Above: Young Wook Shim and his daughter Joyce Hyun Ji Shim, who will be entering the 1st grade this fall, receiving help from Stacy Liu. They moved from Korea in July. Photo by Winyan Soo Hoo

MCPS aims to ease first day jitters for international students

By Winyan Soo Hoo

Come September, students fall into the mindless rushing of preparation. There is hardly a student who isn’t buying school supplies, mapping bus routes, matching clothes before the big day one. For immigrant students, the first day of school adds a layer of pressure as they navigate through language and cultural barriers.

Maryland’s International Admissions Office aimed at easing this transition through a step-by-step intake program. The office recently held an open house for the public at the Rocking Horse Road Center in Rockville, August 16.

Nivea Berrios, director of the ISAO said the office logs in more than 50 hours a week to ensure that each foreign and international student finds a seat in the classroom.

“We help identify needs of our students,” Berrios said. “If they need special services, we identify a particular program for them, such as special education and ESOL classes.”

The targeted program came in contact with approximately 2400 of the immigrant students this summer. According to the Washington Post, immigrant populations have reached 1 million in the Washington metropolitan area. As the number grows, Berrios said a full-time staff for the ISAO is needed year-round.

That’s where workers like Stacy Liu come in. Although Liu only works at the ISAO in the summers, she added much weight to the office management by connecting with the Asian American families.

“When the families use our services, they won’t have a language barrier because 70 to 80 percent of our employees speak at least 2 languages,” Liu said. “This job also helps me. I have gained interpersonal skills as I meet a lot of people and stay in contact with them.”

Liu has bonded with many of the Chinese families because she can speak their native tongue. For Liu, the ISAO is not just about sending kids to school. Liu has introduced many families to various community services, from finding a local church to working closely with the Gaithersburg Multicultural Affairs Committee.

The parents also receive advice from a local TV program backed by MCPS. “Our Schools Today” is a TV program in Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, French and Spanish. David Frey, television producer for the program, said they cover topics that help parents understand the American education system.

The program expanded its broadcast to other states. In the next year, they hope to include Hindi-Urdu programs and to cater to the largest single ethnic group in the county, Salvadorians. 

“The goal of Montgomery County schools is to have children speaking English as quickly as possible,” Frey said. “Care givers may have several jobs to make ends meet and may not have time to learn the language, but they still have the support the children. We’re here for this reason.”

The official ISAO step-by-step intake process includes a background check. Before international students enter the county school system, they must verify grade placement with documents from their native country.

Following their submission, they take an English for Speakers of Other Languages test to determine English levels. ESOL classes are available for those who need additional guidance studying English.

The student also receives a free check-up from the school Health Clinic to monitor for tuberculosis and to receive necessary vaccinations. The clinics require no appointment.

Young Wook Shim moved to Potomac in July with his family of two kids. His oldest daughter, Joyce Hyun Ji Shim plans on attending 1^st grade this fall.

“She’s excited for her first day, but she’s nervous because she can’t speak English,” he said. “The (ISAO) program guided us through the transition. Now we look forward to her first day. When we visited the school, she played at the playground and was very satisfied.”