Bilingual/ESL Department

As a Model Program, we receive many requests from other school districts to visit our Bilingual and ESL classrooms. We are very pleased to host there visits and to show the excellent features of our Bilingual/ESL Program.	Superintendent of Schools, Mr. John M. Rodecker along with Dr. Joanne Villafañe, Director and Carmen Carbrera-Camino, Supervisor, were presented with the Model Program Award during a ceremony on May 9, 2008.
Visitors from Long Branch School District observe the Dual Language Program at the former St. Mary's Early Childhood Center, now the Edmund Hmieleski, Jr. Early Childhood Center, in March of 2009.	Dr. Mast, Principal of the Edmund Hmieleski, Jr. Early Childhood Center, explains the Dual Language Program to visitors.
Visitors observe Language Arts instruction in a Bilingual class at T.M. Peterson School, annex of the W.C. McGinnis School.	Visitors participate in a 6th grade Science class at McGinnis.
Vice-Principal Brian Rivera greets visitors to the McGinnis School.	Mrs. Dolores Rodriguez (Club Advisor - 2nd from left) and Perth Amboy High School's ESL Club members raised funds to make gift baskets for the needy at Thanksgiving. Mr. Bello (Social Studies teacher - back row) also lends his support.
Mary Jane Kurabinski, Director of Language Arts Literacy Education for the NJ Department of Education, visits bilingual classes.	Wilentz 3rd grade ESL students studying about nature outside their school.

• To provide native language instruction in all content area subjects while students are acquiring English.
• To teach ESL and English language arts literacy so that students will be able to communicate in English and to achieve academically in English.
• To provide instruction by bilingual teachers with special training and certification in meeting the linguistic, cultural, emotional and academic needs of second language learners.
• To promote acculturation into the American society while respecting and appreciating the language and culture of the students and their families.
• To ensure systematic assessment of student progress in English acquisition and academic learning, through a variety of measures.
• To encourage and support the involvement of parents in classroom, school and district programs.
• To facilitate the transition of students from the Bilingual Program into the General Program when they are ready as determined by multiple measures.

• Availability of bilingual classes at every grade level, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, at every school in the district.
• Availability of bilingual classes at every level of English proficiency
• Standards-based instructions
• Program development based on scientific research in second language acquisition and teaching.