The English as a Second Language Program serves children whose first language is not English and who are learning English language literacy skills along with their grade level content knowledge and skills.
Elementary school students attend their neighborhood school, and are transported to Lydia Hawk or Pleasant Glade Elementary two days a week for two hours of specialized ESL instruction. Kindergarten students remain at their home school and receive special ESL services each Wednesday. The ESL teachers for elementary students are Stephanie Donchey, Donna Harrison and Adam Bailey. They are assisted by Para Professionals Bev Jones, Sandy Plong and Sunny Berg.
Middle School ESL students from throughout the District attend Chinook Middle School . The ESL teacher at Chinook is Melody Borcherding, assisted by Para Professional Debra Muetz.
High School ESL students District-wide attend North Thurston High School. Dennis Crisp and Anne-Marie Vu Quoc teach the ESL courses at NTHS, assisted by Para Professional Stephanie Pearce.
Parents or guardians wishing to access ESL services for their children should begin by talking to the office professionals at their neighborhood school. They will assist you with the process.
Interpreters are available to assist parents or guardians. Contact your school to request an interpreter for parent-teacher conferences, school meetings, or to answer questions about ESL.
