10 - Wednesday, October 19, 1988 - North Shore News NV DISTRICT SCHOCL BOARD ESL programs grow NORTH VANCOUVER School District’s English As A Se- cond Language (ESL) program, has grown since its incep- tion a decade ago from a one-school, 50-student proposition to a varied program involving 319 students and 13 teachers. “It’s interesting that the ESL population has gone up as much as ithas. We have a mind-set that we don’t have as many of these stu- dents as other areas have,’’ remarked school board chairman Margaret Jessup, following a pres- entation made to the board last week. They have come from Hong Kong, Mainland China, iran, Japan, Korea, Chile, Mexico, Ita- ly, Greece and Poland — students with little or no English skills. Their changing demographics within the community have kept ESL district coordinator of Special Education lan McEown hopping, closing and opening classes throughout North Vancouver City and District. “The exciting thing about ESL is that it is unpredictable. There’s a lot of guess work involved,’’ McEown told the board. Started at Ridgeway School in 1977 with 50 students and two separate classrooms, the ESL pro- gram has grown and become much more integrated into the regu- Jar school” system at Carson Graham, Balmoral and_ several elementary schools, The teachers, three of whorn were involved in the presentation, juggle a harried schedule that can include intensive English language teaching within a school ‘‘centre’’ and travelling from school to school to offer ‘‘itinerant’’ assistance within other classrooms. “It’s challenging to meet my students’ needs, both academically and socially, but it’s frustrating when time is limited,’’ commented ESL teacher Jill Ashdown. A system of centres was developed in various schools, to which students can come for part of the day for English instruction. The new speakers are less inhibited amongst each other and frequently help each other. But’ one of the many = extra challenges the teachers experience is the ongoing intake of new stu- dents throughout the year. Teacher Shirley Mulder started one September with a group of 12 students, to which seven children were added in November, five in February and three in May. They have varying English skills and can be coping with a new alphabet 2s well as strange customs. The teachers try to build good relationships with the parents, which can contribute to the success of the ESL program. At report card time, the teachers often find it helpful to have translators on hand for interviews with the parents. “The nice part of ESL is that the children are very motivated to learn,’’ said McEown. put your waste on a diet RECYCLE ADULT SKI PACKAGE Elan CR4000 Skis Look GL Bindings yp Reg *180.00 USED SKI BOOTS & 830.00 DOWN 2 MONTHS MAYWEST SKI JACKETS 59g95< HUNDREDS OF HUNDREDS OF SELECT SOLOMAN & CABOR SKI BOOTS $15.00 DOWN | $9985. phody ier A shop . Est.1956: | Bs BREE U-DRIVES. fl HL en Winco, 922-2500 | SCOUTS CANADA BMW'S NEWEST DEALER BMW'S NEWEST ULTIMATE DRIVING EXPERIENCE The Ali New 535i & 525i CALL FOR YOUR PERSONAL VIEWING APPOINTMENT PARK SHORE 108 Bowser Ave., North Vancouver 985-9344 SHOP THE SWAP! 3 days only Oct. 21, 22, 23 TWO MONTHS ALL 88-89 STOCK PRICED TO MOVE © | PRE-SEASON SKI TUNE-UP Edge Sharpen Base Grind Anns Reg *180.00