Greetings Thompson School District Students, Staff, Parents and Community Members,
This month I would like to draw your attention to our Dual Language Immersion programs that are currently housed at two of our elementary schools, with an anticipated launch into our middle and high schools over the coming years. I asked Toni Theisen, our Dual Language Immersion specialist, to provide a brief narrative and description of our current programming as well as a description of our future direction in this area.
Thompson School District’s Dual Language K-12 Immersion is an academic program that enhances the development of content in two languages – English and Spanish – as well as literacy in both languages so that students will graduate ready for college, career and life in a globally competitive economy and a collaborative international community. This unique program builds students’ linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in both English and Spanish. Students learn standards-based content as they become linguistically and academically proficient in two languages. The benefits of a dual language immersion program include the development of greater cognitive flexibility, demonstrating increased attention control, better memory, and stronger problem-solving skills; an enhanced understanding of one’s own language and culture; equal or better performance on standardized tests of English and math administered in English than non-immersion students; and intercultural and sociocultural competencies which generate more positive attitudes toward other cultures.
At the elementary level, Thompson School District offers a Dual Language Immersion 50/50 Program in Spanish at Truscott Elementary School and Cottonwood Plains Elementary School. The TSD Dual Language elementary model has a team of two teachers at each level. One teacher teaches in Spanish and one teacher teaches in English. In grades K-2, students learn math and literacy in Spanish, and science, social studies and literacy in English. In grades 3-5 students learn literacy, science and social studies in Spanish and math, literacy and social studies in English.
In the future, we are looking to expand to grades 6-8 where the model will change to a dual language continuation program with two classes in Spanish: a Spanish literacy class and one other content class. Finally, our plan for high school students will be for them to take the AP or IB Spanish Language exam at grades 9 or 10. Students will then have opportunities to earn college credit as TSD partners with university programs.
As I hope you can discern from this description, Thompson School District offers students an exciting dual language immersion experience. We will continue to explore opportunities to enhance and expand these programs at additional elementary and secondary sites in the future. Have a terrific April and thank you for your continued support of our amazing District!
Dr. Marc Schaffer
Superintendent
Thompson School District