International School 45 teaches the world

By Shari Ingles and Maureen Vitali

BengalNews Reporters         

            To someone who is just walking by, International School 45 is nothing more than a dark, brick building. But to the several hundred refugee students that attend school there, it is so much more than that.

 A walk through the doors of School 45, located on 141 Hoyt St., reveals a bright and welcoming interior. A sign near the cafeteria teaches students how to say a new word from a different language each day. A colorful mosaic features a sign that says, “We educate the children of the world.” To the refugee students, who come from refugee camps from over 30 different countries, the school is a symbol of acceptance and hope.

And hope is just what these students are looking for. Oftentimes they come to America after spending most of their young lives in the refugee camp. The resettlement process alone can take up to three years. When these students arrive in America, they often speak little or no English. As a result, School 45 administrators must take special steps to ensure that the students maintain the pace of other students in the Buffalo School District. This is because classes are taught in English.

Teacher Karen Kane, on language proficiency of School 45 students:  

A large map of the world showcases where different students are from and what languages they speak. Some of the popular languages spoken at the school include Karen, Arabic, Somali, Burmese, Kirundi, and Vietnamese, according to the school website.

             “There are over 800 students in the building and approximately 470 are considered limited English proficient,” said Karen Kane, English as a second language teacher (ESL) for 6^th grade. “Many students are living with parents that do not speak English as a first language.

            “We are very lucky to have a lot of resources. We have 14 ESL teachers that work with the K-6 population. We also have a partnership with Journeys End where bilingual academic coaches come in and provide translation services that help families and teachers communicate with the parents.”

            Students are placed in classes based on age, rather than academic or language proficiency. In other words, refugee students are expected to keep pace with their American classmates, despite language barriers. There are 200 faculty and staff members many of which are multilingual as well as four parent facilitators, according to the school website.

Journey’s End is interested in the refugees’ progress during the school year, as well as over the summer with its “Jump Start Academy.”

“The program focuses on English language acquisition, classroom orientation and introduction to American curriculum, schedules, and activities,” said Development Coordinator Brian Brown Cashdollar. “The program is run in conjunction with the Buffalo Public Schools Jumpstart Program and also in partnership with WNY Americorps and Houghton College.” Edited by Kristin Ritch

             

           

Buffalo high school grads can 'Say Yes'

By Mhairi Moorhead and Joe Losito
BengalNews Reporters 

West Side high school graduates that are applying for colleges in the upcoming months will be the first to have access to the Say Yes tuition program. 

Say Yes Buffalo is an educational program that partners with colleges, universities, Buffalo Public Schools, the City of Buffalo and many other institutions. It provides those students attending Buffalo Public Schools or Buffalo Charter Schools, a chance to receive college scholarships.

“There are no academic requirements to receive a Say Yes scholarship,” said Scholarship Director, Allison Newman. “The main criteria for receiving the award are that the child live in the City of Buffalo and has attended a Buffalo Public or Charter school since the beginning of 9^th grade.

The program is funded by local private donors, foundations and organizations that help organize people, time, money and resources to provide year-round support to Buffalo Public School District students throughout their K-12 years and beyond.

For those eligible who can’t move away from home, there are schools located in the West Side that participate in Say Yes, including one SUNY school, Buffalo State and one private school, D’Youville College.

“For the SUNY and CUNY tuition guarantee, there are no financial requirements. Students who meet eligibility requirements can receive this award regardless of family income,” said Newman.

There are many private schools that participate in the program that students should consider as well. For the Private Partner colleges, as long as the household income is below $75,000 per year, they will pay any remaining balance that Pell and Tap grants don’t cover. Those students of households earning above $75,000 a year can still apply for the Say Yes Buffalo Choice Grant, which provides $5,000 per year in addition to other financial aid and the cost of full-time tuition.

 “One of the reasons that I am excited to work with Say Yes is that this is not a program of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” said Ellicott District Common Council Member, Darius G. Pridgen, who works on the Education Committee. “My opinion is that this can be a game changer when it comes to higher-level education of our students.” 

 David Rust explains how George Weiss developed the Say Yes program:  

“There’s about 15 scholarship programs in the country right now, but we’re the only one that comes with the services we offer,” said Say Yes Executive Director David Rust.

Say Yes Buffalo provides different types of support, including tuition scholarships to one of nearly 100 colleges and universities, mentoring, tutoring, school-day academic support to family outreach, social work and psychological services. 

“This is a total program that gets involved with the school life, education life, and student life in Buffalo Public Schools,” said Pridgen.

In 2008, Syracuse was the first community selected by Say Yes to apply the strategies and support to all 32 schools in the district.

“In the five years that Say Yes has been in Syracuse, they’ve seen a 20 percent increase in graduates go on to college, a 6 percent increase in high school graduation rates, and a 70 percent decrease in children placed in foster care,” said Newman.

In December of 2011, Say Yes announced it would create another charter in Buffalo and in the beginning of the fall 2012 school year, Say Yes will implement its programs and provide services to students and families throughout Buffalo.

“We are here to help, there’s no doubt about that, and we are going to be here a long time,” said Rust. “This is not just a 3 year in-and-out grant.”

For more information on the Say Yes program and for a full list of colleges and universities participating in the program, you can visit the website at www.sayyestoeducation.org Edited by James Wright