Imagine you’re an ICS second grade student, in your third year at the International Community School…
7:00 a.m.
Last year was completely virtual and so was half of your kindergarten year, so this year you had to readjust to waking up early to catch your bus. You say goodbye to your parents in your home language, and are waiting outside at 7:15 to say hello to your classmates in English. The day is starting.
8:00 a.m.
You arrive at the school, backback on your back (thanks to the Community Resource Center!) and water bottle in hand, and get a free hot breakfast from the cafeteria. Meals look different these days, with clear plastic dividers to separate students because of COVID-19. You use a handwashing station by the door and are a pro at wiping down your spot with a disinfectent wipe!
8:30 a.m.
Homeroom begins with announcements. While you sit with twenty other refugee and local students in your class, you hear about events like weekly COVID Testing and this week’s superstar students exemplifying IB Traits. ICS also has started teaching students new languages spoken by their peers – this month is Burmese, so the announcement ends with “Mingalabar!”
9:00 a.m.
Your day is split into blocks of homeroom math and reading lessons, and once a week “specials” to participate in art and music and PE activities. Halfway through the morning, you leave class with four other students to have a small group ESOL lesson with a teacher. You practice spelling and phonics using reading kits, and even get to participate in Reader’s Theater sometimes! Even though you were not exposed to spoken or written English until age 5, you will be one of the 60% of ICS students to meet your grade level literacy level.
11:00 a.m.
At lunch, you again get a free meal. Your family does not eat certain foods, but you know that ICS will have a vegetarian option and won’t serve pork. At recess, you decide to play soccer with your peers, while other students enjoy the playground equipment and the new outdoor musical instruments!
1:45 p.m.
As classes draw to an end, you meet with your teacher one on one to talk about an upcoming assignment while the rest of the class practices math problems on their Chromebooks. You’ll remember to tell your parents to check Class DoJo, but if they don’t understand it, your teacher reminds you that they can request translation help through the school’s language services.
2:30 p.m.
Normally you’d wait with the other bus riders until your route is called. But today is Wednesday, Urban Recipe day! Your parent meets you and you join other ICS families outside to participate in a community food co-op. You play with friends, while parents and volunteers equitably sort and distribute food boxes, with everything from fresh produce to pantry staples to frozen meals. When you leave that afternoon with a trunk of food, you tell your parent what you learned that day in your home language, get home ready to do it all again tomorrow.
