Wednesday, September 8, 2010
17326/p142081030_12187.jpg
[Click to enlarge]

FAQ's for DWES's

Spanish Immersion Program

Grades K- 6th


Questions
1)  How can I enroll my student in the Spanish Immersion Program?
2)  I'm moving to the area. How can I get into immersion?
3)  How late do you take new students into the Spanish Immersion Program?
4)  Is there a preschool immersion program?
5)  Are there grandfather clauses?
6)  What if I am outside of Cave Creek School District boundaries?
7)  What exactly does the Spanish Immersion program model look like?
8)  When does the lottery for entrance take place?
9)  What kind of Spanish do your teachers speak?
10)  Can students continue their immersion experience beyond Desert Willow 5th grade?
 
Answers
1)  Q How can I enroll my student in the Spanish Immersion Program?
A
Enrollment for immersion placement in kindergarten immersion will begin at an Informational Meeting that is held in early spring of the previous year. At that time, 25 slots for students within Desert Willow boundaries and 25 slots for students outside of Desert Willow boundaries (but within CCUSD) will open for the 2 new sections of kinder. Student names will be drawn on through a lottery process. Those not picked will go onto a waiting list. If there are still spots available, they will be opened to students outside CCUSD boundaries.
2)  Q I'm moving to the area. How can I get into immersion?
A
Kinder classes are established the spring before they begin. Once the class and waiting lists have been established, anyone moving into the area will need to go to the bottom of the list. At the K-1 grades, the waiting lists are quite long (check with Miss Trish in the front office). From 2nd grade on up, students can come into the program if they have the Spanish skills needed to do so. Each child at this point will be considered individually.
3)  Q How late do you take new students into the Spanish Immersion Program?
A
New students will be accepted through the waiting list process until the start of 2nd semester in 2nd grade through the 2009-10 school year. After that, the cutoff date will be at the start of 2nd grade. Students coming in at this later date, will have missed 2 years of immersion education. However, they will be accepted on an individual basis and will interview with the Spanish Immersion teachers and administrators to make sure it will be a successful fit for all.
4)  Q Is there a preschool immersion program?
A
Yes, the preschool immersion program is run by Child's Play Preschool as a part of the Community Education Department. It is run as a private preschool but has a classroom currently on Desert Willow's campus. It is a full Spanish immersion preschool where children learn a second language in much the same manner that they learned their first. Students who have participated in the immersion preschool will be grandfathered into Desert Willow's kindergarten immersion program. Please contact Jenny Stahl in Community Education at jstahl@ccusd93.org for more information on the program as well as how to register.
5)  Q Are there grandfather clauses?
A
Yes. Grandfather clauses are only valid for the incoming kindergarten classes. Once a class has been established, clauses will no longer be valid.

Valid grandfather clauses offer automatic entry to the program to:
* students whose parents work in the Cave Creek Unified District
* students who have siblings already in the immersion program
* all students who have participated in the Spanish Immersion Preschool Program through Community Education. As of 2010 lottery, "all students" includes ALL out of district preschool students as well.
6)  Q What if I am outside of Cave Creek School District boundaries?
A
You may try to open enroll at the district office. This is subject to having room at the site. If you are able to open enroll and attend Desert Willow School, you may be placed on that waiting list for the Spanish Immersion Program.
7)  Q What exactly does the Spanish Immersion program model look like?
A
Desert Willow's Spanish Immersion Program is officially a Partial Immersion Program as 50% of its instructional delivery occurs in Spanish and the other 50% in English.

There are two teachers at each grade level of immersion who work together to deliver our model. One teacher is the Spanish component and teaches math and science. The other teacher is the English component and teaches language arts and social studies in English. All special area classes are in English.
8)  Q When does the lottery for entrance take place?
A
The lottery for two kinder immersion classes will take place during the Spring prior to school starting. Please check with Trish in the front office for the exact dates every year.
9)  Q What kind of Spanish do your teachers speak?
A
Just like English, Spanish can be spoken with a variety of accents. Our teachers come from a variety of backgrounds which means we can cover wider cultural perspectives. Some of our teachers are native Spanish speakers while others are native English speakers that have lived abroad or studied Spanish in school. The Spanish-speaking countries represented by our Spanish staff include Mexico, Ecuador, Venezuela, Argentina and Colombia. We believe that it helps our students to hear different sounds, accents and pronunciations during their time at Desert Willow. Even though we may sound a little different from each other, we all are passionate about language and enjoy sharing that with our students.
10)  Q Can students continue their immersion experience beyond Desert Willow 5th grade?
A
Yes, currently, the immersion program rolls up to Desert Arroyo Middle School. See the link to the middle school program for more information.