The Donna News

M. Rivas Primary Discovery Academy officially opened its doors for Donna ISD’s youngest
learners in August of 2022. While it has only been in existence for approximately a year and a
half, the one-of-a-kind early childhood center is already making a big name for itself.

Campus leaders received word on January 9 th that the facility had been named one of five state
finalists for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Early Childhood Award. Principal Rosalinda
Navarro is ecstatic over the news. She is proud that her school, which offers state-of-the-art,
innovative instructional curriculum to PreK 3 through 2 nd grade students, is getting the
recognition it deserves.

“We are honored and extremely excited about being selected as a finalist for this prestigious H-
E-B award,” Navarro said. “Our facility was established with the fundamental belief that every
child deserves a head start in their early childhood education. We have a certified teacher and
an educational assistant in each classroom. The teachers plan for academic activities based on a
thematic curriculum that allows for read alouds in all content areas in both languages, small
group instruction, and numeracy development, which incorporates games, partner work, and
collaboration. The students also have the opportunity each week to take their learning
outdoors to ensure what is taught in the classroom is connected to the real world. Language
skills are developed not only in the classroom but also in the music, coding, art, and robotics
classes by talking, singing, and playing.”

Every year since 2002, the grocery retail giant announces finalists for the Early Childhood Award
and in five other categories including Outstanding School Board, Teacher, Principal, School
Counselor, and School District. Winners are rewarded with cash prizes and grants. It’s all part of
H-E-B’s Excellence in Education Awards Program that recognizes public school professionals for
their dedication and commitment in serving their students and their communities.

Donna ISD Superintendent Dr. Angela Dominguez commended campus leadership and staff for
receiving this honor. “M. Rivas is dedicated to cultivating a secure and supportive learning
environment for its students using a Dual Language curriculum,” Dr. Dominguez said.

“Recognizing the significance of a comprehensive well-rounded educational approach, we also
focus on the social emotional, physical, academic and language development of our students.
This creates a supportive and engaging learning environment where students develop the
knowledge, skills, and abilities that contribute to their overall performance.”

Navarro echoed those sentiments and credits the entire campus community for helping the
early childhood center become a successful learning environment.

“We truly believe in the notion that it ‘takes a village,’” Navarro said. “From administrators, to
teachers, to support staff, we pride ourselves on building strong relationships with our students. However, we believe that a crucial part of our village is our students’ families. For this
reason, we strive to create a community in which we are all stakeholders in our students’
future. To include our families into our school community, we have various opportunities that
allow us to collaborate with parents.”

The winners of the excellence in education awards including Early Childhood Award will be
announced in the spring during the H-E-B Excellence in Education’s 22 nd Annual Awards
Ceremony in San Antonio.

Please follow and like us:

0

20

20

20