by Ana Nuncio
Caribbean Connections, The Gables’ summer enrichment program strives to serve English Language Learners in grades K-6 who are at the earliest levels of English proficiency. We are looking forward to welcoming ELL students from all of Salem’s Public Elementary Schools to our program which this year will be held at the Saltonstall School.
Every week, students will explore the interwoven histories of Salem and the Caribbean region. The program will run from Monday, July 10th through Thursday, August 10th, from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Thanks to the Summer Meals program, breakfast and lunch will be provided free for students.
As in previous years, Caribbean Connections will take students on field trips to The Gables and other cultural sites within our city, as well as to Lowell National Historic Park. Last year’s capstone experience was a boat ride out to Bakers Island in Salem Harbor. This year, there’s no telling what the combined power of the children’s diverse backgrounds, motivated bilingual teachers, and a rich curriculum will bring.
The Gables offers this program at no cost as part of our Settlement programming. Parents began enrolling their children as early as April. Thirty students are currently enrolled in the program. While the predominant language spoken at home for most of our enrolled students is Spanish, other home languages include Haitian Creole, Brazilian Portuguese, Arabic, and Navajo. To ensure students can access the content while simultaneously building their literacy skills, instruction will be delivered bilingually in English and Spanish.