Raíces’ new principal hopes to amplify school culture

New Raíces del Saber Xinachtli principal Hector Girón vowed to delve into the culture and emphasize the dual language, two-way immersion program to elevate students from Kindergarten through fifth grade.

The community school, located at 2211 N. Valley Drive, announced Girón would succeed Maria Artiaga as head administrator.

The school was founded in 2019 as a dual-language immersion school with students learning the Nahuatl language and Mesoamerican culture alongside core academic standards required by the state. The term “Xinachtli” in the school’s name is a Nahuatl term for a blossoming seed, and refers to the indigenous-based teaching method practiced there. The school’s current charter is in effect through June 2029.

“The mission statement of the school says it all,” Girón told the Bulletin. “You look at the statement and it talks about an implementation of a dual language program, a 90/10 model and just an environment where teachers and students can thrive.”

The 90/10 model means a student that begins at Raíces Del Saber will be taught 90 percent of their lessons in Spanish and 10 percent in English, beginning in Kindergarten.

“This means that in first grade, they will be taught 80 percent in Spanish and 20 percent in English. In second, 70/30; third is 60/40; fourth is 50/50; but the idea is for a student to be fluent in both languages by the fifth grade,” he said.

In order for the institution to pursue this model, Girón said teachers need to be open to change.

Some staff appeared ready and eager for the change Girón represents.  

Third grade teacher and test coordinator Alessa Ibanez said Girón was her principal when she attended Gadsden High School in Anthony, N.M.. Once she found out he would become her new boss at Raíces, she was enthusiastic for his arrival and impact. “When he was my principal I knew he was stern, so having that new presence would be good for the faculty, students and parents,” she said.

His attitude is not the only admirable trait Ibanez recognized. She added that it can be challenging to obtain the right technology and manage operations such as testing. She said Girón is open and willing to make adjustments.

Parent and fourth grade teacher Roberto Moctezuma said he is looking forward to progress in communication and structure.

“I have two young girls who attend here, so for me to know that there is great communication with the principal, it helps a lot. I have had other parents notice that he is out and about while they are dropping off and picking up the kids,” Moctezuma said. “It makes a big difference when you see the principal making that effort. He even sits out on lunches, so students are not afraid of that principal title.”

Moctezuma said the structure and curriculum of the school is one thing he is proud of and is eager to see Girón flesh out.

“Kids learn base 10 math system, base 20 math, regular Gregorian calendar and the Aztec calendar … this really teaches kids about nature, themselves. We go outside in the morning and salute the directions,” Moctezuma said.

When the children salute the directions they are also giving “saludos,” which Ibanez said allows children to learn in different ways. “This helps to build the community in the classroom and challenges their critical thinking,” she said.

During saludos, animals are recognized in a way that personifies the students. At an early age they are taught the symbols of the animals but as they progress they learn about their anatomies. An animal such as a hummingbird is represented to have strength, a trait teachers encourage students to see in themselves. This begins at Kindergarten, and the lessons are elaborated as the students age. By fifth grade, students are learning why hummingbird are known for strength.

“Let’s look at the anatomy of a hummingbird and why it resembles strength. Well, it’s the only animal that can move up, down, left and right. It can also flap their wings 80 times per second. This allows the kids to connect with the animals and then it goes back to rooting them with our culture,” Ibanez said.

Girón has 39 years of education experience. He began in the field as a social studies teacher at the Gadsden Independent School District before becoming the assistant principal at Gadsden High School. There, he established a dual language immersion program in 2016. He also became known as the campus disciplinarian, he recalled.

After his time at Gadsden, Girón left and became an assistant principal at Canutillo Elementary School in Texas. 

He said the switch from high school to elementary was “enlightening.”

“My favorite 12 years of teaching were at (Canutillo), which taught K through sixth,” Girón said. “The most fascinating part of my time there was being able to see year after year, the growth and development of the children and how much they progressed.”

The time Girón spent at Canutillo gave him the opportunity to see elementary school as a critical point for children’s educational development. Girón said when a child struggles with critical thinking and problem solving in elementary, they are set up to struggle for the rest of their educational career.

“In K through three, you’re learning how to read. You must learn your alphabets and learn how to decipher letters and words,” he said. “But at fourth grade, it shifts – it becomes reading to learn. So it’s critical that elementary schools know how to teach your child how to read at their respective grade level.”

After Canutillo, Girón became the director for bilingual ESL and foreign language instruction in the Ysleta Independent School District in El Paso, Texas. Among the district’s well-known programs is its dual language “international schools” model teaching languages such as Chinese, Japanese, French and German.

Girón later returned to the Gadsden district, where he worked as a college and dual credit coordinator. He accomplished feats such as starting a drone program for high school students and encouraging high schools to offer career readiness and technology classes. He said he started 11 different technology programs for students to choose from at Gadsden High.

He was promoted as head principal of Gadsden High School before retiring in 2022. He completed a doctorate in education at the University of Texas at El Paso before resuming his career at Raíces Del Saber.

The chair of the school’s governance board, Raul Aldair Marquez, said the staff is eager to have Girón in a news release.

“His experience and dedication to the schools he worked in will be a fantastic asset as we continue establishing our school in the community,” Aldair Marquez said.