Whiteman elementary's influx of refugees has led to a real-life babel.
After fleeing civil-war-ridden Darfur, the Sudanese refugee started the second grade at Whiteman Elementary School two months ago and found her new surroundings scary.
"Where she was from, people were being carried off and murdered," Whiteman teacher Elena Saenz said. "In the beginning, we had to physically move her screaming and crying from room to room."
A recent report in Denver Public Schools showed there are more than 29,000 foreign-language speakers in the district - about 3,000 of whom are nonSpanish-speaking. And the cultural differences cause problems for students and staff.
Vietnamese, Arabic, Russian and Chinese are other predominant languages spoken, and the district is bracing for a possible influx of Iraqi refugees.
At the middle school and high school levels, DPS offers Newcomer Centers at Merrill Middle School and South High School. There, international students who have been enrolled in a U.S. school for less than three semesters can receive English instruction focused on listening, speaking, reading and writing from teachers trained in dealing with different cultures.
No such Newcomer Center exists at the elementary school level, and many educators and refugee-service coordinators said those services are badly needed.
Whiteman Elementary, in east Denver near apartment complexes that cater to refugee families, could be considered a "United Nations." More than 28 languages and cultures are represented.
Teachers and administrators have taken it upon themselves to learn about different cultures. The school hired adult refugees to translate and help students with their homework and understanding of American customs. Even the lunch lady is careful when pork is in meals so as to not offend the school's Muslims.
District officials are looking for ways to start a pilot program at Whiteman for international students.
African languages such as Somali (spoken in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya) and Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia) are the fastest growing in DPS, district officials say.
African refugees have been one of the more challenging groups of students entering DPS in recent years.
Refugee students from Africa, like Aluel, can be seen carrying pencil boxes and books on their heads as they walk through Whiteman's halls. Aluel has made great progress in the two months she has been at Whiteman. She had to be taught how to use a pencil but still has trouble understanding why spaces are needed between written words.
And she has company from other African refugees.
"Somalia, that is my country, but I like it here," second-grader Talasa Siid said. "I like the mountains, hamburgers and pizza."
Not enough resources
Despite their eagerness and ability to learn, refugee students at the elementary level have in some cases been marginalized and some even designated as special-education students, said Michelle Buchi, a Whiteman teacher who has traveled to Africa for professional development. "We'll get calls all the time from teachers at other schools who don't know how to handle an international student."
The district is having trouble coming up with the money and resources to start a Newcomer Center at the elementary school level. There is also the issue of busing the younger children to a beacon school across town, district officials said.
"I think the thinking has been that elementary-age children have less of a gap to overcome when they come to this country than the older kids," said Mirjana Olujic, a coordinator of international student programs for Jewish Family Services, which helps educate DPS's refugee students.
But there is some talk of instituting a Newcomer Center for younger children in the future.
John Simmons, one of the district's instructional superintendents for elementary schools, plans to advocate for one at Whiteman.
"We live in a world of finite resources, and I don't think there's anybody philosophically opposed to the idea," he said.
"Lack of understanding"
At a recent summit provided by the district for refugee service organizations, parents and educators, one of the biggest needs pinpointed by those in attendance was providing Newcomer Center services at the elementary level. Some suggested that international students be allowed six months to focus solely on English and American customs.
"I was in awe of all the different native languages represented here, and we didn't even know what some of these languages were and where they're spoken," said Joe Sandoval, executive director for education services for the district.
"That lack of understanding is part of the problem. While the starting points are different for all kids, especially those international students, obviously the finish line we expect them to cross is the same."
Simmons said younger children from foreign cultures need help to integrate.
"It's very difficult on the student but also the teachers when a student who is not used to anything in our culture is literally dropped from the sky and into one of our classrooms," he said.
Staff writer Manny Gonzales can be reached at 303-954-1537 or [email protected].
Source: Denver Post, May 20, 2007