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Feb 6 2013 Minutes WLTF

Page history last edited by Meghan Hanson 12 years, 2 months ago

World Languages Task Force

Minutes: February 6, 2013

 

  1. Attendance

    1. Members in attendance: Meghan Hanson-Peters, Babette Dickson, Ann Coon, Braden Wilson, Holly Barclay, Olivia Graham, Irene Alicot, Christina Magill, Kristin Wilson, Ann Henderson, Kelle Schmidt

    2. Guests in attendance: Roger Goode and Diana Gonzalez

 

  1. Guest speakers: Roger and Diana spoke about the Rotary Student Exchange. Diana is from Toluca, Mexico and wanted to learn another language. She wants to learn Mandarin after English. She shared that not many of her peers in Mexico speak English. Roger briefly discussed his interest in the task force as a member of the Education Fund Board and his own travels as part of his business.

 

  1. Sharing draft recommendations for K-12 World Language Programming in SSSD

Group I: Ann Coon, Kelle Schmidt, Olivia Graham, Irene Alicot, Kristin Wilson

Group II: Roddy Beall, Babette Dickson, Braden Wilson, Christina Magill, Ann Henderson, Holly Barclay

Recommends strengthening the Spanish program in lower elementary (grades 3-5): more frequency, more teacher contact

 

Expand to K, 1, 2 eventually

 

Ultimately will provide MS students more opportunities to go deeper so as to not repeat Spanish 1 or 2 again at HS; students can be proficient by HS and branch out to other languages.

 

Change HS schedule to see students every day instead of every other day.

 

K-12 curriculum needs to be articulated more frequently and more thoroughly.

 

Visit immersion programs and dual language programs at other schools.

 

Add a dual language track at the elementary so that students are conversational by 5th grade.

 

Include ongoing professional development for staff.

 

1 year

5 year

10 year

Ideally, K-5 Spanish, 5 days/week

 

But perhaps first, 3-5 Spanish, 5 days/week

 

Introduce Mandarin at HS next year.

 

Add immersion program K-5

 

Strengthen MS and HS programs: levels at MS, more languages at MS including French and Mandarin

 

Expand online options

 

More collaboration with CMC on dual enrollment

Add a second language at elementary

 

Continue to strengthen MS and HS programs

 

 

Comments and questions that were raised by both groups:

  • Increasing frequency at the elementary level is critical.

  • Increase the number of language offerings at the high school level and, eventually, the middle school level.

  • Explore immersion and dual-language programs for the elementary level.

  • Could we offer American Sign Language at the high school?

  • Could we offer basic Mandarin at both the high school and middle school?

  • A dual-language program is cost-saving because it eliminates the need for ELL staff; that ELL staff can be re-allocated within the dual-language program.

  • We should try a track of dual-language as opposed to a full-bore program right off the bat, similar to how the elementary Montessori program was phased in.

 

 

 

 

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