Richland One enrolling Pre-K and kindergarten students for new language immersion program

Richland One will provide parents with yet another choice when it comes to the education of children when the district launches its new language immersion program in August 2016.

The program, which will offer Mandarin Chinese and Spanish, will begin with pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students then expand by one grade level each year through fifth grade. Approximately half of the students’ instructional time will be taught in English and the other half will be taught in either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. The innovative curriculum will be standards-based, and students in the program also will receive instruction in math, science and social studies.

“Our parents expressed a strong interest in the district offering a language immersion program, and we’re excited about the program starting next school year,” said Richland One Superintendent Dr. Craig Witherspoon.

“Research has shown that there are many benefits of language immersion programs for students, including improving their problem-solving skills and performance on tests, as well as increasing their appreciation for diverse cultures and preparing them to be productive global citizens,” Witherspoon said.

Initially, 128 slots will be available in the Richland One Language Immersion Program, with eight classes of 16 students each. Pre-K students must be four years old by September 1, 2016 and kindergarten students must be five years old by the same date. The program will be housed at Carver-Lyon Elementary School, and students from throughout the Richland One attendance zone are eligible to enroll. Bus transportation will be provided.

Parents interested in enrolling their children in the program must first go to the district’s website, www.richlandone.org, to register their children for school using the InfoSnap online student registration system; click on the InfoSnap link.

Once parents have registered their children in InfoSnap, they must attend a language immersion program information session to receive an application. The information sessions begin March 10 and run through March 22 at various school sites across the district. Parents can choose the session that is most convenient for them to attend.

Language Immersion Program Mandatory Parent Information Sessions

Parents must complete the application they receive at the information session and submit it to the Richland One Early Childhood Education Department at 1225 Oak Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29204, by March 25 at 5:00 p.m.

Following a random selection process, parents will be notified whether their children have been accepted to enroll in the program. Parents will have two weeks to accept the slot by signing and returning the Language Immersion Parent Commitment Form by May 6.

For more information about the Richland One Language Immersion Program, contact Dr. Quantina Haggwood, director of early childhood education, at (803) 231-6709 or at [email protected].