George Washington School ♦ 100 Orchard Street ♦ White Plains, New York 10604
Terri Thomas Klemm, Principal
The Dual Language Academy, which is being initiated in George Washington School’s kindergarten in September, is an instructional model whereby students in two kindergarten classes will have an opportunity to learn our school district’s curriculum in both English and in Spanish. Students will spend equal amounts of time during each school year learning the content area in both languages.
This is a voluntary program and parents will apply to have their children participate in the program. If there is not sufficient space to accommodate all the families who apply, a lottery will determine the children who will be in the academy.
This unique and challenging instructional program is intended to grow along with our students from kindergarten through grade 5. In other words, children who enter the program in kindergarten are expected to remain in it until 5th grade.
George Washington School, the Communication Arts School, is well positioned to offer this special academy. Its supportive educational environment provides a sense of community and high expectations for all children. Its theme, Communication Arts, is embodied in classroom activities that include written, visual, technological, oral and artistic communication forms across the various subject areas. These activities fit perfectly into the instructional philosophy of dual language programs.
Goals
The three major goals of our academy are to have all students:
1. achieve high academic standards in all subject areas,
2. develop literacy in English and Spanish, and
3. grow into bicultural, self-confident, life-long learners.
Curriculum
Students participating in this academy will follow the same kindergarten curriculum as the rest of the district kindergartners.
Characteristics
The following are some characteristics of the academy:
ü Equal time exposure to two languages
ü Instruction in both languages
ü Only one language used during periods of instruction
ü Language taught through content or subject area
ü Strict separation of languages in the classroom
ü Strong parent involvement component
ü Cooperative learning
ü All students function as models of their native language
Features
In addition to the characteristics described above which are specific to the dual language model, the following features will be found in the dual language classes, as well as in all of our kindergarten classrooms:
¨ Instruction aligned to the State Standards
¨ Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI)
¨ Individualized learning experiences
¨ Thematic learning
¨ Home/school partnership
¨ Technology-enhanced learning
Class composition
The two dual language kindergarten classrooms at George Washington School will include half native English-speaking students and half Spanish-speaking students.
Staffing
There will be two teachers working in the academy, one of whom will be fluent in both English and Spanish. Just like our other kindergartens, each class will have a full-time teaching assistant. Our teachers will receive extensive pre-training in the dual language model before school begins in September. They will also be supported throughout the year in effective teaching practices for this model and in the area of curriculum development.
More Information
After students receive their school assignments through the Kindergarten Choice Program, parents of youngsters assigned to George Washington School will be invited to an informational meeting where the program will be described in detail. At the same time, parents will receive application forms to complete if they would like their child to be in the academy. Parents will be notified in June if their child is accepted into the academy.
George Washington Principal Terri Thomas Klemm (422-2380) would be happy to answer any questions about the academy, as would Suzanne Lasser, Director of the Newcomer Center and Coordinator of ESOL, K-5 (422-2443).
January 11, 2007