Shelter Island School and CAST launch program for Spanish speakers: Improving language skills for students’ parents
Shelter Island School officials have been joined by staff and volunteers from the Center for Advocacy, Support & Transformation (CAST) in reaching out to families in a program to bring parents to whom English is a new language closer to the community.
CAST originally served residents of Southold and Greenport but has in recent years been involved with the Shelter Island community, initially with a food truck arriving twice a month to provide fresh, healthy options to residents experiencing food insufficiency.
School Nurse Mary Kanarvogel noted there are 90 families and 235 people on the Island visiting the food truck; among them are seniors and working people with limited resources.
Now CAST Executive Director Cathy Demeroto and Education and Outreach Coordinator Erica Steindl have launched an adult program called English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), assisting families to improve their language skills.
The intention is to integrate them into the wider community, able to become involved with school programs and to communicate with teachers and staff who are serving their children.
Despite providing messages in Spanish sent home to parents about school programs, Shelter Island School officials realized many of these adults have had too little involvement with other parents and programs.
To close that gap, they have reached out to staff member Anna Campos to serve as a Spanish-speaking liaison. Ms. Campos has helped Spanish-speaking parents to interact with teachers and administrators and involve them in activities at the school.
In January, Ms. Steindl of CAST launched the ESOL program with volunteers Cydney Pullman and Mia DiOrio that initially reached out to 34 parents and attracted 13 participants. Eight of them completed the program titled “Work Force 1” and received their certificates, with the others unable to attend all the sessions that spanned eight weeks.
They and others will have an opportunity to participate in another Work Force 1 program in the fall, and those who completed the program this spring will have an opportunity to build on what they learned by enrolling in “Work Force 2.”
The language principles will be more advanced in Work Force 2, Ms. Steindl said.
She noted the dedication of school officials in encouraging the outreach to the Spanish-speaking community.
School Nurse Mary Kanarvogel similarly praised CAST for its efforts on Shelter Island.
Another CAST program held this past week was also one Ms. Kanarvogel aimed to open to Shelter Island students. That was the CAST “Glam Fest” held last Friday to bring students to CAST to obtain dresses and tuxedos for their prom.
