Springs School educates approximately 700 students from prekindergarten all the way to eighth grade, and around 200 of them are English language learners. Some kids are more advanced in their English vocabulary, while others are just learning the language.
The English as a new language program (E.N.L.) teaches English to children of all ages who may not be accustomed to the language. E.N.L. helps students with decision making and problem solving and opens up both educational and career opportunities.
Melissa Dexter, Sarah Dunkirk, Margaret Garsetti, Juana Loja, Robert Maier, and Kimberly Royal are the six teachers who make learning English possible for many students.
One student who officially graduated from the program had a lot of good things to say about it. “The E.N.L. program helped me and other struggling students learn English faster,” said Sara Cortez Sanchez, a sixth grader. “Our teacher, Mr. Maier, supported us whenever we needed additional help, especially during the state test. He would make sure that we learned something new from every class and even made some games up so that we would have fun while learning the language.”
“I’ve been helping children become multilingual for around 27 years and I think it’s a great blessing to be able to work with this population of students,” said Ms. Garsetti. “In order to teach this group of kids you need to have empathy and sensitivity to the challenges that the children are going through, but at the same time, you have to keep the learning standards very high for them to be able to properly grasp what they are learning.” Furthermore, she explained that the children who are involved within the E.N.L. program benefit greatly both academically and emotionally, as each mentor makes sure to help each and every student become more acclimated in the country they may not be so familiar with.
The E.N.L. program at Springs School makes sure to support every single student who may be struggling with the language by guiding and encouraging them as they advance in learning English step by step.
By Samantha Moscoso Farfan, Grade 7, Springs School Journalism Club