Do The Right Thing

With no English skills, new kids need a friend

Jobani Ramirez

The number of kids with Hispanic backgrounds is growing at Kratz Elementary School in north St. Louis County. When new students start with little understanding of English, they often need some help.

Although Kratz has a strong English as a Second Language (ESL) program, the teachers are adults. Sometimes, the new student needs more than that. They need a bi-lingual kid who also can be a friend.

That's where 10-year-old Jobani Ramirez comes in.

Jobani's family is Hispanic. But, Jobani was born in California so learned English. But, his family also visits in Mexico often and he even gone to school there. So, he knows Spanish.

But, there's more to Jobani's value at the school than as an interpreter.

Principal Kim McKinley said, "Jobani is a very caring person."

That's why the teachers called on Jobani to take a first-grader under his wing. The new student knew virtually no English. One day, when he couldn't understand what was happening in P.E., he started to cry,

Jobani was called in to help.

The boy often had his biggest problems about halfway through the school day. By noontime, he'd get "homesick" and want to go home.

Jobani said, "I helped him for two or three weeks. He learned the language pretty fast. I don't have to help him anymore."

School nurse Terry Knight also asks for Jobani's help. That will happen when a Hispanic child gets sick at school and the nurse has to call the parents. Oftentimes, the parents won't have fluent English skills either.

Principal McKinley said it often helps when another child can speak Spanish and tell the parents what's happening to their child.

About his interpreting for adults, Jobani said, "I like to do that."

Jobani's good works came to the attention of the Do The Right Thing program in St. Louis. That's a cooperative program that recognizes good works by kids throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area.

Jobani was given a Do The Right Thing award last semester.

Jobani has been at Kratz Elementary since he was in first grade. He was born in California but moved to St. Louis about five years ago. His younger brother, Charlie, is a kindergartner at Kratz.

But, he has been back to Mexico for extended periods. He went to Mexican schools for part of first and fourth grades.

He admits that when he started at Kratz he didn't know the English language very well.

But, he said now he does better work at Kratz than he did in the Mexican schools. Although he's fluent in speaking Spanish, he said, "I don't know how to read or write Spanish."

Besides, he said teachers in his Mexican school used to discipline the students by hitting them with a wooden rod. He said he was hit "after some kids tattled on me."

"My mother said I'm not going to school there anymore," he said.

Jobani said he also likes the food in America better.

He said the pizza in St. Louis and in California is better than in Mexico. Also, he likes American burgers better. "In Mexico, they put too much hot stuff on and the meat doesn't taste like burgers should," he said.

Although he will interpret for others, Jobani also goes to ESL classes twice a week like other Hispanic students. That helps him learn the formal structure of both languages. "They help me with synonyms and other parts of language," he said.

Last month, two of Jobani's cousins who came from Mexico started school at Kratz.

Teachers haven't asked him to counsel his relatives. But, Principal McKinley said the cousins have been paired with other kids in their classes. That way, they also can have a friend to teach them how to get comfortable, the way Jobani does.