Two years ago, Spanish Teacher Josie Sevilla of Grafton High School had an idea. She wanted to start a program that shared the knowledge of her Grafton High students with elementary students in York County.
She decided she would put together a program that shared bilingual experiences with the elementary kids through songs, books and crafts. To get started, she contacted Yorktown Library where she hoped to hold the event, which turned out to involve a little paperwork.
“All last year I was working on putting the proposal together,” Sevilla said.
Yorktown Library gave her the go ahead earlier this year. This month her idea will come to life at the very first Bilingual Storytime. York County elementary kids are invited out to hear some songs, take part in crafts and a listen in on a storytime — all presented by Sevilla’s students — that will help teach them Spanish numbers, words and about the upcoming Day of the Dead Holiday.
Sevilla said she was happy to see her idea kickoff.
“I like the idea of sharing the language and the culture with the community,” she said. “But I also feel like it’s important for my own students to get out and do something with the language.”
Sevilla teaches Spanish II and IV at Grafton High and Spanish I, II and III online. By attending Bilingual Storytime, her students can earn credit for a project she calls “Conecciones” that asks them to take place in one of a list of 30 Spanish activities each week, like speaking Spanish at a restaurant or watching a Spanish movie.
The first monthly Bilingual Storytime will take place 5 p.m. Monday in the meeting room at Yorktown Library.
