Heritage Language Programs - Polish
St. Casimir Polish Supplementary School
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Address: 91 Puhaski St., Newark, NJ 07105
Telephone: 973-342-7289
Fax: 908-523-0537
Contact person
Name: Grazyna Jarmosiewicz
Title: Principal
Address: 136 S. Stiles St. Apt. #2, Linden, NJ 07036
Email: plszkolanewark@yahoo.com
Telephone: 973-342-7289
Fax: 908-523-0537
Languages/dialects taught: Polish
Grades taught: K-8
Program Description
Purposes and goals of the program: Teaching Polish language and culture to young Polish children.
Type of program: Polish for Polish Speakers
Program origin: Program funded in 1964 by individuals
Parents
Parents’ expectations for the program: Parents expect that their children learn the Polish language.
Students
Students: Total student enrollment is 50. Students are categorized according to the following:
First-generation students: 90%
Second-generation immigrants: 1%
Children of interethnic marriages: 2%
Non-ethnic background and others: 1%
Countries of Origin: Poland, Spain, USA
How students graduate and/or how they receive credit: Our students graduate after 8 years of study.
How the program identifies heritage speakers: Through an oral interview with students and their parents.
Possible reasons for student withdrawal: Students withdraw if they move to a place where they do not have access to a Polish school.
Percentage of students who continue to study after completing the program: 5%
Students’ attitudes toward the program: Often older students are forced to go to Polish school by their parents and often refuse to speak Polish. Older students get discouraged to study and speak Polish, because their regular school friends do not know Polish and they may associate it with low-skilled workers.
Younger students like to speak Polish with adults, including their parents.
Instructors
Number of instructors in the program: 6-7
Languages in which instructors are proficient: Polish and English
Proficiency level: Instructors are proficient in Polish (level A) and in English they are at level B or C.
Credentials: M.A. in education and Polish literature; Associate of education degree
Professional development opportunities instructors have: The Polish Teacher’s Association provides training for instructors.
Professional development opportunities instructors need: Instructors need to be taught how to teach both Polish children born and raised in the USA and those who were born and attended school in Poland.
Instruction
Total contact hours per week: 4 hours, 1 time per week.
Student grouping: Students are grouped according to their age and their previous achievement in Polish.
Language skills
Skills developed by the program: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Polish.
Culture
Aspects of culture taught: Geography, History, Festivals, Customs, Traditional Believes, Religion, Folktales, Songs, Social and Cultural Norms, and Cultural Appropriateness
Kind of student identity program fosters: Respect, care, good manners, and trust (e.g. respecting other property)
Methodologies
Methodologies and instructional strategies used in the program: Correcting mistakes in speaking, reading, and writing
Materials
Other materials used for instruction: Textbooks published by the Polish Teacher’s Association of Chicago
Technology used for instruction: Internet and teachers’ Web sites
Assessment
Assessments used to evaluate students’ progress: Teacher observations, performance-based tests, and Regents Polish language test. Students who take the Regents test get credit depending on the Board of Education’s decision. The Board of Education in New Jersey does not accept the test.
Articulation
How the program develops home/school connections or promotes parent involvement: This program makes connections with the Polish Teacher’s Association and with parents. Parents are involved in preparing school events.
Opportunities for using the heritage language and developing cultural knowledge outside the program: Students have their own family members who speak Polish. They also go to Poland for vacation. Furthermore, families go to church for Sunday mass in the Polish language.
What the program has in place
Financial support the program receives: Financial support from religious organizations, ethnic and cultural organizations, home and government organizations, tuition, and parents
Solicitation of funding: The principal solicits funding.
Assistance or funding the program would like to receive: We still don’t have enough money to run the program, so assistance with funding would help pay the teacher’s tuition and other needs.
