The ideal entry point in the program is pre-K, particularly for non-Spanish-speaking students, Forbes said. More: Oklahoma City school board member steps down, new member to be appointed
Epic charter school summer program full#
“If I could have gone to a school like this, I would have,” he said.Įlementary students in the program will attend full school days Monday through Friday at Heritage Academy, unlike their Epic peers who typically visit Blended Learning Centers a few days a week or spend most of their time in virtual learning. Now, Forbes is crafting the kind of school he wishes he could have attended, one with teachers from seven Spanish-speaking countries and where students spend half the day or more practicing the language. He’s since taught Spanish in Thailand and worked in Oklahoma City and Tulsa schools, including two years as principal of Zarrow International School, one of Tulsa Public Schools’ two language-immersion elementary schools. “We felt like if we could get the right leader in place then everything else would trickle down,” Banfield said.Įnter Forbes, a salsa dancer turned educator and principal.Ī Tulsa native, Forbes first ignited his enthusiasm for Spanish in grade school, a passion that carried him to a Spanish major at Oklahoma City University and multiple semesters abroad.Īfter working as a cruise-ship salsa performer after college, Forbes pursued a career in education. The blended learning center off of south Interstate 35 opened in 2019 as a hub for Epic’s bilingual student services and cultural activities, like folkloric dance and Mariachi music.īut, the pilot project needed leadership that could create a more defined program structure and find the right curricula for bilingual students, said Epic Superintendent Bart Banfield. More: Norman school board fires teacher who leaked school shooting threat, hit list “It's rather being created because we see there’s so much to be celebrated within this community in two languages.” “There’s a huge need and want to have this and to have a school that isn’t created because there’s anything lacking within a community,” Forbes said. 22.Īlthough the program is open to children of any background, it’s specifically geared toward educating and honoring Oklahoma City’s Hispanic population, Heritage Academy director Kelly Forbes said. Watch Video: Tejano Talks #11: So you thought you were speaking Tex-Mex?Īn Epic Charter Schools site is on the cusp of becoming Oklahoma City’s new dual-language immersion school, promising an academic career in English and Spanish from early childhood to high school.Įpic’s Heritage Academy is enrolling up to 300 students from pre-K though 12th grade, a rarity in a state where most language immersion schools are offered only at the elementary and middle-school level.
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