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Edison Language Academy – Together Through Two Languages (310) 828-0335 www.edison.smmusd.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS JOGATHON! It’s time to collect those pledges! Remember that every dollar you collect will go to Edison PTA to fund classroom materials, field trips, assemblies, KidBiz and much, much more. Turn in the collected money to your teacher or at Edison's front office by April 20th. PTA ASSOCIATION MEETING ON WEDNESDAY --Please join us for the PTA Association meeting this Wednesday April 20th at 8:30 a.m. The Nominations Committee will present the Nominations Slate for next year's PTA Executive Board. FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT Celebrate Earth Day with an EPIC Adventure. Join us at Edison Cafeteria for Family Movie Night on Friday, April 22nd at 5:30 p.m. There will be popcorn, fruit cups, beverages, nachos and treats!
SPRING CONCERTS for 4th and 5 grades will be held on April 28th -4TH GRADE AT 6:30 PM AND 5TH GRADE AT 7:30 PM. Come and see how much our students have learned this year in their music classes. SPIRIT DAY -- Get your Edison gear ready because April 27th is Edison Spirit Day! Bring to school your used Edison T-shirt or Jersey that won't fit anymore to pass along to other friends - from now until the day of the event. Wear your Edison T-shirt or Jersey and be proud to be part of nuestra ¡gran familia de Edison! CAFETERIA MEALS AND THE END OF THE YEAR --A friendly reminder that Monday, May 16th will be the last day to pay for meals with check. Payments On-line will be accepted until Tuesday May 24th via myschoolbucks.com. th
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK: THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF A DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION We were pleased to welcome Dr. Patricia Gándara, co-director of the Civil Rights Project at UCLA and research professor of education in the Urban Schooling Division of the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies to campus this week. Dr. Gándara’s recent book “The Bilingual Advantage: Language, Literacy and the U.S. Labor Market” (Bristol: Multilingual Matters, 2014), co-authored with Rebecca Callahan, is particularly relevant to all of us who have chosen to educate our children in two languages and want them to continue in the immersion program through 12th grade. Dr. Gándara’s work shows that academic achievement, college aspirations and employment potential are all enhanced for individuals who are fluent in more than one language. This is true for all students, but is particularly true for the emerging Latina/o population. Dr. Gándara’s found that was unique to Spanish-speaking students was the fact that they were more likely to attend four-year colleges if they maintained their bilingualism through high school. This is consistent with what we’ve seen with our SMMUSD Immersion students as well. Her previous book ‘The Latino Education Crisis,’ documented the fact that (across the U.S.) there are still few Latinos who attend or complete college with a degree. While many Latino high school graduates go somewhere after high school — usually to community college or a non-selective college -- very few graduate and get a degree. Dr. Gándara’s work shows that “the best chances of getting a degree are if you go to a four-year university and don’t have to transfer. That’s associated with being bilingual and biliterate at the point of graduation.” Studies for “The Bilingual Advantage” also showed that bilinguals were more likely to be hired than those who spoke only one language. "In the census, people will tell you if they speak another language, but you won’t know if they write or read it. Even if a person said they speak two languages, if they speak one poorly, and the other with an accent, they may have a very different experience in the labor market than someone who is very fluent and reads and writes in both languages," Gándara said. Gándara underscored the fact that the changing American demographic has a direct influence on the value of bilingualism today. “Thirty years ago, if you were entering the labor market as a bilingual, it may not have been as valuable,” she said. “Today, with the demographic shifts in our society, it has become increasingly so.” Rather than viewing children whose primary language isn’t English as a problem, Gándara said, in a bilingual world they can be viewed as having an asset they can share and build upon. We look forward to inviting Dr. Gándara back to campus to share her research and its implications for our immersion students and families. APRIL 20 -- The BIG TH SHOW! 5 grade Young Storytellers 6:00 p.m.
APRIL 28 – Spring th Concerts – 4 grade at th 6:30 and 5 grade at 7:30 p.m.
MAY 4 – Teacher Appreciation Day – PTA Luncheon for staff