Expanding Worldviews

Le Monde International School offers tuition-free second language immersion option for middle school students

Le Monde International School’s unique focus might be somewhat unexpected in central Oklahoma. Known for instruction in French and Spanish, the elementary school is expanding to offer middle school curriculum for the 20212022 school year.

A new choice for parents of incoming middle school students will open for the 2021-2022 school year. Le Monde will now include seventh grade and eighth grade will be added to round out the full offering of junior high classes for the 20222023 school year. Sixth grade is already currently part of the school’s elementary-level offerings.

The middle school is open for new enrollment and current elementary students can continue their education in the setting many have called a home away from home throughout childhood.

“We see our students excel in our classrooms and in our community, through an enhanced awareness of the world we share,” said Lance Seeright, the school’s executive director. “There is a heavy language influence paired with service learning that gives children a different worldview.” The school’s vision statement, to “educate students to understand, contribute to, and thrive in an interdependent world,” seems more relevant than ever with the global impact the pandemic has underscored.

Many charter schools have a particular appeal or area of emphasis, and Le Monde’s ability to provide an immersive dual language environment sets it apart, along with a high standard of academic rigor. Middle school students will leave the school’s eighth-grade class having already earned their required foreign language credits, an undertaking that would ordinarily be completed in high school.

New students do not need to speak another language or have previous language experience to join in middle school. Loida Salmond, president of the school’s board of education, said that staff have an important role in meeting students where they are.

“That’s what we’re here for, to give them that opportunity,” explained Salmond. “As faculty and staff, our goal is to get to a more global worldview and foster the spirit of that vision statement.”

Both immersion and non-immersion pathways will be available, a fact that goes a long way to help reassure families that their student’s needs can be met in both English and a second language. Seeright estimates that about 80% of students come from English language households, while the remaining 20% speak another language at home.

Hands-on learning and an individualized approach guide Le Monde’s learning methods.

Oklahoma’s educational landscape has changed throughout the past year, with more choices than ever for families to consider. Enrollment at Le Monde has already increased by more than 100 students, with over 300 currently matriculated. Class sizes, however, remain relatively small: a ratio of 18 to 20 students per class. Currently, the school’s faculty includes teachers from eight countries, which lends both representation and the expertise of native speakers to students who will ultimately benefit from that unique perspective.

“In many ways, we can offer more flexibility, with more individualized attention to (students’) needs, across a spectrum of income levels, with real-world applications, smaller classes and a single teacher through their time at school that move up with them for continuity, not starting over every year,” Salmond said.

A familiar campus, consistent peer group and having the same teachers through three years of schooling can be especially comforting during adolescence.

Unlike private schools, charter school admission is not based on special entrance requirements or the ability to pay. Charter schools are a tuition-free public school option parents can select for enrollment, which is open to all students. Testing requirements are also the same as those stipulated for public schools, with additional accountability to charter sponsors.

Second language acquisition opens doors through bilingualism, including future employment opportunities and the ability to adjust more easily to life in other places. The school is also a candidate for the international baccalaureate accreditation, a formal process that recognizes academic achievement standards and leadership.

After-school activities and participation in community service opportunities, including Loveworks Leadership programs that have small business and leadership themes, are available at the school, too.

Enrollment information sessions will be hosted this spring and parents and students can find more information at lemondenorman.org. – BSM