Lafayette Spanish Program

[Anonymous]

Does anyone have experience with Lafayette Elementary's Spanish program? It doesn't show up on DCPS' list of immersion programs and Lafayette's description is rather vague. How is the program structured? Would I have to apply via lottery if I'm in-bounds?

[Anonymous]

Uhhhh. It’s one day a week as a special. I’m not sure what made you think they have some kind of immersion program.

[Anonymous]

It's a joke. Just a check the box program.

[Anonymous]

Don’t all DCPS elementary schools have language once a week? It’s just that, which is an exposure class, it’s not an partial immersion program like at Oyster or Bancroft.

[Anonymous]

No, not all schools. The foreign language mandate was dropped two years ago. Last school year was the first year schools were not required to check a box and expose kids to a foreign language once a week. Kudos to all principals and schools who got rid of this special for more art/music/PE or library.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a joke. Just a check the box program.

Not only is it a joke but it’s about to sink further downhill since the Principal reduced one of the two full-time Spanish teachers to part time next year so the entire school will have only 1.5 Spanish teachers for 900+ kids. They seem to repeat the same material year after year and make little progress. If there is little information on the website it is because the “program” is so anemic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t all DCPS elementary schools have language once a week? It’s just that, which is an exposure class, it’s not an partial immersion program like at Oyster or Bancroft.

Just dropping by to share the correct terminology. Oyster-Adams offers full Spanish immersion in Pk4 and K. It’s dual immersion (2-way) from 1st through 8th.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t all DCPS elementary schools have language once a week? It’s just that, which is an exposure class, it’s not an partial immersion program like at Oyster or Bancroft.

Just dropping by to share the correct terminology. Oyster-Adams offers full Spanish immersion in Pk4 and K. It’s dual immersion (2-way) from 1st through 8th.

“Dual imm——n” means “lots of English”

Same is true for most DCPS elementaries — the immersion is only for up to K and then it basically turns into so much English that the kids don’t progress in Spanish

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t all DCPS elementary schools have language once a week? It’s just that, which is an exposure class, it’s not an partial immersion program like at Oyster or Bancroft.

Just dropping by to share the correct terminology. Oyster-Adams offers full Spanish immersion in Pk4 and K. It’s dual immersion (2-way) from 1st through 8th.

“Dual imm——n” means “lots of English”

Same is true for most DCPS elementaries — the immersion is only for up to K and then it basically turns into so much English that the kids don’t progress in Spanish

No dear. My children attend/attended OA, and your children clearly do not. My children are bilingual and biliterate, and yours...
One of my children is an OA graduate who earned a 5 on the AP Spanish exam when she was in the 8th grade. That’s enough “progress” for me.

[Anonymous]

Thank you all. This was helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, not all schools. The foreign language mandate was dropped two years ago. Last school year was the first year schools were not required to check a box and expose kids to a foreign language once a week. Kudos to all principals and schools who got rid of this special for more art/music/PE or library.

God I wish all the schools would do this. 1Xweek for 40 minutes is more than useless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a joke. Just a check the box program.

Not only is it a joke but it’s about to sink further downhill since the Principal reduced one of the two full-time Spanish teachers to part time next year so the entire school will have only 1.5 Spanish teachers for 900+ kids. They seem to repeat the same material year after year and make little progress. If there is little information on the website it is because the “program” is so anemic.

no that was changed back to 2 full time teachers and Lafayette has plenty of specials/ Art, Music, 2-PE classes, Spanish, Library and Peace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t all DCPS elementary schools have language once a week? It’s just that, which is an exposure class, it’s not an partial immersion program like at Oyster or Bancroft.

Just dropping by to share the correct terminology. Oyster-Adams offers full Spanish immersion in Pk4 and K. It’s dual immersion (2-way) from 1st through 8th.

“Dual imm——n” means “lots of English”

Same is true for most DCPS elementaries — the immersion is only for up to K and then it basically turns into so much English that the kids don’t progress in Spanish

Why do people post nonsense like this? OA is an immersion school. 50% of classes after K are in Spanish, 50% in English. My kid learned science and math in Spanish.

This has nothing whatsoever in common with other, non-immersion DCPS programs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t all DCPS elementary schools have language once a week? It’s just that, which is an exposure class, it’s not an partial immersion program like at Oyster or Bancroft.

Just dropping by to share the correct terminology. Oyster-Adams offers full Spanish immersion in Pk4 and K. It’s dual immersion (2-way) from 1st through 8th.

“Dual imm——n” means “lots of English”

Same is true for most DCPS elementaries — the immersion is only for up to K and then it basically turns into so much English that the kids don’t progress in Spanish

No dear. My children attend/attended OA, and your children clearly do not. My children are bilingual and biliterate, and yours...
One of my children is an OA graduate who earned a 5 on the AP Spanish exam when she was in the 8th grade. That’s enough “progress” for me.

NP who is a HS teacher who has OA kids every year. The ones who went through the program from PK or K are really good at Spanish. It seems like a successful program from my anecdotal (but many years) of experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's a joke. Just a check the box program.

Not only is it a joke but it’s about to sink further downhill since the Principal reduced one of the two full-time Spanish teachers to part time next year so the entire school will have only 1.5 Spanish teachers for 900+ kids. They seem to repeat the same material year after year and make little progress. If there is little information on the website it is because the “program” is so anemic.

no that was changed back to 2 full time teachers and Lafayette has plenty of specials/ Art, Music, 2-PE classes, Spanish, Library and Peace.

I have not seen that the second Spanish position was changed back to a full-time position but even if the program remains the same it does little to teach children Spanish beyond the very basics. Younger kids seem to enjoy the teacher assigned to the lower grades even if they don’t learn much. The technology teacher was also cut a couple of years ago. Some parents love the peace program but others find it useless and questionable ethically (ex: teacher reportedly telling the children they will get a cookie if they attend her book sale being held at the school). There are other specials similar to other DCPS schools (art, music, etc.) but the OP specifically asked about Spanish. There had been a fantastic and effective Spanish program that ran before school at Lafayette for many years but the principal stopped allowing them to meet a few years ago.