From the school’s website (http://forestglen.ltschools.org/about/welcome):
Bienvenidos! Welcome! Forest Glen School of Spanish Immersion is the only elementary language immersion magnet program in the MSD Lawrence Township. The goals of the language immersion program are:
To develop high levels of proficiency in the first and second language;
To prepare students for a globally-linked society through the study of Spanish language and culture;
To develop an appreciation, understanding and respect for other languages and cultures;
To perform at or above grade level in academic areas in both languages.
Students attending Forest Glen have the choice of two program options:
One Way Immersion or Dual Immersion. The One Way Spanish Immersion Program is available in kindergarten through grade twelve, with grades one to six at Forest Glen. In Grades one, two, and three, the students’ core curriculum (Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies) is taught in Spanish. In grades four, five, and six, half of the students’ instructional day is taught in Spanish and half of the day is taught in English. By the end of elementary school, students in the One Way Immersion program are able to speak, read and write in Spanish. It is amazing to hear the level of proficiency in Spanish the students have after just a few years in the One Way immersion Program!
Dual Immersion is the newest program at Forest Glen. For the 2011-2012 school year, Dual Immersion programming will be available for students in grades one, two and three. Each year, another grade level will be added with full implementation at the elementary level in the fall of 2014. In Dual Immersion, half of the students in the class are native Spanish speakers and half of the students are native English speakers. Instruction is provided in English for half the day and in Spanish for half the day. The students are purposely mixed in the same educational environment to provide communication and academic language development through an interactive and cross-cultural setting.
At Forest Glen, the teachers are fully proficient in the language they use for instruction, and in nearly all situations, are native speakers of that language. Besides the language component, all students are involved in rich literacy and math instruction and project based learning in an environment that provides for a variety of learning opportunities. All students also participate in a Hispanic Festival held each spring. At this festival, students share their learning about the culture of various Spanish speaking countries that have been studied throughout the year. The Hispanic Festival is a family event and is fun for everyone!
