They drew a dolphin, squid, eel, shark and jellyfish. Dillard, in her 28th year teaching, smiles when she hears those comments. Second through fifth grades are scheduled twice weekly for 40-minute blocks in the language arts lab, directed by lead teacher Vickie Holmes and teacher aide Teresa Castro. The lab is new this year. It features various centers for reading, listening, writing and other skills.
Students are responsible for checking their portfolios and completing their assignments.
Students are encouraged to read the directions themselves or ask classmates for help before turning to Holmes or Castro. The computer lab is open to kindergarten through fifth grade for math, reading, language and writing. A teacher aide, Jennifer Britt, manages the lab's 32 computers. Students work at their own pace to enhance the regular classroom instruction. The federal Title I program funds the language arts and computer labs, based on the school's 63 percent of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunches.