Short takes

Healing wounds, boosting achievement

Healing wounds, boosting achievement

Many of the immigrant students who arrive at Cajon Valley Middle School in eastern San Diego County bear the emotional—and sometimes physical—scars of the violence, war and terror that drove their families from their native countries.

Located near the Mexican border, the school attracts many immigrants from Mexico and other Central and Latin American countries, as well as refugees from war-torn regions of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Africa and Ukraine.

Kids who have spent their childhoods fighting for survival have little time for formal education, and many are overwhelmed by the challenges of a new language and culture and the demands of an American school.

To increase the chances that these students will thrive, Cajon Valley educators established “Newcomers,” a program to help immigrant students deal with their sometimes traumatic pasts, develop their academic potentials and become successful American citizens.

“Imagine yourself trying to learn science, math, history, and reading and writing skills while simultaneously learning the language of instruction—say, Chinese or Pashtun,” says science and math teacher Peri Good, who with colleague Mary Ann Ostermeyer co-founded the program in 2000. “That’s what our students are doing every day.”

All Newcomer classes are taught in English, and students also study Latin—both to help with language skills and so they can understand the roots of American democracy. Students also get exposure to art, theater, the courts and other American policy and cultural institutions, thanks in part to foundation grants and creative partnerships that Good and Ostermeyer have arranged with local universities, the San Diego-based Old Globe Theatre, the Center for Civic Education and a range of other organizations.

Working with groups like Catholic Charities, the American Red Cross and Survivors of Torture, The Newcomers program also provides emotional support for children and families so that students can recover from childhood trauma and focus on learning. Volunteers from local colleges and the wider community help students with special projects and tutoring.

Newcomer students who enter the program as sixth-graders are usually ready to enroll in regular academic classes after less than two years—and most of them go on to excel in advanced and honors courses. The program serves 55 to 70 students a year. It won a 2006 CSBA Golden Bell Award for language acquisition, and Newcomer students regularly win state and national honors for writing, civics engagement, history and community leadership.

Some student stories are positively inspirational. Take, for example, the case of one Iraqi girl who came to Cajon Valley several years ago as a sixth-grader. After spending several years on the run, she arrived in California with a single year of formal schooling. She’d spent the previous year in Greece, spending her days selling lottery tickets on the street.

Within two years, she was selected from among thousands of applicants as a “Padres Scholar,” and was taking a full schedule of honors courses.

Last year, Newcomers from Cajon Valley, along with students from 11 other San Diego County public schools, participated in a pilot “Globe Readers” program offered by the popular theater. “The pieces they wrote were sensational,” says Old Globe Education Associate Raul Moncada.

“The intervention is intensive,” Cajon Valley Principal Ron Girvin says, “and requires a great deal of effort from many people. Ultimately, the program succeeds because of the dedication of our two outstanding teachers.”

—Carol Brydolf