Twelve students and three languages.
That is the makeup of the Menands School’s summer Language Academy where students work to build their knowledge of the spoken and written English language.
Students started classes July 21 and will finish them on Aug. 15. They spend three hours each day working on projects designed to boost their skills. An overarching theme this summer was animals and ecosystems, and students learned, researched and wrote about a variety of animals, said teacher Shanice Catini.
“I like learning about the ecosystem,” said third grade student Mahaansh Reddy Mittapalli.
“I also like playing with my classmates and having fun,” he added
Fellow summer learner Nirati Manda, a fourth grader, said her favorite topic is “learning about bears.”
Nirati and Mahaansh are both from India.
Students taking part in the summer program speak Arabic, Spanish and Telugu, which is a dialect from one section of India.
“It’s a wonderful program to help our students overcome obstacles they may encounter and improve their language skills and overall learning,” said Superintendent Jennifer Cannavo.