May 1, 2025 SSD Board meeting: Allison’s public comments on recognition of Danza Folcorica program

Thank you for recognizing Danza Folclorica, and for recognizing the incredible role of parents like Elsa Nuñez, Dyadyra Moya, Gloria Ramos, and Julie Garcia, for starting and growing Danza Folclorica at both San Miguel and then further on to Columbia Middle School. It has been an amazing experience to see the program grow and develop, starting from a little seed. Seeing the pride in families’ and students’ faces during performances, as well as the family engagement in both PTA and school life that develops from that, has been incredibly powerful. Further, Danza not only supports the Juntos program’s goals of educating students to be bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural, but it also shares the power and the beauty of Mexican and Latin American art, culture, and history – for the participating students and beyond to the greater community. It  benefits both Latino and Spanish-speaking students and non-Latino, non-Spanish-speaking students, and both immigrant families and US-born and raised families in so many beautiful, powerful, and organic ways. I want to encourage anyone who can hear this, please support Danza Folclorica in any way that you can. Thank you so much for recognizing them.

~7:08pm