Woodland Primary School Program Options for Kindergarten 2015-2016

Woodland Primary SchoolProgram Options for Kindergarten

2015-2016

Welcome!

Stacey Anderson-Principal

Elizabeth Burgess-Assistant Principal/Special Education Supervisor

and

Elizabeth Szepesi-Coordinator of Bilingual Education and Dual Language

Welcome!

PTA

Get involved!

This organization supports our students and our school district.

Parent Liason

Tiffany Soler

Hooray for Full Day Kindergarten!

•Woodland Strategic Plan 2012•Feasibility Study 2013-2014•Approved by the Board of Education on August 26, 2014 to implement for the 2015-2016 school year.

Kindergarten Programs 

What is best for your child?

Full Day Kindergarten

or

Dual Language Kindergarten

Primary Information for both programs

•Times: 9:20-3:30 p.m.•Transportation•Breakfast and Lunch Programs•Special area classes•Recess•Common Core State Standards•Socialization and Academic Growth

Full Day Kindergarten

Balanced Curriculum:•Direct instruction•Workshop instruction•Projects, learning centers, student centered activities•Integration of art, music, physical education, technology and library media

Development of Whole Child:•Comprehensive program that honors the social/emotional development.•Discovery, exploration, active learning, structured and unstructured play.•All faucets of our planning are enhanced by the extension of our day.

Save the Date!

March 7th-Kindergarten Registration at the Primary School (8:00-2:00 p.m.)

April 27th-Incoming Kindergarten Information Night at the Primary School

(6:00 p.m.)

May 2nd-Sneek Peak! Primary School (10:00-12:00 p.m.)

Contact Information

Stacey Anderson

Principal

(847) 984-8702

standerson@dist50.net

Elizabeth Burgess

Assistant Principal/Special Education Supervisor

(847) 984-8751

eburgess@dist50.net

Woodland School District

50Jan. 27, 2015

Dual Language Program

Students learn two languages simultaneously

50-60% of students speak the minority language (Spanish)

40-50% of the students speak the majority language (English

Both groups are immersed in each others language (Two Way

Immersion)

Students learn content based on the Common Core State

Standards

Students also learn in both English and Spanish

What is Dual Language?

Develop high levels of bilingualism, biliteracy, and

academic achievement in both languages for all

students in the program.

Our program is for all students that have a wide range

of academic and language abilities.

Achieve at or above grade level academic performance

for both language groups by the end of 5th grade.

Demonstrate positive cross-cultural attitudes and

behaviors.

Develop a strong home-school partnership.

Program Goals

Students have partner teachers

Teacher A will be a Spanish speaker and

Teacher B will be an English speaker

Teachers will be native speakers if possible. If the teacher is not a native speaker. He or she will have an excellent command of the language they are teaching.

Both teachers teacher content and language.

There is a strict separation of language unless a “bridging” lesson is taught.

Bridging connects the two languages and allows students to compare and contrast the languages. This aids in the acquisition of both languages.

Woodland’s Dual Language Program

Grade English SpanishKindergarten English Language Arts

Social StudiesSpanish Language ArtsScience Math

1st grade English Language ArtsSocial Studies

Spanish Language ArtsScience Math

2nd grade English Language ArtsSocial Studies

Spanish Language ArtsScience Math

3rd grade English Language ArtsMath

Spanish Language ArtsScience Social Studies

4th grade English Language ArtsMath

Spanish Language ArtsScience Social Studies

5th grade English Language ArtsMath

Spanish Language ArtsScience Social Studies

Our program is a 50/50 content model taught by partner teachers. The class will be composed of 50-60% of students who qualify for

bilingual services and the other 40-50% will be English speakers or students who speak a non-Spanish language at home.

Teachers will maintain a strict separation of languages when teaching content in their respective classrooms.

Teachers will bridge major concepts and vocabulary learned in the target language after units of study.

Metalinguistics must be taught during and after bridging to explore the nuances of the language.

Cognate walls will be used. Students will engage in simultaneous literacy. Every day the students

will have English language arts and Spanish language arts.

Non Negotiables

Both native English speakers and native Spanish speakers benefit from becoming bilingual and bi-literate.

By the end of the program (minimum of six years) the dual language student will be able to read, write, speak and listen in both English and Spanish.

“Studies show that a multilingual brain is nimbler, quicker, better able to deal with ambiguities, resolve conflicts and even resist Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia longer.” http://science.time.com/2013/07/18/how-the-brain-benefits-from-being-bilingual/#ixzz2vDKq0LAW

Higher scores on standardized tests. Results from SAT test show students who studied a foreign language for four or

more years outperformed their peers on verbal and math portions of the test (The College Board SAT, 2003).

Learning another language enhances your knowledge of your native language (Curtain & Dahlberg, 2004).

Increased demand for bilingual employees in all career fields. Being bilingual can positively impact one’s income potential by up to

20%. More apt to travel abroad. Spanish is spoken in 21 countries worldwide.

Benefits of Bilingualism

Kindergarten Registration and Dual Language Lottery Registration Date: Saturday, Mar. 7th, 2015 Location: Primary Building Time: 8:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Purpose: Kindergarten Registration. All families interested in the Dual Language Program must

complete a preregistration form. This is the only way to get a number. Parents will be given a registration form. That form will get you a number for the lottery. Lottery numbers will be assigned and mailed home via USPS after the information night on March 11th. See below. The lottery will be held on April 8th. See below.

Dual Information Night Date: Wednesday, Mar. 11th, 2015 Location: Primary Building Time: 6:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Purpose: At this meeting you will learn about Language Acquisition, Biliteracy, and more specifics of Woodland’s Dual Language Program. Both new parent and current parents of dual language students are encouraged to attend this meeting. Those families that did not complete a preregistration form on Sat., Mar. 7th, 2015 can complete one this evening. Lottery numbers will be assigned and mailed home via USPS after the information night.

Important Dates

Dual Language Lottery Drawing Date: Wednesday, Apr. 8th, 2015 Location: Educational Support Center Purpose: Parents who have a lottery number can be present as the numbers are drawn, but it is not

necessary. The district uses a random number generator program to conduct the lottery. All results will be posted on the district website at www.dist50.net/duallanguage.

Lottery Confirmation Letter Date: Letters will be mailed on Friday, April 24th Purpose: This letter is a confirmation letter. It will indicate if your child is placed into the Dual Language

Program or general education. Parents must accept or reject the Dual Language placement, in writing, by May 15, 2015. A self addressed, stamped envelope will be provided to you. If this letter is not received by May 15, 2015 your child’s spot in the Dual Language spot will be lost and the next person on the wait list will be added. Please note that after first grade English-speaking students are not eligible to enter the Dual Language Program.

Important Dates

Contact Information

Elizabeth A. SzepesiCoordinator of Bilingual Education & Dual LanguageCoordinadora del Programa de Inmersión Recíproca y Bilingüe

847-596-5623 Woodland School District 501105 N. Hunt Club Rd.Gurnee, IL 60031

eszepesi@dist50.net

Thank you