05/14/2026
Today was one of those days that reminds you why schools matter so deeply. ❤️
Our former La ola del lago Spanish immersion students — now high school freshmen and sophomores — walked back through the doors of the very elementary school where their journey began. And suddenly, it felt like time stood still for just a little while.
These students returned not just as visitors, but as leaders. They worked alongside our Kindergarten and Grades 1–2 students, teaching mini lessons connected to the learning currently happening in classrooms. The challenge? Stay in Spanish the entire time. And they did it beautifully.
There was something incredibly powerful about watching former students confidently speak, teach, encourage, laugh, and connect in a language they first began learning here years ago. Many reunited with former teachers. Some saw younger siblings sitting in the same classrooms they once sat in themselves. There were smiles, hugs, disbelief at how much everyone has grown — and definitely a few emotional moments.
Today was a reminder that La ola del lago is so much more than a program. It is a community. It is relationships. It is identity. It is belonging. It is a place that helped shape who these young people are becoming.
And maybe the most special part of all was watching our youngest students look up at these high schoolers with admiration — not realizing yet that one day, they will be the ones walking back through these hallways, inspiring the next generation behind them.
The cycle of learning. The cycle of community. The cycle of life. 🌊💙
