- According to Lansing School District officials, there are about 2030 students in the district who speak languages other than English and about 1360 students were born outside the United States
- The Lansing school district has always provided resources for international students but now with the opening of the Newcomer Center, they have a space where students from 2nd to 12th grade can
- In the attached story, I spoke with Sergio Keck, Lansing School District Deputy Superintendent of Special Populations and a few of the Newcomer students about how beneficial this center is to them .
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
My neighborhood is one that people from all across the world call home and with a growing international population, the Lansing School District has created the Newcomer Center to prepare our youngest neighbors for school.
Sergio Keck was once a newcomer himself.
"Many many years ago when I came to the United States from Argentina" said Keck, Lansing School District Deputy Superintendent of Special Populations
So he knows the challenges of adjusting to school in the states first hand.
"How to take the bus, how to make it to school,how to speak to your councilors, how to walk in the hallway, how to serve food in the lunch" he recalled.
Which is why he, along with the rest of the Lansing School District prioritized opening the Newcomer Center, which opened its door at the beginning of this school year.
A space where students from the 72 countries are represented in the district can spend a few months ahead of attending regular school in learning English.
"Its different because everyone here is speaking English not French" said one student.
And the way of life in our neighborhoods.
"When the schools do good work with the kids parents stay in the community. So if you drive to Cedar street or Pennsylvania and you see different international stores that is because people are staying in Lansing from other parts of the world" Sergio Keck said.
According to district officials, there are currently 2032 students who do not speak English at home, and 1361 of them were born outside of the United States; so the Newcomer Center is a way for the 84 students who are mostly refugees to learn the lay of land in a comfortable setting.
"How do you like school?" "I really like school" another student told me.
And set them up for success before they join the rest of their classmates.
"When we get you through that, you're all set to have a wonderful in our nation." Keck said.
The Newcomer Center is still accepting applications for both students and teachers
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