advertisement

District 15 preparing to debut dual-language program

Palatine Township Elementary District 15 is preparing for a new dual-language program in the 2018-19 academic year, a top administrator told a business gathering Wednesday.

Deputy Superintendent Matthew Barbini was among the local government representatives who spoke during the Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce Community Forum at village hall.

It was a chance for chamber members and others to receive updates Wednesday morning on what's happening in village government, two school districts, two park systems, Harper College, a library district and Palatine Township. A similar session was held at Palatine's village hall in the winter.

Barbini said Jane Addams Elementary School and Winston Campus Elementary School, both in Palatine, will have the Spanish-English classrooms starting with kindergarten students. Incoming kindergartners from anywhere within District 15's boundaries may be enrolled in the dual-language program at either school.

Students who are mainly English or Spanish speakers at home are being sought for the program. There will be three dual-language classrooms at Jane Addams and two at Winston Campus.

"What we are going to do is create a blended environment, meaning we're going to bring those kids all together and we are going to teach them in kindergarten in Spanish, primarily," Barbini said. "And it's going to start at 80 percent of content. It's going to be delivered Spanish, whereas 20 percent is in English."

Similar to other school systems, the Spanish portion at District 15 will be reduced by 10 percent annually from kindergarten through third grade, with the split staying at 50-50 thereafter.

"This is the start of something that is truly special," Barbini said. "It's designed to really promote bilingual literacy, academic achievement, cross-cultural competencies, etc."

Among the other speakers was Jeannie Dilger, executive director of the Palatine Public Library District. She said the library has several potential capital improvement projects that'll need to be addressed, such as parking garage improvements at the main facility on North Court in Palatine.

Dilger said the library is forming a strategic plan that will address current and future needs. Part of the process will involve seeking feedback through adult and teen focus groups May 30.

"We are busier than ever," said Dilger, who took over the library's top job late last year. "As I said, 1,500 people a day come through the door and our programs continue to draw more and more people."

  Jeannie Dilger, executive director of the Palatine Public Library District, was among the speakers at Wednesday's Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce Community Forum. Bob Susnjara/bsusnjara@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.