Staff host ceremony for new high school English language center

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Tuesday, staff at R.B. Stall High School are hosting a dedication ceremony for the school’s Newcomer Center.

Almost 50 percent of students who attend R.B. Stall speak a language other than English. This makes the transition a bit stressful and often is a culture shock for students.

Principal Steven Larson says it’s a dream come true to work with multilingual students and give them an opportunity to work with teachers who curate the curriculum to each student’s needs.

The newcomer center is located on the school’s campus and so far, they have 87 students enrolled, but there’s a potential to hold 150.

Students in the Newcomer Center follow the same curriculum as the main school but there is a major focus on learning English.

“We want to make sure our students have about a year of high immersive English language experience, depending on how they come out when we assess them on their language. They should be able to succeed in our credit-bearing courses in the main school,” Larson says.

There are many opportunities for students in the Newcomer Center to connect with those in the main school and share different skills with one another.

Aside from student learning, Larson says they have resources for families of newcomer students. They range from English-speaking classes to healthcare and other resources.

In the future, there’s a possibility to expand this program throughout the Charleston County School District.

“Part of what is important to me is to make sure that the language is spoken by our students as we have a lot of Portuguese students, Spanish speaking students. So, the more they can see their language being used invites them that we are one community,” Larson says.

The ceremony starts at 5 p.m. at R.B. Stall High School in North Charleston and the community is encouraged to attend.

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