By Bill Husfelt, Superintendent, Bay District Schools
With more than 1,200 English Language Learners (ELL students) speaking approximately 33 different languages, it’s safe to say that Bay District Schools really is a melting pot of students from throughout the world. No where is that more evident than at our schools at the beach which are seeing a huge influx of students who speak languages other than English.
To help us address the needs of these students, we have five “Newcomer Programs” designed to welcome students who speak little to no English and to help them assimilate into their home-zoned schools. Currently, due to a very high demand, the program at Hutchison Beach Elementary School is closed due to capacity enrollment as is the program at Lucille Moore Elementary School.
The other three programs (at J.R. Arnold High School, Bay High School and Jinks Middle School) still have capacity for a few more students.
In August of 2020, we opened our Multilingual Resource Center to assist families moving to our area. At the center, new students are registered, tested, and placed at the schools that can best meet their needs. Bilingual staff members assist every school with interpreting/translating for parent meetings, registration and other school events.
Resource Center staff members also provide translation support to every department in BDS including Homeless, Wellness, Transportation, Pre-K, Bay Base, Homeschool/Virtual School and Media Services. The bilingual staff members also provide services to community agencies such as the Gulf Coast Children’s Advocacy Center, The Florida Department of Health in Bay County, Child Find/Headstart, and PanCare.
While translation services are some of the most popular resources we provide to these agencies, our resource center also provides emergency food and clothing when we can to ensure families have what they need for their students.
An increased enrollment in the ELL program has also translated into the need for additional bilingual staff members. Currently, we have 28 full-time bilingual paraprofessionals and we have six schools with vacancies. We also have three full-time resource teachers who visit schools to support teachers with professional development and instructional strategies. Our resource teachers are available to help their colleagues by modeling lessons designed to meet the unique needs of students who are ELLs.
All of our schools are doing an excellent job of working to meet the needs of ELL students but I have to give a huge shout out to our schools at the beach where we’ve seen the biggest influx of new ELL students and immigrants.
Currently, the staff at Hutchison Beach Elementary School are taking care of 111 ELL students which is an immense responsibility for their staff members. Many of these students don’t speak any English at all!
Not only are those teachers trying to teach these students to speak English but they are also being held accountable by the state for on-grade-level instruction for students who may not have attended school regularly in quite some time. Additionally, many of these students suffered immense trauma in their journeys and so our mental health experts are always on call to help the students, and their families, address these challenges.
But Hutchison Beach Elementary isn’t the only school on the beach seeing an influx of ELL students. Our newest school, A. Gary Walsingham Academy already has 15 ELL students while West Bay Elementary School has 25, Patronis has 28, Surfside has 31, Breakfast Point has 49 in elementary and middle school, and J.R. Arnold has 46 students who qualify as ELL.
Most people probably assume, correctly, that the majority of our ELL students speak primarily Spanish. What people probably don’t realize, however, is the amazing diversity in the languages spoken by the rest of our ELL students. Currently, to name just a few, we have students who speak Gujarti, Mandarin, Russian, Thai, Vietnamese, Urdu, and Arabic. Together, these students speak 33 different languages!
We take great pride in doing all we can to welcome our ELL students, and their families, and to ensure they all experience a smooth transition into Bay District Schools. By using all available technological resources, we endeavor to translate our materials into every language possible to ensure our families have what they need. Additionally, our website automatically translates into six languages other than English which is a great support for our students and their families.
We appreciate the assistance of all of the businesses and community members who continue to help us gather supplies needed to help ALL students and the families during these difficult times. We know the power of public education in our community, in our country and in the world and we’re excited to help all of our new families find a home in Bay County and a safe place for teaching and learning in Bay District Schools.
Stay safe and God Bless!
