Social & Emotional Support

As a new student from the Dominican Republic, Juan was experiencing a lotof anxiety whenever he had to leave his classroom. Every day before lunch he would get upset and his teacher asked if he couls sit in a CIS Site Coordinator’s office. After developing a relationship with Juan, the CIS Site Coordinator found that he was “afraid” of another faculty member who was not aware that Juan did not know much English. For the next couple of days, the CIS Site Coordinator would walk Juan to lunch and explain the rules to him in Spanish and get some other faculty members to sit with him at lunch so he wouldn’t get lonely. Another student overheard the conversation, who also happened to be from the Dominican Republic, and volunteered to be his buddy. The student now sits next to Juanin the cafeteria and translates for him when he does not understand things. Juan feels that for once the teachers are looking at him in a positive light and not like some kid who is always getting in trouble.