 2
million of them are reported miss-
ing each year. Many parent groups
and other interested individuals are
heightening public awareness by
publishing pictures of lost and miss-
ing children and advocating child-
identificationprograms.
Up-to-date identification records
kept by parents can reduce by hours
or perhaps days the amount of time
required to establish a definite iden-
tification in case of loss.
Since dental charting has tradi-
tionally been used as one of the
leading methods of identification,
several Northeastern and Central
Pennsylvania dentists decided they
were in the position to expand this
method into a more complete com-
pilation of identification information
for children in their areas.
Hence, Friday, February 28
between noon and 8 p.m. and Satur-
day, March 1, between 9 a.m. and 3
p.m. have been set aside as “I.D.
your Kid’ days.
The Dallas Soccer Club
is sponsoring
Crafts & More
Arts & Crafts, Antiques,
Collectibles, Jewelry,
Refreshments.
Dallas Sr. High School
Gymnasium & Cafeteria
Sat., April 19 104
8'X8' space — $10
Corner space — $15
Call
675-3243 evenings
Locally, the program will be con-
ducted at Dental Associates in
Wilkes-Barre, Trucksville, and
Mountaintop. - The Back Mountain
location is at 210 Carverton Road,
Trucksville.
During “ID. your Kid” days,
parents may take their children into
any of the dental officers for identi-
fication services. In addition to
dental charting, other services
available will be handwriting and
hair sampling, notation of physical
characteristics such as height and
weight, collection of medical data,
and photos. Pennsylvania State
Police and local police have offered
their services to assist in finger-
printing at most of the locations.
Parents may also have their blood
pressure screened while their chil-
dren are there.
696-1395 after 3 p.m.
IF.e,
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Member:
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Frank Peterson, 146 E. Walnut.
St., Kingston, has accepted the
chairmanship of “Scott Dietterick
for State Representative’ cam-
paign.
Peterson, a self employed lumber
broker, is active in political and
civic affairs, and serves on Kings-
ton council and with the Coast
Guard Reserve.
Accepting as Treasurer of the
campaign is Richard L. Kramer,
CPA, 81 Sullivan St., Forty Fort.
Plans are being finalized for the
opening of campaign headquarters
at 327 Wyoming Ave., Kingston, and
rallies to be held throughout the
120th Legislative District.
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to give special attention and special help when needed.
The first half of the school year, the high school
students studied the development, growth, behavior
denced by the waiting list there is every year for
children, whose parents would like to have them
participate.
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