by Steffi Carrera ’14

When a large portion of students think of the ESOL program at Sherwood, they do not really understand its enormity; 200 students are a part of a close-knit community within the walls of this school. This diverse group often faces isolation from the rest of the student body.

Contrary to popular belief, the downstairs D hall, commonly known as the “ESOL Hallway,” is not the only place in the school with classes for ESOL students. Senior Cesar Martinez, who has exited the program, disagrees with this term because he doesn’t think it is accurate. “The school has a lot of classrooms that are used by ESOL students,” Martinez commented. “They aren’t all in one area.”

Several other classrooms for ESOL are spread throughout the school, such as science teacher Emelia Gonzales’ room in the B hall and English teacher Patty Jasnow’s room in the C hall.

Lower-level ESOL students take classes exclusively with each other, such as Gonzales’ eighth-period ESOL biology class. They benefit from the more relaxed pace and smaller number of kids in the classroom. “I can go a little bit slower and I can explain to the students in different languages and with more details,” said Gonzales.

On the other hand, these students are only interacting with one another, leaving them with less of an opportunity to get to know students outside the program. Not many people go out of their way to talk to someone they have never met, resulting in a separation between students in the ESOL program and those who are not. Sophomore Audrey Zimou is a level 2 ESOL student who admitted to not having any friends outside of the ESOL program. “I don’t want to talk to them because I am scared they [will] laugh at my English,” she said when explaining why she is hesitant to start conversations with her American classmates.

ESOL resource teacher Laura Bernard-Sanchez feels this gap could be closed by kids simply reaching out to each other. “If American students extended the hand of friendship, [ESOL students] would be happy to accept it,” Sanchez commented. She works towards integration by encouraging her students to get involved in clubs and sports alike, saying, “If they’re too shy, I go with them.”

Joining in these types of extra-curricular activities is generally more difficult for ESOL students because they tend to live further from school. Since Sherwood is an ESOL center, students come from homes that are usually more than half an hour away. This proves to be a problem when it comes to transportation; school buses are not provided to neighborhoods that are so far away, so students are forced to find other ways to get home.

Sophomore Cristian Mercado, who is a member of track and field, uses the Metro bus to get to his home in Silver Spring. Although his house is about 40 minutes away, it takes him around one and a half to two hours to arrive because of the bus route. This deterrent naturally leads to fewer ESOL students participating in after-school activities.

Transportation aside, Mercado is glad to have joined the team. He feels he has made more friends through track, and thinks this chance to talk to other Sherwood students is improving his language skills. “I really like to talk to Americans because I want to learn English,” said Mercado. “My goal is to learn English as fast as I can.”

Others who have chosen to join a team or club at Sherwood are also satisfied with their decision. Senior Blondel Ndjouandjouka, who has exited the program, currently plays varsity soccer. He initially encountered some obstacles, such as staying at school for a straight six hours during tryouts; he did not have the time to go back home during the two-hour break in between sessions so he stayed for the entire time.

However, Ndjouandjouka pushed past these hindrances and met new people in the process. “My teammates are my friends,” he commented. He feels the benefits of joining the team definitely outweigh the drawbacks.