JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Mansur Mahmoud and his younger brother cried on their first day of school at IDEA River Bluff in Arlington.
But they didn’t cry because they missed their family or precious toys. They cried because they could not understand or speak a word of English.
That’s not the case anymore.
“My name is Mansur,” the second-grader said to me in English. “I am from Afghanistan.”
Mansur and his family moved from Afghanistan to Jacksonville approximately six months ago.
“I like the beach,” Mansur said.
In just two months, those tears filled with confusion have turned into smiles – thanks to the English as a Second Language program offered at the charter school.
Mansur, whose native language is Farsi, is one of dozens of children enrolled in the program, growing from only two students last year to 63 this year.
Fanny Menardi, the teacher in charge of the program, said this growth speaks volumes, as it’s a direct reflection of Jacksonville’s growing and diverse population.
“We hope that this is going to be a model for other schools to apply as well. So every kid can have the opportunities,” Menardi said.
Menardi joined River Bluff as a science teacher, but that changed after seeing the need for a program like this.
“We noticed that we had a lot of students coming from Haiti or from South America who did not speak English at all or just a little bit, and they were very passive in the classroom but trying so hard, like working twice as much as everybody else. So we had the idea of starting an evening club, an English club.”
Menardi then asked through a school chat if anyone would be interested in joining the club. To her surprise, the response from students was overwhelming.
“We had like 50 students interested, so of course, we couldn’t do this, just open once a week in a club,” Menardi said.
So Menardi and her team decided to devise a better plan that could serve all the students.
This is what they came up with:
- During the day, Menardi teaches English in small groups. Those small groups are pulled from their normal classes so they can practice English.
- The small groups are divided by native language and English level. That way, Menardi can give a more personalized approach to students adjusted to their specific needs and backgrounds.
- Then, to accelerate the learning, Menardi and her team came up with the idea of implementing the afterschool program from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. where all of her students can interact with each other and learn together. The afterschool program also helps them solidify what they learned during the small group classes.
Menardi, who’s originally from France, speaks three languages: French, Spanish and English. As a non-native English speaker, Menardi knows firsthand the amount of effort that goes into learning a new language.
“They have to stay late, they’re tired, they have homework, vocabulary, and just to barely catch up with the others,” Menardi said.
Menardi’s multilingual skills are also very important when it comes to connecting with her students. Since most of her students start the lessons without speaking English, it is crucial that she knows how to communicate with her Spanish-speaking and French-speaking students.
Meanwhile, Nilou Minaei, who’s the child nutrition program regional manager, serves as a translator during the English classes for Mansur and his brother.
She also communicates with their parents to keep them updated on their progress.
“It is heartwarming because they have become part of our team and family. They don’t feel singled out. They’re not sitting by themselves. The language is what’s connecting them and making them feel like ‘Okay, now I can have the confidence I can go up to somebody and say, ‘Can you play with me? You want to play soccer?’ So those little phrases they’re learning along the way,” Minaei said.
Elizabeth Bohorquez Del Cristo, who’s in 6th grade, can also relate to Mansur’s progress. In just two months, she is now able to have conversations in English and has gone from not raising her hand to participating in class.
She moved with her family from Ecuador.
“Because a new life and more opportunities,” Bohorquez Del Cristo said.
While it hasn’t been easy, she has one goal that keeps her focused on her English learning process.
“I want to be DJ and I go to the college to practice music,” Bohorquez del Cristo said.
Curtis Lawrence, founding principal of IDEA River Bluff, said seeing the positive feedback and progress just confirms the need for more programs like this.
“Within two weeks, I had students coming up to me saying phrases in English. They were so happy to acquire another language,” Lawrence said.
Lawrence said they just hired an additional teacher who will help with the growing demand of students looking to sign up for the program.
He’s also looking to add a third person to the team for next year to expand the program.
Meanwhile, these exceptional students are working hard to make sure no language barriers get in the way of their bright future.