Director Lenora “Ponie” Mojado made a video about important schoolwide instructions that was shown after teachers shared their individualized presentations at 3:15 and 4:15 to accommodate everyone’s schedule. “I appreciate your dedication to your child and their academics,” she said. “My door is always open.”

Visitors were greeted with school-related inflatables outside the front doors and welcomed by Mojado and Administrative Assistant Maria Hernandez upon entering the lobby where bulletin boards featured an introductory message from each teacher and aide as well as their class schedule and lesson plans.

Julissa Garcia is the preschool teacher for a class of 16 three-year-olds. The mother of a three-year-old herself said she is excited to have been at the school for more than eight years. She considers herself a lifelong learner at heart and looks forward to growing with her students this year.

The classroom is filled with lots of signage in the Luiseño language including a billboard with the children’s faces in a craft they completed, titled “wólaancha” which translates to “let’s grow.”

This is teacher’s aide Jess Thompson’s third year in the preschool classroom. Working in childhood education has been a passion of hers since she was a child herself. She strives to create a safe, loving, and secure environment for each child to ensure that their preschool experience is nothing but the best.

During the first month, Garcia and Thompson are working towards familiarizing students with the daily schedule and routines and mastering self-help skills. With this being the child’s first school experience, their main priority is to ensure that the children feel safe and supported in the classroom. They are committed to creating a nurturing environment where each child feels welcomed and valued. Plenty of opportunities to build strong, trusting relationships with the children while encouraging friendships with their classmates will be provided.

With assistance from the Soboba Cultural Department, the teachers will continue to implement more Luiseño language lessons for the children. They made some changes to the classroom layout they feel will be more conducive to learning. They are not going to be using the Smartboard all the time as they want lessons to be more interactive and not reliant on technology.

Garcia said for the few hours they have the children, they will be doing the same lessons but in more creative ways that the students will respond to more. She said they added a little listening area to their library center at the end of last year and it has been very successful. The audio books and recordings include songs in Luiseño. Five of the children attended summer school.

Sunnie Razon said her daughter Millian watched her older sister Khloe attend the preschool every day, so she was excited to start school herself. “She loves to count by playing hide and seek and she loves (refrigerator magnet) letters,” she said.

Teachers Ana Garcia and Amanda Juarez are sharing their vast experience with 14 pre-kindergarten students as they help them “go from caterpillars to butterflies” this school year. Their focus will be based on the abundant and creative stories written by children’s book author Eric Carle. They worked together to hand draw and paint the classroom wall’s oversized décor reflecting “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” “Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?” and other book titles. Their collaborative goal is to create a safe, joyful space where the children will love to learn.

Garcia has more than 25 years’ experience in the early childhood field and said teaching preschool has always been her passion. She has worked in various school settings throughout her career but said that Soboba Tribal Preschool has been her home for the past eight years. She loves watching the children’s growth and development.

“This class is definitely on top of it; they are already gravitating towards writing,” Garcia said. “They came in being able to identify their names. All but two attended our summer school and 13 of them were in the preschool class here last year.”

Juarez began working in early childhood education more than 20 years ago. She brings her love of crafting to the classroom through colorful art and fun projects. Because there are less students than last year, the teachers welcome the opportunity to have more time to work one-on-one with the kids.

They eagerly shared with parents that everything they do in class is done with a purpose and is a learning experience. Purposeful play, letting the students play as they are learning, has received a lot of positive feedback and has been working well for the pre-k class.

Tekla Diaz said her son Levi Fuentes attended summer school and really liked it, so she enrolled him in the pre-k class. “He’s always talking about the food,” she said. Students are served breakfast in the morning during the 30-minute drop off period and lunch in the afternoon during pickup time.

Betsy Post is starting her first full year as a kindergarten teacher at the preschool, working closely with intern Jasmine Basquez. With a classroom theme of growth from “tiny seeds to mighty trees,” they are eager to bring new experiences to the 17 students that will be spending their school days with them. Post taught grades K-4 for 12 years with her first position being in a kindergarten classroom. She is happy to be teaching this grade level once again.

Post said it is already evident that her students all love hands-on science lessons. “We also have a lot of crafty, artistic kids this year,” she said. All but one attended the preschool last year so they are familiar with the overall routine and layout.

Current academic goals for her students include identifying letters and sounds and writing alphabet letters and numbers clearly. By the end of the year, she expects all students to be able to read 40 sight/high frequency words, know all short and long vowels, be able to do small addition and subtraction problems, have the ability to sound out unfamiliar words, and retell a story.

Post shared some ways parents can help when their children are at home. Reading together daily, encouraging independence, asking the child about their day, maintaining a bedtime routine and making sure they are on time for school will all help foster a stronger performance in the classroom.

