To:

Members, Board of Education

From:

Terry B. Grier, Ed.D.

Date:

January 4, 2008

RE:

FLEX-GCS in ACES

During the 2007-08 school year, GCS is piloting the Foreign Language Exploratory (FLEX-GCS) program in 10 After-School Care and Enrichment Services (ACES) programs. FLEX-GCS is designed to provide an introductory exposure to a world language. At the pilot schools ACES students will learn about Spanish or German language and culture. The after-school lessons are taught by certified GCS foreign language teachers. The FLEX curriculum focuses on oral language development and actively engages the students in the culture with music, dance and art. Formal grammar is not stressed, and there are no tests or grades.

Students participating in FLEX-GCS will:

• Gain an appreciation for a new language and culture
• Be able to have a simple conversation in the language about his/her family, friends, school, etc.
• Be more likely to pursue foreign language study in middle and high school and to graduate with a high level of proficiency in a world language - a skill vital to competition in a global market economy

Gisela Hood, World Languages Specialist for GCS, notes that FLEX-GCS is a one-of-a-kind program in North Carolina, and that students are fortunate to have experienced and enthusiastic, highly qualified teachers conducting the classes.

The ten ACES programs providing the FLEX-GCS program are:
Brightwood Elementary
Colfax Elementary
Frazier Elementary
Guilford Elementary
Jamestown Elementary
Sedalia Elementary
Southern Elementary
Stokesdale Elementary
Summerfield Elementary
Triangle Lake Elementary

For more information about FLEX-GCS, contact Jean Reece, director of After-School Programs, at 370-8905.