OBSERVER Photo by M.J. Stafford School 5 children sing at the Dunkirk Board of Education’s November meeting.

Officials at School 5 offered a presentation about their bilingual education program at the Dunkirk Board of Education’s November meeting.

The meeting was held at the school as part of the board’s decision to move its sessions around the district this year. A banner behind the board declared, “We all smile in the same language.” Another banner listed School 5 rules in English and Spanish.

The board’s session started on a sad note, as Superintendent Brian Swatland asked for and received a moment of silence in memory of 4-year-old Leanna Herrera. The girl died Monday after she was struck by a bus in Jamestown.

The presentation about the bilingual academy, which mixes Spanish-speaking kids who are learning English and kids who don’t know any Spanish, came later. It was an upbeat affair, featuring a group of kids singing.

The program serves 39 children in grades kindergarten through two. Among them, 22 are classified as English Language Learners, 10 are “English-proficient,” and seven are native English speakers with no experience in Spanish.

Bar graphs were flashed to show that in 2024-25, student proficiency in both English and Spanish rose markedly between the start and end of the school year.

This year, the program debuted two kindergartens — one held in English, the other in Spanish. Kindergartners are divided into two cohorts, the “Penguins” and the “Giraffes.” Penguins start a school week in one of the classrooms, Giraffes in the other, and they switch between the classrooms through the week.

The program has four goals: 1. Starting students on a path to literacy in both English and Spanish. 2. The students will test at or above the state average in grade level scores on the languages. 3. Encouraging positive cross-cultural experiences. 4. Getting students eligible for the “New York State Seal of Biliteracy” honor.

The presentation ended with students from the program singing a song in Spanish,

“Mi Cuerpo.” That means “My Body” in English, and the song consisted of the students pointing at their body parts and singing their names in Spanish.