Our students and families are our most precious asset and we are committed to creating a place of love and learning for all scholars. Our DLI program provides academic grade-level instruction in two languages: Spanish and English. The program honors home language and supports Spanish speakers in learning in their first language as well as in English. We have a 50/50 program which means students spend equal time in both languages beginning in Kindergarten. The program gets its name “dual language” because students are being taught in two languages. DLI is a biliteracy program where students not only learn to speak two languages but they read and write in those languages as well. This means not just being able to understand or speak Spanish and English informally at home, but being prepared to read and write, study math, social studies and science at grade level in both languages.

At Allis DLI, we are:

• We are...
• Starting on a stronger foundation with a unified front
• Committed to collaboration for anti-racist education in bilingual education
• Consistent and aligned vertically
• Following the DLI scopes
• Serving ALL students with Culturally and Linguistically Relevant texts
• Collaborate to problem solve for our most school dependent learners
• Changing our narrative in a POSITIVE direction
• Focused on collaborative on student outcomes and best practices
• Collaborating around supporting families
• Celebrating success

August 2019

Dear DLI Families,

Welcome to the 2019-20 school year. As summer closes and we begin a fresh year, teachers fill with excitement. This year is especially filled with anticipation as we hope to do better. Last school year, Allis’ Dual Immersion (DLI) program experienced a teacher leaving mid-year, lower enrollment and challenges with student engagement. We know we want to do better. We need to do better. DLI was brought to Allis to serve our Spanish speaking students by offering education in their first language. We want our scholars to seize the opportunity to become biliterate in this 21st century.

As the principal of Frank Allis Elementary, I have the pleasure and responsibility of leading our school’s culture through love, acceptance, understanding and equity. We have a responsibility to protect a space for everyone to feel honored and affirmed. Frank Allis is a Welcoming School focused on social and racial justice education. DLI has a focus on cultural differences and similarities, looking at our world and the people in it. DLI prepares students to be culturally sensitive global citizens who are excited to travel, explore the world and thrive in multiple environments. At Allis our diverse DLI classes include students from many different backgrounds and abilities.

DLI is not a new program and it’s becoming more common across the United States. The first DLI program in the USA was in Miami in 1962. There are more than 300 programs nationwide and 94% of the DLI programs in the USA are Spanish/English. Students who fully reap the benefits of the DLI Program commit to keeping their child enrolled in DLI throughout his/her academic experience (K-12).

DLI is no longer new to Frank Allis. We are entering our 4th year in the program. Each year our program has adjusted. This year all of our teachers are returning except in second grade. We have a K/1 team: Meredith Mount and MaKenzie Krah. At second grade, we are excited to welcome a bright shining star Jessica Barrera-Real, who will join Katie Hill and Erin Kerwin. Our third grade team are seasoned third grade teachers: Hannah Kuecker and Claudia Guzman. Our program is finding its own way in serving our scholars. All throughout Allis we all believe in the heart of our Allis CommUNITY. This community is inclusive of all students and their families. We believe:

Through anti-racist practices, everyone within our school feels heard, cared for, and connected as a community of scholars who are supported to achieve their full academic and social potential.

This school year you will see us building predictable routines which support a strong, safe and fun environment of learning. We want students to find a space of comfort in our halls, by showing them they are loved and cared for. Our Allis Scholars are gifted with potential; we believe our job is to support them in realizing their potential. You will notice some changes in our arrival, dismissal and lunch procedures. These include more supervision and less transitions.

Our DLI program will continue to focus on serving our Spanish speaking students, while being inclusive of all students who choose to work towards biliteracy. We are committed to partnering with you in order to provide the best we can for our scholars. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me and the team.

Leading with Love,

Sara R. Cutler, PhD