“Let’s take a look at this page upside down,” said Superintendent Dr. Laurie Bandlow to students in Erica Godinho’s class at CV Starr Intermediate School. Students giggled as they looked at the bats in Brian Lies’s Bats on the Beach from a different perspective.
After reading the story, Dr. Bandlow told students that the author is very interested in bats and conservation and has written multiple books about them. Godinho translated the fun fact into Spanish for her students, who are part of CV Starr’s first bilingual program. Started this fall for grades three and four, students are learning in both English and Spanish and communicating in both languages while doing grade-level work.
One of the engaging activities they have incorporated into the class is a mystery reader. About twice a week, a surprise staff member from somewhere in the district pops in to read students a book in either English or Spanish. In addition to Dr. Bandlow, special guests have included familiar faces like fourth-grade teacher Kathryn Marchionno (who read to students in Spanish although not fully confident in her Spanish-speaking skills) as well as Wells Assistant Principal Christian Hernandez, Board of Education trustee Dehisy Jimenez-Vazquez and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction K-12 Dr. Michelle Gosh.
“This experience has been a great way to build my students' relationships with administrators and teachers in different buildings,” Godinho said. “They have been read to by their teachers from JFK, their future middle school teachers, their administrators. They also met bilingual administrators and were amazed by it, which was really cool.”
“It is so important for our emergent bilingual students to see themselves in the adults around them,” Manguso said. “I was hoping the exposure to other bilingual people in the school and the community would ignite the students’ pride in their language, heritage and being bilingual themselves.”
Godinho and Manguso said they also hoped mystery readers would help ignite a love of reading in students, something which could be felt in the classroom after Dr. Bandlow left. Students took turns excitedly talking about their favorite parts of the book, sharing their thoughts in both English and Spanish.
“Bats can have fun too, like people,” Darwin said.
“I liked the bats’ different food,” Rosie noted.
“I liked the baby bats sleeping,” said Evelyn.
Students also noted how fun it is to meet new people and learn about the types of books they like.
“Everyone has a special reason they bring their books,” Darwin said.
Godinho has noticed a definite difference in her students since mystery readers started joining the class.
“I am surprised by how confident my students have become interacting with other people throughout the building,” she said. “I think having bilingual speakers come in and read in different languages really makes them appreciate and value their cultural differences. It has truly been the best.”