SALEM — Close to 40 percent of Salem public school students speak a language other than English at home.
With that statistic in mind, the district has organized free English classes for parents starting this week and running through April.
Costs for the course, taught by two volunteers, are covered by a Title III grant from the state, said Jaana Thorarensen, director of the district's English Language Learning program.
The classes — open to speakers of any language — will help parents make connections to what their children are doing during the school day, Thorarensen said. Along with English lessons, parents will learn about technology and culture, such as American holidays, which may be unfamiliar to some parents.
"Some of the themes that will be taught are how (parents) can help with student learning, help with homework," she said. "It's a great idea to involve the parents of students and encourage them, along with their children, to learn English, as well as learn about the American culture and how they can help their child get acclimated to the schools here in the U.S."
Classes will be held in the evenings, twice a week at Salem High School. The course is open to any parent or guardian of a child in the Salem public school system.
The district won't have enrollment numbers until classes start on Thursday, but past years have had roughly 25 adults in each class, Thorarensen said.
In the past, child care has been provided during the classes, and Thorarensen said she is looking into that for this year, as well.
"I think there's a need in the community for programs like this," she said. "Parents are an integral part in student success. Having that knowledge and understanding (of language and culture) is very important."
Thorarensen, who started work in Salem in July, oversees English as a Second Language programs across the district. Eleven to 12 percent of Salem public school students — 550 youngsters, across the district — are in ESL programs, she said.
A brochure with details about the adult ESL classes was distributed to Salem public school families, and a phone message also went home to households through the ConnectEd system.
"It's great that we are able to offer this," Thorarensen said. "We're starting small, because of funding. But hopefully in the future, we will see what the interest is, and if there's a high demand, we could offer more classes."
Staff writer Bethany Bray can be reached at bbray@salemnews.com and on Twitter @SalemNewsBB.
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
When: Monday and Thursdays, 6 to 8 p.m., Jan. 26 to April 26
Where: Salem High School
Cost: Free
Registration: Register at the first night of classes
Open to: Adult speakers of any language who are parents or guardians of Salem students
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