During the back-to-school event, kids were given a four-item scavenger hunt that allowed them to give their parents a mini tour of the classroom while searching for each item.

Parents were also invited to share a motivational note to their child that will be kept in their desk to refer to throughout the day. Comments such as “have an amazing day” to “be nice to your friends” were written on the “memo” that will be laminated to withstand daily wear and tear.

There was also a short questionnaire to help the teachers understand the children better. Parents wrote three words that best describe their child, two things teachers should know (such as strengths and weaknesses) and one wish they have for their child this year. Most are looking forward to having them be able to read more on their own.

After classroom visits, families were invited to visit with vendors in the multipurpose room and enjoy homemade soup for dinner, if they chose to do so. Tribal Family Partners, Sylvan Learning, Daughter of Soboba Committee, and members of Soboba Fire, Department of Public Safety, Tribal Family Services and Soboba Cultural Department were among those offering information and fun freebies for the kids and their families.

Taryn and Anthony Grant were attending the event with their pre-k daughter Talla. Her three older siblings attended the preschool in the past and some shared what they liked about it.

“I learned about connecting more with my culture,” said Anaya, who is now a fourth grader at San Jacinto Valley Academy. Her brother Liam is in second grade at SJVA and said the experience helped him give a presentation on his culture. Both agreed having cousins attending at the same time was an added bonus.

For more information, please visit https://preschool.soboba-nsn.gov.

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“We are so excited to have you here today as we celebrate the joy of the season with our Preschool Winter Performances,” she said. “This is a special time for our children to share what they’ve been learning and to showcase their creativity, confidence, and hard work.”

The children also got a surprise visit from Santa Claus and The Grinch after they finished their performances. They mingled and then got to have a photo taken with Santa.

Mojado also thanked the families for their continued support and encouragement stating that it truly makes a difference in the child’s learning journey. She also gave a big thank you to the amazing teachers and staff for their dedication and for making this event possible.

“At Soboba Tribal Preschool, we believe in creating experiences that honor both education and culture, and today’s performances are a reflection of that commitment,” she said. “Our students have been practicing with so much enthusiasm, and we know you’ll enjoy every moment. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the wonderful performances our children have prepared for you. Let’s celebrate their achievements and the warmth of the season together!”

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Preschoolers invited family members to the Soboba Sports Complex for a Fall Feast that included entertainment from each of the classes. The event began with a prayer from Soboba Elder Marian Chacon who thanked the Heavenly Father “for all the gifts you have given to us. We ask your blessings on all the children, parents and family here today and especially on all the teachers and helpers who do such a wonderful job teaching our children; and this food we are about to receive.”

Preschoolers performed two songs they learned about scarecrows and falling leaves, which was partially in the Luiseño language. Pre-K students had songs about leaves on the trees as well as one titled, “Hello Mr. Turkey.” Kindergartners delighted the audience with their “Turkey Dance,” followed by the Cha-Cha Slide, a dance they enjoy in class almost every day.

Preschool staff and teachers scooped out turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, cranberry sauce and vegetables as guests made their way along the line of hot serving pans filled with great smelling food.

The gymnasium walls were decorated with class projects. Teachers shared 18 reasons why they are thankful for their kindergartners such as “Jensen’s leadership,” “Kai’s dance moves,” “Anthony’s singing,” and “Palkí’s kindness to all.” Preschoolers filled up turkey feathers with what they are most thankful for and Brian Chacon III said, “Making rainbows for Violet and mom and dad and grandma.” Willow Valdez said she is thankful for “Mom and dad loving me.”

Cheyenne Chacon, whose son Anthony Ortega is in kindergarten, said she likes the preschool because it is in the community where they live. “And it teaches the children about our culture,” she said.

Hope Chacon, wife of Brian Chacon Jr., said their daughter Violet Chacon graduated from the preschool and is now in first grade at San Jacinto Valley Academy. Their son Brian is in preschool and really likes his teachers. Anthony and Brian III are great- grandsons of Marian Chacon, who has 10 other great-grandchildren and one great-great grandchild.

Palki Herrera is in kindergarten and her mother, Alyssa Salgado said she likes the preschool because it is very family oriented. “They have events like this where we can all come together,” said Alyssa, whose son Gabriel Herrera graduated last school year. “Also, I got to go to school here so my kids get to experience what I did.”

Soboba Elder Alice Helms enjoyed the morning with her great-grandson Jonathan Helms Jr., 5. His parents, Jonathan Sr. and Evelyn said they like the school because they do a lot of things revolving around culture, like teaching the children their (Luiseño) language.

