As chants of “Mexico! Mexico!” rang through The Plex and students rushed between soccer stations, it was hard to tell who was having more fun: the children or the adults watching them.
A bevy of San José Unified students gathered on June 11 for the district’s Summer Soccer and Student Connection Event. Beyond the excitement was a larger goal: helping students build connections before some of their elementary schools merge next year.
Organized by the district and several afterschool programs, the event brought students together for soccer clinics, cultural performances and a viewing of the Mexico vs. South Africa FIFA World Cup match.
“It’s not only about the soccer game for us,” said Damaris Cuffy, senior program analyst for San José Unified. “It’s also making sure that the students are connected in one way or another.”
Cuffy said the district tried to create opportunities for students from different schools to interact, particularly because some children will be affected by upcoming school consolidations due to the closing of five elementary schools in the district. A district spokesperson said as many as 900 students attended the event.
“We also wanted to make a safe space for them to talk about if they have any fears, or are excited about anything regarding the schools that are merging.”
— Damaris Cuffy, San José Unified School District senior program analyst
“We also wanted to make a safe space for them to talk about if they have any fears, or are excited about anything regarding the schools that are merging,” she said.
Maria Cortes, program director for the YMCA, said organizers spent months discussing how to support students whose schools are closing. “There’s a lot of uncertainty for the students who are going to the new school,” Cortes said, so activities were designed to help students meet future classmates. She said the district has also organized pen-pal programs between merging schools so students can begin forming relationships before the school year starts.
Many of the soccer stations mixed students from different schools. Aileen Garcia of America SCORES, a soccer, poetry and service-learning organization, said participants were divided into teams that encouraged them to meet new people. “We hope they made at least one more friend,” Garcia said.
Belle Manzo of the YMCA said that students gained a sense of community by participating in activities alongside hundreds of their peers.
“I got to learn a lot about teamwork and friendship through the workshops we did,” said Jose Espinza, a rising sixth grader.
Keilani Pina, a rising fifth grader, said she was excited to watch Mexico play and was happy she got to “get closer to my friends and learn how to play soccer with them.”
For rising third grader Alexa Benvides, the highlights included the cultural performances. “I really liked the Mexico dances and I really want Mexico to win!” she said.
Students cheered through performances, sprinted across fields and eagerly anticipated the World Cup match. “The kids were happy, they were yelling freely; you could feel the energy,” Cuffy said.
District Board President José Magaña echoed these sentiments. “One thing that I’ve seen nonstop is smiles,” he said. “I’ve heard laughter, not just in the kids, but also the adults.”
Shivali H. Patra is a member of the class of 2029 at Saratoga High School. Ekasha Sikka is a member of the class of 2027 at Mission San Jose High School in Fremont.
Editor’s note: This story is part of the annual Mosaic Journalism Program for Bay Area high school students, an intensive course in journalism. Students in the program report and photograph stories under the guidance of professional journalists.