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The Longest ‘Ia
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| Story by Ronald Williams, Jr.Photos by Elyse Butler and Matt Mallams
It’s a tough day for practice. Even with the usual tradewinds that breeze across this campus high in Palolo Valley, it’s hot. The sparse patches of green on a field trampled by heavy feet seem to long for rain. Jerseys hang limply from shoulder pads, sticking to sweaty stomachs and backs. Players keep glancing at the oversize Gatorade thermos that’s a fixture at any football practice. Looking out across this field, it seems it could be an early fall afternoon on any high school athletic field in the country, from Tacoma to Topeka … until you listen.
“Lima! Lima!” someone in the defensive backfield shouts, and players shift into nickel coverage. Without missing a beat, the quarterback audibles, “‘Aina! ‘Aina!” and follows with a rhythmic “Ha, he, hu!” At “hu!” the center snaps the ball. The quarterback hands it off, and the play sweeps to the outside. A linebacker yells, “Hema! Hema!” and the defense swings left in pursuit.
They’re obviously not in Kansas. This group of young men and coaches is Na Koa (The Warriors), the hui popeku (football team) of Ke Kula Kaiapuni ‘O Anuenue (The Immersion School of Anuenue), and they’re conducting football practice in the native tongue of these Islands, a language that only a few decades ago had nearly gone extinct. Please read more here. |
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Special to the Almanac
A standing-room-only crowd of parents and proponents of starting a Mandarin immersion program in the Menlo Park City School District next fall failed to get the support of the district’s school board at its meeting April 24.
Board members heard a presentation by Carol Cunningham, a district resident who has organized support for a program in which students would have at least half their classes in Mandarin, similar to the district’s existing two Spanish immersion programs. Ms. Cunningham said she represents 120 families and 160 students. They asked to have one Mandarin kindergarten class begin next fall.
Only one parent, Todd Brahana, spoke against the program, asking that it be put off until problems with the existing Spanish immersion programs can be worked out.
“My concern is that until you figure out hiring and teacher support, adding Mandarin before the Spanish is stable is going to put the entire program at risk,” he said.
Board members did not vote on the concept of a Mandarin immersion program, but clearly do not support starting a program this fall.
“I would like nothing better than to say go,” said board member Terry Thygesen. “But I know it’s simply not something that the district can do at this point in time.”
Ms. Cunningham said research has found multiple benefits of a bilingual education, including preparing “our children to thrive in the complex global economy.” She presented the board with research showing that bilingual education has cognitive benefits. “Bilingualism is very good for the brain,” she said.
Please read more here.
Mandarin Immersion Parents Council 