Starting off the year at a new school can be a challenge for any child. From building routines, to making new friends, and learning the ins and outs of the curriculum, there’s often a bit of an adjustment period for any incoming student. But imagine walking through the doors of an elementary, middle, or even high school building for the first time when you can’t speak the language of your fellow classmates or teachers. For more than 80 students currently attending Maine-Endwell, it’s a reality they know all too well.
But within the district, a core group of teachers are making sure these kids know they aren’t alone. While we may not speak the same languages, kindness is universal – a lesson Amy Decker has learned teaching in the English as a New Language Department over the past nine years.
“The best thing about my job is my relationships, not only with the kids but the families, and I’ve always prided myself that my room was a safe room, and that’s what makes our program different,” said Decker.
When Decker started nine years ago, the English as a New Language Department at M-E had just 13 kids. Today, it’s grown to more than 80.
“It’s been amazing. We have over 19 languages now in our district,” said Decker.
Decker, who says she wouldn’t trade her job for the world, credits the district’s “homelike” approach for helping the program grow. Each English Language Learner is celebrated and treated like an individual, as a group of dedicated teachers in each building ensure their needs are being met daily. Students in our ENL program speak languages including Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Russian and more. While a common misconception would state that teachers must understand and speak the same language as their students, they instead work to fill any gaps in learning.
Decker leads the growing program at Maine Memorial, Janiris Rodriguez and Sasha Morris work with the more than 30 ELL students at Homer Brink, and McKenna Bunnell works between the high school and middle school population. Together, they’re making a difference in the lives of these students, while highlighting what makes them special.
“Every culture has something to celebrate about it. It’s something that is so different and so unique, and that’s what makes us special is our family and our culture and how we’re raised. Having that diverse population, it’s what makes people come together. It’s what this country was built on. It creates kindness and caring and passion,” said Decker.
In October, an ELL student in Jessica Hawley's class at Maine Memorial brought his parents and Grandmother into his classroom to teach fellow students about DĂa de Muertos. (Day of the Dead) It’s one of the many ways our English Language Learners are celebrated across the district, while sharing their unique cultures with classmates.
Along with our ELL population, Maine-Endwell has students representing a variety of nations from around the globe. We’re excited to welcome the community to celebrate these cultures with us through our annual Cultural Fair in March.