April 30, 2013 / by admin / Make A Comment / Filed under Current News
We are looking for a certified teacher to join our Bi-lingual school in August.
- We would prefer someone certified in TESOL (Teaching English as a Second Language)
- Able to work cooperatively with the other English teacher to bring continuity to the English program
- Prior knowledge of the Spanish language (the more Spanish, the better!)
- Capable of following and working with the established curriculum (Join Us and Connect – Cambridge)
- Experience in making lesson plans and designing quizzes and tests to evaluate student progress
- Knowledgeable of how to work with different learning styles and abilities of students
- Intentional about classroom management and providing students with a positive learning environment
- Organized and able to keep up with daily grades, as well as end of the quarter grades
If you would be interested in applying for this position please check out our web page: http://ninosdemexico.org/get-involved/field-opportunities/moles-internships/
Steve Ross
Executive Director
April 18, 2013 / by admin / Make A Comment / Filed under Current News
What does God want to do in the lives of the children at Niños?
In order to answer the question we must first understand WHY the children and young people are living at Niños in the first place.
In a book entitled Almost Home, Kevin Ryan, in writing about why there are homeless young people in the US notes that in the US “One main reason most of them have no place to stay: their parents or guardians left them, discarded them, or abused them, physically, sexually, and/or emotionally…”
He also notes that: “Based on decades of research – the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente’s Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego describe nine adverse childhood experiences that harm young people’s long-term health and well-being, including emotional or physical neglect; losing a parent; physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; witnessing violence against their mother; and having a family member who is incarcerated, mentally ill or an addict.” Pg 4
God has led hundreds of children to the doors of Niños de Mexico in the past 45 years. Every one of them had experienced some or all of these “adverse childhood experiences” before coming into our homes. From the moment they arrive in our homes, everyone involved, from the Field Director, Doctor, Psychologist, to the houseparents and teachers are working to help the children overcome these “adverse childhood experiences.”
Each one arrives with a sense of uncertainty and fear. They don’t know what awaits them as they walk onto our property. The only thing they do know is what has already happened to them in their lives up to this point.
As a child arrives on our campus they are greeted by David Hernandez our Field Director. David introduces him or her to many on staff such as Dr. Noe or our Psychologist Ivonne. They are also introduced immediately to the couple that will serve them as houseparents in their new home. Important connections with the leadership of the organization are crucial to a child’s development from the very beginning.
While paperwork from DIF is being handled, the child(ren) are introduced to other children who live in the home or who are on site for school. Great friendships often develop from the very first day the child arrives at Niños de Mexico.
At the end of this process the child heads off with the houseparents and the other children from their new home to begin to get to know the people that they will now call family. We encourage the children to use the terms aunt and uncle when addressing their houseparents. Some of the younger children in time may even call them mom and dad!
The early days of transition into the homes are set aside for adaptation to occur. They have to adapt to new parents, new siblings, new rules, a new place to sleep, new people to share life with, etc…
Depending upon the situation of the child when arriving in our home determines how easily they can adapt to their new circumstances. A child who has lived on the streets for some time – learning to fend for themselves - has a very hard time submitting to authority and discipline and often has trouble accepting love. A child who arrives at Niños due to the death of their parents arrives with grief in their hearts. But, it seems to be easier for them to accept love and discipline from their new family at Niños.
The child normally will not start school for one or two weeks while they adapt to the new home situation. They will spend a great deal of time with the houseparents in those first few weeks helping them to “attach” to this couple that are now responsible to love, direct, discipline, and minister to them.
Following the adaptation time in the home the child(ren) are integrated into the school. They will take tests and have evaluations to determine their academic level. At times we receive kids who are right on target for their age at other times we receive children who are years behind where they should be – due to their previous family situation. Several of the children we received in 2012 were anywhere from 2 to 6 years behind in school.
As the children adapt to their new home environment and have begun their work in school, the staff began to evaluate them regarding other aspects of their lives.
Dr. Noe Flores, our doctor, gives them their first physical. He determines if there are any physical issues that must be taken into consideration for their success in the future! A plan for complete physical health is created that will make sure the child will have his or her needs met. This plan includes wellness, eyes, dental, etc…
Ivonne Martinez, our staff Psychologist, begins evaluating the child’s emotional well-being. She works to develop a plan to help the house parents and teachers as they deal with the individual child day in and day out.
Every day the houseparents and the school staff try to help the child understand how they can work to become a productive member of society.
This year we have developed a program to communicate THREE VALUES to the children and young people at Niños. Those values are: Respect, Responsibility and Helping.
We want each child or young person to understand that they must learn:
- To Respect themselves, others around them and other people’s belongings if they are to do well at Niños and in the world.
- They are Responsible for their own actions, their own thoughts, how they treat others, as well as their own progress in school.
- To Help themselves succeed and to help others in their homes and in the school when they have a need.
The Mexican staff created posters, and buttons with the objective of putting these values front and center in each child’s mind.
The goal is to help each child develop from the child they are when they come to us, into the young person and the adult that God wants them to become.
We believe God wants:
- Each one to know Him and to love Him with all their heart.
- Each one to learn how to forgive parents and family that abandoned them or abused them in the past.
- Each one to develop educationally to the point that they can be a productive member of society. This will be different with EACH one – based on their own gifts and abilities.
- Each one to be an example to those around them of the values that they have learned - Respect, Responsibility and Helping.
- Each one to be able to give back to their family, community, nation and the world; a part of what they have received through their time at Ninos!
Thank you for your partnership to help children in Mexico have a new chance at life!
Steve Ross
Executive Director
(This article was published in our Enews in three parts – If you are not on our Enews list please sign up today.)
April 2, 2013 / by admin / Make A Comment / Filed under Current News
We are completing the work on a new 5 day video you can use in your camp or Vacation Bible School. There will also be a video you can use at your closing program!
The video series, “The Power to Give Love“, includes segments that talk about where Niños is located, and the kids that are a part of Niños. It will include a testimony from Gerardo Castañon (Lalo) who has been at Niños since he was a baby – arriving in August of 1995. One segment will also be a cartoon telling the story of a young boy arriving at Niños.
We will provide a packet of display items you can use to talk about Mexico, about Niños, and how your kids can help the children of Mexico. This year’s packet will include a Mexican flag, a wooden toy, a soccer shirt from a Mexican team, a tortilla warmer, and a string of paper decorations.
Contact Nancy at the office: 636-583-2000 or at her email nancy.sachs@ninosdemexico.org
