Newman‑Crows Landing Unified honors its first dual‑language immersion cohort ahead of May 29 graduation

District staff and students marked the first graduating cohort from the district’s dual‑language immersion program and outlined how the program developed over more than a decade.

Staff member Mrs. Vargas (Newman‑Crows Landing Unified) introduced the segment and said the cohort began when the DLI program started in the 2012–13 school year; she said 25 students were enrolled then and 18 remained in the district, with nine having taken AP Spanish and receiving a seal of biliteracy. She said, “So it's really exciting that all of the students that, took AP Spanish are also receiving the seal.”

Mrs. Granados and student speakers reflected on the program’s arc. A student who spoke identified himself in the remarks as Harim Medina and described learning both English and Spanish daily, saying it “became something that defined me and turned me into who I am today.” Another student, Italia Grete, described enrolling as a child of Spanish‑speaking parents and credited the DLI program and teachers with building her English skills.

The district announced a special Von Renner assembly on May 19 to honor the first DLI class and noted graduation is scheduled for May 29. District staff thanked teachers and administrators across elementary and secondary levels for building the program across years and grade spans.