In the weeks leading up to the Fall Feast, the children enjoyed having Carrie Garcia share acorn games and acorn tops with them. Bird dancing and singing was offered every Friday, when students were encouraged to wear their bird skirts and ribbon shirts. On Nov. 18, Tashina Miranda Ornelas, Culture Department Coordinator/Instructor at Noli, visited to help the kids make acorn necklaces. Soboba Tribal Member Tekla Diaz, who teaches a Fancy Shawl dance class for the community twice a month, put on a demonstration for the students. Preschool Director Lenora “Ponie” Mojado said it was like a mini-pow wow and everyone loved it. She added that Soboba’s Tribal Council Secretary Monica Herrera comes to the school every other week to work with the students on proper pronunciation of words in their native language.

A potluck “Honoring Our Elders” was held at noon at the Noli campus with cultural sharing through traditional songs and dances. A combined lunch for middle and high school students allowed all to participate at the same time.

Mrs. Ornelas welcomed everyone to the annual event. “On behalf of all students and staff, I want to personally thank all of our Soboba Elders first for always supporting our students and student programs here at Noli. I’d like to say thank you to all of our Elders who have shared in the past and continue to share their experiences and cultural knowledge and traditions with us here at the school. And I would also like to thank all the elders who are here with us today to continue this tradition of sharing song, dance and food together. And lastly, I would like to honor and thank our Elder relations who are not able to be present with us here today but who still remain here with us in spirit and in memory.”

She then introduced Soboba Tribal Member Damon Miranda who opened the event with prayer, followed by some bird songs. Elders were then invited to be served first, followed by the community, as is customary.

Helping to plate the meals of turkey, dressing, potatoes and more were Noli staff members Tanya Rivera, Seandee Brown and Camille Diaz. They planned on serving 200 meals, half of which were for students. An entire table dedicated to desserts from pumpkin and pecan pies to cookies and chocolate covered strawberries was enough to satisfy everyone’s appetite.

The Pechanga Singers and Dancers invited students to join them. The Desert Cahuilla Singers and Dancers from Torres Martinez included some of Ornelas’ family members, which was an added treat.

The Elders potluck had been held for many years but was discontinued for a while. Ornelas said she wanted to revitalize it so the students could have a connection to the generations that came before them and started holding it again in 2023.

Leading up to this year’s event, students had been shown portions of Soboba’s heritage video which includes first-person remembrances from Elders about what things used to be like on the reservation when they were growing up. Several came to the school to talk to the students in person and answer any questions they had about the past after viewing the video.

“Some of the Elders came to the classes, sharing their experiences of life on the reservation; what life was like prior to gaming,” Ornelas said. “Many of the students were shocked to hear the Elders share their stories and it was eye opening for them to compare their lives to how they live today; it helps them appreciate what they have now.”

Caroline Post, mother of Noli Principal Donovan Post, was one of the guest speakers and recalled when you could buy a hamburger, fries and a drink for 40 cents. He said the stories of their lives at Soboba were not negative, just honest. Such as sharing how there was a time when they had to have water trucked in from the city of San Jacinto and now there are 15 or so wells and aquifers on the reservation.

He said, “It’s so great having the Elders come by and talk to the kids and have them listen and be able to ask questions. Many from that generation are gone so it’s important to hear their stories now. There has been so much change and so much progress has been made in the past 25 years. These kids today never grew up needing a lot. I think it’s important for them to hear the stories from when there wasn’t much here to learn what they came from.”

He said the students always enjoy having the bird singers visit and a combined lunch is rare. “It’s nice to have everybody together,” Post said.

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Kindergarten students met family members at the Soboba Sports Complex on the first day, Pre-K boys and girls celebrated second and the final day was reserved for the Preschool and Jr. Preschool kids and their family members.

Each family got a table with at least six chairs to enjoy the individually boxed turkey lunch with all the fixings. Tables filled with sweet treats such as pumpkin pies, cookies and cupcakes were available for anyone that wanted to top off their filling meal.

“We set up 25 tables about 10-feet apart each day, for safety reasons,” Post said. “We went with pre-packaged meals instead of a buffet that included everything, right down to the cranberry sauce.”

Aside from the tasty lunch and spending time together, the students treated guests to seasonal songs they had learned. On Nov. 16, the pre-kindergartners sang, “Thanksgiving Time is Here,” “Hello, Mr. Turkey, How Are You?” and more. The songs incorporated their classroom lessons about fall colors of red, yellow and brown. Each of the children had made a turkey hat in class and many wore them to the event. They also created a colorful turkey art project using their own handprint. Photo opportunities were offered with a fall-themed background set up in the lobby.

The Nevarez family got to enjoy the fun twice as five-year-old Charlie Mae Hunter had her special day on Nov. 16 and her sister, Penny Jo Hunter, 3, was invited the next day. Charlie Mae’s favorite part of the day was singing. Their mother, Emma Nevarez, said last year she had three children attending the preschool but her eldest daughter, Betsy Lou, graduated from kindergarten in June.

