{"id":1309,"date":"2014-11-06T06:38:54","date_gmt":"2014-11-06T14:38:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.rsed.org\/?p=1309"},"modified":"2017-12-17T04:46:03","modified_gmt":"2017-12-17T04:46:03","slug":"one-community-fuerzas-ribbon-cutting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocketshipschools.org\/vi\/latest-news\/blog\/one-community-fuerzas-ribbon-cutting\/","title":{"rendered":"One Community: L\u1ec5 c\u1eaft b\u0103ng c\u1ee7a Fuerza"},"content":{"rendered":"
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When I think about why Fuerza Community Prep became a reality<\/a>, I think about the V-formation of geese.<\/p>\n

\"Rocketeers

Rocketeers from Fuerza line up before performing the Jarabe Tapat\u00edo dance for crowd.<\/p><\/div>\n

In the fall, geese heading south for the winter fly along in V-formation. Each bird flaps its wings, creating uplift for the bird immediately following. A goose flying on its own has to flap extra to overcome the resistance it faces, but together the effect of each individual flap is amplified by the efforts of the bird in front. A flock can fly a further distance than a single bird would have on its own.<\/p>\n

Hundreds of community members and families from district schools, Rocketship schools, Alum Rock and other parts of San Jose and beyond realized that united, our hundreds of individual voices would create Fuerza: one community with one purpose and one powerful voice.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see a bright future in these faces and potentially a course correction that will manifest itself for generations to come because you<\/em> [came together] and you<\/em> took action,\u201d said Magdalena Carrasco,\u00a0District 5 Councilmember-elect, in her speech to families at Fuerza\u2019s official ribbon cutting on October 29th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey say Latino parents aren\u2019t involved, but I beg to differ \u2014 you<\/em> opened these doors for your children.\u201d<\/p>\n

Councilmember-elect Carrasco\u2019s sentiment was echoed by Lety Gomez, a Rocketship parent leader.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis school stands here today because of the hundreds of parents who spoke at or attended a board meeting, helped phone bank to get our community out and did whatever it took to stand up for a better education for our children,\u201d Gomez said in her speech. \u201cParents were an essential part of opening the school, and our hard work paid off.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\u201cI

\u201cI am so lucky to be going here, because of the caring and dedicated teachers, staff and parents,\u201d second grade Rocketeer Amy Vu said in her speech. \u201cFuerza is important to me because of the advanced education it provides me! It will prepare me for college in 2025! One day, I hope to become an artist and maybe I can help design a future Rocketship School like Fuerza.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n

Fuerza is about more than providing kids with a great school. It\u2019s about defeating the destiny of demographics and unleashing a new generation of leaders who will transform our community.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs parents,\u201d Gomez continued, \u201cwe must continue to advocate for our children both at school and in our community…but this movement to close the achievement gap is not about me and my family only, but for all our children in all our communities to have access to high quality education.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alum Rock Board Member Karen Martinez also spoke at the event. \u201cTogether as one Alum Rock community we will move forward to educate all of our amazing, talented students to be the next engineers, CEOs and teachers within our Silicon Valley,\u201d she said\u00a0to the packed crowd.<\/p>\n

Fuerza will not only strive to provide an excellent education to all of our students, but also to help support the community, challenging the status quo that leaves too many of our San Jose kids behind.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the story of our community, the immigrant story,\u201d Carrasco concluded. \u201cThis is our<\/em> story and you<\/em> should be proud that it lands on the grounds of Rocketship Fuerza!\u201d<\/p>\n

We are one community, one purpose, one student at a time.<\/p>\n\n\t\t