RALSTON, Neb. (AP) - Young immigrants in Ralston who want to learn English are getting help from students who also struggled to learn the language.
Perla Anguiano Carrizales, 17, enrolled in the English Language Learners program in August 2015 after moving from Mexico, the Omaha World-Herald (https://bit.ly/2iBlEvh ) reported.
The Ralston High School student said that a year after she joined, she was getting good grades. She now hopes to get a college scholarship and wants to be a nurse, and is helping other students with their English.
Perla is among four girls volunteering with the Newcomer program, which has seen a steady increase in participation. There are usually 13 to 16 students in the district’s beginner class, which is a joint effort with Papillion-La Vista Community Schools. There were 25 students at the end of November.
“There’s not enough time in the day to work with these students on an individual basis,” said Cynthia Duechting, who teaches the Newcomer class. “These young ladies have helped tremendously.”
The Newcomer class teaches anyone ages 12 to 21, and students range from a multitude of countries depending on the year. ELL teacher Gail Ellison said she had 11 different languages spoken in her classroom during her first year.
According to state numbers, the Ralston Public Schools district had 282 of its more than 3,200 students served by Title III during the 2015-2016 academic year. Title III is a federal supplemental program for students trying to learn the English language.
The Nebraska Department of Education Title III director, Terri Schuster, said the amount of students receiving Title III support in the state increases by several hundred every year.
Along with English and academics, the Newcomer program helps students learn about American culture, manners and high school culture.
“I like Ralston High School, because I have all these people supporting me,” Perla said.
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Information from: Omaha World-Herald, https://www.omaha.com
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