Students showcase dual-language and coding projects at El Monte City School District board meeting

Students from New Lexington School led the flag salute and gave the El Monte City School District board an inside look at classroom programs during the March 31 meeting.

"My name is Helen Gu Perez. I am the proud principal of New Lexington School," the principal told the board before student leaders Zoe Vong, Andrew Zamio and Senua Yang presented. Zoe led the Pledge of Allegiance and the students described a range of activities, from a student lighthouse leadership team to morning incentives called "dolphin dollars." Andrew described the district's "fit kids" routine and excursions such as a recent Sacramento trip that included the State Capitol and Railroad History Museum.

Senua, a fourth-grader in the dual-language immersion program, summarized the bilingual model: social studies in Mandarin and science in English, with daily practice in reading, writing, listening and speaking. "Our classes are full of fun activities like games, partner talk, singing, arts, crafts, and experiments," she said, and thanked the board for supporting the program.

Mr. Reyes, introduced as a fourth-grade teacher and teaching assistant principal, explained how the classroom's "Hello World" coding unit asks students to build virtual scenes that represent future careers, tying computing to English-language arts and other domains.

Why it matters: Board members said presentations from students and principals provide direct evidence of programs and community engagement. The students' dual-language and coding examples highlight district efforts to combine cultural programming with STEM and literacy supports.

What’s next: The board thanked the New Lexington visitors and invited the school community to future meetings where the district will continue to present student work.