West Oxford Elementary School got approval from the Granville County Board of Education Monday to proceed with plans to have a dual-language program next year.

The board unanimously approved re-allocation of funding to make possible the new initiative.

Principal Bethany Bonnemere said she is excited to be able to bring the Spanish-English program to the school. “The staff and school community have worked hard to develop our Global program over the past two years, and bringing on the dual language program will take our school to a whole new level,” she said in a written statement from GCPS public information officer Dr. Stan Winborne.

Superintendent Dr. Alisa McLean said she has wanted to start a dual-language program since she arrived in the school district. “I believe students will thrive under this model, as research shows that bilingualism promotes achievement for all students and increases literacy and academic achievement in both languages.  I am thrilled to see this happen at West Oxford and am very proud of Mrs. Bonnemere and her team for their efforts to make this a reality,” she stated.

The program will support the development of Spanish as a second language for all students whose families choose to participate.  The program, which will begin in at least one classroom in kindergarten, will expand with each year that students move up through each grade level.  Non-bilingual classrooms in each grade level will still be offered for families who choose not to participate, although they will still take part in the school’s global focus.

Dual language programs follow a variety of models, but all promote bilingualism, biliteracy, building an awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and high levels of academic achievement through instruction in two languages.  Additional details about the specific plans for West Oxford’s model can be found on the school’s website in the coming weeks.

“I look forward to our school becoming a bilingual center of the community,” Bonnemere said.