ORANGE PARK – Lorell M. Nieves-Mendez teaches with more than enthusiasm and creativity. There are convictions and purposes in every lesson. You can hear it in her voice. You can see it in her eyes. You can see it on her students’ faces.

Working with students who don’t understand the English language or United States customs at Grove Park Elementary is personal for her and her fellow teacher, Brenda Serrano. Both are from Puerto Rico, and they know first-hand what it’s like to feel like an outsider in a new land. They know how it feels to be secluded, unable to speak to neighbors, unable to participate in community events, unable to feel at home.

“The first thing that we try to make them feel comfortable,” Nieves-Mendez said. “You're safe. You're in school, you're safe. And even though we don't speak the same language, we can communicate perfectly fine. Once they start feeling more comfortable, they loosen up. We try to get them to speak and at least say, ‘Hi.’”

Nieves-Mendez was part of the English Speakers of Other Languages as soon as she left Puerto Rico and arrived in the United States. She remembers fear, apprehension and loneliness.

“I was one of those kids when I came to the United States,” she said. “I know how it feels. It makes me happy that I'm doing it for them now.

“It was very challenging. The language was hard. Math was horrible because they were so far ahead. And the big difference, the big shock, was the culture. It was very different.

“That's why I love this job. I can relate to them. I know what they need. I know what they want. I'm here to help them grow.”

Counting English, with nine languages being taught and translated, Grove Park has the most diverse ESOL Department in Clay County District Schools. There are 96 students – 85 currently enrolled in classes and 11 who advanced to monitored levels – who’ve been working in Spanish, Creole, Haitian, French, Portuguese, Haitian-Creole, Twi (spoken in Ghana) and Igbo (spoken in Nigeria).

Principal Shadreka Smith said making her school inclusive is both challenging and rewarding. It’s important that all students, not just a majority, thrive.

“I don't know what other schools do, but I feel like it allows us to be unique,” she said. “Anytime we have our school-wide events, we have partnered with some stakeholders in the community who come onto campus, and they walk around with lanyards. They are like translators, so they support our population here at Grove Park. We also have members of different languages and cultures as a part of our Site Committee as well, so when we have our meetings, they have someone that can translate, that they can relate to, and they're able to communicate with us.”

Smith said the school has translators at school events, which helps attract non-English-speaking families.

“Everybody feels welcome here,” she said. “I think that's what makes them feel like this is the right place for them. A lot of times, when you have families that come from other countries, they don't feel motivated to speak up. They do, they feel completely welcome to speak. We always have a large turnout.”

To gain their trust, Serrano said she asked her sixth-grade students to write about themselves. Afterward, they compared their letters.

“A year ago, everyone had a zero level of English,” she said. “Now they’re writing in complete sentences. It’s very rewarding to see them make this kind of progress.”

While Serrano is teaching her students to speak English, she admitted she doesn’t understand Haitian. Her students are trying to teach her the language, and they laugh when she mispronounces.

“I remind them, it’s OK to make mistakes,” Serrano said. “It’s not perfect. It’s about learning. It’s a step-by-step process.”

ESOL students spend one hour a day in their special language classes. The rest of the school day is filled with regular education classes.

“In my classroom, they behave completely differently than in their general education classroom, because they actually speak in my class,” Serrano said. “In a general education class, they're just quiet. So, it's a completely different dynamic here.”

One with an inviting culture – and a language that’s becoming more familiar every day.