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The end of the 2023-2024 school year held special significance for 85 immigrant students at Everett Middle School who arrived in San Francisco over the past two years.

The school, in coordination with Mission Graduates and MEDA, two of Mission Promise Neighborhood partners, celebrated with an “Excellence Dinner” the efforts of new students to excel in many aspects despite the challenges they face while adjusting to life in a new city and learning a new language.

The event took place on May 23 in the school auditorium. The newly arrived students received certificates and then enjoyed a community dinner with their parents and guardians. There was also a dance performance by Everett students who participated in Carnaval San Francisco.

“We believe it is important for students to see that they are recognized and for families to see the fruits of their efforts in bringing them here and the benefits that the country can offer academically,” said Cassandra Reyes, secretary of Everett Middle School.

The idea of having a “graduation” for the newcomers began to develop last November, according to Wilson Jiménez, who was the director of the Everett Beacon program at Mission Graduates at that time.

Roberto Aparicio, a Family Success Coach with MPN, presents a recognition diploma to one of the students.

“We wanted to focus on highlighting the positives of the students, the wonderful things they did throughout the year,” said Jiménez. “We worked hard to make this event happen, and we are very grateful to the teachers and the Everett community.”

During the ceremony, the organizers invited the students to give their parents a round of applause, recognizing their resilience and support.

“I feel happy because they have recognized my son, not only for his efforts but also for being respectful, and that makes me proud,” said Selvin García, mother of one of the honored students, who will be entering high school next school year.

García highlighted the support from the school, Mission Graduates, and Roberto Aparicio, the Family Success Coach from Mission Promise Neighborhood at Everett.

“Roberto supported my son a lot in his development, helping him make friends, and now he has friendships, which fills me with joy,” García said.

The celebration concluded with a sense of accomplishment and hope for the future. With the continued support of the school community and local organizations, these young people have a solid foundation to build a promising future in their new home.

Everett Middle School celebra los logros de los estudiantes recién llegados al final del año

El final del año escolar 2023-2024 tuvo un significado especial para 85 estudiantes inmigrantes de Everett Middle School que llegaron a San Francisco en los últimos dos años.

La institución, en coordinación con Mission Graduates y MEDA, organizaciones que hacen parte de Mission Promise Neighborhood, celebró con una “Cena de Excelencia” los esfuerzos de los alumnos nuevos por sobresalir en muchos aspectos pese a los desafíos que enfrentan mientras se ajustan a la vida en una nueva ciudad y con un idioma por aprender. 

El evento tuvo lugar el 23 de mayo en el auditorio de la escuela. Los estudiantes recién llegados recibieron certificados y luego disfrutaron de una cena en comunidad junto a sus padres y tutores. También una presentación de danza por parte de los estudiantes de Everett que participaron en Carnaval San Francisco. 

Roberto Aparicio, Guía de éxito familiar de Mission Promise Neighborhood, junto a uno de los estudiantes y su madre.

“Creemos que es importante que los alumnos vean que se les reconoce y que las familias vean el fruto del esfuerzo de traerlos aquí, de los beneficios que el país puede ofrecer académicamente”, dijo Cassandra Reyes, secretaria de Everett Middle School. 

La idea de hacer una “graduación” para los recién llegados se empezó a desarrollar en noviembre pasado. 

“Queríamos concentrarnos en destacar lo positivo de los estudiantes, las cosas maravillosas que hicieron durante el año”, dijo Wilson Jiménez, director del programa Everett Beacon de Mission Graduates•. “Trabajamos duro para hacer este evento, tenemos mucha gratitud con los maestros, con la comunidad de Everett”.

Durante la ceremonia, los organizadores invitaron a los estudiantes a aplaudir a sus padres, reconociendo su resiliencia y apoyo.

“Me siento feliz porque han reconocido a mi hijo, no sólo por sus esfuerzos, también por es respetuoso, eso me enorgullece:”, dijo Selvin García, madre de uno de los jóvenes reconocidos, que el próximo año escolar ingresará a la secundaria.

García destacó el apoyo de la escuela, de Mission Graduates, y de Roberto Aparicio, el Guía de éxito familiar de Mission Promise Neighborhood en Everett. 

“Roberto apoyó mucho a mi hijo para que se desarrollara, para que hiciera amigos, y  pues él ahora tiene amistades, eso me llena de alegría”, dijo García.

