The Archdiocese of Baltimore will open an English-Spanish immersion program next fall at the Archbishop Borders School in Highlandtown, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien announced Monday.
"Beginning this program in kindergarten and first grade will allow our students a longer sequence of instruction and gives them the best path for emerging from 8th grade fluent in both languages," Cathy Marshall, Principal of Archbishop Borders School, said in a statement. "Younger children have the ability to develop language skills because they have better mental flexibly and improved listening and memory and listening skills."
The announcement follows news this month that the archdiocese will close 13 of its 64 schools at the end of the academic year, part of a school consolidation that officials say is necessary to keep the system viable in the face of falling enrollments and rising costs.
At Archbishop Borders, English and Spanish are to be taught in kindergarten and first grade before expanding in future years to the entire school. The goal of the program is to produce graduates who are fluent in both languages.At present, the school offers Spanish classes once a week in grades pre-K to four and twice per week for fifth-eighth graders.
The program is the first of several to be announced by the archdiocese as part of the consolidation. Future announcements are expected to designate schools to host Harvard University's New American Academy educational model, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), Montessori and PRIDE (for students with special learning needs).