New Albany is a growing hub of diversity and culture, and its schools are a testament to this fact.
The New Albany-Plain Local School District is a thriving community, and more than 45 different languages are spoken amongst students. Some young learners come to New Albany speaking English and their first language, and others are learning the intricacies of English for the first time. NAPLS is making the transition a breeze – regardless of the student’s level of English – with its English Language Learner (ELL) program.
The program is designed to support students and their families who are learning English in the district, but it goes far beyond learning a new language.
A Helpful Hand
Tim Mack, a middle school teacher and K-12 coordinator for the ELL program, began working with ELL seven years ago when the program had 75 students. Today, it works with 220 students from across the globe. Mack says he’s thrilled with the growth of the program and the broadening spectrum of diversity in NAPLS.
“The history of New Albany is not too diverse at all, but now I’m really amazed when I walk down the hall and see all the different students,” Mack says. “It’s so diverse, and it’s just rich (with culture).”
During school hours, ELL teachers meet with students to assist with whatever the student may need and enable the student’s success. Karan Karra, a 13-year-old New Albany student, appreciates the efforts of his teachers.
“I get all the help I need at New Albany; they fully support you,” Karra says. “Every single day that I walk through my classroom doors I always think to myself, ‘You’re going to learn something new today.’”
The ELL services extend beyond the curriculum confines as well, helping students feel welcome in the classroom and have an overall positive educational experience.
“Sometimes I walk in a classroom and I try to pave the way before a student comes in,” Mack says. “I say to myself, ‘Hey, what do you think the No. 1 question a new student is going to have when they come in?’ and it’s, ‘Will I be able to make friends?’ That’s the No. 1 question. So, I tell the students, ‘When you see so-and-so in the cafeteria, make sure you talk to them.’”
Mack and the rest of the ELL staff work hard to support students and their families outside of school as well. They help families assimilate into American culture, connect them with resources like local physicians, and provide support in the job market.
“It’s a whole personal thing. You know, you’re not just teaching them, you are helping them with everything,” says Mack.
Despite the challenges that come with learning a new language, many students are hungry for more. Inspired by the ELL program and motivated to do more, some students learn additional content in their free time, too. Mack says one student speaks Spanish as her first language, knowns English and is currently learning French and Japanese.
While NAPLS students speak 45 languages, the ELL program is responsible for just 29, and that mans the student body’s diversity transcends the ELL program as a whole.
Celebrating All
NAPLS staff works hard to highlight and celebrate the diversity that is enriching its schools, especially with its Cultural Day Celebrations. A few times a year, the district invites the ELL families to bring their food, dress and dance to an exciting night that showcase cultures and builds connections between multicultural groups. Some nights bring together more than 100 people.
Administration is considering opening up the celebrations to everyone, giving non-ELL students the opportunity to learn about their classmates’ roots. Moving forward, the district also hopes to create a cultural walkthrough to make the students and their families more culturally aware.
“It is fun knowing that there are other students in this school that know the language that I speak,” says Karra, referring to his first language, Punjabi. “It is also fun talking to people and interacting with them in our language.”
Mack agrees that having a multicultural environment is vital to the strengthening of the community.
“The more culturally diverse you get, the more open-minded people get, and the more bridges that are built instead of walls,” Mack says.
As ELL continues to grow and the district’s cultural awareness grows with it, the students and community will become more interconnected – both with each other and the rest of the world.
Brittany Mosley is a contributing writer. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.