Part of what makes Rocketship so special is that we strive to make our schools safe spaces for Rocketeers\u2014a home away from home where students feel comfortable being their whole, authentic selves, free from judgment. And we do this by helping our students feel seen, be heard, and bring their authentic, diverse self to school every day. This commitment is especially true for our multilingual learners who bring so much cultural and language diversity to our campuses every day.<\/p>\n
We create this sense of safety in many ways, big and small. We create inclusive spaces every time we bring our students and families together to honor the heritage of our students. We honor their student experience every time a teacher asked during round-table discussions, \u201cWhat more can we do for our Newcomers?\u201d At Rocketship, we recognize their many strengths, and this is precisely why we use the term multilingual learners to honor their learning of multiple languages.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s take Samantha from Rocketship Redwood City Prep. Samantha enrolled into 5th grade with us after arriving in the United States for the first time. She participated in the Benchmark Hello newcomer curriculum pilot that not only supported her language acquisition, but also integrated her in our Rocketship community. Over the course of the semester, Samantha has worked hard to practice her English skills while building relationships with her teachers and classmates. Let\u2019s watch this video clip and celebrate Samantha\u2019s progress:
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