Some Milford School District students in the Spanish Immersion program will move up to the Milford Central Academy this year (Photo courtesy of Milford School District)
This year, the first cohort of students to participate in Milford School District’s Spanish Immersion program will attend Milford Central Academy. Some of the students have been in the program since attending Evelyn I. Morris Early Childhood Center.
“We currently have 63 children heading into the sixth grade,” Dr. Bridget Amory, Director of Student Learning, said. “These are students who were together at Morris but then separated between our northern and southern campuses during the elementary grades. They are now coming back together in the sixth grade. We have been working with Dr. Gaglione and her team to develop this program and support students.”
The traditional model for the Spanish Immersion program has children using Spanish in both math and science classrooms in elementary school. They will now transition into 90 minutes per day of classroom instruction in social studies. Dr. Amory explained that this is in alignment with other models that have been developed across the state as children transition into higher grades.
“We are very excited about the work ahead for these students,” Dr. Amory said. “And we’re very excited to send them to a new level and watch them blossom in their language development.”
Dr. Amory showed the Milford School District Board of Education a video of a rising 6th grade student at Lulu M. Ross Elementary School speaking Spanish to explain what the program has meant to him. Dr. Amory translated that the student has learned Spanish in the math and science classes he has taken at the elementary level and that he enjoys the program.
The Spanish Immersion program is for any student that wishes to learn to read, write and speak Spanish. Two teachers instruct students in the program, one for half the day in English, the other for half the day in Spanish. In the Spanish-speaking classrooms, the teacher speaks entirely in Spanish and uses a range of strategies, including pictures, songs, games, body language, facial expressions and more to give students a thorough understanding of the new language.
Parents who are interested in their child participating in the Spanish Immersion program should contact their child’s school.
Share this Post