A Visit to the International School of Brooklyn

The exploration of bilingual programs around the city continues as we were able to visit the International School of Brooklyn this past Thursday. Upon entering the school doors, you immediately get a sense that this school is serious about learning and its students. Located in a renovated building that was once a church, the school is spacious and bright. The hallways are carefully decorated with student work and anyone walking through them can see what students are currently learning. One display that stuck out in particular was of the school's curriculum in the lower division where it showed the units being studied and the various topics and themes in those units that answer questions such as how we express ourselves, where are we in time in place, how we organise ourselves, how the world works, and sharing the planet. Here's a sense of what we experienced upon arrival:

   

                                          

On our tour of the classrooms in the lower and upper divisions, we were able to witness students and teachers (all who are native speakers) engage in the target language. It was truly fascinating to see students at such an early stage of development, some not being native speakers, speak solely in the target langauge. Each classroom felt like a smaller community that took part in a bigger world of learning. The classrooms are bright and colorful with big windows that let a great amount of sunlight into the room. Again, student work is boasted on the walls giving a sense of pride and accomplishment in what is achieved at ISB. Take a look at our photos of some of the classrooms we visited: 

Spanish Vowels

Art is another subject that students are able to take and are taught in the target language. Students can express their creativity through carefully planned projects that help them develop language skills and are meaningful and fun. The school takes a process over product approach and emphasizes that the process of learning to build and create is more important than the product. 

Paper Mache masks 

Current unit: The Four-Seasons of Vivaldi 

Here is a piece of artwork made by a group of 2nd grade French students displayed in the hallway. Each of the students cut and painted squares, made holes, and strung each piece together to form a beautiful tapestry, resembling that of El Anatsui, a famous contemporary artist. 

Making our way down to the basement, we found that the school also has a music room, cafeteria, and library-very impressive! 

Library

The International School of Brooklyn or ISB is a school that offers a world of opportunity for its rapidly growing student body of about 300 students. Located in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, the school offers a full-immersion language program in Spanish and French. It is divided into the lower division which consists of the Nursery, Pre-K and grades K-5 and the upper division which consists of middle school grades 6-8. They have plans on enlarging the program to include high school grades in the near future.

So how much time do students spend in language immersion in each grade level? Here's a quick breakdown:

-Nursery and Pre-K: 100% full instruction in target language, French or Spanish
-Kindergarten: 90% instruction in target language with 3 hrs. of English per week
-1st through 3rd: 75% of the formal instruction in the target language, with 6 hours per week in     English
-4th and 5th grade: 50-50 model, with half of the formal instruction in the target language and half of the formal instruction in English

Once students move up to middle school, they will engage in a rigorous academic program following the International Baccalaureate model and be required to study eight traditional subjects such as humanities, science, mathematics, arts, physical education, etc. On top of this, they are required to study two languages. For more information on IB programs, visit the following link www.ibo.org.

One of the highlights of this school as described by the lower school director, Delphine Michaud, is that is it is focused on incorporating a truly global perspective in its classrooms. The emphasis is on building a community of learners based on multi-cultural education, preparing students for a international future.

For more information, you can visit the school website at http://isbrooklyn.org/.

Thank you ISB! We hope to see you soon!

NYC's English Language Learners

A recently published demographic report from the NYC Dept. of Education's Office of English Language Learners provides some eye-opening statistics. As mentioned in the report, approximately 41% of students enrolled in NYC public schools speak another language than English at home. ELLs make up 14.4% percent of the entire DOE population and as of 2013 there are 159,162 enrolled in the school system. The largest portion of these students come from the Dominican Republic. Users can access other reports on the DOE website, which holds other important information for ELLs  such as the enrollment process and types of ELL programs. Take a look at some the report highlights below.

Science, Language, and Arts: A Classic Education with a Revolutionary Approach

On Tuesday November 26, we were able visit the Science, Language, and Arts school located in the heart of the BAM Cultural District in downtown Brooklyn. The school is located on 126 Saint Felix Street right off Atlantic Avenue station and once inside, you will discover a multi-level building with stairways that lead to classrooms, dance and music studios, and playrooms.

