As a new school year begins, some families in Bowling Green are getting a little extra help, through home visits sponsored by the city schools.
For one family, whose home was shattered by murder, the home visit helps kids, just be kids.
“We’ve got a homework basket so you can keep your supplies in there…”
At the home of Oberlina Cruz Velis and her seven children, Bowling Green City Schools Migrant Advocate Assistant Teresa Sneed has a basket of new school supplies. It’s for these children who had to leave everything behind in a desperate move from El Salvador three years ago.
“Our home visit today is the back-to-school information,” says Sneed. The visit is part of the school district’s Migrant Education program. Sneed has arrived with the school district’s Bilingual Recruiter Mildred Maradiaga, who serves as interpreter.
“We brought pencils, notebooks, loose leaf paper, information about our calendar for next year, and the daily hours for each school,” says Maradiaga.
Sneed takes out three small clocks.
“They’re paper clocks, but with the dials, and so we’re talking about what time school starts because Miss Oberlina’s children attend Parker-Bennett, Bowling Green Junior High and Bowling Green High School, which the times are a little different, so we want to make sure they’re aware of time they need to be at school,” says Sneed.
Oberlina Cruz Velis says the people from the school district have been a lifeline for her family. Maradiaga translates.
“She said they have helped me with a lot of things and for me, they have been the best persons I have ever known in this town.”
Maradiaga asks Cruz Velis why she left El Salvador.
“That’s a very sad story.”
Cruz Velis tells what happened in Spanish and Maradiaga translates.
“Well, it was because they killed my husband and my oldest son. And then we lived there for another year, but then they were also threatening to kill my two oldest daughters. So I had to leave, flee from El Salvador to the United States, even though I never wanted to leave my country, but I had to.”
Cruz Velis and her husband were both 16 years old when they go married. Her husband was 34 years old when he was murdered. Her son was 18 when he was murdered.
Who killed them?
“Maraidos, which means gangsters.”
Cruz Velis figures the gangsters were probably jealous of the successful business she and her husband had, selling and distributing fruits.
“Well, they were asking us for money every month, for our business, and also for our cars that we had.”
The family arrived in Bowling Green in 2012. Cruz Velis worked in the tobacco fields for a while. Since they’ve been here, she says life has been bittersweet.
“For me it’s been very hard because I’m here by myself, but I’m also happy because I’m here with my kids and I feel safe.”
The sweeter part is the more normal life for her children. School is an important part of that.
Teresa Sneed brings out a new book
“Lazy lizard…”
Three-year-old Josue taps on the book with one of his new pencils. There’s something about new pencils, notebooks and scissors. Maybe it’s just that every new school year, in some ways, is a new beginning.
“It says little lizard has lost…”
For WKU Public Radio, I’m Rhonda Miller.
“..and got the worm from the lizard. The end…”