By Chris Barber
Contributing Writer

Kennett Consolidated School District Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders relinquished her time slot early in the Oct. 13 board meeting to a report by Brenna Austin, the supervisor of English Language Development.

Austin then turned her presentation over to Loretta Perna, a longtime staff advisor to the school’s Hispanic students and its La Herminatas Club.

La Hermanitas is a national, countywide and local mentoring program for Latina youth.

Perna has, for more than 20 years, served a major role in overseeing the La Herminatas Club and is credited by the students and their families with the significant benefits and opportunities participation in it offers.

The Kennett Consolidated School District serves a large demographic of Spanish and Spanish-speaking students because many of their families who migrated to the Kennett Square area came to work in the local mushroom industry.

During the presentation, several of the students who have been in and gained from the program explained what they have done and how they grown as a result.

Student Victoria Mattas, a senior at Kennett High School and this year’s president, went to the microphone and explained her enthusiasm and what participation has meant to her.

“It taught me we can accomplish anything as long as we have the support of our peers,” she said.

She also mentioned trips to San Antonio, Washington and Chicago.

She yielded to her fellow members who listed activities like visiting colleges, reading, story-telling and gaining financial or civic responsibility.

Several of the students talked about how they had been helped by reading stories about immigrations of others and then writing accounts of their own experiences.  

The speeches were followed with pictures and names of Hispanic students from Kennett who had achieved impressive academic and professional levels.

In conclusion, the assembled board was shown videos of the entertaining events that had been presented in the elementary schools to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. The events included dancing, music and models of elegant designs created by Mexican seamstresses.

Later in the meeting, the Policy Committee gave its report on the use of copyrighted material.

Assistant Superintendent Michael Barber explained that the committee determined that one copy of a specific item of material may be made for a class.

However, if the students want to have further use, they may copy it from a video projection.

“[The information] is also included in their English curriculum,” Barber said.