Norma Malone teaches ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) to kindergarten through fifth graders at Cumming Elementary School in Cumming. For Mrs. Malone, helping the community is equivalent to helping the school-in the end, it will be the students who benefit from her many efforts. She teaches adult Spanish courses through the Community School, for example, volunteers to assist Hispanic families, translates documents, acts as an interpreter for parents and serves as a contact member for the Migrant Education Program. In her classes, Mrs. Malone teaches a unit of study entitled Cinco de Mayo that emphasizes the cultural and historical heritage of the Spanish-speaking students. The unit includes historical study, art and participation in Mexican cooking, singing and dance activities. The culmination of the unit is a grand cultural presentation that brings together community leaders, members of the Board of Education, students, faculty and families.
