Bilingualism thrives in Beulah Park's kindergarten classroom

District 6 has been continuously working to best serve their students' educational and language needs, including the introduction of a new Dual Language program starting for the 2019-20 school year.

For Beulah Park Elementary School in Zion, this is the first year the school has been able to offer a bilingual kindergarten classroom.

With the introduction of this classroom, kindergarten teacher Anabertha De Leon joined Beulah's team and began to cultivate an environment that integrates Spanish and English with ease for her students. Students in De Leon's classroom use manipulatives and language that are based on their home environment and culture.

With the home-school connection directly influencing the students' learning, parents have continued to reach out and discuss how they can further their children's education outside the classroom.

Since the introduction of this classroom at Beulah, Principal Curtiss Tolefree and Assistant Principal Elora Erdman have been heavily involved in making sure their classroom is as successful as classrooms that are taught solely in English.

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