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 Located
at Delaware Community
School, the Dual Language Program is the
only program of its kind in the northeast corridor of New York state.
The program currently serves children in prekindergarten through grade
5 -- both
native English-speaking students as well as native
Spanish-speaking -- with the desired outcome that both populations of
students enrolled in the program become bilingual and biliterate.
Registration for the 2009-10
school year begins Monday, March 30 in conjunction with
prekindergarten and kindergarten registration. All students must be
registered at the Office of Central Registration, located in the
Sunshine Building in Lincoln Park, at the intersection of Delaware
and Holland/Morton avenues. For more information, call (518)
462-7207.
Parents can elect (by completing papers for open enrollment) to
enroll their children in the Dual Language Program in place of
sending their child to their neighborhood school.
Delaware
Community School is located at 43 Bertha St., off of Delaware
Avenue. The hours for the school and program are 9:05
a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
In the Dual Language Program, instructional time is divided between learning
in Spanish and learning in English. Classes are integrated to
promote cultural and linguistic exchanges among the students.
Students learn the languages through content area instruction using
grade-appropriate curriculum.
Children who learn to read in their native
language very quickly catch on to reading in their second
language. The same is true for math, science and social studies
concepts. Concepts are learned in one language and then
naturally transfer into the second language.
For more information,
contact Delaware Community School Principal Thomas Giglio at (518) 475-6750 or
send an e-mail to him. You also
can download an informational brochure about the program:
Teachers and Staff
The program is
composed of bilingual professionals, many of whom are from Ecuador,
Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Peru and the United States.
In addition to the bilingual classroom teachers there also is a
bilingual school psychologist and speech therapist. There also is an
English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and a Spanish as a Second
Language teacher.
Because of their backgrounds, the teachers share their cultural
heritages with the children, helping them to better achieve a
multicultural awareness.
Philosophy
The Dual Language Program is committed to
preparing children for success in the 21st century. Mastery of more
than one language and an understanding and appreciation of cultural
and linguistic diversity truly contributes to success in our
multicultural nation.
Dual Language Program
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:
I am wondering, what is a typical
day or week schedule like?
A: Everyday, students receive
one hour of language
arts -- reading and writing instruction -- in their native language
provided by their classroom teacher and one hour a day of second-language instruction -- Spanish as a second language or English as a
second language -- provided by certified and experienced second-language teachers. Science,
social studies and math are instructed
by their classroom teacher in Spanish on one day and the next day's
lesson is instructed in English on an alternating-day schedule,
thereby allowing both native English speakers and native Spanish
speakers the opportunity to serve as peer coaches or "teachers."
Q: How will my children learn Spanish as a Second
Language?
A: In addition to learning Spanish in math,
science and
social studies in their regular classroom with their bilingual
classroom teacher, students are introduced to their second language
through lessons in the daily Spanish as a Second Language class
based on themes that are selected in partnership with the child's
classroom teacher to further reinforce classroom-based instruction.
Instruction is designed to address the various ways in which
children learn. For example, students are introduced to songs,
poems, plays and other oral activities related to the theme in
Spanish. They listen to and discuss literature selections related to
the theme and then they either play a game and/or complete an art
activity, which may also include literacy development related to the
theme. Students learn to retell stories they have listened to and create their own plays in response to the
literature and/or theme that is being studied.
Q: Are you interested in attending fun bilingual family
involvement activities to learn some Spanish and learn about Latino
cultures?
A: The Dual Language Enrichment Program hosts bilingual
family nights during the school year in which the children in the
program have the opportunity share what they are learning with their
families. Parental involvement in the Dual Language Enrichment
Program is highly valued. Parents are encouraged to visit their
child(ren)'s classroom and to discuss their child(ren)'s progress in
the program. Since all personnel in the program are bilingual, this
is easily supported. In the event a child has a speech disorder, a
bilingual speech therapist is available to provide services to
native Spanish speakers.
Q: Does my child have to live in the neighborhood of
Delaware Community School in
order for my child to attend the Dual Language Enrichment program?
A: As a matter of fact, the children attending the Dual
Language Enrichment Program can live in any neighborhood in Albany. If the family doesn't reside in the neighborhood
where the program is located, parents must complete an open
enrollment form to apply for the program. Transportation is provided
for students who live at least 1.5 miles from Delaware Community
School.
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