One Greater Gainesville elementary school is offering students a new way to learn –– with half their instruction in Spanish and the other half in English.
Myra Terwilliger Elementary School is the first, and only, school in the Alachua County Public School District to offer this dual language immersion magnet program. It was implemented in the 2022–2023 school year with a group of kindergarten students.
“We’re seeing them really develop an understanding of the English language,” said Principal Heather Harbour.
Harbour said the program consists of two different classrooms. In one, there is a teacher for English, English phonics and social studies. The other room’s teacher is responsible for math, science and Spanish phonics.
“Their fundamental reading foundation is soaring because they have phonics twice a day,” she said. “Kindergartners can now understand instruction in Spanish.”
The goal of the program is to add one grade level each school year until it is available for kindergarten through fifth grade. The initiative was started in the school district with the help of a parent who wanted to bring a different kind of education to the area.
Making it happen
Several years ago, Emily Hind started working to bring this bilingual education program to GG so her son and others could have more opportunities.
“I teach in Spanish at the University of Florida, and I really wanted my son to have a bilingual education. There were not any in Gainesville,” she said.
Hind also said she believed that learning in a mono-language setting does not prepare students to work with international peers. So, she collaborated with the school district, weathering a new superintendent and a pandemic before her goal came to be at Terwilliger Elementary School.
“I cannot complain,” she said. “He’s doing homework in both languages. I’m thrilled. I think it is a first-class education.”
Fellow parent Crystal Marull is also pleased with the program and what her son is learning.
“The instructors are amazing,” she said. “I’m completely blown away by his progress.”
Marull said her son is considered a “heritage speaker.” Her husband is from Argentina, and she is bilingual in Spanish and English. They speak a lot of Spanish in their home.
Despite that, Marull said her son’s Spanish is weaker than that of his older sisters. One reason for that is, as they get older, they children tend to speak more English at home. Additionally, the pandemic made it harder for them to travel to Argentina, so ultimately his Spanish suffered.
“I hope it goes to all the schools,” she said. “We are just really blessed to be able to participate in it.”
Terwilliger Elementary’s dual-language immersion program is a magnet program. For more information and how to apply, go to https://www.sbac.edu/domain/5045.
By Celia Goodyear.