By: Katherine Massopust
PERTH AMBOY – At the 9/10/15 Board of Education Meeting it was noted that there is a Lease Agreement with Our Lady of Peace Parish for the Lease of Our Lady of Peace School from October 2015 through June 2018. Our Lady of Peace School in Fords was closed this past spring leaving the building available for lease. The Board of Education will now be using this facility as a Dual Language Academy. It will also be used for students that are classified.
Board Member Ken Puccio asked Superintendent Dr. David Roman how many students will be at this academy. Roman answered, “Around two hundred plus students.”
Board President Sam Lebreault spoke about the importance of being fluent in another language, “I was floored two years ago in Wilentz School. – A student who spoke Chinese – I heard him translating to Spanish and I thought it was incredible that this kid speaks three languages. Your brain develops differently. I welcome this Academy.”
Board Member Israel Varela noted the work that the teachers do for the Dual Language Academy, “It’s really aggressive. They’re not preparing curriculum just in Spanish, but also in English. We’re putting such a hard workload (on them). It’s double the work that a regular staff does.”
Varela continued, “There are several models – all pedagogically sound – one teacher or a two teacher team.”