Dario Salazar has been embraced by Elkridge Elementary School.
It seems as though everyone at the school has showered the 10-year-old Guatemalan boy with attention since his arrival here more than a month ago. In his homeroom, flashcards in English and Spanish abound, and classmates resort to facial expressions and hand motions when words don't work.
"It's nice to see," said Renee Martinez, a fifth-grade resource teacher. "The kids were prepped by [Dario's homeroom] teacher. They were really excited. Some of them are trying to learn words in Spanish."
Word of Dario's plight came though a school newsletter last month asking for a volunteer to work with the boy, who speaks little English. Since then, Dario has found plenty of help learning the language and finding his way around the school.
"I have more friends every day," said Dario, who arrived in October from Panajachel, a village in the western highlands of Guatemala, after his father married an Elkridge woman. In his fifth-grade classroom, the door is labeled, "puerta," and a stuffed parrot has been tagged "pajaro."
Dario's teachers said he is picking up English quickly.
"He's very vocal," said Ruth Layne, a teacher who tutors him in English under a program called English for Speakers of Other Languages. "He isn't very hesitant to speak."
Four times a week, Dario spends up to an hour with Ms. Layne, learning phrases such as "Here it is" and "I'll show you."
One recent afternoon, he and Ms. Layne toured the school, visiting the office, gymnasium and media center. As they walked, the teacher asked Dario questions to test his knowledge of phrases and words.
"Where are we walking?" Ms. Layne asked.
"We are walking in the hall," Dario answered.
Afterward, Dario described his walk and wrote it down in English. When his time was up, he began work in the school's computer lab -- something his old school didn't have.
Elkridge Elementary is also bigger, he said in Spanish.
"There's more space, and the bathrooms are cleaner," he said.
And he receives more assistance with class work.
"Here, they give me more examples and give me more help with work," Dario said.
Dressed in blue jeans and sneakers, Dario looks like any other American student. He has already acquired a reputation for playing a mean game of dodgeball and has plenty of friends.
His classmates said they have learned a lot from his presence.
Samantha Mrozinski said she learned the Spanish word for pencil (lapiz) and has seen some Guatemalan coins Dario brought to class.
"He's kind, he's fun and good at playing games," she said.
Others said they're eager to assist Dario.
"He's Spanish, and we want to help him," explained Amanda Stuart, 10. "We want to help him speak English."