©SpanglishBaby, Ltd All Rights Reserved
It’s hard to believe that in just seven months my girl will be starting a whole new stage in life: kindergarten. That means that we are now deep in the process of touring dual language immersion programs, applications and crossing fingers to get a spot in one of our top choices.
Just three years ago when we launched this blog, I visited what was then Benjamin Franklin Elementary school in the Glendale Unified District in California. We wrote a series of posts about this school and the district because they were one of the few in the Los Angeles County area to successfully implement dual language, or two-way, immersion programs. This particular school, Franklin, had just launched with the German program and were already getting huge requests to launch a Spanish and an Italian program. Thanks to the parents and the district working closely together, the school has now become so wildly popular that in 2011 it received funding to become a language magnet school.
The School We Really Want
Beautiful for them, not the best news for us since we had moved to the Glendale district two years ago just to be eligible to enter Franklin. Now, we will have to join the hundreds of parents praying that luck is with them on February 9th when the public lottery is held to fill the 24 or so spots available in the Spanish DL program in what’s now known as the Franklin Elementary Magnet School.
As you can imagine, we really, really want to get into this school. Not only because it’s a four minute drive from our house, but because the quality of parent and teacher involvement is amazing. Since the school is now only a language magnet (German, Italian, Spanish and, starting in 2012, French), every single parent there is completely invested in making the program a success, and many have emotional and cultural ties to their children being educated in their native languages.
The Draw of the Luck
The way the lottery works is that the first priority goes to siblings. Every single sibling has the right to be placed. Once those slots are taken (and apparently there are a lot of siblings entering this year, much to our chagrin), then the second priority goes to balance out the proportion of native English-language speakers versus Spanish speakers to maintain the 50/50 proportion, as much as possible.
Camila had to attend a language proficiency test in order to place her in the fluent category. I was so nervous because I felt this is our best chance at securing a spot. Thankfully, she totally passed as fluent; marking this as a milestone of the first time her bilingual skills opened up a door for her.
On February 9th we’ll know if she’ll make it in or not. For us, this also means that we’ll know if we’ll have to move or not. Yes, move. We know it’s drastic, but we really want her to attend a dual language immersion program. Luckily, there have been so many DL programs launched in the Los Angeles County area in the last years, but they are scattered all around and most of them are charters or magnets, meaning our girl’s bilingual education and our next neighborhood is bound to be decided by sheer luck.
I’ll keep you posted as to what happens the day of the lottery and which are the other schools on our radar if we don’t get picked for Franklin Elementary Magnet. I’ll also remind you on Feb. 9th to help us with your positive thoughts to get that lottery to pick our name!!
Share: Would love to read your kindergarten-enrollment stories, especially if your child made it into a charter or magnet.
I totally hear you! We were in the same situation two years ago. Fortunately, we got in and my daughter has been enrolled in a bilingual charter now for kindergarten and first grade. Suerte!
How lucky of you!!! It must have been such a relieve to find out she was accepted.
I was so surprised to read your blog today as I have spent the most part of this morning focused on researching the best dual language schools in our area (Houston). My family is in a very similar position to what yours is in. Even though my son is only 19 mos we are in the process of buying a new house and we are focusing all of our attention of finding a home that is zoned to a Dual Language school. I also started looking at language magnet programs and at the difficult task of applying and getting accepted to these schools. Our system, like yours, is mostly based on a lottery acceptance so I’m acrossing my fingers on this one. For now, I have found a Spanish Immersion daycare I plan to send my son to when he turns 2. I too am very dedicated to exposing my son to as much Spanish as possible and have gone to the extent of finding a Spanish speaking nanny, and purchasing books, videos and toys in Spanish. Good luck!
It’s so frustrating because you really want to live near by, but there’s no guarantee you will be able to get in if the school is a charter or magnet. We feel like our life is on hold right now, but we just don’t want to compromise when it comes to this.
Your lucky to have access to an immersion daycare. That will really make a difference and it will help your son’s fluency in the language, which, in turn, gives you extra points for the lottery draw.
Good luck to you!!
Nooooooooo. I am a year behind you guys and we are TERRIFIED of finding a kindergarten. I’ve started looking and have to agree that it’s super hard. Impossible really, if you throw in small class size and a progressive approach AND bilingual ed… I think you’re smart to prioritize what matters most to your family. We are currently struggling to move into a better school district with what happened to real estate a few years back:( I’m crossing my fingers for you!
Elsie, the good thing is that there are so many options in the LA area right now…but you have to be flexible to move to be close to the school where you get in.
I’ll follow up with another post listing the schools I’ve learned about so it helps others.
