Community High School District 94
326 Joliet Street, West Chicago IL 60185
Contact:	Mary Randle
	Community Relations Coordinator
	630/876-6556
Date:	18 Nov 2005
PRESS RELEASE

CHS and Wheaton Academy Provide Joint Learning Experience
for Spanish Language Students

Spanish language students from Wheaton Academy will meet with Community High School's Spanish for Native Speakers class from 8:45 to 10:45 a.m. on Monday, November 21 at Community High School. They will meet in small groups to read Molly's Pilgrim in Spanish together and then discuss the book and answer questions. Molly's Pilgrim, by Barbara Cohen, is about a young Russian immigrant who struggles to gain acceptance in America, where she must learn a new language and adjust to a new culture.

After reading the book, the students will work together to write a letter to Molly's cousin in Russia about Molly's experience here -- her school, her life and the opportunities offered to immigrants in the United States. They will also offer her some advice if she plans to come to America. The students will examine forms of prejudice and our personal responsibilities toward others that are different than we are.

"Hilda Stewart and I hope to create some cross-cultural friendships between our groups of students as well as to expose her Wheaton Academy students to natively-spoken Spanish," said CHS teacher Janelle Stefancic. "Our students are looking forward to this experience," she added. "This is a joint project between Community High School's and Wheaton Academy's Foreign Language Departments," said Stewart. "We see great value in working together and hope to develop other joint activities throughout the year."

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