 |
Werths donate $9
million in land for golf course
Dundee streets will be patrolled by
Newberg police
Everyone's
invited to Newberg's party
Kim defense team
seeks to combine release hearings
| Intent
on learning |
Migrant summer school in full swing at Edwards Elementary
School |
By Schellene Clendenin, Newberg
Graphic reporter
E-mail Schellene at sclendenin@eaglenewspapers.com
|
Spicy music played in the background as kids in the second and third
grade jumped or spun jump ropes to the beat. Celina Velazquez, a teacher on exchange from
Mexico City, counted off the beat in Spanish: “Uno, dos, tres, quatro.”
Migrant summer school, held at Edwards Elementary, is in full swing.
Many of the students are English Language Learners, said summer school
Principal Paco Benetti. While most are Spanish speakers, three other languages are
represented this summer – English, Russian and Korean. Only some of the 220 kids
enrolled have parents who are migrant workers – following work from town to town in
the summer.
The program, which began June 28, provides services to migrant and ELL
students in the Newberg School District.
In addition, two teachers on exchange with the Oregon/Mexico bi-national
program, including Velazquez and Juan Martinez from Zacatecas, Mexico, were invited to
join the summer school program to bring a different perspective to the kids and the
teachers in the program.
Velazquez said she likes the summer school program because of the
professionalism of the teachers and administrators involved, as well as for the way the
students are treated in the program.
She added that the hands-on program, with its science and technology base, is
fun and motivating for the students, as well, unlike Mexico, which doesn’t provide
summer school for students.
She and Martinez provide instruction in Spanish literature with an emphasis
in cultural heritage and physical education, Benetti said. Velazquez is also teaching
students regional Mexican dances which the children will perform from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
July 28 in the Edwards cafeteria.
Benetti said nine teachers from the Newberg School District have been sent to
Mexico as part of the exchange.
The program serves nine classrooms from pre-Kindergarten to seventh grade and
includes an educational assistant and a Newberg High School intern in each classroom.
Benetti said the main goal of the program is to teach students English
and maintain their basic skills in reading and writing. But it also provides
extracurricular activities such as excursions to the city pool, hosted by Chehalem Park
and Recreation District, a visit by Home Depot to teach students to build bug homes and a
field trip to OMSI in Portland.
Each classroom has a science/technology theme from ladybugs in the first
grade classroom to to Lego Robotics with fifth-grade students.
Yesenia Correa, who will be a senior at NHS this fall, said the program gives
the kids a chance to improve their English skills and do something worthwhile in the
summer instead of watching television.
Students in Joanne Russ’ combined second/third grade class were
separating piles of assorted items into stick and don’t stick piles for their
treasure boxes, the theme of the class.
Veronica Avalos, 8, demonstrated that not all nails stick to the magnet, but
paperclips, wire mesh and staples do.
“I like summer school,” Avelos said. “It’s cool. They
show us a lot of math and stuff like that. And today I am going to go swimming.”
Yamhill County Sheriff Detective Ed Rosario is one of the guests invited to
the program, Benetti said. As part of the combined sixth/seventh grade class, Rosario
provides instruction on everything from drug to crime scene investigation.
Kris Bower, an instructor in the class said the program, is very hands-on for
students. Students have lifted fingerprints, discussed crime scenes and learned about
genetic fingerprinting.
Juan Hernandez, a recent graduate of NHS, said this is his third year as an
intern in the summer school program. He started out in the program to earn school credit
but the kids seemed to like him and he enjoyed the work. “I keep coming back.
It’s fun for the kids.”
Hernandez said before he began working with the kids at the summer school he
had wanted to become a barber; however, his plans may have changed. “I’m kind of
thinking of being a teacher. I’ve learned from listening.” |
|
From July 21,
2004, Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
