Entering Oyster as Spanish-dominant -- Spanish proficiency test?

[Anonymous]

Why are oyster parents so concerned about LAMB? I've never heard them being compared as it's apples to oranges. Compare Oyster to Tyler, Bethune, or Cleveland.

Every time I've been there (book fair) I heard a teacher berating a student. It did not have a very warm atmosphere as far as I could see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Btw, I didn't say anything about Deal because I have heard Oyster parents compare the school to Deal. I think that Oyster is best for students whose priority is attending a top-notch immersion school (as it is for us). Deal may be best for students who are struggling with the Spanish immersion curriculum, or desire a larger school with more extracurricular activities.



OK, so now that we are through with validating my credentials as a bonafide Oyster parent we can talk about more important stuff. Like what in your view sets Oyster apart from LAMB? It can't just be the scores, because that can be correlated with the quality / SES level of students going to each school.

Let me rephrase this last question since I am not interested in starting another pissing contest. What can we do at Oyster to make it better? Is there anything we can learn from other schools? How can we prevent having students struggle with Spanish leaving Oyster (as you or others always bring up) ? Imagine if the same was said of math or English, that students leave because they can't keep up? Who is failing then, the students or the school?

(Different PP here)

That IS a good question. The new principal seems to be doing a good job, but I'd love to hear her vision for the future. What main problems and opportunities she observes, how the multiple stakeholders can align our efforts and be of help, whether the new budget cuts are a big problem or not and how to improve things next year...

[Anonymous]

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/30/448629.page#6466149

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Pensaba que estabas enlazando este


Cute. Pero te gusto el que puse de Calle 13?


Tambien

Y esta, mas enfocada en nuestro futuro bilingue?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRpeEdMmmQ0

O esta, tambien globalizada pero con mas edge y compromiso


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhrVoKTuU38

Me gusta la cancion (de hecho recuerdo haberla bailado en un concierto que dieron en Berkeley), pero la letra diria que es mas de protesta facilona que compromiso serio y util. Encuentro que la belleza de Oyster reside en la diversidad de perspectivas unidas en un "cantar" colectivo, asi que esta me inspira mas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu6o1aQsgX0

[Anonymous]

Me gusta la cancion (de hecho recuerdo haberla bailado en un concierto que dieron en Berkeley), pero la letra diria que es mas de protesta facilona que compromiso serio y util. Encuentro que la belleza de Oyster reside en la diversidad de perspectivas unidas en un "cantar" colectivo, asi que esta me inspira mas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu6o1aQsgX0

Celia Cruz es una diosa. Aca va un kumbaya para el canto colectivo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN9gPDEP2LA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Me gusta la cancion (de hecho recuerdo haberla bailado en un concierto que dieron en Berkeley), pero la letra diria que es mas de protesta facilona que compromiso serio y util. Encuentro que la belleza de Oyster reside en la diversidad de perspectivas unidas en un "cantar" colectivo, asi que esta me inspira mas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lu6o1aQsgX0

Celia Cruz es una diosa. Aca va un kumbaya para el canto colectivo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN9gPDEP2LA

Gracias! No la conocia, para esta noche, que ahora mejor me enfoco en el trabajo...

Una de critica muy buena
https://vimeo.com/83136262

[Anonymous]

No se olviden de la Negra Sosa:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYhgC3zU13k

[Anonymous]

No se olviden de la Negra Sosa:

Como nos vamos a olvidar> Y para nosotros en tierras lejanas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yN17DIdGLH8

y otra de (creo) su ultimo disco que me gusta mucho, con Jorge Drexler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTXgvGT0cxE

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why are oyster parents so concerned about LAMB? I've never heard them being compared as it's apples to oranges. Compare Oyster to Tyler, Bethune, or Cleveland.

Every time I've been there (book fair) I heard a teacher berating a student. It did not have a very warm atmosphere as far as I could see.

Please read the tread before you comment. No one at Oyster is concerned about LAMB--it's a non-factor. Someone on this thread mentioned LAMB, and a few people responded. What concerns people on DCUM doesn't necessarily concern people in real life.

As for the librarian, my daughter says that she's one of her favorite teachers--so there's another perspective. She also puts on one of the best bilingual book fairs I've ever seen (and I have attended a few). Btw, thanks for supporting Oyster via the bookfair!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Btw, I didn't say anything about Deal because I have heard Oyster parents compare the school to Deal. I think that Oyster is best for students whose priority is attending a top-notch immersion school (as it is for us). Deal may be best for students who are struggling with the Spanish immersion curriculum, or desire a larger school with more extracurricular activities.



OK, so now that we are through with validating my credentials as a bonafide Oyster parent we can talk about more important stuff. Like what in your view sets Oyster apart from LAMB? It can't just be the scores, because that can be correlated with the quality / SES level of students going to each school.

