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Glendale now 1st ‘Language Friendly’ high school in North America
Glendale Secondary School in Hamilton became the first Language Friendly School (LFS) in North America.
Students and staff at the high school gathered Tuesday for the official LFS flag raising ceremony.
“Glendale Secondary School is joining the Language Friendly Network of schools, which celebrates students speaking and learning in their native or their first language that they speak at home,” said the school principal, Dave Schroeder.
“You walk in the halls at Glendale and you can see and hear that diversity that really builds a wonderful school community.”
For schools to become language friendly, they must develop language plans that adapt to the needs of their students and communities.
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Glendale welcomes newcomer students who have limited English-speaking skills and encourages them to volunteer as multilingual leaders for events when parents come into schools.
“We like to have welcome signs in different languages,” said the head of ESL, Marjorie Hewitt.
“We will encourage students to access their first language as a resource to help them when they’re learning in English.”
Starting with four staff members, Glendale’s LFS team has grown into a group of 15 teachers and administrators.
“We are excited to continue growing our team to collaborate on more initiatives that support our multilingual community,” said Hewitt.
