Dutchtown Elementary Granted Chinese Dual Immersion Program
Press Release
Submission Date: April 18, 2013
Release Date: For Immediate Release
Contact: J.D. Hardin, 770-957-5107 ext. 608, john.hardin@henry.k12.ga.us
(Release # 0068-4-13)
Dutchtown Elementary Recognized as Chinese Dual Immersion Program
DES awarded start-up grant as only public school in Georgia with Chinese Dual Immersion Program
HENRY COUNTY, GA – Starting next school year, kindergarten students at Dutchtown Elementary School (DES) will embark on a learning expedition exploring the Far East. The knowledge and new language obtained will equip them with the tools necessary to compete in the global market when they graduate from high school and college.
我们是一个家庭的学生
The symbols above translate into “we are a family of learners,” and the family of students and staff at the kindergarten through fifth grade school in the northwest part of Henry County recently learned they would become a Chinese Dual Immersion Program elementary school. With the title, they were given a $15,000 start-up grant to assist with materials, and training and development for the school’s staff members.
Mandarin Chinese is the largest spoken language in the world, and it is one of four languages identified by the state as vital to regional and state economic futures.
According to State School Superintendent Dr. John Barge, “These programs will help ensure a Georgia workforce that is fluent in languages and skilled at cultural interactions that are necessary for the economic development of our state and region.”
A total of six schools were awarded programs and grants from the state, but Dutchtown Elementary is now the only public school in Georgia with a dual immersion program centered on the Chinese language.
Beaming with excitement from the recent news, Principal Dr. Winnie Johnson quickly remembers the uncertain journey into the new culture she began herself nearly seven years ago.
“I was a part of a ‘Bridge Trip’ for educators and administrators to help bridge the gap between U.S. educational practices and those of countries around the world,” said Johnson. “The trip to China opened my eyes to some amazing educational ideas I couldn’t wait to share with my school upon our return.”
The process of introducing a foreign culture as unique and intricate as Chinese had to be done in small steps, so Johnson started with simple exercises and found school events to serve as opportunities to introduce the Chinese culture to her school community. One such merging of events was the combination of the school’s annual fall festival with that of a traditional Chinese Autumn Moon Festival.
After a strong run at exposing the foreign culture to the school and then a brief dwindling of interest, new energy was given to efforts by way of a Chinese New Year Festival for the entire school earlier this year. The festival attracted speakers and attendees from near and far, including the Chinese communities in Metro Atlanta, dignitaries from Washington, D.C., the local chamber of commerce, and county and city government officials.
The efforts of the school since Johnson first returned from her trip to China years ago were easily noticed and quickly generated invitations to networking opportunities with a variety of programs and groups across the metro region, including Chinese initiatives across Georgia. These meetings would give life to continuing the introduction of the ancient culture to the local learning community.
Not long thereafter, Johnson learned the Georgia Department of Education and its World Languages and Global Initiatives Unit were striving to implement 20 dual-immersion programs by the year 2020. There were opportunities for grant money for those interested and selected, and after being given the go-ahead by the local board of education, Johnson sought to make Dutchtown Elementary one of the 20 schools.
It was recently announced that the efforts of the school were successful, and the 2013-2014 school year will find the first 40 students learning Mandarin Chinese starting in kindergarten.
The 50/50 model for the dual immersion program means that 50% of instruction time will be conducted in the foreign language and the remaining time will be conducted in English. For the first class of students at Dutchtown, Math and Science will be taught in the foreign language, and English Language Arts and Social Studies will be taught in English.
Each of the following school years will see the foreign language added to the next grade in sequential order until it reaches the 5th grade.
Plans call for only 40 students being able to take part in the program per grade each year as it is added, and students will have to start the program in kindergarten to be able to continue through the later grades. Registration begins Monday, April 29, for the inaugural class. More information can be found on the school’s website.
During the school district’s annual kindergarten registration process, Dutchtown Elementary will host an information night on May 7 to share more about the new dual immersion program since the new class of kindergarteners will be the first group eligible to take part. The deadline for registration closes on May 10.
“There is a lot of excitement for our newest endeavor and we can’t wait to get started,” shared Johnson. “We have already identified our first teachers for the new foreign language-based curriculum.”
For more information on Dutchtown Elementary and the Chinese Dual Immersion Program, go to schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/de.