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Nine MLK Elementary students get to move on
YOUNGSTOWN
Nine English Language Learners from Martin Luther King Elementary graduated from their ELL classes and have moved into classes with their peers.
Third-grade student and recent ELL graduate Jaysean Hermilus-Garcia said proudly that his favorite word to learn and say in English is “awesome” because that’s how he feels about his recent accomplishment.
And that’s how the students should feel about this great accomplishment, said ELL teacher Joan Fahey.
“It’s difficult for students because of the fact that some of them don’t get any support at home; there is no English spoken there,” she said. “Some students come in with no English knowledge at all, and some come with a little, and we do our best to work with that.”
That is one of the difficulties ELL teachers face: communication with parents.
“If we have to talk to the parents about something and our bilingual translator is gone for the day, we have to wait until the following day,” Fahey said.
She added that often students who become proficient in English become interpreters for their families.
ELL students also act as translators for one another, helping their fellow students better their English skills and helping to translate between other students and their teachers.
One of the hardest subjects to learn for the 125 students learning English is vowel sounds, Fahey said.
“Although our alphabets are similar, in English vowels have long and short sounds and in Spanish they don’t,” she said.
Recent ELL graduate Eduard Rojas-Serrano, a third grader, said he had difficulty applying some of the English words and meanings.
“It was most difficult when I had to type examples for the story we were supposed read,” Eduard explained. “I couldn’t think of an example in English, but I could in Spanish.”
Despite the difficulties ELL students face, fourth-grade student and ELL graduate Janeysha Bonilla-Negron said she enjoyed being able to learn English and enjoys even more being in a classroom of her peers.
“I get to move on,” she said.
Principal Artemus Scissum said he is proud of the ELL graduates, and said they are proof the program is going in the right direction.
“We will soon be making changes to the program to make even more success, bringing it to new heights,” he said. “The biggest thing we want ot focus on is helping students coming to us get acclimated.”
The remaining graduates are second-grade student Dayshalee Rodriquez-Rojas, third-grade students Yomayris Montanez-Garcia and Carman Cortex, fifth-grade student Andrea Colon-Camacho and sixth-grade students Justin Maldonoado and Miguel Soto.