Page 1

Hawthorne_050715_FNL_lorez

Hawthorne Press Tribune The Weekly Newspaper of Hawthorne Herald Publications - Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, El Segundo, Torrance & Manhattan Beach Community Newspapers Since 1911 - Circulation 30,000 - Readership 60,000 (310) 322-1830 - May 7, 2015 South Bay Work Investment Board Holds Youth Job Fair Ingrid Solares and Dennis Smith, both with Old Navy, interview prospective candidates at the 15th Annual Blueprint for Workplace Success Youth Job Fair. On average, 700-800 students attend the job fair with about 50-60 companies participating. The average number of students hired on site is about 175-200, while those scheduled for second interviews has an average of about 150-200. This year, 653 local South Bay youth, ages 16-24, attended the event. Photo courtesy of SBWIB. TWBI Students Make Final Preparations for End-Of-Year Performance By Cristian Vasquez by third grade the projects begin to include Still, parents have demonstrated strong interest Students and staff at Ramona Elementary more English and by fifth grade there is an enrolling their children in TWBI, causing the School are fine-tuning the final details for the equal presence of English and Spanish. program to grow at a steady rate since its annual End of the Year Dance Performance for TWBI, an opt-in program available to inception 18 years ago. the Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Academy Ramona Elementary students, emphasizes “We have so many people trying to opt in to take place at Hawthorne Memorial Center Spanish instruction in the early grades that right now that there is a possibility that we on Tuesday, May 12 beginning at 5:30 p.m. allows English-speaking students ample are going to have to open a third kindergarten The evening’s event is a celebratory exposure to the target language-Spanish. class next year,” Dr. Morgan said. culmination of the TWBI program’s year-round English reading is introduced by the third TWBI is also very parent-involved and has effort to help students develop into bilingual grade. The program also allows Spanishspeakers several resources available for them, including Spanish- and English-speakers, while learning the opportunity to expand their a homework hotline, for English and Spanish to read and write in both languages as well. vocabulary and build a strong base in their speakers, through where they can connect “We have Catherine Wahl, who comes in first language, while helping achieve more with other parents. once a week on Tuesdays [to teach kids to success as they begin to acquire English oral “We support the parents via TWBI parent dance] and at this point there are three to four skills, as well as down the line when they meetings, where they are invited to come teachers that do their own choreography with transfer into reading and writing in English. in and the teachers give an update on the students,” English Learner Specialist with the “They slowly get immersed into the English program and what is happening,” Lopez said. Hawthorne School District Miguelina Lopez through the years so by fourth and fifth grade “There are activities where the parents learn said. “One of our former TWBI teachers, it is fifty-fifty,” Hawthorne School Board what the teachers want parents to focus on, Norma LeRoy, continues to make skirts for Superintendent Dr. Helen E. Morgan said. in order to give parents the tools to help the the [girls]. She donates her time and makes “They truly are bilingual/biliterate by fourth children at home.” them herself; she is fabulous. She [LeRoy] and fifth grade.” Tuesday’s performance is a culmination of always checks in at the beginning of the year The test numbers used are from two years another successful year for TWBI students, and makes the tuxes for the boys so that they ago, since that is the last time state testing who now have the opportunity to continue match the skirts for the girls.” took place, demonstrated a steady trend of the TWBI academy during sixth, seventh The teachers and instructors work with proficiency among students in the TWBI and eight grade. kids enrolled in TWBI in each grade level, program. It was noted by Dr. Morgan that “Usually kids are very shy and bashful when Kindergarten through fifth grade, to prepare for second and third grade kids have lower test they aren’t comfortable with what they are the end-of-year dance beginning in October. scores; however, it is only because the kids doing,” Dr. Morgan said. “But these kids are In addition, TWBI introduces students to are required to take an English test when confident in going up there. Sure, you will other elements of culture aside from dance they haven’t had any real instruction in see one or two kids who get shy, but they and language. English, since the first years of TWBI dictate do a good job. It is heartwarming and one “Each grade level will have a different instruction in Spanish. of my favorite events of the year.” focus such as Mexico in one grade, Central Due to the differences in in the immersion The Hawthorne Memorial Center is located America in another group and South America program to that of non-TWBI students, the at 3901 W. El Segundo Blvd. in Hawthorne. with the third group,” Lopez said. “At the parents are made aware of the structure of The performance is free and begins at performance on Tuesday, there will be booths the program and the expected student growth. 5:30 p.m. • and tables set up with the culminating projects that the kids at each grade level worked on Correction as part of the TWBI program and what they On our front page photo last week, we have learned.” spelled a popular street in Hawthorne The kindergarten and first grade students wrong: as all residents know, it is not will present their projects entirely in Spanish; Inside This Issue Certified & Licensed Professionals.......................2 Classifieds............................3 Finance..................................2 Food.......................................8 Hawthorne Happenings....3 Legals............................3, 6-7 Pets........................................4 Police Reports.....................3 Seniors..................................6 Sports....................................5 Tech Talk...............................6 Weekend Forecast Friday Showers 64˚/56˚ Saturday Partly Cloudy 65˚/55˚ Sunday Sunny 69˚/57˚ Jack Northrup Avenue, but Jack Northrop Avenue. We regret the error.


Hawthorne_050715_FNL_lorez
To see the actual publication please follow the link above