It was during this past summer, a week before Lancer Days registration on campus in August.
On the first of the school’s three-day Summer Bridge Program for freshmen on Wednesday, July 31, their parents were invited to show up to get an overview of what their children need to know.
Ivonne Wang, the Parent Teacher Student Association [PTSA] council representative, just happened to be on campus and said she noticed a couple walking around and asked her some questions about the school in Spanish.
“Right after the Bridge program and my interaction with the couple, I realized that the need [for a Spanish-speaking support group] was imminent and that the best course of action was to form a Hispanic Parent Outreach, similar to KPO [Korean Parent Outreach]. ” Wang said.
But the parent, who also can speak Spanish, said she actually thought of starting such a program when she served as PTSA president during the 2019-2020 school year.
“Unfortunately, the [COVID-19] pandemic hit, and the idea never materialized,” Wang said.
And then last school year, the need to serve the growing Latino population at Sunny Hills — the second largest ethnic group behind Asian students at an average of 33% since the 2018-2019 school year — came up again at various meetings she had attended like the District English Learner Advisory committee. And that interaction with the Spanish-speaking couple solidified the PTSA council rep’s decision to start one.
Wang said she then discussed her idea with PTSA executive board president Tharwa Ahmad on one of the Lancer Days in early August. The two of them and PTSA vice president Joanne Cho met with principal Craig Weinreich and assistant principal Sarah Murrietta.
“They were very supportive,” Wang said. “They approved the meeting dates, invited me to promote the group at the first [SH] English Learner Advisory Committee meeting and have been incredibly supportive of the initiative.
“I then updated the PTSA web page to include HPO and began promoting the group through various means.”
Weinreich commended the PTSA’s actions.
“it’s just nice to be able to recognize the need is there and to be able to help … our parents that are Spanish speaking — to have a place where they can hear things and make sure that they are getting information correctly and accurately,” the principal said.
The first HPO meeting was held Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the library from 5:30-7 p.m., attracting 20 adults.
“This is a Hispanic group united by our language regardless of their background,” Wang said. “All the attendants spoke Spanish. They come from various countries. Some are bilingual, some are not.”
The PTSA advertised the gathering, which included food, on its Instagram account (@sunnyhills.ptsa).
“Our leadership team collaborated with some parent volunteers and donated most of the food,” Wang said. “We offered nachos with various toppings, beans, carnitas and a variety of desserts and lemonade.”
This meeting covered the same content that traditional PTSA meetings do, just in Spanish, Ahmad said.
“The purpose of the HPO is to involve the Hispanic community in our PTSA and give them the information that they need to become involved in their student’s education by giving it to them in their language,” she said.
Ahmad said she views the HPO as a part of the PTSA family and is ready to provide support and inclusivity for the HPO parents during PTSA events.
Once the inaugural meeting began, Weinreich gave an introductory message to welcome the HPO members while Wang translated from English to Spanish.
“Like any other PTSA meeting, I gave a principal’s update on things that are going on, what’s been happening in the previous month and things that are coming up,” he said.
Guidance technician Genesis Perez was also on hand to discuss college applications and what students need to do now to guarantee success for the rest of their academic careers.
The next meeting will feature another guest speaker, counselor Cindy Moreno, Ahmad said.
“[The HPO] is great,” Weinreich said. “[Sunny Hills] wants to provide the [Spanish community] with speakers that can help them to understand the school process and make sure that communication, in particular, is really clear.”
The second meeting was held Wednesday, Oct. 30, from 8:30-10 a.m. in one part of the library. Excluding December, HPO will hold meetings on the last Wednesday of each month; Jan. 29 and March 26 meetings will be held from 5:30-7 p.m., while Feb. 26 and April 30 gatherings will be held from 8:30-10 a.m.
