From House to Home
Words and Photos by Anna Leachman
Elena Nunez finds joy translating for Hispanic families as an instructional assistant at Parker-Bennett-Curry Elementary School. Her caretaking role extends beyond the school to her foster children at home.
“¡Hola! ¿Buenas tardes, cómo está?”
Elena Nunez’s voice fills the school foyer where first grade teacher Ainsley Brown is meeting with two parents eagerly awaiting an update of their child’s school performance. Ainsley explains the first portion of the child’s report card and pauses for Elena to translate from English to Spanish for the Hispanic couple seated across the table. Before the conference ends, Elena’s phone lights up with a call from her next appointment.
The phone is a constant in Elena’s life. She begins each morning by checking in with the teachers and consulting her planner where events written in layers of her handwriting compete for space in the small calendar squares.
Elena Nunez’s voice fills the school foyer where first grade teacher Ainsley Brown is meeting with two parents eagerly awaiting an update of their child’s school performance. Ainsley explains the first portion of the child’s report card and pauses for Elena to translate from English to Spanish for the Hispanic couple seated across the table. Before the conference ends, Elena’s phone lights up with a call from her next appointment.
The phone is a constant in Elena’s life. She begins each morning by checking in with the teachers and consulting her planner where events written in layers of her handwriting compete for space in the small calendar squares.
A student peeks around the doorframe at Elena who makes a phone call with a Spanish speaking parent regarding a follow up on a parent teacher conference.
As an instructional assistant, Elena is always bustling from room to room at Parker- Bennett-Curry Elementary School. Of the 762 public elementary schools in Kentucky, PBC is the 37th most diverse. Many children there are learning English as a second language, which adds an extra challenge for them and complicates communication between teachers and parents. In addition to English, Spanish and Swahili are two predominant languages the children of PCB speak at home.
Elena’s priority is creating a welcoming and understanding environment within these students’ home away from home to alleviate some of the stress caused by language barriers. She helps families overcome these obstacles by translating parent-teacher conferences for Spanish speaking families and helping ESL children with language evaluations.
Elena’s priority is creating a welcoming and understanding environment within these students’ home away from home to alleviate some of the stress caused by language barriers. She helps families overcome these obstacles by translating parent-teacher conferences for Spanish speaking families and helping ESL children with language evaluations.
She also helps students in the classroom, disciplines students sent to her office for causing trouble, and directs students in the cafeteria during lunches.
Dominique Riley, one of Elena’s coworkers, says, “This building would crumble without her.”
“She’s our lifeline,” school nurse Ashten Embry says.
Dominique Riley, one of Elena’s coworkers, says, “This building would crumble without her.”
“She’s our lifeline,” school nurse Ashten Embry says.
Elena confirms an appointment with second grade teacher Kanicia Mays as students wait to return to the classroom after recess.
Elena talks to kindergartener Kaden Willis after he was sent out of class by his teacher for misbehaving early Wednesday morning. “Some people think being a teacher is easy,” Elena says, “it is not easy, you have to be a mom, a nurse and a psychologist when they come crying to you.”
Elena has worked at PBC for 10 years. Previously, she was a preschool teacher in California for 22 years; moving to Kentucky after gun violence in California became too much of a threat to her family. After 32 years in education she says she wouldn't change a thing.
“You never know what’s going to happen,” Elena says about the children she works with. “That is why I’m in this job, all this joy … I laugh every day.”
Her desire to care for others extends to her two foster daughters at home, Ana Pérez, 18, and Catalina Brito, 17, both are from Guatemala. Ana has a 1-year-old baby, Levi Huertas, and Catalina is expecting. They’ve been living with Elena for more than a year and are not the first foster children to find a home with her. Elena began fostering children in January 2015. Since then she has fostered about 25 girls from the ages of 10 to 18.
“I like to work with teenagers, even though they are mouthy and sassy and stubborn,” Elena says. She knows many foster and adoptive parents want a baby. “I’m the opposite. I prefer to give [the older kids] a try.”
A tangible joy follows Elena wherever she goes, and those who are lucky enough to be part of her life never find themselves short of love.
“For me ‘house’ is a building, ‘home’ is a family,” says Elena, “and a lot of children need a home not a house.”
“I like to work with teenagers, even though they are mouthy and sassy and stubborn,” Elena says. She knows many foster and adoptive parents want a baby. “I’m the opposite. I prefer to give [the older kids] a try.”
A tangible joy follows Elena wherever she goes, and those who are lucky enough to be part of her life never find themselves short of love.
“For me ‘house’ is a building, ‘home’ is a family,” says Elena, “and a lot of children need a home not a house.”
After work, Elena talks to her two foster children Ana Pérez (far left) and Catalina Brito (center left) while holding Ana’s son Levi Huertas. Once home, the family eats dinner together and unpacks their day before going to bed.
