Indy Education: Washoe County School District’s only bilingual high school program

Good morning and welcome to the Indy Education newsletter. I’m Rocio Hernandez, The Nevada Independent Education reporter for primary and secondary education.

This newsletter provides a summary of the latest education stories and highlights interesting teachers, students, programs and other events and resources across the state. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter and receive it weekly by email.

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News overviews

🏫 New support center for victims of child sex trafficking, including school – St. Jude’s Ranch for Children in Boulder City on Wednesday celebrated the grand opening of its new Healing Center, Southern Nevada’s only residential treatment center for child victims of sex trafficking. According to its website, it is one of only a few in the country dedicated to helping children go from victim to survivor. In addition to offering housing, the $30 million center also includes a school in partnership with the Clark County School District.
CCSD Associate Superintendent Kevin McPartlin said the school will offer online learning options and flexibility when students are having a tough day.

Schools in the spotlight

Wooster High School’s new bilingual program immerses students in Spanish

As a teenager, Rene Flores did not like to speak Spanish.

He knew the bare minimum to have small conversations in Spanish with his parents in their Reno home, but talking to his cousins ​​from El Salvador was a lot more difficult.

“I just couldn’t do it,” he said. “I was just ashamed that I had an accent, otherwise I would be corrected a lot.”

Today, the Wooster High alumnus turned math teacher is helping students feel more comfortable embracing the Spanish language as part of the school’s new bilingual education program officially launched this school year. It is the only program of its kind offered at the high school level in the Washoe County School District.

The program includes algebra and geometry, history and Spanish language arts classes taught in Spanish, in addition to science, English language arts, physical education and electives taught in English. About 120 first and second year students are taking the classes this year.

Next year, Wooster plans to offer a Spanish course on world history to 10th graders and is brainstorming what electives it can offer 11th and 12th graders, said Wooster High Principal David Kitchin.

The bilingual education program builds on the school’s existing International Baccalaureate Spanish program, which offers college-level Spanish language courses.

The new bilingual classes give students – including those learning Spanish as a second language and those who grew up in a Spanish-speaking household but want to improve their proficiency – more time to be immersed in the language and learn new terms. do not use in everyday conversations.

For newcomers from Spanish-speaking countries, it gives them the opportunity to continue learning in their native language and maintain their Spanish language skills while adapting to English.

Kitchin said he came up with the idea for the program when he observed a student from Guatemala who was struggling with her geometry class, not because of the concepts, but because she was struggling with English vocabulary. But he wanted the classes to be inclusive for both native speakers and students learning Spanish as a second language.

This is Flores’ first time teaching Spanish, so the program is as much of a learning experience for him as it is for his students.

At the beginning of the program, he said the students, and even himself, were a little shy about speaking in Spanish in front of the entire class. But over time, he says, they’ve become a lot more comfortable and patient with themselves when they don’t know how to say something in Spanish.

He has noticed that the lessons have helped newcomers to come out of their shells.

“In a normal English-speaking classroom they are very quiet, shy and timid and … they just try not to be noticed,” he said. “Here they are just out and about.”

The lessons have also been a fun challenge for Flores, who is in his 14th year as a teacher. He said teaching bilingual geometry has given him the same butterflies as when he was a new teacher.

“It has brought more passion and life into my career,” Flores said.

Do you have a student or staff member that we should feature in the next edition of School Spotlight? Please share your nominations with me (email protected).

Read assignments

Report: Nevada’s new education funding formula ‘a huge step forward,’ but funding needs remain

School funding is still well below what experts think is needed to ensure good outcomes, according to a new report unveiled Wednesday by the Guinn Center on the new K-12 funding formula adopted in 2019.

IndyFest 2024: A tense debate over whether Nevada scholarships are vouchers

In a 45 minute conversation during The Nevada IndependentDuring the school’s annual conference, panelists discussed the Opportunity Scholarships program, the achievements of the Clark County School District and the best ways to meet the needs of Nevada’s students.

UNLV assistant dean appointed to Clark County School Board

The Clark County School Board voted 4-2 Wednesday to appoint Nakia Jackson-Hale, an assistant dean of the UNLV School of Nursing, to the vacant District B position.

Extra credit

From the Reno Gazette-Journal: Washoe School Trustee Alex Woodley says he will not resign over the sexting scandal

By The 74: Culture wars cost schools an estimated $3.2 billion last year, hurting student services

Events

🍎 Meeting of the State Board of Education – Wednesday, November 6, 2 p.m

The agenda includes a summary of the board’s survey results on statewide high school start times, results of surveys of Clark County School District employees and an update on chronic absenteeism within districts.

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Have a fun Halloween and Nevada day.