Ybarra Academy of the Arts & Technology

Walnut, California, U.S.

THE MISSION OF YBARRA ACADEMY

OF THE ARTS & TECHNOLOGY

The mission of Ybarra Academy is to work in partnership for excellence to educate and inspire self-confident, inquiring, caring students who contributes to a global society. A student-centered focus, with integrity, respect, responsibility with accountability, excellence and safety, are what we believe to be the common core values which foster life-long learning with equity for all students. Through this partnership of family, staff, and a richly diverse community, within a safe, nurturing environment, students are prepared to realize their dreams and meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

LANGUAGE POLICY

Beliefs and Values

At Ybarra Academy of the Arts & Technology, we believe that the development of language is critical to communication. This includes communication with your family, friends, community and world. Language is the foundation for all of our thinking. At Ybarra Academy we believe that language is learned best when it is taught within content. The language becomes part of the everyday life at school. It is instilled in all aspects of the day. All students are language learners and will be provided with the support needed to grow academically and socially.

At Ybarra Academy, all adults on campus are considered language instructors including administrators, teachers, instructional assistants, office staff, parents, custodians, cafeteria supervisors and volunteers. About 15% of the students at Ybarra Academy are English Language Learners. Therefore, all adults in the Ybarra learning community serve as models of the language for them. In the same way, there are adults within the learning community that serve as models for the foreign language program. We believe that Spanish, the foreign language taught at Ybarra Academy, should not be taught in isolation. Students begin learning Spanish from the age of five. The language is infused into everyday life. Students who learn more than one language become more internationally-minded and aware of their global community. The learning of a second language, or even a third, gives students access to different cultures and perspectives.

We believe in encouraging the use of our students’ mother tongues in supporting their language development and encouraging a diverse community. We encourage parents to read, write, and speak with their children in their native language. This promotes not only the love of reading and writing but also the understanding of family and culture.

Practice

At Ybarra Academy, it is critical that language is applied across all subject areas and throughout the transdisciplinary program of inquiry. We strive to make all students feel successful at learning language. Teachers create learning environments in which students feel safe to ask questions and take risks. Students learn and are exposed to language in various areas around the school, not just the classroom. The library is the center location for language acquisition through books, magazines and videos available.

At Ybarra Academy we believe that you learn language through “doing.” Effective language teaching and learning is social and active. Students must be engaged throughout the process and the learning must be significant.

Knowledge and Instruction

Classroom Instruction:

The standard language of instruction at Ybarra Academy is English. Students are provided with language support, in their mother tongue by teachers, instructional assistants, and peers when possible. In the classroom, students are given inquiry based instruction in the language arts and are provided with an environment that encourages the love of language. Through work with the oral language they focus on listening and speaking. The visual language offers students opportunities to view and present language through the use of various types of visual media. Through written language students practice reading and writing skills. Students are given instruction in penmanship and continue to develop their writing into cursive in the later grades. Students are also taught keyboarding skills to promote communication through various forms of technology.

English Language Development Instruction

Students that are in need of English language support work in groups of peers, at the same level of language development to support and strengthen skills. This support occurs daily within the classroom for a minimum of thirty minutes a day. Students are placed into groups by levels given to them according the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). Instruction during these thirty minutes is specific to the needs of students at that level. Instruction throughout the day is differentiated English Language Learners. Students who are native English speakers are used as language models for them.

Mother Tongue Support

At Ybarra Academy, we encourage families to read, write, and speak with their children in their native languages. We assure them that these skills will transfer over to their development of the English language. Families are involved in ordering books for the library in their mother tongues. We also make these books available for students and teachers in the classrooms. Books are also available that represent the diverse cultures and ethnicities at the school. Material sent home, meetings and parent conferences are translated for the parents.

Spanish Instruction

Students in Kindergarten through sixth grade receive language instruction in Spanish once a week for the duration of 30 to 45 minutes, to help promote international-mindedness. The Spanish instruction will help to facilitate bilingualism in our students and for many, multilingualism. All students in grades Kindergarten through sixth grade will be given additional support in the classroom to help promote the development of the Spanish language.

Library

Students visit the school library with their class and books are available for checkout on a weekly basis. The library is available for classes to use for research, as well as the enjoyment of reading. The library is filled with books from various genres and written in various languages that support the mother tongues of the student population and the foreign language of instruction. The library serves as the center of inquiry for students and families at the school.

Assessment

Teachers and specialists will assess language development in accordance to the Ybarra Academy assessment policy and the developmental phases of the Language Scope and Sequence(2009). We will also have students demonstrate progress by choosing language samples to place in their portfolios. Students will be assessed informally and formally by their teachers on an ongoing basis.

As students arrive at Ybarra Academy, parents must fill out a “Home Language Survey.” This survey dictates to us if the student speaks a language other than English. If this is the case, the child is administered the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). This assessment covers reading, writing, listening and speaking. It gives an appropriate placement level for the child for English Language Development (E.L.D.). Results of testing are recorded on student’s CELDT folders and updated yearly. Students are then provided with language support based on their individual needs throughout their academic career.

Professional Growth

All staff members will attend trainings in the PYP and are encouraged to attend professional development in areas that support various forms of language instruction. All staff members are encouraged to collaborate with one another to promote professional growth.

Revising the Language Policy

The Language Policy Committee reviews the school language policy twice a year with the staff. The committee gathers views and information from the community, staff, and students as well as refers to the most current data about the school profile. It is then that the committee, which is comprised of staff members and school community members, revise or amend the policy.

Communicating the Language Policy

The Language Policy is communicated to the school community is various ways , including the official school website, School Site Council meetings, Literacy Night, Coffee with the Principal meetings, PTSA meetings, and ELAC meetings. It is at these various meetings that the school community members are invited to attend as well as give feedback and reflection on the policy.

Revised 2/2015