Spanish Immersion Program For 25 years the Davis public school system has offered an alternative education program where Spanish is used to teach the District's elementary school curriculum. Currently, the main campus for Spanish Immersion (SI) is at César Chávez Elementary. Marguerite Montgomery Elementary (MME) serves as a satellite program with one Spanish Immersion class in kindergarten, first, second and third grades. The Program. Beginning in kindergarten, children are immersed in the Spanish language. The students learn to read and write and study all subjects in Spanish until mid-year in the 2nd grade, when teachers gradually introduce English language arts. By the 6th grade, 30% of instruction is in English. Those children who already speak Spanish learn content in Spanish and develop English skills through an English Language Learning approach. Families are strongly encouraged to commit to the full 7-year Spanish Immersion program. With only four grades at MME (kindergarten through 3rd), SI students are expected to move to César Chávez Elementary School for their 4th through 6th grade years. Results. By the end of this seven-year program students are able to speak, read and write proficiently in Spanish as well as perform in English at grade level. The School District has many years of standardized test results from Spanish Immersion students which show how these bilingual students perform on both the English and Spanish tests. Additionally, 25 years of Davis Spanish Immersion history has produced testaments from former students of amazing life journeys brought about by this unique educational alternative. Standards for Foreign Language. The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce the posting of draft Foreign Language Content Standards for California Public Schools for field review. Senate Bill 5 (Karnette) authorizes the Superintendent of Public Instruction to develop and the State Board of Education to adopt foreign language standards by June 1, 2009. The draft standards can be accessed online at http://www.stanford.edu/group/CFLP/. If you have any questions about the field review process, please contact Arleen Burns, Foreign Language Consultant, by phone at (916) 323-5818 or by e-mail at aburns@cde.ca.gov. Spanish Immersion Master Plan. The Spanish Immersion Master Plan was approved by the Board at the April 1st meeting. Click on the link to review the Master Plan. The Immersion Collaborative, a district advisory committee formed in the fall of last year, has been meeting regularly to review program data and draft an updated master plan for Spanish Immersion. The program's goals for students continue to be: language proficiency in both Spanish and English, high academic achievement in all content areas, and appreciation and respect for different cultures. The Immersion Collaborative is committed to continuing program elements that have proven successful. We are also committed to implementing changes that will enrich the Spanish Immersion Program and improve the teaching and learning of all world languages, preparing students for success in a multi-lingual, multi-cultural world. The master plan is meant to be a living document, so subsequent revisions will be incorporated in future years. If you have comments and questions, please talk to one of the Collaborative members, contact FLAP staff, or send an email to flap-feedback@lists.djusd.net. We appreciate your involvement and support. Sincerely, Claudia Barba, FLAP Manager, and the DJUSD Immersion Collaborative District Advisory Committee The Marguerite Montgomery Program The Spanish Immersion program is an integral part of MME. Its parents are active on the PTA and other leadership groups, and also have opportunities to guide the SI program and support its unique needs through the SI Advisory Committee, which meets every other month at the school. Activities. To augment learning in the classroom, the SI program offers a parent-run reading program called Círculo de Lectura. This program makes it possible for children to take home Spanish language books and progress through the reading levels at their own rate. Montgomery's SI teachers and parents put on special events throughout the year, including a Harvest festival, Día de los Muértos celebration, and International Music & Dance Performance/ Family Potluck. Connections. Montgomery teachers, students and parents are fortunate to have strong links with César Chávez teachers, resources and families. Parent representatives serve on SIPAT, the Chávez parent-teacher association, and participate in Chávez events such as the annual Progressive Dinner and Fiesta. Montgomery Spanish Immersion families also build relationships with families in the English Language Learner community. Parent volunteers work with Spanish-speaking MME families in the Latino Family Literacy Project, to support reading at home in both languages. Click here for the take home Brochure  English  Spanish César Chávez Newsletter. Click here to access El Noticiero online or go to http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/CesarChavez/news.html FLAP Grant. For more informaiton on the FLAP Grant, please visit http://www.djusd.k12.ca.us/flap/  MME Spanish Immersion Teachers: Señora Renée Andrews: Kindergarten/First Grade Señora Mary Allegoren: Kindergarten/First Grade Señora Elisabeth Castro: Second Grade Señora Ana Sierra-Bacon : Third Grade         How to Register Students may enter the Spanish Immersion program in kindergarten or first grade. Spanish-speaking students may be admitted to the SI program in later grades. In mid March, families of prospective students are invited to learn about Montgomery's Spanish Immersion Program at a kindergarten Information Night. Parents may pick up a DJUSD Spanish Immersion Program Pre-registration packet at this meeting or from the MME office. On-site pre-registration for Spanish Immersion is generally held for two days. On the first day, March 30, 2011, pre-registration is held at Montgomery (and César Chávez) between 8:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. for children entering kindergarten within the district who will reach their fifth birthday on or before December 2, 2011 and who have siblings already enrolled in the Spanish Immersion program, for continuing students who wish to change sites, and for children whose first/primary language is Spanish ONLY. On the following day, March 30,2011 pre-registration is conducted for all other new Spanish Immersion students within the district who will reach their fifth birthday on or before December 2, 2011. Final registration for these students is determined by lottery; parents are notified of the results of the lottery in late March or early April by mail. Click here spanish for more details on the lottery system. Information nights on the Spanish Immerison program will be posted in the few weeks prior to registration. Registration packets will be available for you to take home to complete, but will not be accepted until Registration Day.