First students in NNPS program reflect on Dual Language Immersion
Posted: March 25, 2025
Ever since kindergarten, a group of Newport News Public Schools students have studied, learned and grown together as the first to enroll in the school division's Dual Language Immersion program.
The innovative learning opportunity has grown up right along with them, expanding to add grade levels and instructional opportunities. It is now offered at six NNPS schools.
"From elementary all the way through high school, it's been a pleasure and I'm really thankful for being able to be in the program," said Damian Velazquez Velazquez, one of the first students.
Dual Language Immersion students learn half in English and half in Spanish, and their classes consist of native English and Spanish speakers who support one another each school day. This fosters bilingualism, biliteracy and cross-cultural understanding.
The original group of first DLI students attended Saunders Elementary School and Gildersleeve Middle School together, and are all now tenth graders at Menchville High School.
Menchville's program will expand to add the language program for eleventh graders next year, paving the way for this first group to graduate in 2027 as the first to complete it for all years of their education.
Currently, NNPS is the only Virginia school district that provides both preschool and high school DLI programs, according to Susanna Bailey, NNPS instructional supervisor of World Languages and Dual Language Immersion. It's also one of the only school districts in the state to offer the program at the preschool level.
"We are incredibly proud of our first group of dual language students, whose dedication and perseverance have paved the way for future dual language learners," Bailey said. "We celebrated their eighth-grade graduation with joy and anticipation, and we look forward to honoring their high school graduation in two years with even greater pride and celebration."
Students in the initial group talked about the program's benefits to their overall educational journey.
Kimberly Ayar-Lopez described how she was able to retain her first language of Spanish while becoming proficient in English, as her English as a first language classmates learned a second language.
"I enjoy being in it and I'm glad that my Mom put me in this because my best friends are in that class," Ayar-Lopez said. "I grew up with them every single year. I kept my Spanish well. I can read and write well. I can speak it well.
"My English is good. I learned other subjects in Spanish and English. And it really did help me a lot."
Classmate Cameron Drew originally spoke English before being immersed in both languages throughout his K-12 years.
"It's definitely helped because you're starting to see more people from around the world and it makes it easier to communicate," Drew said. "I live in an area where there are different people, including Hispanic people. And I can communicate with them because I've been in the program."
Velazquez Velazquez and his classmates agreed that parents should consider enrolling their children in DLI at a young age to get the maximum benefit over their years in it.
"I feel like I've gained valuable experience, as well as information through learning achieved through the program," he said. "And I'm grateful to my parents that we're able to enter this program and it's been a great help to me."
Students who originally spoke each language help each other in learning the newer one.
"We kind of just learn off of each other," Velazquez Velazquez said. "I'm thankful to my peers along the way because they've really made it a lot easier to learn. We've grown up together."
That cohesiveness has been with them throughout and will continue after graduation.
"I definitely feel like since some of us have been together since kindergarten, we all still feel like one family because we're always together in the same classroom together," said Joella Goeller, for whom English was her first language.
"I feel like we've built a relationship where we feel comfortable asking questions to the teacher and just partnering up with who you feel comfortable with."
Students plan to use their bilingual skills in the job market and during travels, they said. Speaking multiple languages has become valued in an increasingly global society.
"I want to be a registered nurse and I know that's going to help me because there are patients who speak languages other than English, for example Spanish," Ayar-Lopez said. "And I know that I'm going to be able to communicate with them better."
With two years left to go until graduation, the small cohort represents just the start of what has each year become an increasingly larger and more multi-faceted NNPS program.
"From my experience, it's been wonderful," Velazquez Velazquez said. "And I'm thankful for it and to Ms. Bailey for being the person she is and keeping the program through high school."
