Cultures collide in Irvine elementary school

There are 36 languages spoken in this school and these children are all learning English. They get a year of intensive English learning before being put into the regular classes. DP

At University Park Elementary in Irvine, diversity is a lesson taught and nurtured.

By ERIKA CHAVEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ocregister.com: The 19 pupils in Kathleen Lui's second- and third-grade class at Irvine's University Park Elementary come from nine different countries but share at least two things in common: they all are learning English for the first time, and they don't know what cottage cheese is.

Other lessons gleaned from a recent classroom session on food groups: all cultures like rice, and all kids like candy.

"Yum!" they cried in unison, some even patting their bellies as Lui held up a photo of a chocolate bar.

The ethnically diverse group of pupils in Lui's class offers a glimpse into Irvine's future, said the veteran teacher.

"This is Irvine," she said, gesturing toward the kids of all hues and nationalities. "All of our classrooms are so international. Our monthly awards ceremony looks like a little U.N."

One in 3 pupils is an English learner, and 36 languages are spoken at the school, from South Africa's Afrikaans to Mandarin Chinese to Pakistan's Urdu.

The pupils have one year of intensive English language instruction in Lui's class before being placed in mainstream classes. The immersion is immediate and effective. While University Park has lower state test scores than other less diverse Irvine campuses, the school has an 860 score on the Academic Performance Index, a statewide scale that ranges from 200 to 1,000 points. The state's goal is for every school to rank above 800.
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