Let me rephrase this last question since I am not interested in starting another pissing contest. What can we do at Oyster to make it better? Is there anything we can learn from other schools? How can we prevent having students struggle with Spanish leaving Oyster (as you or others always bring up) ? Imagine if the same was said of math or English, that students leave because they can't keep up? Who is failing then, the students or the school?

Thank you—this is a much more constructive question. My answers address Oyster specifically, but my responses apply to most immersion schools. I have friends with children in several DCPS and DCPCS, and this issue seems to be universal.

1. Oyster does a pretty good job of offering Spanish language resources (i.e., free Spanish tutoring for struggling students, Yabla, the bilingual book fair, etc.). However, I think that the school does a lousy job of emphasizing how important it is for English-speaking (ES) parents to support the language outside the home. I can’t tell you how many ES parents I have encountered who think that they will drop their child off at Oyster in PK or K, and pick-up a fully bilingual and biliterate child in 8th grade. Oyster does not tell parents that you must spend large amounts of time, energy and money to support the language outside of school or your child will probably struggle as they move up. Sure, there are ES children who do just fine without outside support, but they are the exception, not the rule (and why risk it?). Plus, those same children will probably do even better with additional support. In the few years that I have been at Oyster, I personally know of four ES families that have left (before the 3rd grade) because their children were really having a hard time with Spanish, and they were beginning to hate school. Every one of these parents, without exception, expressed surprise at the suggestion that they should do anything outside of school to support the language.

2. Oyster should have more instruction time in Spanish, especially in the primary grades. Why is it that only Spanish language arts and math are in Spanish? Why can’t science also be in Spanish? There are 4 specials (library, music, art and P.E.), and at least 2 (preferably 3) of those specials should be exclusively in Spanish. Three out of 4 of my child’s specials teachers (including the librarian) are native Spanish speakers or bilingual; so why does he only have 1½ specials in Spanish (library is half and half)? These kids, especially the ES children need more exposure to the language, not less.

3. Oyster should offer more Spanish language options in OCA. Why are there only 2 or 3 Spanish options every quarter? While the aftercare options, generally, are quite robust; they should have more variety in the target language. I know that OCA is supposed to be conducted in Spanish every other day; however, I’m not sure how strictly that’s implemented.

Long story short: I don’t think that Oyster is failing students who end up struggling in Spanish in the upper grades. However, Oyster needs to do a much better job of informing ES parents of the Herculean task that lies ahead. In addition, the school can and should do better to provide more instruction in the target language. However, parents are ultimately responsible. No one should care more about your child’s education than you. I do not expect any school to bear the full responsibility for educating my children. Any gaps that I detect are my responsibility to address; either with Oyster or with outside help.

[Anonymous]

Some advice from the Center for Applied Linguistics:


As some immersion researchers have discovered…the fluency and grammar ability of most immersion students is not native-like, and there is a need for formal instruction in the (second) language. However, this does not mean traditional translation and memorization of grammar and phrases. It is important to utilize a language arts curriculum that specifies which linguistic structures should be mastered (e.g. conditional verb forms) and how these linguistic structures should be incorporated in to the academic content (e.g. including preterit and imperfect forms of verbs in history subject matter…) pg. 15, Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education, 2nd Ed) http://www.cal.org/twi/guiding_principles.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some advice from the Center for Applied Linguistics:


As some immersion researchers have discovered…the fluency and grammar ability of most immersion students is not native-like, and there is a need for formal instruction in the (second) language. However, this does not mean traditional translation and memorization of grammar and phrases. It is important to utilize a language arts curriculum that specifies which linguistic structures should be mastered (e.g. conditional verb forms) and how these linguistic structures should be incorporated in to the academic content (e.g. including preterit and imperfect forms of verbs in history subject matter…) pg. 15, Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education, 2nd Ed) http://www.cal.org/twi/guiding_principles.pdf

This link doesn't seem to work. Can you summarize what it says please?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some advice from the Center for Applied Linguistics:


As some immersion researchers have discovered…the fluency and grammar ability of most immersion students is not native-like, and there is a need for formal instruction in the (second) language. However, this does not mean traditional translation and memorization of grammar and phrases. It is important to utilize a language arts curriculum that specifies which linguistic structures should be mastered (e.g. conditional verb forms) and how these linguistic structures should be incorporated in to the academic content (e.g. including preterit and imperfect forms of verbs in history subject matter…) pg. 15, Guiding Principles for Dual Language Education, 2nd Ed) http://www.cal.org/twi/guiding_principles.pdf

This link doesn't seem to work. Can you summarize what it says please?

Good grief!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is there a congenial atmosphere among parents at Oyster?

Yes, Oyster has a warm and friendly parent community; despite what you may read on DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Here is the link. Enjoy.

http://www.cal.org/twi/pdfs/guiding-principles.pdf