“I love our preschool,” Emma said. “I think the staff is great; they always go over and beyond.”

The girls’ grandfather, Mike Nevarez, said. “I love that in these times when we still need to be able to celebrate, we are given this opportunity to do so. It was also nice being served lunch by the preschool’s director, Mr. Post.” Brooklyn Goseyun, 5, started at the school this year. Her mom, Jaymie, said she loves the school because it’s culturally appropriate and teaches the students many different things. “The events they plan are good for the kids,” she said.

Yolanda Valdez was enjoying spending time with her grandsons. Luciano Marquez, 5 is a pre-kindergartner and his four-year-old brother Eric was set to attend the event the next day. Younger brother, Malakai, 2, hasn’t started at the preschool yet.

Their mother, Daylena Bentiste, said she likes the teachers and the fact the school helps the kids get involved with their tribe. “They need to know about their heritage, it’s important for them to know,” she said. Bentiste said she knew the words to all the songs her children performed because the boys practiced all the time at home. She said they enjoyed that part the most.

Jena Davis, 4, has been at the preschool for two years. Her mother, Julie Resvaloso, said attending class online during the pandemic was difficult and this is her daughter’s first year of physically being in a classroom. “I’m always excited for her school events,” she said. “And I thought the food was delicious, especially the turkey.” Students will be out of school an entire week for the Thanksgiving holiday and will get a two-week break starting on Dec. 20. The school is planning a similar three-day Christmas celebration for its 65 students prior to their winter vacation.

Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians

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The young students that attend Soboba Tribal Preschool were excited to christen their new playground on Dec. 9. It had been about four weeks since the children had a playground due to the removal of the old one and installation of the new one. They had to spend their recesses indoors at the multipurpose room or stay inside the classrooms for longer periods of time. But it was worth the wait when all the kids got to overrun the new playground following its dedication and blessing.

The renovation was made possible through a grant approved by the Soboba Tribal Council. Tribal Administrator Michael Castello said the old playground was built in the early 2000s and when the new preschool facility was built about four years ago a new play area was discussed.

“As the preschool continues to grow and we add more students every year, it made sense to redo the playground that was showing signs of wear and tear,” he said. “We hope the children will enjoy this redesigned playground for many years to come.”

(Soboba preschoolers)

There are currently 82 students enrolled and preschool director Dianne King, Soboba Public Works and the Cultural Resource Department worked closely with Pacific Play Systems Inc. to make this dream a reality for them all.

“This has been a community project – from disassembling the old playground to getting us to this day,” King said. “I want to give thanks to everyone for always supporting us.”

Kenneth McLaughlin, director of Soboba’s Public Works, said with Castello’s leadership he was glad to be given the opportunity to upgrade the playground. After reviewing proposals from four different companies to see what they could offer and how easily they could stay within the budget, Pacific Play Systems Inc., based in Carlsbad, was awarded the contract.

“The teachers and Dianne King worked together to pick all the colors and type of equipment,” McLaughlin said. “They knew which amenities the kids wanted and made sure all the equipment was right for their ages and met California’s code compliances.”

He said weather conditions posed the biggest challenge, as they tried to time the work during Thanksgiving break. The school was closed for about nine days so the crew could install about 13,000 square feet of new vinyl flooring throughout the school while others worked outdoors on the playground.

(Soboba preschoolers)

Demolition of the old playground and disassembly of the old equipment took about five full workdays. As soon as that was completed, the crew started construction.

Pacific Play Systems’ project manager and designer Salina Tuladhar said her company has created playgrounds for schools, churches, parks, HOAs and other entities mostly throughout Southern California for the past 10 years.

The play area is approx. 3,000 sq.ft. and is surrounded by concrete that was to be kept as a bike path for the tricycles. She had to work around the existing shade structures because they were not being replaced.

“The only challenge we had was that the site was not a perfect square or rectangle and we had to make sure there was at least six feet of clearance around each apparatus,” Tuladhar said. “It was great to see my vision in reality and I got excited when the kids got excited.”

The lime green slide reflects one of her company’s newest colors, introduced this year and it was the first time she got to see it in use.

“I love the whole thing!” King said. “When I was choosing equipment, I tried to incorporate the children’s lifestyle on the reservation such as the Soboba Fire Truck, rock climbing, drums and the dune buggy. I also chose items to help the children meet physical goals. That’s why there are a lot of balancing pieces. My favorite is the dune buggy – it’s a great piece to start imaginary road trips with the kids.”

Tashina Miranda Ornelas, who teaches at nearby Noli Indian School, was there to see her youngest daughter, Tulóvat Téxmanxwanvish, enjoy the new playground for the first time. The kindergartner was excited to play on the fire truck that was added to the playground since her dad is a firefighter.

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