September 16, 2008

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the academic year 2008-09.  My name is Maria J. Otero-Martin and I would like to share with you the happiness I feel in having the opportunity to serve you as the Elementary Second Language Programs Coordinator of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns, as well as thank you for the very warm welcome that has been extended to me by so many people.  I come to you from the Port Chester School District, where I taught grades 1, 2, 3 and 4 in both bilingual (Spanish) and monolingual settings during a 16 year career as an elementary school teacher.  Prior to that I taught for five years at Intermediate School 52 in the Bronx where I was first a teacher, then ESL Teacher Trainer and Bilingual Coordinator.  The majority of my experiences have been in teaching students of diverse educational and linguistic backgrounds.  I look forward to joining with the staff of the elementary schools, parents and administrators, as we continue implementing our best educational practices and strategies in our classrooms.

In closing, please let me thank you again for your warm welcome and express my happiness in having the opportunity to join the community of the Public Schools of the Tarrytowns.  I look forward to knowing you through our interactions during events such as Back to School Night, our Dual Language Breakfasts, the Dual Language Advisory Committee and any other opportunity to exchange information.  Most importantly, I look forward to sharing with you the experience of your child’s success in their second language development.  

Please feel free to stop by the Dual Language office, located on the first floor of the John Paulding School, and say hello, or call (914) 332-6319 if you have any questions or suggestions.

                                                                                       Yours very truly,
                                                                                       Maria J. Otero-Martin
                                                                                       Elementary Second
                                                                                       Language Programs
                                                                                       Coordinator

Come and enjoy a wonderful cup of coffee, a light breakfast and the opportunity to chat about our Dual Language Program!

 Breakfast Schedule:

Wednesday, September 24, 2008 –
Kindergarten Dual Language Breakfast at Tappan Hill School at 8:15 a.m.

Thursday, September 25, 2008-
4^th Grade Dual Language Breakfast at Washington Irving School at 7:45 a.m.

Friday, September 26, 2008-
5^th Grade Dual Language Breakfast at Washington Irving School at 7:45 a.m.

Thursday, October 2, 2008-
2^nd Grade Dual Language Breakfast at W.L. Morse School at 8:15 a.m.

Friday, October 3, 2008-
3^rd Grade Dual Language Breakfast at W.L. Morse School at 8:15 a.m.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008-
1^st Grade Dual Language Breakfast at John Paulding School at 8:15 a.m.

JUNTOS/TOGETHER
DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM

The Tarrytown Dual Language program provides students with  the opportunity to learn a second language while continuing to develop their native language proficiency. Students are exposed to the same curriculum as their peers while also having the opportunity to learn a second language.  Dual Language classes include a balance of students from Spanish-language and English-language backgrounds who participate together in instructional activities, which are presented in two languages.

A dedicated staff, trained in second language acquisition, deliver a curriculum that is aligned to state standards. Assessments are given throughout the program to track academic and language achievement. Differentiated instruction is incorporated into daily lesson plans to meet the needs of all students.

What is a Dual Language program?

Dual Language programs integrate students from two language groups for all or most of the day, and provide content instruction and literacy instruction to all students in both languages.  Dual Language programs are:

• additive bilingual programs in which students learn in two languages

• have students who are native English speakers and native speakers of another language (ratio: 50/50)

• integrate linguistically diverse students for all or most of their academic subjects

• use the second language for a minimum of 50% of the academic instructional time

What are the goals of the Tarrytown Dual Language program?

Students in both language groups are expected to comprehend, speak, read, and write in English and Spanish.  The students are expected to:

• meet or exceed standards for academic performance

• develop proficiency in their first language

• develop proficiency in their second language

• demonstrate positive attitudes and behaviors towards the cultures of others and their own

How is the program structured?

• Two classes on each grade level working side by side (Grades K – 4)

• 50-50 model where equal proportions of Spanish and English are used for instruction

•  Spanish dominant children work along English dominant children for most of the school day

• Language is separated by classroom and by teacher

• Students receive literacy and content area instruction in both languages

What are the benefits of learning two languages?

It is estimated that half to two-thirds of the world’s population is bilingual.  Children who know more than one language have intellectual, educational, personal, social and economic advantages that continue throughout their lives.

Intellectual   Research shows that knowing more than one language increases a person’s thinking abilities.  Bilingual individuals have greater mental flexibility and use those skills to their advantage in understanding math concepts and solving word problems. (Hakuta, 1990)

Educational   Preliminary research shows that on academic achievement tests both English-proficient students and English Language Learners in Dual Language programs perform as well as, or better than, their peers who receive all of their instruction in English. 

Personal   Developing a child’s first language helps the child to value his or her culture and heritage, thus contributing to a positive self-image.  Learning a second language also develops an appreciation of other cultures.

Social  When the native language is maintained, important links to family and other community members are preserved and enhanced.  Learning a second language also provides the individual with the opportunity to reach out to members of other cultural groups.

Economic   The demand for bilingual employees throughout the world is increasing.  Knowing two or more languages is a great asset in the job market.

Parental Involvement

The Tarrytown Dual Language programs seeks to involve all family members by providing second language classes for parents, in order to enable parents to support and encourage the use of the second language, and assist their children with school work.

In addition, a  Dual Language Parent Advisory Committee was established to provide members of the Tarrytown schools community an opportunity to provide guidance with the ongoing development and implementation of the Dual Language program, and provide a forum where ideas and concerns may be shared. The Advisory Committee includes a member of the Board of Education, along with principals, teachers and parent representatives from all three grade levels and school buildings. 

Application Process

Informational meetings are held in the spring for parents of students entering Kindergarten in the Tarrytown school district the following fall.  Meetings are held in both English and Spanish, and provide interested parents with an overview of the program and an opportunity to ask questions.  Applications are distributed during these meetings. Please note that submitting a dual language application does not guarantee admission, as a lottery is used to select participants in order to guarantee a gender and language balance.  A few students may also enter the program in grades 1 and 2, if vacancies become available. 

For additional information, please contact the program coordinator, Ms. Bessy Martinez at bmartinez@tufsd.org, or at (914) 332-6319.