Somerville Neighborhood News is a production of Somerville Community Access Television, made by professional journalists, volunteers and staff. The half-hour news show has as its mission to provide a lively, informative newscast focusing on the events, issues and information impacting Somerville residents.

This week’s headline:

Somerville Public Schools Welcome English Language Learners with a Formula for Success.

In Somerville, 50% of kids in elementary and secondary school have a mother tongue other than English. And 17% of them are enrolled in English Language Learner classes. In Somerville Public School, the English Language Learner (ELL) program serves more than 900 students.

Sarah Davila is the Director of English Learners Programs for the Somerville public schools, and the District Administrator for families and partnerships.

“More than half of the students in the Somerville Public Schools come from homes where another language is spoken. So we have a program that meets the needs of each child by providing them English as a second language instruction. That’s what we call Shelter English Immersion. It uses special instructional techniques to make the content meaningful and accessible to every child,” she says.

For the full news story and others, visit: www.somervilleneighborhoodnews.org. You can watch SNN Tuesdays on SCATV Ch. 3 at 7 p.m.