South Side High School's ESL students get new tools for success

Eleven South Side High School English as a Second Language students, many from low-income and single parent, newly immigrant households, are enjoying the use of new laptop computers as a result of a grant from Comp4kids, a non-profit organization that uses donations to supply computers to kids in need.

Since Oct. 14, the students have been working with an Internet-based program called Achieve 3000, and have been asked by Pearson/Longman, an ESL publishing company, to pilot “Longman English Interactive.” They are also using other software recommended by the school to improve literacy at home.

Virginia Stamatakis, their teacher who submitted the successful grant over the summer, wrote that her students became active members of the Rockville Centre community last year by utilizing public resources and trusting that their educators were their strongest advocates. They became members of the public library and used it regularly; they involved themselves in clubs, and competed on academic projects, winning third place in South Side High School’s annual Science Fair.

Last year the students held their first annual Thanksgiving feast and solicited local businesses to help sponsor it. They wrote essays and participated in the New York State TESOL Essay Contest 2010. They invited The Hispanic Counseling Center of Hempstead to come and speak with them and share community programs. They made regular use of South Side’s Homework Helpers and welcomed assistance from volunteers from the National Honor Society and the Spanish Club. They were also invited by Nassau Community College for an orientation specifically designed for ESL students and their needs.

Over the summer the ESL students continued to meet at the RVC Public Library for group study sessions and have practiced with the varsity soccer and volleyball teams. Stamatakis said that although South Side’s ESL population is small, the students’ drive for academic and social success is strong and growing, and they greatly benefit from the computers that enable them to compete with their more affluent peers who have stronger support systems and access to more resources.

Stamatakis said John Zimmerman, a science teacher in Great Neck who is the CEO of Comp4kids is a “true educator” and an strong advocate for children on Long Island. His organization finds a tremendous need for computers on Long Island, and continually works insure that the supply keeps up with demand.