Social Media Manager

Save to Favorites

About FRIENDS OF THE RAFAEL HERNANDEZ SCHOOL INC

Location:

61 SCHOOL ST, ROXBURY, MA 02119, US

Mission Statement

The Rafael Hernández Two-Way Bilingual School is committed to developing courageous learners, effective communicators and responsible citizens. Using both Spanish and English as constructive tools of learning, the school is committed to working with parents and the community to create a diverse, nurturing learning environment that supports all students. In the years since the establishment of the Friends of the Hernández, the organization has grown and adapted to school needs. Our primary mission is to work collaboratively with families, school staff, neighborhood residents, suburban partners, businesses and non-profit groups to help meet the educational, social, emotional, cultural and recreational needs of the Hernández School and neighborhood families. Our goal is to create multicultural programs that enhance the quality of life for children and families, improve the academic achievement of students and increase access to visual and performing arts.

Description

The Rafael Hernández Two-Way Bilingual School is a city-wide Boston public school that serves 425 students in grades pre-K through 8th grade. Located in Roxbury, it is internationally recognized as one of the premier two-way language schools in the United States - all subjects are taught in both languages in every grade. Most children enter the school with one primary language - either English or Spanish - and graduate fluent in both. The school's demographics reflect the neighborhood in which it is located, with 75% of the students qualifying for free or reduced lunch, and 94% children of color. Our successful language immersion program attracts many families whose first language is not English, and 61% of our students are English Language Learners.

In 2001 Friends of the Rafael Hernández School, Inc. (FOH) was established as the school’s 501 (c)(3) affiliate, with the goal of seeking additional resources to develop an after school center, enhancing the use of the playground and funding special school projects. Since that time, FOH has continued that work, running the Hernández after school, acting as the fiscal agent for the school’s Parent Council fundraising, and overseeing the fundraising and project development of our art program, "Arte, Cultura y Identidad."