Kindergarten is a very special time in kids' lives, becoming foundational to who they will become in the future. In Lakewood Elementary's dual language kindergarten class, Ms. Larrea fosters a beautiful environment where these kids learn to love learning, love their community, and live their lives with the skills and lessons they take from the classroom to the real world! This diverse community of little shining stars gives joy and hope to the world they're creating, and it all starts in a classroom smile.

Like Ms. Larrea, I am Chilean and Latina, and documenting her dual language kindergarten class has truly given me something important. In my childhood, I had to forget Spanish to learn English so I could survive and make it in the public school system, and that's something I've always been conflicted about. However, seeing how Ms. Larrea is affirming students' first languages and allowing Hispanic students to use their language as a way to learn was not only beautiful to witness firsthand, but also healing. Her students are learning everything they need to know and more, and it all starts with understanding what it is that they need to grow and guiding them along that journey to enjoy it as much as they can. Ms. Larrea is doing exactly that, and her estudiantes are brillando with her.