PASI News
April/May 2020
PASI UPDATE
Happy Spring!
We hope all of our Spanish Immersion families are staying safe (and sane) during this time of social distancing! Those of us in the Immersion community have functioned in a crazy world over the last two months helping our kids learn at home: we've been doing everything parents all over the US are doing but for many of us we are doing it in a language in which we are not fluent!
As we wind down this unexpected school year, the PASI leadership team is so grateful for the incredible teachers, interns, and staff who have supported our families on this remote learning journey. PASI's generous parents help make that possible. With your support we are able to bring interns to the classrooms and provide grants to our teachers to help them function at the highest level.
This year PASI provided grants to the Sonia Sotomayor second grade team and to Sra. Kim Tollinger, teacher at Lincoln High School. We feel fortunate to be in a position to assist these teachers in enhancing their classrooms.
Thank you for making that possible!
SEEKING HOST FAMILIES
This is currently PASI's most pressing issue: we have secured four host families for the 2020-21 school year. In order to house the 15 interns we have planned for, we need to significantly increase our number of willing host families!
If you have ever considered hosting, now is the time to dive in. Hosting is a rewarding experience for kids, parents, and even your pets! Requirements of a host family is that the intern has a cell phone, their own bedroom, and access to a shared bathroom. If you can meet these requirements, we are looking for you! Please reach out to Shelly Nolan-Hefty or Megan Konz, if you have questions. If you're ready to commit, please complete the form below.
We need you!
2019-2020 BUDGET SUMMARY
This year's budget totaled $115,000. To date, we have spent $102,000. The eight Spanish interns all went home early in March and so were not paid stipends in April or May. Our seven remaining interns from El Salvador and Colombia may need to stay in the US longer than anticipated due to closed borders in their home countries. We will help those interns with health insurance extensions and and additional June stipend if they are not allowed to return home, thus putting our budget on track for the 2020-2021 school year.
*Kindergarten playdates subject to change based on current social distancing guidelines. Watch PASI's facebook page as dates approach for updates
WELCOME NEW PASI LEADERSHIP!
Open board positions have been filled as follows:
Vice president:
AMY TAYLOR
Board Members:
ASHLY EHDE
DANI SWANSON
We also would like to welcome our newest Intern/Host Family Coordinator:
CHERAN WYNSTRA
Please thank these volunteers for sharing their time and talents to help make PASI great!
THANK YOU OUTGOING TEAM MEMBERS
Brian Reilly’s term as President Emeritus ends on July 1. We are extremely grateful for Brian’s leadership over the past years!
A huge thank you goes out to Julie Burggraff and David Seruyange, whose terms as board members end on July 1. We are so grateful for their contributions!
Another thank you goes out to Megan Konz, who is wrapping up her term as an Intern/Host Family Coordinator. This spring has been a crazy one for our interns and Megan and her teammates have managed it with grace. We can't thank you enough.
MEET OUR INTERNS
Irvin Eduardo
My Students Call Me
Señor Eduardo
I Am An Intern In These Classes
5th grade w/Señor Bohorquez. 4th grade w/Señorita Pantoja 2nd grade w/ Señora Graning
My Host Family Is
The Bolger Family
My Partner Family Is
The Nolan-Hefty Family
I Am From
El Salvador
The Best Part About Living In My Country Is
We have many tourist places and everything is near the city.
Let Me Tell You A Little About My Family
I have a small family. I just live with my mom and my grandma, my mom has her own business and my grandma just stay at home because she is already retired. We are very close and they are happy that I’m in Sioux Falls.
My Favorite Things to Do Are
Teaching, playing basketball, reading and playing video games.
My Favorite Part About Being In Sioux Falls So Far Is
People in Sioux Falls are very kind be so far I had enjoyed to meet people and how peaceful is the city.
Miriam del Caño
My Students Call Me
Señorita del Caño
I Am An Intern In These Classes
1st Grade (Sra. Cortés) / 2nd Grade (Sra. Granning)
My Host Family Is
The Akossi Family
My Partner Family Is
The Reed Family
I Am From
Spain
The Best Part About Living In My Country Is
Everything is really close and you can travel around Europe really cheap
Let Me Tell You A Little About My Family
My family is formed by my parents, my sister, my dog and my cat. We all love to travel and explore other cultures and to taste all kinds of food.
My Favorite Things to Do Are
Going out with my family and friends! Watching film and listening music.
Carmen Lozano
My Students Call Me
Señorita Lozano
I Am An Intern In These Classes
K02 - Señor Naranjo
My Host Family Is
The Drew Family
My Partner Family Is
The Mathiesen Family
I Am From
Seville, Spain
The Best Part About Living In My Country Is
Weather and food!!
Let Me Tell You A Little About My Family
We are a four member family, my parents and my brother Ignacio who is 18 years old. We love to spend time together like watching tv programs or traveling!
My Favorite Things to Do Are
Teaching, traveling, reading, cooking, shopping, spend time with my friends.
My Favorite Part About Being In Sioux Falls So Far Is
kind and friendly people!!!
Luis David
My Students Call Me
Señor Meneses
I Am An Intern In These Classes
5th - Señor Vasquez
4th Señorita Triadu
3rd Señora San Martin
2nd Señora Greendfield - Señora Valbuena
K04 Señora Rivera
My 1st Semester Host Family Is
The Kotelman Family
My 2nd Semester Family Is
The Anderson Family
I Am From
Ibagué- Colombia
The Best Part About Living In My Country Is
Landscapes and Food.
Let Me Tell You A Little About My Family
I am the middle son of a three kid family. My mother is lovely, she’s such a hard worker. I know my uncles and aunts but my closest family are my Mom, sister, brother and grandpa. We live in a rented apartment, only my mom and I work and my brother lives in another city with his family. We three are very close.
My Favorite Things to Do Are
Succeeding professionally, monetarily and personally. Sharing time with my mother, traveling, listening to music, knowing new things, meeting new people and try new food. Feeling alive!!!
My Favorite Part About Being In Sioux Falls So Far Is
The kindness of my family, the new environment and the challenge of being in Sonia Sotomayor School and around Native American Speakers.
María Fernanda Peñafiel
My Students Call Me
Señorita Mafe
I Am An Intern In These Classes
504 , 404, 304, 201 , K01
My 1st Semester Host Family Is
The Veeder family
My 2nd Semester Family Is
The Fowler family
I Am From
Colombia
The Best Part About Living In My Country Is
The carnivals
Let Me Tell You A Little About My Family
My family is wonderful , I live with my mother who is a teacher and my grandmother how dedicates almost all her life to care us and she is like my second mother. I learn kind things of my mother and how to be more responsible about my father because he teach me how to be more independent every day. One of my dreams is to live here and they help me make my dreams come true and I am very grateful for them.
My Favorite Things to Do Are
I really like to cook, play basketball, swim and watch movies.
My Favorite Part About Being In Sioux Falls So Far Is
My favorite part to being in Sioux Falls is have the opportunity to live with American Families because I learn everyday of them, I grow up in Colombia without sisters and brothers and here I have 5 sisters and brothers and I can find the words about how to describe this experience because more than improve my English skills, I learn about their culture, their kind of lives, their believes and I love them because they teach me everyday how to be better , kind , patience and the parents make me feel part of their families with all their love and I feel part of family now.
STAY CONNECTED
Make donating to PASI a snap with Gracias Giving!
Don't forget to keep earning toward your students' trips with Scrip!
Email: pasi.sf.sd@gmail.com
Website: pasisf.org
Location: PO Box 75 Sioux Falls SD, 57101
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PASIsf