Public school (LEP) program

The Limited English Proficiency (LEP) English language program for public school children, operated jointly by the English Language Institute and the Christina School District in New Castle County, Delaware, continues to thrive.

The elementary school program, serving international children in grades one through four, has moved to Gallaher School near Christiana Mall. There, a second classroom was provided by Christina School District beginning in September 2000 to accommodate more children. Teacher Jan LeFebvre's group of children is in third and fourth grades, while Mary McCloskey is currently teaching grades one and two. Depending on their home school, some children go to LEP class three times a week and some five times a week.

Another change, LeFebvre said, is that all the Spanish-speaking children are now served separately by a bilingual program. At Pulaski School in Wilmington, Lourdes Ruiz Arthur has succeeded Kathy Vodvarka as ESL teacher for grades four, five and six.

"Our LEP students are highly motivated to learn English as quickly as possible," LeFebvre reports, "so that they can do all the things the other students are doing and speak with all their new friends."

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