“Spanish speakers are the second-largest group in our district and research has shown that a two-way immersion program is the most effective for dual language,” said Nicole Doherty, executive director of teaching and learning. “Sixteen hundred students in the district identify Spanish as their primary spoken language at home. One of the reasons why we sought this was for them to grow and learn.”

Immersion classes will be taught 80% in Spanish and 20% in English. Doherty hopes half those enrolled will be Spanish speakers and half English speakers, but she said the model has been successful with a 1/3-to-2/3 enrollment ratio.

With Spanish speakers making up 11% of Manchester’s total population, school officials opted to kick off the immersion program with Spanish. The program is designed to benefit emergent bilinguals and native English speakers in an environment where students from diverse linguistic backgrounds can thrive together.

So far, seven English-speaking families and nearly three times as many Spanish-speaking families have shown interest, Doherty said.

As part of a six-year commitment with the Committee on Teaching and Learning, a grade level will be added to the program each year through the fifth grade until the program’s end. Implementation will cost the district $562,000, including $250,000 to plan and fund the first year, followed by $62,500 a year — $312,500 overall — for the remaining years.

“There are many benefits of the bilingual brain,” said Wendy Perron, the district’s executive director of English learners instruction and equity. “They have an easier time understanding math concepts, switching between tasks, applying logic, focusing, remembering, making decisions and learning other languages. There are a number of cognitive benefits.”

Right now, Perron and Doherty are working with the school district and liaisons to make sure that when the program rolls out in the fall, it will be successful. Professional development is underway for teachers, and they are in the final process of developing curriculum and accurate assessments.

“When parents start to think about registration maybe in February or March, that’s when we’re hoping to see a big push to start enrolling students in the program,” Doherty said.

“We’re really trying to prioritize Bakersville students,” Perron said. “We have not done great outreach to our English-speaking families, who are just as influential in this program.”

State education officials are hopeful that if the program is a success in Manchester, whose program is the first in New Hampshire, other districts will adopt the model in the future.

School project’s next step

Aldermen will take a final vote on Tuesday to approve funding for the first phase of what could be a nearly $684 million project to rebuild, renovate and reimagine schools within the district.

The first phase of the project seeks to close Henry Wilson Elementary School next fall, begin site work for a new elementary school on Beech Street, transition Hillside and McLaughlin middle schools from grades 6-8 to grades 5-8 and renovate Parkside, Southside, McLaughlin and Hillside to host fifth-grade students.

This phase is expected to cost the district between $278 million and $306 million.

In the rendering of the new elementary school, Massachusetts-based design firm Symmes, Maini & McKee Associates drew up plans for a three-story building to accommodate 734 students. The elementary school will feature neighborhood commons, small group rooms, outdoor classrooms and different learning areas with an emphasis on green space.

To ease overcrowding, modular classrooms will be installed at Beech, McDonough, Parkside, Southside, McLaughlin and Hillside next summer while renovations and additions get started on Hillside and McLaughlin middle schools. Construction on Parkside and Southside middle schools will begin nine months later.

Under the phase plans, renovations on Hillside and McLaughlin should be complete by September 2026, and students should move into the Beech Street Elementary School by January 2027. Renovations on Parkside and Southside should be complete by fall 2027.

In November, aldermen approved $290 million in bonded debt for the project after the school board’s tentative approval of the first phase earlier in the month. After the vote, board member Ken Tassey filed a motion to reconsider, which he retracted at the school board meeting Monday night.

“The change of the construction site of the elementary school from McDonough to Beech Street is why I filed for reconsideration,” Tassey said. “I’m not making an argument that it was done incorrectly, but there are many questions for many people. When you move a potential construction site, there are parties in the community that need to be informed and consulted.

The original proposal presented to the school board in August suggested McDonough Elementary School on Lowell Street as a possible site for the new school, while the updated proposal identified Beech.

When the bond request went before the board last month, it passed by an 11-3 vote. Aldermen Joe Kelly Levasseur, Edward Sapienza and Crissy Kantor voted against the debt.

Queen City’s spotlight

Get ready for your close-up, Manchester.

The city’s Parking Division, City Clerk’s Office and police department have received a request from ABC News to set up shop and broadcast live from Manchester for the nation’s first primary again this this election season.

The network is looking to take up residence in the Middle Street lot near City Hall from Jan. 14 to 24. The primary is Tuesday, Jan. 23.

ABC plans to bring in a mobile booth, which will be placed in the Middle Street lot with City Hall as a backdrop. Support vehicles for the broadcast will be parked in the same location.

The network is not requesting any street closures, officials said.

ABC wants to lease all the spaces in the Middle Street lot and along Franklin Street — an estimated 71 spaces — at a rate of $20 a day for each space.

Middle Street lot permit holders will be redirected to the Victory Parking Garage and allowed to park on any side street around the Middle Street lot without being ticketed until ABC departs, officials said.

The Aldermanic Committee on Public Safety, Health & Traffic will take up ABC’s request on Tuesday.

Central senior’s big win

Central High School senior Colleen Stankiewicz was named a national finalist for the Heisman High School Scholarship last week.

To be eligible for the scholarship program, students must maintain a 3.0 grade point average or better, show leadership skills, and have participated in sports in grades 9, 10 or 11. The scholarship program has three levels: state winners, national finalists and national winners.

As a national finalist, Stankiewicz secured a $2,000 scholarship. She was not chosen as one of the two national winners, who each will receive a $10,000 award.

“It is truly an honor to have been named a National Finalist in the Heisman Scholarship,” Stankiewicz said. “I am incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities I have been given and am thankful for all of the people who have helped me throughout this journey, namely, my parents, teachers, advisers, coaches and teammates.

“I’d like to give a special shout-out to the Central guidance office for all of their support and encouragement.”

Stankiewicz is captain of the Central field hockey team and has been named to the all-state team. She also competes on Central’s indoor and outdoor track teams, and is a captain for spring track.

She also is active in band, the school newspaper and Key Club and is a member of the National Honor Society.

Seniors, mark the date

The Manchester School District will celebrate the Class of 2024 in a single day of graduations on Saturday, June 15, at the SNHU Arena.

Manchester School of Technology will kick off the graduation festivities, followed by Memorial, West and Central.

Seating for the ceremonies is on a first-come, first-served basis. Families of graduating seniors will receive further details in early 2024.“We know this is an event that families plan for, so we wanted to share the details as soon as possible,” Superintendent Jennifer Gillis said in a statement. “There is a lot of the school year left, but as we all know, it goes fast. I hope that our seniors and their families truly enjoy all of the landmark events as graduation approaches. We are looking forward to celebrating with you this June at the SNHU Arena.”

The schedule of ceremonies:

— Manchester School of Technology, 8 a.m. start (doors open at 7:40 a.m.)

— Memorial High School, 10 a.m. start (doors at 9 a.m.)

— West High School, 2 p.m. start (doors at 1 p.m.)

— Central High School, 5:30 p.m. start (doors at 4:30 p.m.)