Community, communication emphasized as Valley students return to school

EDINBURG — Despite two-and-a-half years of pandemic, very real fears over school security and a raging political discourse about on-campus morality, there was an unmistakable sense of optimism in the air at IDEA Toros College Preparatory’s first day of school Monday.

In one room, students built towers out of marshmallows and popsicle sticks, a team building exercise. In others, students took part in exercises meant to improve communication between themselves and their peers.

There was, of course, the pile of first day paperwork and reviews of the school’s cell phone policy, but there were no syllabi and none of those lectures that seem jarringly dull after a couple months of vacation.

Students return to class at IDEA Toros College Preparatory on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

There was, on the whole, a thoroughly unacademic vibe, at least in a traditional sense. It felt a little like summer camp, and that’s kind of the point.

Viviane Castillo-Manzano, the school’s principal, said her campus’ first three days of school will be sort of a culture camp. Students will meet teachers who will be assigned as their mentors, grouped into teams with other students that they’re meant to rely on.

It’s a strategy that doesn’t lend itself to a student sitting alone in a corner and not talking to anyone. It’s not a direct reaction to the tragedy in Uvalde or two years of stressful pandemic education, but it might be some kind of solution.

“There’s a shift to focus on mental health and knowing our students,” Castillo-Manzano said. “And I think that’s something that mentoring does very well, it allows us to get to know students. There’s a recurring contact, asking them about not just their goals, but the other needs that need to be filled first. They need to have a sense of belonging. That’s what this first week’s about, creating a sense of belonging. You belong and we care about you.”

Castillo-Manzano greeted a latecomer at the door.

“Welcome, I’m glad you’re here,” she said bubbly. “Was it an interesting morning for you?”

“Yeah,” the latecomer mumbled a little sheepishly.

“But tomorrow it’ll be better, right?” Castillo-Manzano said, a little expectantly. “7:30 tomorrow?”

“7:30, yes,” the latecomer said, going on to fill out some paperwork before she went off to meet her teachers and peers.

Science teacher Samatha Vasquez instructs students at they return to class at IDEA Toros College Preparatory on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

Samantha Vasquez, an 8th grade science, chemistry & physics teacher, had that same tone — firm but friendly — while she addressed her mentees in a classroom down the hall. They’d just finished an exercise and were standing at the back of the room.

“You need to be honest with your mentor teacher,” she told them. “If I’m your mentor teacher, you are honest with me. I know that you might know me, not know me, but we need to be honest with each other. That’s the only way you’re going to be successful.”

Vasquez didn’t leave much room for the students who didn’t know her to remain unacquainted. She asked them questions about the exercise they’d done, singling them out by names. Some were too sleepy or too shy to come up with an answer on the spot. Vasquez didn’t let them off the hook; she circled back to them or coaxed out an answer.

Castillo-Manzano is full of anecdotes about her school — which she’s clearly passionate about — and full of strategies she says make it work well.

At the base of those strategies is generally that open line of communication Vasquez was gently pounding into her mentees. Castillo-Manzano says it leads to a situation in which students aren’t generally left out or left behind.

“You’ll see — like our cafeteria staff is amazing. They know kids’ names. They know kids’ birthdays,” she said.

Students return to class at IDEA Toros College Preparatory on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022, in Edinburg. (Joel Martinez | [email protected])

It also seems to lead to a situation where students feel safe, something Castillo-Manzano says is more important than ever before.

“I think it’s something that’s always been important, but you’re listening differently,” she said, noting that the school is increasing the amount of drills it conducts and placing an emphasis on door locks. “You always listen to the flight attendants tell you how to get the life jacket, but if your plane is about to crash you really listen. And I think that’s how it is with education and safety.”

Colleen Gross is a senior at Toros College Prep. Originally a soccer player, repeated injuries pushed her toward academics. Energetic and confident, she plans on studying to be a trauma nurse at Texas A&M.

“I would not be able to do a desk job. I think I would get so bored,” Gross said. “I mean, kudos to everyone who can.”

Gross says she feels safe at the school, though she didn’t mention door locks or drills. She said she feels safe because of that sense of community the school is spending its first few days fermenting.

“I mean it’s definitely scary, but at this school, since we’re such a tight-knit school and community, I do not have any fear coming to school,” she said. “I feel safe around the staff. I mean, things are going on but the world doesn’t stop turning.”