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Show v .y , ,v,,....,.,. ... . mnwwrmmmmmmim.vmm.m " '"" "'" m-vs&HmmVW"' j "': i '.' f ;' 'V y , '?' I , -y ' I ? '' 'ft 1 -' - - 7i Spanish Immersion first graders packing clothes for hurricane victims in Mexico are, L-R, L-R, Stacey Naumann, Erin Brisk, Micah Clyde, Brittany VVoodard and Lee Lewis. Spanish Immersion students aid victims Spanish Immersion students at Manila Elementary recently collected clothing and provisions and sent them to young hurricane victims at an elementary school in Reynosa, Mexico. Each student wrote his own letter in Spanish to a new friend in Reynosa, and attached a photograph of himself. Spirits were high as little hands packed box after box, chattering to one another in Spanish. "Language Immersion" is an effective program for fostering fluent foreign language skills in school-age children, and has been highly successful throughout the United States and Canada for decades. In immersion classes, children hear and use only the foreign language all day to learn every subject, beginning in the first grade. English is introduced in third grade, and by fifth grade, studies show that immersion students test equal to or slightly above their peers in English, yet they can also read, write and speak the second language fluently. The program is well-suited for children who achieve well in school. Many parents feel that with today's global economy and communications, com-munications, language literacy is no longer a luxury. Foreign language fluency is rapidly becoming a critical skill and a valuable tool for a child's future. Languages give kids an edge in the job market because our world is much smaller today, and you can't do business around the world without communicating com-municating with the client. One mother who sent her child to Manila said, "I have long believed that children are very bright and capable of absorbing far more than they are exposed to, even in the best public classrooms. I found what I had been searching for -- an opportunity op-portunity for my children to more fully reach their potential in a free public school." Manila Elementary will open its Spanish Immersion program to first graders in Lindon, Pleasant Grove and American Fork next year. Parents who would like more information in-formation about this opportunity may call 785-4374. |