Did you know in Canyons District, it’s possible to learn two languages at the same time and to graduate from high school fluent in both?
The start of October signals the opening of the window to apply for Canyons District’s Dual Language Immersion Programs for the 2020-2021 school year. From Monday, Oct. 7 to Tuesday, Nov. 26, parents and guardians can apply online to have their children learn Spanish, French or Mandarin Chinese.
In addition, parents and guardians who have questions about the programs are invited to a Parent Information Night on Wednesday, Oct. 23. The 6-8 p.m. event will be held in the Atrium at Jordan High School, 95 E. Beetdigger Blvd. (9880 S.) in Sandy.
Please note, that students with siblings currently enrolled in a Dual-Language Immersion school must still submit applications by the Nov. 26 deadline. A lottery will be held to determine entrance into the programs if the number of applicants exceeds the 56 seats available per entering class.
On the application, parents will be asked to list their top three preferred languages and schools. Parents will be notified of their children’s acceptance into a program, or be given a choice of possible programs, on Friday, Jan. 10, 2020. All programs, except for the one at Midvale Elementary, are for students entering first grade in 2020-2021.
Midvale Elementary’s Spanish-English program operates a bit differently: It starts in kindergarten, and due to the fact that enrollment at the school is at-capacity, it’s only open to students who live inside the school’s boundaries. Spanish, however, also is offered at Alta View and Silver Mesa. French is taught at Butler Elementary and Oak Hollow. The schools offering Mandarin are Draper Elementary, Lone Peak, and Ridgecrest.
A model of bilingual instruction dating back to the 1960s, immersion programs are surfacing in classrooms around the globe as an efficient path to proficiency in a world language. Children in dual language immersion programs spend half the day learning core subjects in English and the other half learning in a target language.
CSD’s first immersion classes opened in 2009, the same year that the District was founded. The District is now home to 19 elementary and secondary school immersion programs. More than 10 percent of CSD’s 34,000 students are now learning a world language through the program, which extends through high school where, if they pass an Advanced Placement exam, students can start taking college-level courses for early college credit.
Questions? Call the Instructional Supports Department at 801-826-5026.