Good luck in your search! I remember our fight to get our son placed in the ONLY dual language immersion program in our district….but we did it! And he is FLUENT in dos idiomas! (spelling?)
You give me hope!!!!!
Crossing my fingers, Ana!
Thanks, Laura!! Have you found a school yet? You´re also entering this year, right?
Commitment! We’ll be in those shoes next year. ¡Buena suerte!
It is totally about commitment. I just dislike this limbo stage..but I’m sure we’ll find the best match.
Good luck! I’m a parent of three at Franklin (with no more incoming siblings, so no threat
in Spanish. We do love the school and I wish you the best, but I also wanted to point out that, as a Glendale resident, you could also look into the dual Spanish programs at Edison or Muir here in Glendale. They also use the 90/10 dual model. As a resident, its easier to move within the District, abd with her being native, thats another leg up. We were one of the first year of Spanish at Franklin, and everything you like about it as far as parent involvement is true but is also just parents getting excited and doing things; you can do that as well! The Immersion parent tends to be the sort who seeks things out, so I bet if you land in a good program you’ll find like minded parents to help you bring whatever projects the school needs to that school. Good luck and congrats on your child already being so far along in fluency!
Thanks so much, Judy! Our second option is Edison, but my heart is stuck with Franklin! I went to their first ever meeting over three years ago when they were first gathering signatures for the program. I toured the first german classroom six months after it opened and we featured them here. I´ve been observing its growth and applauding all the parents from afar.
As distraught as I will be if we don´t make it in, I totally hear what you´re saying that we can create that environment and learning experience anywhere we get accepted
Hello,
I am freaking out right now! From one of the schools I first looked at (privet) my daughter would have missed the kindergarten deadline to start this upcoming year. Turns out that was not the case for the magnet schools .I have been researching and for LAUSD the deadline was Dec 16 and for glendale it weas Jan 27. Do I have no more options now that its February….. Please give me some hope. I feel so bad that due to my listening to the first school I might have lost a great oportunity at a bilingual education. Has anyone had luck getting in in 1st grade? My daughter just turned 5 on January 27. My husband is a native spanish speaker and I am a native English speaker, and I really want my daughter to have strong roots in her native culture and language. Please give me hope
Oh, no..so sorry! There are some LAUSD and Pasadena schools with DL programs that are open-enrollment, but you need to live within the immediate district to walk in.
Not sure where you live, but there are these options:
Grand View Blvd Elementary in Mar Vista: http://grandview-lausd-ca.schoolloop.com/
Aldama Elementary in Highland Park: http://www.aldamapta.org
San Rafael Elementary in Pasadena: http://sanrafael.pasadenausd.org/
Sandra Cisneros Learning Academy: http://camino.scla.schooldesk.net/
I also know that Micheltorena in Silverlake held a meeting to launch a DL program for 2012.
Also, Edison Language Academy in Santa Monica is one of the best in the country. They accept applications until March 16.
Suerte…and let me know how it goes!!!
My daughter made it into the lottery at Inter Americana Magnet School in Chicago. We travel across the city on the bus or el an hour to get to school every day. It is the best Spanish Immersion school in Chicago and possibly the country. We are so excited and LOVE the school. We are looking forward to their own “Curriculum of The Americas” where starting in second grade, each whole year is dedicated to one of each: The Tainos, The Aztecs, The Mayan, and The Incans to get an understanding of the people and the lands of the Americas BEFORE any settlers came over and “discovered” America. However, I am distraught because next year, Kindergarden, at 5 years old, CPS is implementing a 7.5 hour school day. I find that extreme to go from preK 2.5 hours to Kindergarden 7.5 hours for a 5 year old! How do they expect kids to sit in a classroom all day and keep interest and pay attention and retain anything?! What to do?!
I had that same problem about kinder garden for my son. His dad is from Costa Rica and I wanted to make sure my son was fluent in Spanish. I live in Venice, right outside of Santa Monica (Edison) and was so happy to find Grand View ES. They have a dual immersion program 90/10 just like Edison and have been there for 20 years. The teachers are amazing and now my daughter will be attending. It is a choice school and they accept children locally (LAUSD) and even out of district, it is first come, first serve what I know. I felt so relieved to find a dual immersion school, and my son is fluent with out summer trips to Costa Rica he refuses to speak English. I am so happy to have the opportunity to attend a dual immersion school and wish there were more options for everyone.
Janine, thanks for sharing. Grand View is actually on our list in case we don’t get picked for this magnet school in Glendale. I’ve heard only wonderful things about Grand View and I would not mind living closer to the beach, at all! It just means it’s a move for us, one we’ll gladly make if it comes down to it.
