Cristobal and Johannie Torres are the proud parents of two girls at City High/Middle. Hannah is 17, a senior this year. Arianna is 14, in 9th grade. Their children have attended GRPS since Kindergarten. They started at Cesar Chavez where their children could get exposure to her native language, Spanish. They attended Spanish Kindergarten and First Grade and transitioned to English classrooms in second grade. Johannie remembers their years at Cesar Chavez with fond memories. They comment that they had a phenomenal experience at Cesar Chavez with great educators, a warm office staff who were accessible and knowledgeable. After sixth grade, at the School of Economicology, they found City to be a natural transition. Since they have always lived out of the district, GRPS has always been their school of choice. They have kept the girls at City and they have embraced the academic challenge it entails.
Johannie is a nurse practioner at Spectrum Health and Cristobal is an electrical engineer at Belcan. Johannie has been a volunteer in the schools from the beginning. She helped teachers in a variety of tasks including chaperoning for all 7 camps at Miniwanka with Economicology and City and interprets for parents at conferences. They attend coffee with the principal, read the weekly emails from the school, check their children’s grades and communications with teachers on Parent Vue and attend the listening tours with the superintendent to stay engaged with the district and the school.
The Torres’ value education as a way to help build self-esteem and confidence which provides tools to change or shape the future, and better yet, to help make a better world, starting with their own community. They realize the value of all staff, teachers, librarians, tutors and counselors to be mentors or role models as they encourage children to be better socially, academically and emotionally. They hope that their children learn to value knowledge, but better yet, that they will use it to serve others.
The Torres’ are proud of their girls, as they have learned how to balance many different parts of their lives including academics, sports, music, faith, service and friendships. Arianna and Hannah are both great musicians and participate in St. Cecilia School of Music, which has opened up fabulous musical opportunities. Hannah is first chair for the Philharmonic Orchestra this year, and Arianna plays the cello in the Sinfonia Orchestra. As a family, they like to travel and do outdoor activities like camping, hiking and skiing. They also volunteer as a family at community organizations like the Renucci House. Cristobal and Johannie Torres are a part of a growing group of power parents in GRPS.