Program develops cultural appreciation
At Rockford Spanish Immersion, students learn the district’s core curriculum through Spanish rather than English. In other words, students are “immersed” into the language and study the same content as other students, but while doing so, naturally learn to read, write and speak in Spanish.
There are three main goals of immersion education. The primary goal is for students to master the district’s curriculum objectives at each grade level. A second goal is to develop a high level of proficiency in Spanish without any sacrifice to the student’s English language skills. Lastly, the goal of immersion is to give students an understanding, knowledge and appreciation for other cultures while learning in a multicultural setting.
Rockford Spanish Immersion currently enrolls 300 students in kindergarten through fifth grade and is beginning its sixth school year with a new enrollment of kindergarten students. For parents who would like to provide their kindergarten child with the opportunity to become functionally proficient in both English and Spanish, immersion is a research-proven educational option. If interested in this option and enrolling your future kindergartener in Rockford Spanish Immersion for the next school year, plan on attending the upcoming Parent Information Night scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 13, at 5:30 p.m. at Roguewood Elementary School. Details for enrollment and the application process will be shared at this meeting.
Additionally, immersion classroom tours will be held on January 18 and 25 and February 1 starting at 9:00 a.m. Please contact the Roguewood office if interested in a tour. Open kindergarten enrollment will begin on January 31 and last until March 4, 2011. An application must be submitted during this timeline to be considered. You can learn more about Rockford Spanish Immersion at www.rockfordschools.org/?i=SpanishImmersion.
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