Administrators brush up on their Spanish
JOLIET GRADE SCHOOL DISTRICT
August 5, 2008Recommend
By CATHERINE ANN VELASCO
cvelasco@scn1.com
JOLIET -- Principal Connie Russell, who took German in high school, had picked up bits and pieces of Spanish by living in Joliet, but not enough to communicate with her school's parents and students.
"I knew some common phrases like 'como estas?' and 'buenos dias,'" she said.
So Russell, principal at Gompers Junior High School, welcomed an intensive week-long Spanish class taught by a consultant Joliet Grade School District hired. Ten administrators took part in the 20-hour course.
"Our hope is to have all of our administrators effectively communicate with our Spanish-speaking parents. That may be by speaking Spanish themselves or by having a staff member immediately available to help translate," Superintendent Phyllis Wilson said. "Nearly 50 percent of our student population is Hispanic. We have many parents who do not read or speak English."
Russell and her classmates practiced speaking Spanish and role-playing different scenarios, such as a parent asking questions about registration.
Russell appreciated the class because about 80 percent of Gompers' students are Hispanic and she wants to be able to talk with their parents.
"To me, it makes them feel comfortable if they come in and know that they can speak with us too," she said.
Russell hopes for a second class so she can continue practicing, but in the meantime, she will use Rosetta Stone language learning software.
Last spring, the district piloted the software which will now be used district-wide for staff, bilingual students and at Parks Cultural Studies Academy where all students learn Spanish.
Rosetta Stone uses common pictures and oral repetition to teach different languages
The Herald News asked for the cost for the consultant and district's Rosetta Stone software, but was told to file a request under the Freedom of Information Act. The FOIA request as filed Monday, and the district has seven working days to respond.
Tawanda Lawrence, principal at A.O. Marshall Elementary, took two years of Spanish in high school but has forgotten most of it.
After the course, she said she feels more confident speaking in Spanish to parents.
"I would listen to a translator, but I would try to communicate as well during that meeting," Lawrence said. She said about 60 percent of her school's students are Hispanic.
Russell said she wished she knew Spanish when she was a teacher because it would have been very helpful during parent-teacher conferences.
"We would have people that would interpret, but it is nice to know actually what is going on. It would have made me a little bit more at ease," Russell said. "It's nice to have the knowledge yourself."
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