As the name of the school entails, the Science, Language and Arts school takes a project-based approach to its curriculum. As stated in their website, "A project-based interdisciplinary approach supports a curriculum rich in the sciences, math, and the arts. Children are immersed not only in foreign languages but a school culture designed to develop thoughtful, cooperative citizens."

The school ranges from grades Pre-K through 3rd, and is unique in that it offers a language immersion program in three languages: French, Mandarin and English. The school uses a scaffolded model for developing French proficiency. Students in pre-school are taught 95% of the time in French and move towards developing both French and English proficiencies in first, second, and third grade. They also offer Mandarin twice a week and advanced classes are available for native and advanced speakers.

A conversation with the director, Jennifer Wilkin, gave us more insight into the development of the school and other factors of the school that make it truly one of a kind. Students can expect to move, dance, and learn about coordination through Buckets and Beats, a multi-level multi-stick drumming course. The school also offers a variety of after-school programs that further develop French language skills from beginning to advanced levels. Each week parents receive an extensive newsletter in the form of an album that gives them information on upcoming events, relevant news, and sample student work so that they are kept up to date.

For more information on this school, visit their website or call 347–770–0205.

Photo gallery:

School Entrance 

Classrooms 

Weekly Parent Newsletter 

ELL? TBE? ESL?

Those looking into bilingual/dual language schools may be familiar with the acronyms ELLS, TBE, ESL, etc. Here's a quick look at what these terms mean and how to determine what your child's needs.

In short, here's what the different acronyms stand for:

ELL- English Language Learner 

TBE- Transitional Bilingual Education 

ESL- English as a Second Language

What is an English Language Learner or ELL?

English Language Learners, or ELLS are newly enrolled students who have native languages other than English and need support learning English.

How does a school determine if my child is an ELL?

All parents/guardians of newly enrolled students must complete a Home Language Identification Survey (HLIS).

If HLIS indicates that your child uses a language other than English, he or she is administered an English proficiency test called the Language Assessment Battery Revised (LAB-R).

Once a child scores at a certain level of proficiency in English on the New York State English as a Second Language Achievement Test (NYSESLAT), he or she can enter a monolingual instructional program.

  

What ELL programs are available for my child?

Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE): programs include language arts and subject matter instruction in the students’ native language and English as well as intensive instruction in English as a Second Language.

Dual Language: programs provide half of instruction in English and half in the native language of the ELLs in the program.

Freestanding English as a Second Language (ESL):  provide all language arts and subject matter instruction in English. 

For more information about ELL programs in the NYC Dept. of Education, click here.

Why Bilinguals Are Smarter

                                                                                                                  Photo: Harriet Russell
         
Does being bilingual make you smarter? According to an article by the New York Times, the answer is yes. The article provides evidence through various studies and research that supports this claim.

Dual Language Program Fair at P.S. 165

 

Information booth displaying student work at P.S. 165

P.S. 165 The Robert E. Simon School located on 234 West 109th street held a school fair event on Saturday, November 2nd. At the event were a variety of schools around the city that also hold dual-language programs.

The dual program at P.S. 165 is offered for students from K-8. It offers academic instruction that is 50 percent in English and 50 percent in Spanish. The dual language teachers foster and cultivate all of their students' academic skills in both languages so that they are truly bi-lingual, bicultural and bilateral.

For more information on this school, you can visit www.psms165.org

Other schools at the event:

P.S. 58 The Carroll School (DL French)

330 Smith Street

Brooklyn, NY 11231

School:  718-330-9322

Parent Coodinator: (917) 613-5074 

jbredthauer2@schools.nyc.gov

PS 165 Robert E. Simon (DL Spanish)

234 W. 109^th Street

New York, NY 10025

School: (212) 678-2873

Parent Coordinator: (212) 678-2873

PS 163 (DL Spanish)

The Alfred E. Smith School

163 West 97^th Street

New York, NY 10025

School: (212) 678-2854

Parent Coordinator: p5163pc@yahoo.com

PS 84 The Lillian Weber School for the Arts (DL Spanish&French)

32 West 92^nd Street

New York, NY 10025

(212) 799-2534

PS 87 William T. Sherman School (DL Spanish)

160 West 78th Street

 New York, NY 10024

School: (212) 678-2826

Parent Coordinator: (212) 678-2826 x3

Mlerner@ps87.info