This month I am sharing stories from
classrooms in Berwyn South District 100.
Day 14: Biliterate Dreams with Gissel Escobedo (Dual language kindergarten at Emerson)
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| Image Courtesy of Steven Kellogg, borrowed from Snowflakes Fall (MacLachlan & Kellogg) |
Today is December 14th, 2017. It marks the 5 year anniversary of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, killing 20 6-7 year olds and 6 staff members. 26 angels gone too soon.
Today, I was thinking about which classroom to write about, and I decided that I wanted it to be one that would in some way pay tribute to those lives lost. They were so very young and full of potential that will never be realized. It just breaks my heart. Today, I need to tell a story of hope and potential.
This afternoon, I walked into Gissel Escobedo's dual language kindergarten room, and I saw a glimpse of the future. Students were gathered on the carpet during English Language Time, and they were talking about police officers. This class of Spanish speakers read, "The police help." In English! In my head, I fast forwarded to them in high school and beyond, entering the world fully bilingual and biliterate. I saw the possibility of great things that language will help them achieve. I also saw pride on their faces, in between moments of pure "kindergarteny" behaviors. These students are 5 and 6 years old, and they have their whole life ahead of them. For that, I am so grateful.
In that picture above, a young kindergartener is showing us a picture of a police officer. His hat almost looks like a halo, and it made me think of those Sandy Hook angels once again, and the first responders who helped that day. Thank you, Gissel, for letting me stop into your classroom just when I needed to be there.
If you want to see their reading achievement, just watch below!
Dual language kinders read in English, too! #tigerslearn #d100pride @JSuchyEmerson @BeaMaldo310 @GE4biliteracy @JustJantz pic.twitter.com/8CrwXkWQtQ— Leah O'Donnell 📖📝 (@leahod) December 15, 2017
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