With more than 300 children gathered in the school gym, the Esperanza Global Academy elementary “ribbon cutting” dedication ceremony was held on Wednesday, November 8.
Esperanza Global Academy is the school district's first Latino-named campus, as well as one of the new school buildings opened this year by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS).
This school opened its doors to 357 children on the east side of the city in August, was built to relieve overcrowding at Windsor Park, Winterfield and Idlewild elementary schools, and is located in 5932 Farm Pond Lane, Charlotte, NC, 28212 .
It has 45 classrooms, is approximately 100,000 square feet, and currently serves students in grades pre-kindergarten through fourth grade, with the capacity to serve fifth grade in the coming years.
70 percent are Latino children
The ceremony was attended by several members of the CMS Board of Education, including its president Elyse Dashew, superintendent Crystal Hill, and school principal Angela Grant.
“Approximately 70% of the student population at Esperanza Global Academy is Hispanic, which is truly a reflection of the beautiful diversity of the East Charlotte community, which is home to families from several countries,” noted Superintendent Hill.
For her part, Principal Grant noted that “the mission of Esperanza Global Academy is to provide a high-quality educational experience for students, regardless of their perceived ability, family income, language, race or ethnicity.”
They celebrate the approval of the $2,500 billion bond for more schools
Dashew highlighted what happened in the last local elections on November 7, in which county voters voted in favor of $2,500 billion bonds for the construction and remodeling of 30 CMS schools.
“With these funds we will be able to build and design more buildings like these, decorate them, just like this one, where you can grow, and you can have the best, and we can pay for that,” said the president of the Board.
Hill noted that with the help of bonds approved since 2017, 7 schools have been replaced and 11 more renovated to address the growing student population and older schools.
“We are very excited about the passage of the 2023 Building for Excellence Bond, which means that over the next 5 to 7 years we will have the opportunity to have about 30 dedications,” Hill said.
How school environment impacts academic outcomes
The superintendent cited results from a 2021 national state of schools report indicating that students are better able to focus on their lessons and retain information above standard by up to 17% on the academic assessment.
According to the study, this is particularly true among younger students whose reading and writing progress has been shown to be significant based on their physical environment, including temperature elements, classroom layout, and building deterioration.
“These facilities will help Principal Grant's entire team do a much better job and ensure that every student who graduates from the schools is on the rolls or employed, so congratulations,” Hill said.
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They learn English with the support of bilingual teachers
At the dedication was Diana Rouviere, a teacher of Colombian origin, who teaches English for Learners (EL) classes for children from kindergarten to fourth grade.
“This is a vibrant school like its name, we have new expectations, and we are educating children for a better future. We have children from all over, they come from Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela, Nepal and Asia. That is to say, we have a cultural 'meltin pot' here," Rouviere told Enlace Latino NC .
The teacher said that, although Spanish is not taught, there are several bilingual teachers who help Latino children advance academically while learning English.
Esperanza was not the only school dedicated Wednesday by CMS, as district officials also held a “ribbon cutting” ceremony at Grove Park Elementary, located at 7515 The Plaza, east of Charlotte.
This elementary school opened its doors to 554 children in August, and was built to alleviate overcrowding at Hidden Valley, Joseph W. Grier and Newell schools, where there is also a high percentage of Latino students.
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