A Message from the Head of School

One year ago, the first group of Esperanza applicants shared their dreams of becoming singers, doctors, actors and teachers. I remember feeling their excitement and potential. It is now a year later and we have put authenticity behind our belief that the youth of Lawrence are simply undiscovered talent. Despite daunting statistics facing the city of Lawrence youth, including a 41% high school graduation rate, the highest early pregnancy rate in the state, and unfathomable poverty levels, our girls are thriving on Garden Street. Our 42 Esperanza girls abd their families along with the faculty and staff at Esperanza have become a community filled with enthusiasm, eagerness and confidence.

The beauty of Esperanza Academy is the balance of the girls’ eager spirit with the responsive adults who stimulate their potential. One of my favorite stories from this fall is about one of our young ladies who had struggled in school every day before she arrived here. She was convinced that she simply couldn’t do it. Just a month into school, I asked her math teacher how our struggling student was doing and I learned that not only was our Esperanza girl doing just fine, but she was actually excelling in math. As I talked with the student, I found that she had become used to doing poorly and didn’t expect she could do better. She was surprised that not only could she do the math with competence but she found that she actually enjoyed it. I cannot wait to see what two more years at Esperanza will do for this young lady’s confidence, competence and connectedness.

The combination of our girls’ energy with an immersion in a supportive and nurturing yet rigorous educational program has produced impressive gains in their reading abilities over the past seven months. Last summer, we administered several diagnostic assessments that helped us to better understand our girls as learners. In February and March, we reassessed them in reading and the outcomes are absolutely affirming to our mission. Twelve girls have gained two years of competency in reading. Six girls have gained three years of competency and two young ladies have shown four years of gain within seven months of school. I vividly recall the moment that one of our Esperanza girls walked into my office and with a balance of distress and excitement just kept repeating over and over, "Mrs. Bottiger, I am reading at the 9th grade level." Go girl go!! I cannot wait to see the progress our girls make in their four years at Esperanza.

It isn’t in the core academics alone that are girls are thriving. Our holistic programming recognizes the importance of the arts and athletics. Our girls have the opportunity to be involved with choir, theater, instrument lessons and the daily inspiration of being in a community that gathers with song, story and prayer each day. They are currently playing lacrosse and softball and dancing in physical education.

I hope you will consider becoming part of our Esperanza family whether through volunteering to help cook a meal, making a financial contribution or gathering a group of people to participate in one of our Saturday “deep clean” days. Supporting our girls is supporting the broader community. Together we CAN flip the statistics. We WILL show the general population that the children in Lawrence are full of potential and will reach their potential through education.

With unfailing “Esperanza”,

Laurie Bottiger - Head of School