South Grade teacher, Rebecca Hinson, receives Grant

After 10 years and 36 books, Lake Worth teacher, author gets book project grant

"Florida International University has received a $2 million grant — $9,300 for Hinson — from the U.S. Department of Education Title VI NRC that will help the teacher expand her proposed book series for grades 3-8 that will explore six cultures of South America through authentic art."

As Rebecca says,

"I just finished my fourth book for my South America art series for children. Three more to go. Books 4, 5, & 6 will be Machu Picchu (Peru), Gauchos of Argentina, and headdresses of the indigenous tribes of Brazil.

My other series are Art of the United States of America, Art of the Caribbean, and Art of Central America.

If you want to see what a culture loves most, just look at their art. Art reveals the soul of a nation."

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Remembering your Mother on her Special Day

Mother's Day is on May 13th and Rebecca Hinson, teacher at South Grade Elementary, has a special way of honoring mothers and teaching children to honor, respect and to show love to their mothers through art. Here is her story--

My dear Mother passed away in 2007, but I honor her every Mother’s Day when I bring blooms from my garden to art class. I carefully place each blossom in a little cup of water. Children carefully choose their favorite flower to draw on their Mother’s Day card in pastels. Inside each card they tell their mothers why they love them.

I invite you to honor your Mother by sharing blooms with us at South Grade Elementary. You can drop off blossoms from May 2-11 at 716 South K Street in Lake Worth. Thank you!

Rebecca Hinson

Breaking the Cycle of Gang Recruitment

"South Grade teacher Rebecca Hinson sees how easily her kindhearted students can fall into the ranks of gangs like MS-13 — known for violent crimes, as well as drugs and human trafficking. That’s why in 2013 she asked the sheriff’s office for help.

Now called Breaking the Cycle of Gang Recruitment, the program at North and South Grade Elementary schools pairs at-risk fifth graders with sheriff’s deputies. Hinson defines at-risk children as students with low academic performance, a negative peer network and a lack of adult supervision, and who live in poverty and sometimes violent homes."

Rebecca is very proud of this program and the positive results it has had on her kids. But I have been told that the school has discontinued the program.

The MS-13 gang is said to be highly organized and one of the most violent and dangerous gangs in the United States. This gang is international and considered an organized crime gang with factions in many states and countries including Florida and Guatemala.

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Rebecca's Etiquette "Boot Camp"

Rebecca Hinson, Lake Worth's very caring and wonderful teacher at South Grade Elementary School, is back in the news. This time its about etiquette that she has been teaching her fifth grade classes for years..

A lot of these children are from poor families with most all of them who attend South Grade qualified for the free lunch program.

But no matter, rich or poor, manners and etiquette are extremely important. These lessons will be remembered by all of these children when they become older and move into adulthood. Having manners teaches self-respect and play a big role in their future success.

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Guatemalan Consul at South Grade Elementary

Lake Worth students relish high tea with the Guatemalan consul

Read about it... and South Grade Elementary School and Rebecca Hinson's 5th grade class having high tea with Mario Rene Azmitia, the Guatemalan consul.

Palm Beach County has 2,964 Guatemalan students with a high percentage in Lake Worth.

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Lake Worth's own Rebecca Hinson...she is amazing.

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Vote for Rebecca

Our own Rebecca Hinson, teacher at South Grade Elementary, is in a contest to get a Fedex small business  grant.

Rebecca says, "In 2006, one of my Maya kindergarten art students never smiled, never spoke, and never looked you in the eye. His name was Tomas. It is common for immigrant children to remain in 'the silent phase' for weeks or even months, but Tomas rarely spoke from kindergarten through grade 4. I tried everything to reach him, but nothing worked. After presenting the art of Tecún Umán to Tomas’s class, he got up from his seat, walked over, looked me in the eye, and said 'thank you'.”

I currently have 3 series of books in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. Art of the United States of America, Art of the Caribbean, and Art of Central America. I just exhibited at my first national trade show, the National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE). My booth was mobbed. My presentations were well received. I would use the grant to fund exhibits at six major tradeshows. CABE, TABE, SSTESOL, NMABE, TESOL, NYSABE, and a few smaller regional TESOL shows.

Click here to vote for Rebecca

Rebecca Hinson

Rebecca posts art work by her children at Lake Worth City Hall

Beautiful article on Lake Worth teacher from South Grade Elementary, Rebecca Hinson, in today's Palm Beach Post.