Grade school builds on Latino strengths

National Catholic Reporter, March 29, 1996 by Alicia Morandi

LOS ANGELES -- St. Thomas the Apostle Elementary School sits in the heart of Los Angeles, framed by a neighborhood where rival gang activity, crime and poverty are daily bread. Despite its rough surroundings, creativity and teamwork have made this award-winning school a symbol for young Latino immigrants and their parents of how education can bring opportunity and a better life.

St. Thomas was founded in 1928. Like many other Catholic schools established in the era of melting-pot America, its mission was to serve groups of marginalized immigrants and to help them adjust to their new world. Back then, that meant St. Thomas was filled with German and Irish Catholics. Today, the institution embraces newly arrived Latino immigrants, one of the principal groups targeted by class, racial and ethnic discrimination in modern U.S. society.

According to school officials, 60 percent of the parents of the students at St. Thomas do not speak English; most are poor immigrants from Mexico and Central America. Of 230 families served by the school, only three pay full tuition for their children. Other students must rely on substantial scholarships provided through support from the parish and the archdiocese.

Many school administrators might consider these facts obstacles. At St. Thomas, students, teachers, parents and staff have turned them into assets.

"What makes this school so special is the strong feeling of community that exists," said Dan Horn, the first lay director of the school since its founding. "When resources are scarce, creativity is very important. We are always planning together, seeking new ways to obtain funding so that our students can have an optimum number of positive experiences."

Parents, for example, take charge of fundraising for field trips that allow the children to see "worlds outside of their neighborhood," Horn said.

Participative education is key at St. Thomas, said Horn, who has directed the school for the past six years. "In recent years, we have formed a strong team whose objective has been to make this school the best of the best," he added.

This approach has brought national recognition to St. Thomas, where classes are taught strictly in English. In 1992, it was cited as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education, an award based on an exhaustive analysis of academic performance, teacher preparation, curriculum and teaching technology.

That same year, Manuel Abaunza, who teaches physical education and computers during regular hours and after school, was given a national Teacher of the Year Award. Abaunza was born and raised in the Pico-Union neighborhood, and both he and his mother attended St. Thomas. Abaunza was instrumental in convincing gangs in the area to respect the school as safe ground.

Last year, kindergarten teacher Joe Walsh, 38, was the only teacher in California and the only Catholic schoolteacher in the country to receive the Sallie Mae First Class Teacher Award. This honor, granted by a student-loan organization, annually honors persons who have chosen education as their careers.

Walsh, like Horn, said the values of community and collegiality, of people working together to benefit the larger whole -- all strong tenets of Latino life -- are the forces behind the school's success.

"I have heard of schools where teachers close their doors during recess and don't share with other teachers. Here, it is easy to talk with colleagues, to seek advice, to exchange ideas and suggestions. The level of help and cooperation is optimum, so really the prize I received is for the whole school," Walsh said. "I was just the lucky representative."

Part of the formula for success is immigrant teachers teaching immigrant students. Silvia Montenegro came to Los Angeles from Argentina and began to work at St. Thomas six years ago after validating her Argentine teacher's degree in the United States.

"St. Thomas has become my second home," Montenegro said. "Not only do I feel fulfilled as a professional, but as an immigrant myself just like these families, I feel my work is contributing something to this community."

Montenegro said the difficulties faced by Latino immigrants in Los Angeles present special challenges for educators. Both parents commonly work several jobs, leaving children unsupervised; living quarters are often cramped and crowded.

"We could really use assistance from institutions specialized in sociology and pedagogy. Our children confront all kinds of problems in their family lives. Many arrive here traumatized by the wars they witnessed in their countries, and all of this affects their ability to learn," Montenegro said.

She said the staff -- nine full-time teachers, two assistant teachers and an instructor of physical education and computers -- and parents all combine their efforts to give the students a fair chance in the world.

"We gladly work overtime, voluntarily, and the parents, despite their poverty, give what they don't have to give to help subsidize the school, to help their children have the best education possible," Montenegro said.