What grades will the school serve?
Initially, ICS will most likely open with grades K-2. Grade levels will be added as these students advance. Multiple grades may be added as demand indicates. We hope to ultimately offer middle and high school grades so our students will receive full benefit of the IB and language programs.
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When will the school open?
We aim to start with grade levels K-2 starting September, 2011.
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What about grades 3 - 5?
If we receive a large response (more than 20 each grade) from parents interested in enrolling their children in higher grades, we will add higher grades. Please be sure to fill out our enrollment survey so that your vote is counted.
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Where will the school be located?
The school will be located in La Mirada.
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Do I need to live in the Norwalk-La Mirada School District boundaries for my child to attend the school?
No. For California charter schools, you do not need to live in school district's boundaries in order to attend the school.
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What is a charter school?
Charter schools are tuition-free public schools that operate within the district under contract with the school district. Charter schools offer alternative teaching methods or curricula and more independence than regular public schools.
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Is prior knowledge of German required to enter the school?
No. The immersion program is designed to teach children who don't have any prior German language knowledge. After-school tutoring and assistance with homework will be offered if a student needs some extra help. An intensive summer school program is in the works.
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Is ICS the right school for you?
The educational experience at ICS will require a high degree of commitment from both students and their parents. Success by any measure will be difficult to achieve without: consistent attendance, dedication to the immersion language model and to the International Baccalaureate curriculum, abiding by behavioral expectations, parental involvement, effective communication between students, parents and staff and parental support of the school in the form of financial or in-kind donations and/or volunteering.
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How do I enroll my child?
Enrollment will most likely begin in Spring, 2011. But it is important that you get on our mailing list by filling out short online form (by clicking on the on the right hand side under Show Your Support!), so that you are immediately informed when enrollment begins.
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What are the benefits of learning another language?
In addition to reaping the social and economic advantages of bilingualism, immersion learners benefit cognitively, exhibiting greater nonverbal problem-solving abilities and more flexible thinking. It has been suggested that the very processes learners need to use to make sense of the teacher's meaning make them pay closer attention and think harder. These processes, in turn, appear to have a positive effect on cognitive development. From the standpoint of academic achievement, over three decades of studies consistently show that immersion students achieve as well as or better than non-immersion peers on standardized measures of verbal and mathematics skills administered in English. California students at local elementary immersion programs produce standardized test scores that are consistently among the highest in the state. German immersion programs across the country also show extraordinary academic gains for their students. Even if there were no benefit to learning a foreign language, immersion schools should be a first choice purely for the challenging and engaging academic curriculum that motivates children to excel.
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But my child doesn't speak a foreign language well enough!
There is no requirement that your kindergartner or 1st grader know German before starting at ICS. In fact, this program was designed for them. In order to make academic lessons comprehensible to learners and to support their second language learning, immersion teachers-who are highly proficient in English and the immersion language-use a vast repertoire of instructional strategies as they cover the school's curriculum.
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Won't it be difficult to help my child with homework if I don't know the language?
You will be supported in your role as parent of an immersion student. Immersion programs structure homework so that the children know what they are expected to do, how to do it, and what to do if they do get stuck. Parents are also given very clear directions regarding homework. As a parent, you will be provided with a homework hotline number to call in case you have questions about the homework. The most important way that you can help your child at home will be to read to your child in English.
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