Westwood Elementary Supports and Challenges ELL Students
Luis Gerardo Carmona moved from Mexico City to Manchester , Tennessee , two years ago , with his wife and two young sons . To call it a big transition would be an understatement . Relocating from a city of 25 million people to a town of 10,000 was change enough , to say nothing of taking on a new language and culture .
The family chose their new home based on its proximity to Westwood Elementary School , which has an excellent reputation in Manchester ’ s Hispanic community for its work with English language learners ( ELL ).
Not long after the move , Mr . Carmona was glad of this decision . His five-year-old son , Matías , who was not then as proficient in English as he is now , became sick at school and was unable to communicate how he was feeling . It was a difficult situation for Matías but then a Spanish-speaking school receptionist stepped in to comfort the boy and translate for the school nurse , and Matías was feeling better by the time his mother arrived to take him home . Later that evening , three different school staff members all phoned the family to check on Matías .
“ They take any chance , any opportunity , to really embrace the kids ,” Mr . Carmona said . “ It ’ s like a big family . They invite and take every chance to bring new people on board .”
This family ’ s experience is all in a day ’ s work for Westwood Elementary , one of the finalists for the 2014 SCORE Prize in the elementary school category . Westwood is a school that excels at providing innovative , whole-family solutions to student learning needs .
“ We really see our school as a collective family , and anyone who is connected with that , we want to make sure they feel that familial bond with us ,” said Thomas Fuhrman , Westwood ’ s principal . “ We make certain to involve everyone in our family .”
All Westwood families are supported by a Family Resource Center , the site of community collaborations that have helped provide services ranging from parenting classes to financial support for school supplies . With more than 65 percent of the school ’ s 500-plus students receiving free and reduced meals ( FARM ), Westwood receives school-wide Title I services , and staff members work hard to support students in and out of the classroom .
In the case of ELL students in particular , teachers and staff say family engagement helps break the language barrier and nurture academic growth . ELL students make up more than one-fifth of Westwood kids , and this part of the school ’ s population is growing – Mr . Fuhrman said 10 percent of the Westwood students currently live outside the school ’ s district and pay tuition to attend , which is due in large part to ELL services . Westwood provides Title III-funded English classes for parents , helping families learn the basics of English as well as cultural aspects of American life . A weekly tutoring and mentoring program called Circle of Friends brings more than 100 ELL students and families from across the district to Westwood for academic enrichment and homework help . And every fall , Westwood hosts the school district ’ s ELL night , a program that invites families to school to see classrooms , meet teachers , and receive translated information about the school year .
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