By Lauren Quintanilla
Amiguitos Preschool and Daycare was opened in Westfield in the fall by Cheyenne Land-Requiz as a place she could teach children ages 30 months to 5years Spanish and open them up to a new culture.
“There are so many cognitive benefits to learning a second language, and it opens up many career paths all across the world for them,” she said.
Amiguitos uses a thematic curriculum that changes every week to teach Spanish and English. This week is “sports of all sorts” and that theme is used to teach motor skills, music and movement, reading, sensory, art and time for free play.
Land-Requiz attended Indiana University and graduated in 2008 with a bachelor’s in human development/family studies with a minor in psychology. She started her career at the Goddard School, and then opened a daycare out of her home in Fishers, before opening up Amiguitos at 205 Park St. in downtown Westfield.
Land-Requiz has found what she calls the “perfect” location in the Grand Junction area of Westfield. Over the weekend, she moved into her new building at 203 Jersey St. The new building is 1,100 square feet and fits the long-term needs of the day care much better.
“There will be more space, a huge, fenced-in backyard, and the interior design is very open with a lot of natural light,” Land-Requiz said.
Land-Requiz has one staff member, Victoria Penaloza, who has a background in childcare, and is a native Spanish speaker.
“It’s rewarding to be bilingual and knowing the advantages I’m helping to give the children we care for,” Penaloza said.
Amiguitos recently teamed up with Westfield High Schools’ freshmen in the Honor’s Spanish class to create an emersion program. The high school students come to Amiguitos after school on Thursday’s for one hour to practice their Spanish with the children.
The program has proved successful and will be continued next year.
For more information on openings, visit www.amiguitospreschool.com or call 902-5232.
