Starting in March, Ferndale School District will be providing a free evening Adult English Language Learners (ELL) program.
In a Ferndale School District announcement, English Language Learning Coordinator Alvaro Vicente says “… we need to reach parents at home who need support just like their students. We want to open our schools to families. We want to be a place that the community can come to. Our schools can be an open place of learning for the whole family.” Vicente added, “My family immigrated here and we struggled throughout my school experience. My story is not unique from that perspective.”
Judith Zink, a Ferndale High School library para educator, will be teaching the classes. Zink has taught English in classrooms around the world before coming to Ferndale High School, including Japan, the Middle East and Canada.
Classes will be offered Tuesdays and Thursdays between March 1st to May 31st from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Ferndale High School Library. There is no cost to attend and no advance registration required.
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District officials say the classes will be funded by the District through a grant focused on parent engagement.
The District will be providing childcare during the classes.
There is no minimum or maximum limit on class size and officials say they are hoping for a good turnout.
Ferndale High School Principal Jeremy Vincent is quoted in the announcement as saying, “School buildings are typically quiet in the evenings. We want to change that by bringing the community into our buildings. This program is a huge need in our community and we’re ready to open up the doors.”