At Forest Grove School District, we begin with the understanding that young students:
• learn multiple languages, at a young age through strengthening their first language and multiple and various experiences in their second.
• learn best through active, engaging, authentic experiences that are appropriate for their age and developmental level.
• learn through access and exposure to culturally relevant curriculum.
• learn best when all students feel part of their classroom community.
• respond well to caring and attentive adults who consider and respond to them as individuals.
• feel secure when there is structure and predictability to their day.
• Students and parent engagement increases when life experiences and home culture is integrated in the classroom curriculum
Both Spanish and English communication and academic language skills are incorporated into the curriculum, so as to develop each child’s ability to communicate in both languages to cultivate bilingual, bicultural and biliterate students. As a result, this prepares them for English-only, Spanish-only or bilingual kindergarten classes
At Forest Grove School District we believe that students come to school rich in their own experiences and help foster the social and educational growth of their learning community, while the other children do the same for them. We believe that creating an environment that promotes social, emotional and educational growth targets the whole child. We believe that teaching a culturally competent curriculum enables students to look at the real-world through a social justice lens; building a student who is resilient, compassionate, and an advocate. We believe that students learn best when they have authentic and relevant experiences and are given the opportunity to problem solve, reason and question with curriculum that is infused with science, technology, art and mathematics. We foster students’ ability to imagine, innovate and respond with curiosity and wonderment which leads to intellectual risk-taking and persistence.