Officer Bill Corson and Fernando Larios, Rose Hill Junior High

Kudos to SRO Bill Corson and Fernando Larios, Lake Washington School District’s “Staff Stars” for July 2010.

Rose Hill Junior High (RHJH) School Resource Officer (SRO) Bill Corson and Spanish teacher Fernando Larios challenge Spanish-speaking students to do better in school by becoming better connected to their community. Bill and Fernando have created a partnership to help the Spanish-speaking students at RHJH feel connected to and valued at their school and in their community.

The goal of the partnership is to challenge the students to improve their attendance and academic performance, knowing that the staff at RHJH care about them. Other teachers have noticed a difference since this partnership began. Hispanic students have become more motivated and are more focused in school. The students share their experiences with other students and feel more connected to staff and other students.

Bill has developed a soccer club for Hispanic students at both Redmond Junior High and RHJH that plays every Wednesday after school. He has also taken a large group of Hispanic students on an overnight trip to ski and snowboard in Stevens Pass. Some of these students had never been to the pass before and enjoyed their experience immensely. Teachers and other staff members brought in cold-weather gear so that the students going on the trip would have warm clothes for the trip. The ski/snowboard passes were donated, as were transportation, room and board, and free rentals/lessons for 20 Hispanic students.

Fernando takes time to help the school communicate with Spanish-speaking parents when other staff members cannot. He is willing to make phone calls home for other teachers when necessary. He is extremely dedicated to helping all Hispanic students at his school. According to co-workers, Fernando is at school by six every morning preparing for his day. He also helps to promote an understanding of the Hispanic culture. He has a pleasant way of working with students that inspires other teachers and staff members at his school.

This partnership between Bill and Fernando developed from what they noticed at the school. Too many Hispanic students were at-risk or had behavior issues that stemmed from the fact that they did not feel included in activities around the community because they do not speak English well. Bill and Fernando wanted to do something that would help this group. They asked the students what they wanted and helped to facilitate their involvement in school activities.

They wanted these students to know that they will put the effort into each of them – they tracked the student’s grades with counselors and through a team effort found ways to improve student success by providing tutoring services or other after-school study programs for the students. They also coordinated a Latino Parents Night and encouraged families to attend. Their goal was to make the parents feel more comfortable at the school and to show them what they can do at home to help their children to be more successful.

Fernando retired at the end of the 2009-2010 school year after spending 25 years at the school. He will be greatly missed by all of the students and staff at Rose Hill Junior High.