So thrilled for you and your family to have this opportunity. What a gift!
Hi Ana
Your website and blogs are now going all over the Franklin community facebook pages! I really enjoyed reading your blog today of the lottery and finding out the good news. I wanted to congratulate you and welcome you to Franklin. My daughter is in the first Spanish class (Spanish 3rd) the one that had enough Native speakers to start them in 1st grade. Everything you have read and seen about Franklin is true and it sounds like you’ve already fallen in love with it. I am sure you and your daughter will have plenty of opportunities to come to as many events at the school before she starts in August, so check the website often and the facebook page.
Feel free to contact me should you have any questions!
( I have a long history at the school)
Binevenidas!
Ibet Acevedo
Ay, Ibet! Reading this made my day! Thanks so much for the warm welcome. I truly feel like we´re entering a whole new family and way of life. I can´t wait till the day I walk her into Franklin as a new student!
I will definitely stay in touch with you and try to attend the events coming up.
Mil gracias!!
To Annie Rivera and any other Chicago moms looking for Spanish in preschool–I recommend Pilsen Montessori in Chicago. They have all the Montessori language materials in Spanish and have two teachers, one speaks English, the other Spanish exclusively to the children. Pilsen Montessori is online–worth checking out!
Hi, I love your site. I just found it and am so happy that I did! I have an 18 month old son and he is Mexican American- my husband is from Mexico and I was born and raised here by a traditional, white American family (not Spanish speaking). I am bilingual and we are raising our son bilingually. As I am looking for preschools for him, I am having some difficulties finding the kind of preschool I want to send my son to. While I have a great preschool in the neighborhood, it is not a dual immersion or bilingual program so it is not ideal. I am in the west suburbs of Chicago and am trying to find a bilingual/dual immersion program near us. I have found a program n Chicago and Oak Park (intercultural Montessori), but that is too far. Do you have any suggestions/recommendations for programs or what we can do with our son at home if he does end up in a traditional, English speaking preschool? Thank you!
Hi Annie,
So glad you found us! It’s still really tough to find preschools with immersion programs, but slowly they are starting to pop up more and more.
Do both you and your husband speak Spanish at home? If so, then your son is getting a lot of exposure to it and reasons to want to speak it. If you’re not able to find a preschool, I would check out the following options:
–Spanish-speaking playgroups. Check out Meetup.com and our Forums. these are great to help your child equate Spanish to fun, i.e. other kids who speak it as well. If you can’t find a group in your area with kids in the same age range, consider starting your own
–Heritage language schools. Click here to learn more about what they are.
–Read to him as much as you can in Spanish. If he consumes any media, make sure it’s in Spanish as well.
The main point is to expose him to as much Spanish as possible so he gets enough input, but also that it becomes relevant and fun for him.
Hope this helps! Suerte!
This seems like a wonderful community and resource that you’ve created! Congratulations. I live in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico but am from the States. My daughter, now 2 1/2, was born here and is attending a bilingual preschool, and we’re VERY excited about a new school opening here next fall that is a bilingual international baccalaureate program (k-12). We’ve seen an influx of families from the States coming down to spend a school year or two so that their children can learn or solidify their Spanish language skills. It’s amazing to see how quickly young children learn a new language in this kind of setting. I’ve seen some children (mostly between 3 and 8 years old) arrive and are almost immediately communicating effectively with other children, and within weeks are quite competent communicators, and within months practically fluent.
I run MexArt, Mexico’s only summer institute for teens to study art and Spanish or dance and Spanish. It is always astounding to me to see how high school students, sometimes with YEARS of academic Spanish in school, arrive and don’t have the confidence or the language ability to buy a snack across the street or ask and understand directions to the main square. In a month at our program, these teens make GREAT headway in language and communication, but a teen is not able to become fluent in a month’s time. While a great motivator to keep studying and seeking more international study programs, I realize that it’s definitely an effort for teens to learn a new language.
How wonderful that so many parents are seeking out dual language kindergartens, daycare, schools, or traveling abroad as a family to give their young children this wonderful skill and gift of fluency.
Hello there, You’ve done an excellent job. I’ll certainly digg
it and personally recommend to my friends. I’m confident they will be benefited from this web site.
Review my weblog … Los Angeles CA long distance moving company
My partner and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be just what I’m looking for.
can you offer guest writers to write content for you?
I wouldn’t mind producing a post or elaborating on most of the subjects you write related to here.
Again, awesome website!
my weblog casino på nett
magnificent issues altogether, you simply received a new
reader. What might you recommend in regards
to your publish that you made some days in the past?
Any sure?