PHOTO/LAURA HAYES

and confidence,” said Director of English Learner Education Wendy Anderson.

The benefits of bilingualism are long lasting and assist in the students’ future education, careers, and life experience.

“We know for example that students in dual language programs, especially when they get to fifth through eighth grade, perform just as well or even above average then monolingual programs,“ said Pimentel.

As Hudson has a large Por- tuguese population, their dual language program helps further connect the students to both their cultural backgrounds and roots as well as that of their friends and neighbors.

“We have a lot of heritage speakers, kids whose first language is English but are from a Portuguese family. This program gives them the opportunity to speak with their grandparents in their grandparents first language,” said Pimentel. Anderson expressed her pride in “being able to honor the background of heritage speaking families.”

Learn to take creative photos with your smartphone

HUDSON – On Wednesday, March 1, the Assabet Valley Camera Club will host Hazel Meredith, an award-winning photographer, teacher, speaker, workshop leader and a highly respected competition judge.

In 2007, she began teaching post-processing techniques through adult education programs, camera clubs and conferences across the United States. As well as doing her own workshops, Meredith is a frequent webinar presenter for Topaz Labs.

During her “Creativity with Your Smartphone” presentation, Meredith will show how to create exciting, creative images on your smartphone. She will share some of her favorite apps for creative processing, including Snapseed, DistressedFx+, Image Blender, Retouch and the JixiPix suite of apps.

Actively involved in the photographic community on the local, regional and national levels, Meredith has held leadership positions in several organizations, and she has received distinction awards from both the Photographic Society of

America and the New England Camera Club Council. View her gallery at www.meredithimages.com.

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Hudson Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

Currently AVCC meetings are being held online. If you are interested in attending this program, contact AVCC at info@ assabetvalleycc.com a few days prior to the meeting to request a link to the event. The club’s Zoom room opens at 7 p.m., with a brief business meeting at 7:15. The presentation will begin at 7:30.

For more information, visit www.assabetvalleycc.com.