Model School – PS 160 Serves ELL Students
The New York Times published this article on PS 160’s immigrant community, and the services that the school offers to support the students and their families. It’s an impressive all-hands network of ELL and family-involvement strategies driven from the Principal and APs through the teachers and Parent Coordinator.
Here’s an excerpt:
“P.S. 160, the William T. Sampson school, sits in a zone that includes Sunset Park, and has about 1,400 students spread between two adjoining buildings. About 80 percent of the children are still learning English or just recently mastered it. They came from Mexico, Poland, Russia and Pakistan, but a vast majority are from China: 83 percent of the students speak a Chinese dialect at home. A third of all students in the school — including almost the entire kindergarten — came to this country just this year…
As with many schools in New York City, an overwhelming majority of the students at P.S. 160 are poor; the entire school qualifies for free lunch. So the administration tries to pile on cultural activities, like violin lessons or dance classes, that students would otherwise miss.”
Many schools face the challenge of engaging English Language Learners. Good classroom strategies and a school-wide vision make it easier. We can help. CITE offers Professional Development Workshops on ELL Classroom Strategies. We also offer Bilingual Courses for Teachers. Let us know how we can help you or your school at 718-923-9333.
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