Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, May 14 - 20, 2015
EDUCATION
PAGE 14A
County schools purchase translation devices for ESL families
by Ashley Oglesby
ashley@dekalbchamp .com
In a school district in which 21
percent of the 100,000 students
speak English as a second language
and about 2,000 new immigrants
are registered each year, DeKalb
County Superintendent Michael
Thurmond said, “We have one of
the most diverse student populations
not just in Georgia but in America.”
This school year, district officials
purchased 200 enabling language
service anywhere (ELSA) devices
to be used by teachers, counselors,
administration and staff to assist in
live conversations with translators
fluent in each of the district’s 144
native languages.
The ELSA devices are manufac
tured by Minnesota-based RTT mo
bile interpretation and are equipped
to connect district employees direct
ly to interpreters trained to facilitate
discussions between individuals of
School district uses ELSA devices to
translate languages.
differing languages.
DeKalb International Welcome
Center director Sandra Nunez de
scribed the device as lightweight,
hands-lfee and the size of the new
est iPhone.
The user presses a button and
through satellite it communicates
with a live person who answers and
provides translation services.
Thurmond said, “The use of this
technology will allow us to commu
nicate more clearly and effectively
with parents and guardians who are
the key to student academic growth
and success.”
The ELSA devices can translate
up to 180 languages. The charges to
operate it is $2 per minute.
DeKalb County Schools pur
chased the devices with a prepaid
minutes plan for $46,695.
Nunez said the district primar
ily uses the devices for emergency
situations-when a principal or coun
selor needs to communicate with
a parent or student who speaks a
language other than English and an
in-house interpreter is not available.
“When we have a planned meet
ing we schedule face-to-face inter
preters to attend the meetings. Ad
ditionally, we have different ways
to provide interpretation-the ELSA
device, in-house interpreters, private
agencies that provide interpretation
services for languages that we may
not have in-house. We also have the
language line so we have different
ways of making sure that we are
bridging that communication gap
between our English speaking popu
lation and our linguistically diverse
community,” Nunez said.
She added, “DeKalb County
School District is doing everything
possible, recognizing the need to
communicate with our linguistically
diverse community and providing
different sources of services that
parents need to know are at no cost
them.”
Students recognized for academic achievements
McNair High School principal Loukisha Walker, saluta-
torian Nashaia Beasley and mom Natasha Beasley.
Miller Grove valedictorian Jayla
Moody
Arabia Mountain resident vale
dictorian Mauranda Upchurch
Arabia Mountain Magnet vale
dictorian Krystal Samuels
Arabia Mountain co-saluta-
torian Elizabeth Harris
School superintendent Michael Thurmond, interim deputy superintendent Alice Thompson
and deputy superintendent of the school district’s division of curriculum and instruction, Dr.
Kathleen Howe.
by Ashley Oglesby
ashley@dekalb champ, com
It’s graduation season!
DeKalb County School Dis
trict officials recognized 54 stu
dents at its valedictorian and salu-
tatorian recognition program at its
administrative and instructional
complex on May 7.
Principals from each school
announced valedictorians and
salutatorians for the 2014-2015
school year who each received
a medal and was presented with
special recognition certificates for
having the highest grade point av
erages.
Deputy superintendent of cur
riculum and instruction Dr. Kath
leen Howe, interim Deputy Super
intendent Alice Thompson and
schools Superintendent Michael
Thurmond presented the awards.
Thurmond said, “This is the
event that I enjoy the most and I
look forward to. Tonight we cel
ebrate and honor the very best
and the brightest students that we
have in the DeKalb County School
District. These students are ex
tremely intelligent, well-rounded
individuals who possess the neces
sary skills to compete in a global
society.”
Many of the students recog
nized had received Gates Millen
nium scholarships, Gladys Cook
scholarships, National Merit
scholarships and others.
Thurmond said, “All valedicto
rians and salutatorians are eligible
for the HOPE scholarship if they
attend a university or college in
the great state of Georgia.”
Miller Grove valedictorian
Jayla Moody said the biggest sur
prise of the evening was getting a
laptop.
Each student received a Leno
vo 11 yoga laptop inscribed by the
DeKalb County School District
that also converts into a tablet.
Natasha Beasley, parent of
McNair High School salutatorian
Nashaia Beasley, said she is grate
ful for the district providing a
laptop for her daughter to take to
college.
Nashaia received a full tuition
scholarship to the University of
Georgia.
Beasley said she has two ad
ditional children, a son at Georgia
Southern University and a daugh
ter who graduated within the top
10 percent of her class at McNair
High School.
“The tablet that we currently
own can go to my other daughter,”
she said.
McNair High School Principal
Loukisha Walker said, “It’s impor
tant that the students are recog
nized for their efforts, hard work,
time and extracurricular activities
for what they have put into their
education. It gives them another
reason to not have an excuse and
to go out and be successful.”
She added, “It’s also important
that we go back and yell, shout
and scream of the accomplish
ments that our children have
made.” Walker said, “Recognition
programs like this give me some
thing to take back to the other stu
dents so that they can be inspired.”