Getting To Know Us:
The Magnet Immersion Program at Westdale Middle School was created to teach sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students through an “immersed” world language curriculum. Activities related to the French, Mandarin, and Spanish languages and cultures in which they are spoken are incorporated into the daily curriculum.
At Westdale Middle School, immersion students take math, science, social studies, and literature in the second languages of French, Mandarin or Spanish. A few students are enrolled in classes for both languages. Immersion instruction is 95% in Spanish, Mandarin, or French and taught by highly qualified native speakers from Spain, Columbia, Cuba, France, Guadeloupe, and Martinique. The goal of the immersion program at WMS is to teach students to be fluent in a target language other than English and to gain the skills necessary to understand and communicate in that language.
Teaching in a second language requires more visual and application activities because of the additional difficulty of teaching unit concepts in the second language. Teachers speak only the target language to teach academic subjects, using a wide range of instructional strategies and materials. Students must speak in the second language even when chatting with each other. In addition to the immersion program activities, magnet students enjoy all of the school-wide opportunities offered at Westdale Middle. Many of the students are also in the talented, gifted, or Great Scholars Academy classes.
In order to participate in the program, students must meet all magnet school requirements, plus be fluent Spanish, Mandarin, and/or French speakers. Most of the immersion students came to Westdale Middle School from BRFLAIM, a very successful elementary immersion program. Westdale also offers a Heritage Language Program for students with a home language of Spanish. The students in this program come to us from many different elementary schools across the parish. The program has become a very hard working and successful part of the overall program at Westdale.
For more information, contact Magnet Program Site Coordinator, Cristina Manzanares at 924-1308 or at cmariscal@ebrschools.org.
Le Grand Pique-Nique: Smashing Success for Westdale
Westdale was thrilled and honored to be selected by @codofil to be co-host at this year’s @legrandpiquenique! We had over 650 parents, students, volunteers and sponsors from 13 immersion schools represented from across the state! The event would not have been the smashing success that it was without Westdale’s French immersion teachers and student volunteers. We are so proud!
Sugar Cannes Festival - Feb 2024
We're thrilled to announce that our language immersion program has hit its goal of funding the first language podcast initiative in our school history! 🌟
A massive thank you to all our donors for their incredible generosity and ongoing support of our mission. 🙌 We can't wait to see the amazing impact this project will have on our students. Special shoutout to Dr. Barthelemy, Dr. Bohn, and Mr. Toscano for their direct involvement and dedication. 🎤🌐 Stay tuned for updates on this thrilling educational journey! #LanguagePodcast #EducationMatters #CommunitySupport
Our Language Immersion Garden is a
2023 Certified Schoolyard Habitat !
We are thrilled to announce and extend our heartfelt congratulations to the Language Immersion Garden for achieving our latest certification as a 2023 Certified Schoolyard Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). As America's largest wildlife conservation and education organization, the NWF recognizes the remarkable efforts of the garden in transforming the schoolyard into a thriving wildlife habitat.
By joining the ranks of over 5,000 schools nationwide, Westdale Middle is now a vital part of the movement to provide essential elements for wildlife, including natural food sources, clean water, cover, and places to raise young. This certification not only underscores the commitment to ecological sustainability but also establishes the garden as an invaluable outdoor education site.
Congratulations to the students, teachers, and community for fostering an environment where students can actively engage in cross-curricular learning in a hands-on and impactful way.
Testimonials