The 2023 English Language Learning (ELL) summer program on the Vineyard wrapped up its classes earlier this month.
The program serves English language learners in kindergarten through seventh grade.
Officials say that for a school system where one in five students are learning to speak English, the summer program provides a boost for students’ education.
Sasha Iammarino, a teaching assistant, found it “pretty amazing” what students took away this summer session.
“They’re taking away a sense of agency, a sense of belonging,” Iammarino said. “I think it goes a long way to have something to be a part of,” she said of students entering a new school system where they don’t necessarily speak the predominant language.
The ELL summer program has run every summer for the past 10 years. This year, a total of 38 students participated. The majority of the students are native Portuguese speakers, but some speak Spanish and Serbian.
The Newcomer ELL program for students in grades 1-7 runs for eight days, and the kindergarten program for five days.
According to ELL program director Leah Palmer, the grade 1-7 students are divided into three classes that focus on different units: the language of science, language of fairness and equity, and personal narratives. “Every class has a bilingual teacher,” Palmer said.
Additionally, the program rewards students with what the teachers call an Amazing Moments system, where students are rewarded for showing positive traits like courage, respect, and perseverance.
Michelle Deegan, who has taught in the ELL program for the past two summers, shared her experiences with The Times.
“I noticed a little girl I had taught the previous year, and I told her I remembered her. She said, ‘I remember you too, and it makes me feel so good that you remember me!’ … I became very close to many of the students, and they would randomly come up and hug me throughout the day,” Deegan said.
Approximately 1 in 5 students on the Island are learning to speak English at school. In 2022, the Island’s public schools saw their largest enrollment of English language learners in a decade.
