English School of La Cruz 2024. Since 2012
Another great year. 45 students and a total of part time and full time 14 teachers all volunteer. Thank you Aruna for allowing us to use Octopus Garden as our home. This delights me more each year. Note our little Sophia is our mascot. This is one of the joys of my life. In a month we will have our website updated. Www.englishschooloflacruz.com
Dell inspires others to learn and volunteer at the English School of La Cruz, teaching English to Mexican Nationals.
It’s the most awesome sight to see and experience folks wanting to learn. Della Sullivan enrolls volunteers to teach others English, and together they’ve created many eager to do so.
Della told me she has enjoyed Mexico for 48 years. She loves to travel and has traveled all over the world. She has five children, and they stayed at various all-inclusive resorts throughout Mexico. About 40 years ago, they found Puerto Vallarta and really liked the energy of it and the friendliness of the people. Like many tourists, we began in Mismaloya and ventured around the bay.
About twenty-four years ago, Della retired and enjoyed several years of time-share vacations in the Marina and Nuevo areas. When she decided to buy Della began looking for something less touristy. Della told me, “I wanted true Mexico. When I found La Cruz, it was Love at first sight. I bought my condo in 2006, preconstruction, and pre-marina. This was definitely a leap of faith. I found what I was looking for with the friendly people of La Cruz and the wonderful ocean just out my window.”
Della’s professional life had been in ownership and management of a small chain of pharmacies, gift shops, and durable medical stores, but her degree was a BS in education. She spent years volunteering with such programs as READ, teaching reading to adults and MENTOR, mentoring on a ‘one on one basis’ teenage girls. She was a volunteer with the church as a money counter and did their finances for many years.
In Mexico, she volunteered at local orphanages and at the families of the dump. In 2010, when her condo was finally ready, she decided to try teaching a bit of English to any children interested in La Cruz. “Aruna and Wayland allowed me the use of a table at Octopus Garden twice a week, and I began this adventure with two ten-year-old girls. By the end of the first year, we were filling two tables with many sitting around the fountain. I loved it. The second year, I was allowed more tables, and at the end of that year, Sandy Baker and I requisitioned a bus and took all of the students to the zoo. None of them had been before, and it was such fun. Each year there were more and more students, and the third year I began getting teachers who wanted to volunteer. Before the fourth year, I decided to better understand what I was doing, and I went back to St Louis University, and by the end of that fall semester, I was certified in ESL, TESOL, TESL, TEFL. With that, I began formally breaking students into classes and supplying teaching aides, books, lesson plans, and worksheets for all of the various ages and abilities. This helped me and all of my teachers. I supply all of the teachers with lesson plans written in both Spanish and English for all ages and abilities each week. In this way, as my teachers teach English, they learn a bit of Spanish. We change our topic for teaching every week. I also supply everything needed both for teachers and students. Each year I use approximately 25 reams of copy paper, 8 HP 85-A cartridges, 8- HP122 tri color and Black cartridges, 200 packets, 1800 pencils, 2500 colored pencils, several erasers and individual pencil sharpeners, eighty whiteboard markers, several replacement whiteboards, twenty boxes of medium clips and thirty boxes of large clips, forty two soccer balls (given to perfect attendance students and the random A+ students on our final day), 150 lined tablets, and 125 backpacks full of school supplies (each student receives a backpack with supplies at the end of our year). I also make up a three-ring binder for each student to keep so that he can study what we have learned. Fortunately, my husband has a broad range of computer skills and keeps everything flowing smoothly. He has been my partner in this effort. In the past, we have had some donations of school supplies and book bags. Anyone wishing to donate any of these items to this cause would be very much appreciated.
The school continues to grow. I have been blessed with excellent teachers, many of whom plan their vacation to La Cruz around this teaching experience. These men and women so generously give of their time and energy, and they do it with a smile. I love them. Also, a true blessing is the continued support of Aruna and Wayland. In nine years, we went from using one table to completely using every square inch of the first floor and part of the upstairs. We are essentially a one-room schoolhouse. My students are all Mexicans from La Cruz, ranging in ages from four to sixty plus. The saying “it takes a village” is so true.
This past season we have 125 active students and 37 teachers, plus many more assistant teachers if you consider those that were only able to help for a couple of weeks. We are like a great big family. The students and the teachers get along so well and work together so well. It is beautiful to be part of this. They are my Mexican Family.
The English School of La Cruz is one of the most cherished efforts I have done. This is my ninth year with this adventure, and I hope to continue it for many more.
La Cruz has changed a bit since I first fell in love with it. The Marina was such a positive addition to this little fishing village. With it came wonderful restaurants, music, activities, and many retirees. Its infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the housing boom we are seeing. I am hoping we shall see that remedied. Fortunately, La Cruz still maintains its earthiness. There are chickens in the street, wheel barrows with alote, (a limed spiced corn on the cob). People always say “Buenos Dias” as you see them walking around town. The little ‘tienda owners’ know how to pick out the exact ripe avocado (a feat I have never quite mastered) so that I can make my guacamole.
For visitors, I would highly recommend La Cruz. The little fishing village with a cross is friendly and safe and full of fun things to do. The bus service is excellent and economical, making it easy to experience the whole bay.
I return home at the end of March as I have a huge dinner for family and friends on Easter Sunday. I usually seat thirty-six. I live in a little town in Illinois in the United States, but my heritage is full-blooded Italian. I LOVE to cook.
Although I am always anxious to get home to my children and grandchildren and now great-grandchildren, my thoughts never completely leave my Mexican Family here in La Cruz.
I live by one thought, “Leave beauty in your path.”
Hasta Luego
Della Sullivan
Director English School of La Cruz
217-825-8393 US cell
322-240-7222 Mx cell ( only January –March)
Facebook: English School of La Cruz
