COEUR d'ALENE - Lake City High School senior Boone Benson's four years of studying Spanish were put to good use Friday morning.

He and 12 juniors and seniors broke the language barrier for Ramsey Magnet School of Science first- and fourth-graders who were anxious to hear how their Mexican pen pals responded to their letters.

"It was actually really fun, the kids enjoyed it a lot. It was a good experience," said Boone, 17. "I feel like they're further along than I was when I was in elementary school. They seem a lot more cultured than I was."

Part of their cultural education can be credited to Ramsey teachers Kathy and Paul Jones. The husband and wife spent time last summer in Los Cabos at Casa Hogar, an orphanage that is home to 50 boys, ages 4-18. They read with them, taught them English, practiced yoga, played games and really connected with the boys.

Kathy said during their trip, she and Paul visited the barrios, or Spanish neighborhoods, where children who are not lucky enough to have orphanages live in absolute poverty.

"They didn't have homes," she said. "There's no running water."

Shortly after the Joneses returned from their trip, a hurricane devastated the already fragile living situations of Los Cabos' impoverished population. The destruction from the hurricane and their other experiences in Mexico inspired Paul and Kathy to get Ramsey involved.

Since last fall, their students and a few other classes have been collecting quarters and change through the "Quarters for Casa Hogar" campaign.

"This orphanage is so many steps up from where those kids actually came from," Kathy said. "We thought, 'We just want to support this and make it bigger and better.'"

They're working toward the goal of $1,000, which will provide clothing, computers, help with transportation and much more for the boys at Casa Hogar.

"This is one jar, it's already full, and we've started another," Kathy said, pulling a giant jug of change from her classroom supply closet. "That money jar is quarters, but it is full. I'm hoping for $1,000. If not, we should be pretty close."

In December, the Joneses' students sent letters to the boys in the orphanage, and about three weeks ago responses from the pen pals arrived. Kathy and Paul brainstormed about the best way to translate them.

"We thought, 'What a great opportunity for the high school kids and their advanced Spanish program,'" Kathy said. "They walked over and the kids were in groups and the high-schoolers went around and read all the letters to all the kids."

The high-schoolers first read the letters in Spanish, then in English.

"That was pretty fun," said fourth-grader Evan Lauer, 10. "There were two of them that wrote their letters in English, and I was surprised by that."

Fourth-grader Natalya Gadison, 10, said she was pleased that her pen pal answered some of her questions, which included inquiries about his schooling and fun activities.

"I said things about me, like in the summer, I like to hang out with my family and we go to the beach," she said.

Natalya said it was really fun to have the high-schoolers help read the letters, and she wanted to ask them: "Once we get older, are we going to learn how to do Spanish stuff like that, and how did you guys learn how to do it really good? Because they were really good," she said.

LCHS Advanced Placement Spanish teacher James Anderson said he jumped at the chance to have his class experience a useful application for the language.

"In AP Spanish, we really try and find any cultural connection we can," he said. "Any opportunity like that to get out in the real world and get our hands on some real-world experience and connect with the kids I thought would be really cool for the AP kids."

He said he was impressed that the younger students are working on an international outreach effort.

"One of the challenges living in the community that we live in is getting exposure to international issues, and so I think it's incredibly neat that at the elementary school level they're learning what they're learning and they're seeing what they're seeing and they're seeing the value that a second language can have in the future."

The "Quarters for Casa Hogar" campaign will continue into May, then Kathy said they will count the money and write a check that will be personally delivered to the orphanage.

"Our kids are seeing the differences, but also the similarities," she said. "Some of the letters talked about how they like to play 'Minecraft,' how they like to eat pizza, and the kids are like, 'Oh my gosh,' but then the kids at Casa Hogar have pet goats, where we have pet puppies, so there are differences and similarities.

"I just feel like it's a big project that shows how to love each other, take care each other, no matter what, and that there's hope for everybody. It's really that special."