SBUnified
A bilingual community concert held in Santa Barbara last Thursday evening had attendees moving and grooving to the beat of the music.
The event was hosted by Santa Barbara’s Bilingual Education Community, including McKinley Elementary, Adelante Charter School, Santa Barbara Unified, Carpinteria Unified, and Goleta Union School District.
“Last week’s concert was a true celebration of our community’s spirit and diversity. The energy, joy, and togetherness we experienced will resonate for a long time. This event exemplified what we can achieve when we unite with a shared vision, not only elevating our bilingual schools but also fostering a deep appreciation for biliteracy and multiculturalism,” said McKinley Principal Daisy Ochoa.
1,2,3 Andres had 150 attendees standing and dancing through interactive performances that invited audiences to sing, dance, and play along.
In addition to the concert, a community resource fair was held for those in attendance.
This was the first concert at Plaza Del Mar since its grand reopening earlier this month.
The concert could not have happened without the support of the City of Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation First 5 Santa Barbara County, and CABE of Santa Barbara County.
“Music is a universal language. First 5 Santa Barbara County is so proud to be a partner in our younger students’ musical education and experience. Talk, Read, Sing, it changes everything!” said First 5 Executive Director Wendy Sims-Moten.
McKinley Elementary became SB Unified’s Dual Language Immersion School in 2020, allowing students to develop their bilingualism and biliteracy in Spanish and English.
“Learning to read and write in English and Spanish proficiently is a lifelong skill that not only creates opportunities for students throughout their adult lives but helps bridge communities through strong communication skills. Thursday night’s concert shows what is possible for our community when we celebrate and lift up our bilingual education community,” said SB Unified Superintendent Dr. Hilda Maldonado.
The program helps promote bilingualism, biliteracy, academic excellence, and cross-cultural understanding.
After McKinley, Dual Language Immersion students can continue to hone their skills at Santa Barbara Junior High.
To learn more about SB Unified’s Dual Language Immersion program, click here.
Good turn out, good show, good fun!
Looks like a cool event. We’ll see how long this renovation benefits the public. It will obviously need to be maintained better than in the past by the City, who is struggling budget-wise.
I think SB Unified/Hilda sent out this press release to promote their bilingual agenda, of course. Lots of folks understand that our local schools are already underperforming at teaching basic English skills to our youth. If you don’t already notice that, look it up. Poor scores. Yet they, the District, seem to persist at this agenda of bilingualism first, rather than English first followed by WHATEVER other language one chooses in junior high and high school. Why not bilingual in Cantonese, Italian, how about German? Latin – I can tell you would’ve been a great one to learn, and it was offered at SBHS when I was there. I chose Spanish in junior high/high school, and it’s been very beneficial as a healthcare provider, as well as just being able to speak with others in shops, trades, etc. whose English isn’t great. I did so with a foundation of English skills.
Calling others racists, idiots, or liars because they don’t support the District’s experiment of early education mandated Spanish language immersion here is pretty sad, and off-base. But it is what it is. Personally, I support putting the horse before the cart for my kid – English first, then another language. Am I a racist? An idiot?
No one is “crying” about anything. We’re expressing opinions.
Nope, GIZMO was doing what he/she always does – blowing the racist dogwhistle, which clearly you pick up on.
Absolutely NOTHING wrong with a bilingual event, which is all this was. Way to make it about something else though.
BASIC – “kids being taught in a foreign language when they haven’t learned English yet.” What are you talking about? No one is forcing toddlers to learn Spanish before English, well unless that’s their native language. And so what? Kids SHOULD learn multiple languages, especially when they’re young as it’s far easier to learn then. Ever been to Europe and talked to any kids? They all learn English at a very young age. Makes you wonder why they’re also miles ahead of us academically.
Please cite any studies showing kids who learn a second language when they’re young are in any way hampered or put at a disadvantage academically. Until then, it’s just more FUD from the usual racist sympathizers. Not saying you are, but…. you always seem to defend them.
Funny enough, I was a teacher before I decided that I needed to go out and make real money.
I guess I have more expertise on the topic than you.