The daily morning announcements at Fondy High have gained a new addition: a live Spanish translation. Starting at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year, the announcements have been broadcast in English and Spanish for the whole school.
“For us, it’s another good addition,” Principal Dave Michalkiewicz said. “It’s something that creates a more welcoming environment for all of our students, and that’s what we want.”
The translations were added to help Spanish speaking/ELL (English Language Learner) students understand what is expected at the school and also inform them of events and opportunities available.
Ms. EJ, an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher at Fondy High, agrees that the live translations are a beneficial addition to the announcements. “[The students] are involved and they actually listen to the announcements, because it’s not just this thing that they need to sit through,” she said. “I also saw a lot of kids participating in the dance, and I think that’s because of the announcements, so that also helped our students participate in these activities that are otherwise only limited to those who understand the announcements.”
The Spanish-speaking population at the high school continues to increase. At the end of the 2023-24 school year, there were 122 ELL students, and as of Oct. 3, 2024, there are 175, according to Ms. EJ.
The decision to add a Spanish translation to the announcements was a simple one. “It’s just something that was discussed, and it made perfect sense and was an easy implementation for us,” Michalkiewicz said.
The new version of the announcements seems to have a positive impact, according to Mrs. Gonzalez, one of Fondy’s interpreters. “I feel that doing them in Spanish allows those students that do not have English as their first language to be able to understand what is going on in and around school to be able to participate more,” she said. “I also feel that having native English speakers hearing another language and not necessarily understanding them gives them the opportunity to be more sympathetic to the students that are listening to a language other than their primary language all day.”
The school plans to continue with the translated announcements this year and in future years, according to Michalkiewicz: “[We’re] always open to suggestions, and if any, please bring them forward.”
