I want to thank all of you who have taken the time to meet with me and share your questions and concerns regarding the changes for the 2020-21 school year. Overwhelmingly, I am hearing that you love the new Fife facility and that you are less worried about the transportation issues than the changes regarding the bilingual model for next year. Please know that I hear your concerns and I appreciate your frustrations. While the model needs to change, so that our community can continue to grow by welcoming in new students, it doesn’t mean that the change is bad. As stated at the meeting on Thursday, the Pre-K will stay 100% Spanish immersion. One change that we have been able to work through since the meeting is that the kindergarten will now be 50/50 Spanish and English. We are able to do this only because kindergarten is still a main entry point into the school. Beginning in grade 1, however, we are still committed to one block of Spanish language arts per day.

I have had some very productive initial conversations with families about ways to provide more Spanish while still entering new students in all grades. There are people willing to look at funding after-school Spanish classes and teaching enrichment activities in Spanish. I know that we can continue to develop more opportunities to enrich our Spanish language acquisition outside of the school day, which will allow our school to grow and become financially healthier and better able to support our school’s mission. So, just to summarize the model, here it is:

• PreK is 100% Spanish
  
• Kindergarten is 50% Spanish/50% English (with Mrs. Raquel)
  
• 1st - 8th Grade will be one block Spanish and the other blocks in English*
  

*Reminder: Most Electives (cooking, choir, arts/crafts, Hispanic dance) offered in the middle school are also taught in Spanish.

I know that many of you are still discerning your plans for next year and I respect that. It takes time to process all of this information, which is why you have until March 15th to request a refund of your registration fees if you decide not to return. Some of you are looking at other schools and programs and I respect that. I believe that, what you will find, is that we will still be offering a program and a community that is unparalleled. Thank you to all of those who have already committed for next year and have voiced your support for the school. We appreciate your dedication and positivity. Thank you to all who came to 10 am mass yesterday and the open house. We will host another open house from 6 - 8 pm this evening. One parent texted the following after yesterday’s open house: The visit “had me feeling that our kids will be loved, cared for, and destined to thrive in this new environment”. Isn’t that what is most important? We will all get through these changes together and be stronger because of the challenges we have faced.

Blessings,

Katie Dempsey