Jake Henry, Principal,
Newcomers School

Mayra Hayes, Director,
English as a Second Language

What are the issues?

The Guilford County School population comes from many backgrounds including almost 100 languages and dialects. These students arrive in Guilford County Schools sometimes without the ability to speak English and often at first unable to understand the nuances of American school life.

Students come with different histories. Jake Henry, Principal of the Guilford County Schools Newcomers School, recalls students who have never held a textbook, never looked at a school locker, and never wrote on chalkboards. Some students were more worried about surviving each day.

During one session, Henry facilitated discussions about making choices for the future and asked the students to consider what they wanted to do after school graduation. "One student couldn't even dream. Because in the camps that's when people would come and kill and rape. So, he couldn't even dream at night for what he wanted for his future," said Henry.

New students have a lot to deal when they first start in an American school. One student, Sergio Carreno Martinez, moved to Greensboro from Columbia, South America in 2006. He remembers how difficult those first few days were at one of the Guilford County Schools and refers to them as "Terrible. Terrible. Terrible."

With 6,000 students trying to learn these basic skills, Guilford County Schools had to do something dramatically different to assist them. Teaching these kids reading, writing, history, or arithmetic in a regular classroom is daunting for classroom teachers already burdened by the challenges of meeting end-of-grade testing scores.

According to former Superintendent Terry Grier in the 2006-07 Guilford County Schools Progress Report, "Research proves that recent immigrants who do not speak English as a native language are at a higher risk of dropping out, and our vision is to help break that cycle by easing the transition from one culture to another."

Alan Duncan, Chairman,
Guilford County Schools

Jake Henry, Principal,
Newcomers School

What are they doing?

Guilford County Schools hosts the Newcomers School for students in grades five through 12 who recently arrived in the United States and are considered novices on the North Carolina language test. While the school accelerates English literacy skills, it also tries to bridge the cultural understanding gaps that newcomers have when they arrive in the States.

The school operates on a 10-month schedule, with extended learning sessions scheduled throughout the year. Students generally attend the school for one year, but can attend for a longer or shorter time depending on individual progress.

While the Newcomers School provides education in English as a second language, it does more than this. The school involves the students' families, hosts field trips, and offers family classes in adult English instruction even on Saturdays. The family component also includes babysitting, K-12 tutoring, community referrals, counseling, and health awareness.

Field trips create positive social experiences and build background knowledge about the community. Students visit local sites, such as the University of North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina A&T State University, Guilford College, Bennett College for Women, police stations, fire departments, banks, the North Carolina Zoo, parks, libraries, museums, and local governmental departments.

Once the student enrolls in the assigned school, social workers conduct follow-up sessions with families. Prior to completing the program at the Newcomers School, teachers and counselors develop a plan for transitioning students to their assigned schools. A Guilford County School Newcomers School counselor visits the student's home to provide support for successful transition.

After the year, students prepare to return to their assigned schools, having achieved skills needed to get through daily school tasks and participate successfully in their assigned school's classes.

"For the last four years we have seen the need for a sheltered English as Second Language (ESL) setting for new arrivals," says Mayra Hayes, director of the ESL department. "The Newcomer Charter team has spent a lot of time developing a program that would be beneficial for our students and families."

Jake Henry, Principal,
Newcomers School

Sergio Carreno Martinez,
Student at Newcomers School

How does this make a difference?

Having opened in the fall of 2007, the Newcomers School is the first of its kind in North Carolina. Statistics are not yet available.

Newcomers School Principal Jake Henry was named Principal of the Year by the Visiting International Faculty (VIF) Program for providing international education to students. Henry's school hosts nine VIF teachers.

The VIF Program is the largest international-exchange program, sponsoring teachers from around the world to teach in American schools for up to three years before returning home. With comprehensive support services to help ensure a rewarding experience, VIF sponsors more than 1,600 teachers from almost 60 nations in nearly 1,000 schools.