La celebración culminó con un sentido de logro y esperanza para el futuro. Con el apoyo continuo de la comunidad escolar y las organizaciones locales, estos jóvenes tienen una base sólida para construir un futuro prometedor en su nuevo hogar.

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Everett Blog

Everett Middle School, straddling the border of San Francisco’s vibrant Castro and Mission districts, is home to over 400 students. This pioneering school, under the auspices of Principal Lena Van Haren, is the sole middle school for the Mission Promise Neighborhood, a community initiative to help families succeed so that students achieve.

With a mascot that’s an owl, it’s a wise choice that Everett be a Mission Promise Neighborhood school, as it means many benefits. These include having a full-time nurse and social worker, community school coordinator and a family success coach acting as a connector to services.

How is Everett succeeding for its students? By offering its diverse student body a model for modern-day teaching. This includes incorporating a social-justice lens into the curriculum, ensuring student voices are heard and that critical thinking is employed, implementing restorative practices, offering additional academic assistance based on student need and having an after-school program that takes all sixth-graders.

These highlights exemplify the record of academic success:

Help for newcomer students
Everett offers additional class time for newcomers to help accelerate math and reading skills.

Safety
Everett features a Wellness Center that includes an Instituto Familiar de La Raza community mental health worker.

Communication with families
Everett sends out a monthly newsletter, plus offers an up-to-date calendar of the year on the school website.

School Loop to support students’ academic progress
Everett teachers are using School Loop, which integrates instruction, communication and intervention tools into one simple system so students and their parents know where they stand, what to do and how to do well.

Population changes
Everett uses targeted outreach to Latino families – 55 percent of the school population – and education around college preparation, with Everett’s Spanish-speaking population outperforming the district average.

Teacher Turnover
Everett gives teachers extra prep time, holds three retreats and lets teacher voices guide school leadership.

Help Applying for High School
Everett students all have an individual plan and assistance in applying for public, charter or private high schools. The Mission Graduates Beacon Center prepares youth mentally, physically and spiritually, nurturing young minds with education, support guidance and advocacy.

After-School Program
The Mission Graduates Beacon Center prepares youth mentally, physically and spiritually, nurturing young minds with education, support guidance and advocacy.

With all of the above in place, it’s no wonder that Everett is now the most-requested middle school in the SFUSD. Parents should note that Bryant, Cesar Chavez, Fairmount, Marshall, McKinley, Milk and Sanchez elementary schools get priority for their child getting into Everett Middle School.

Student Myrai’s experience showcases a typical day in the life of an Everett middle-schooler. Myrai’s story is best told in her own words.

“I’m part of the Black Student Union. We just did a really awesome Black History Month celebration where we didn’t celebrate only the famous people like Martin Luther King Jr., but also other people who aren’t known as well, but have done a lot. We have a lot of other clubs, too. I’m thinking of joining the book club because I read really well. I just passed level Z, so I don’t need to do the reading test any more since I passed the highest level.

“In my nonfiction studies class, we’re working on persuasive arguments. I’m answering the question, ‘Should animal poaching be illegal?’ We just finished learning about ethos, logos and pathos for that. If you asked any of my teachers – like Ms. Diaz or Mr. Garza – they would tell you that I absolutely love animals.

“Other than that, I have fiction studies, math, and there are other classes you can choose like Vocal and Computer Class. And PE is fun, but it’s hard. Even on our chill days we do work; we learn and take notes, and we just studied how to become a football player in college. Our teacher is really passionate about volleyball, so she doesn’t just exercise and do sports because she has to do it. She really loves volleyball, so we do a lot in PE.” 

Despite her full days at Everett, Myrai also finds time to do a weekly swimming lesson. She also participates in Summerbridge, which provides tuition-free academic enrichment and advocacy to underserved middle schoolers, making the best educational opportunities available to students with limited resources.

Contact information:
Everett Middle School, 450 Church Street, San Francisco, CA 94110.
Website.

Email: raparicio@medasf.org; vegam3@sfusd.edu; brownt1@sfusd.edu.

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About Mission Promise Neighborhood
The Mission Promise Neighborhood is a citywide community partnership that was created to support kids and families living, working, and attending school in the Mission District. It brings together schools, colleges, community organizations and community leaders to help kids graduate and families achieve financial stability.

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Contact

Email
info@missionpromise.org
 
Phone
(415) 569-2699
 
Address
2301 Mission Street, Suite 304
San Francisco, CA 94110

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