Spanish Bilingual Program Kindergarten &/or Grade 1 Information Meeting

1. Spanish Bilingual Program Kindergarten &/or Grade 1 Information Meeting EscuelaG H DaweCommunity School

2. What is it? The Spanish Bilingual Program provides students the opportunity to acquire the basic skills for speaking, reading, writing, listening and communicating in both English and Spanish at a young age. English and Spanish are used as the languages of instruction, beginning in Kindergarten or Grade 1 and continuing to Grade 12.

3. How will the program start up? Red Deer Public Schools intends to expand the program to in the next school year. The School Board is initially committed to offer a Spanish bilingual program to the grade 5 level if numbers warrant. The long term goal would be to continue instruction in Spanish to the grade 12 level.

4. Where will it be located? ESCUELA GH DAWE COMMUNITY SCHOOL 100, 56 Holt Street Red Deer, AB T4N 6A6 http://ghdawe.rdpsd.ab.ca

5. Dawe Facts Population: 340 Grades: Kindergarten-Grade 8 Founded: 1978 -G.H. Dawe Community School -Red Deer Public Library, G.H. Dawe Branch -G.H. Dawe Centre recreation facility -St. Patrick's School

6. How will it work? ENTRY POINTS Kindergarten and Grade 1 Previous Spanish experience is not required parents do not need to know the language. SPANISH/ENGLISH CONTENT 50/50 SUBJECTS TAUGHT IN SPANISH Kindergarten, Grades 1 to 5* • Spanish Language Arts • Mathematics • Physical Education • Optional Subject • Complementary course

7. Reasons to Learn Spanish: 1. Expands the intellect and problem solving skills. 2. Develops divergent thinking skills. 3. Teaches responsible citizenship. 4. Develops feelings of self esteem and pride in having acquired an additional language. 5. Strengthens long term English literacy skills. 6. Encourages the joy of lifelong learning.

8. Reasons to Learn Spanish: 7. Promotes exploration, understanding and appreciation of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. 8. Contributes to multilingualism and multiculturalism. 9. Allows students to compete internationally. 10. Provides students with more choices for advanced education and career options. 11. Broadens students’ cultural life through access to literature, art, music and the theatre. 12. Makes learning a third or fourth language much easier. 13. There are 350 million Spanish speakers world wide.

9. What is the difference between a bilingual and immersion program? Immersion: 70% + instruction in the target language Bilingual: 50% instruction in the target language

10. Students who receive quality second language instruction, when compared to their monolingual counterparts, show: -increased levels of verbal and non- verbal intelligence (Carroll) -greater flexibility in thought and divergent thinking skills (Kessler & Quinn) -enhanced memory and listening skills capacity (Ratté) -increased verbal fluency and originality (Albanese) -enhanced development of learning strategies and mental linguistic ability (Bialystock)

11. Students who receive quality second language instruction, when compared to their monolingual counterparts, show: -superior problem solving skills (Cummings) -improved Math and English results (Trites & Tallowitz) -development of cross cultural skills and awareness (Genesee and Cloud) -better preparation for the demands of languages other than English in the global marketplace (Panetta)

12. The Research Exam records over the past 25 years demonstrate that results on provincial English Language tests are consistently higher for students in bilingual and immersion language programs. The difference is small at grade 3 but by grades 6 and 9 the difference is significant.

13. …more research Bournot-Trites and Tallowitz(2002) cite 3 studies that show students in high intensity second language programs scoring higher on mathematics achievement tests than unilingual students.

14. The Research Cummins (1984) demonstrated that first and second language skills are interdependent and positively influence one another.

15. The Research Bialystock (1997) proved that knowing a second language helps a child comprehend written languages faster, and enables children to learn to read more easily.

16. The Research Genesee, in a 1987 study, (Learning through Two Languages, Cambridge Mass.), quantified that intensive second language study, had no negative impact on English Language skills, or overall academic achievement.

17. The Research Halsall (1998) in an Alberta study, French Immersion, the Success Story Told by Research, showed a strong positive correlation between overall student achievement and the number of hours spent in the study of a second language.

18. Kindergarten Delivery Depending on enrolment numbers, the intent is to offer 2 sections of half day Kindergarten: Half days-5 days a week (mornings and afternoon)

19. Kindergarten Transportation -For the 2013-14 school year only, bussing will be provided to Kindergarten students. -Transportation will be provided by shuttling students to French Immersion schools at Mountview Elementary or Oriole Park School and then students will transfer to a GH Dawe shuttle bus. -Alternatively, parents may be eligible to receive a transportation grant to drive their child to the program as GH Dawe would become their designated school. -Students who reside less than 1.6 km from GH Dawe School would NOT qualify for this grant

20. Grade One Transportation -Transportation will be available, if desired. -Transportation will be provided by shuttling students to French Immersion schools at Mountview Elementary or Oriole Park School and then students will transfer to a GH Dawe shuttle bus. -Students who reside less than 1.6 km from GH Dawe School would NOT qualify for this grant Students from outside the City of Red Deer do not qualify for any transportation funding or bussing services.

21. Help: No habloespanol!! http://education.alberta.ca/media/3091402/yesyoucanhelp.pdf

22. What our parents say

23. What our kids say

24. What our kids say

25. Contact Us Rob Porkka Director of International Education Red Deer Public Schools 403-343-1405 Internationalservices@rdpsd.ab.ca AnieSchroderus Principal Escuela-GH Dawe-Community School 403-343-3288 www.rdpsd.ab.ca/Spanish-Bilingual-Program.php