Dear Board Member/School Administrator:

 As many of you know, a proposal has been presented to move the language immersion program from Forest Hills Global Elementary and place it at Gregory School of Science Math and Technology in a K-8 model.  In turn, the STEM program would be phased out of Gregory.  

We appreciate and applaud the efforts of the current proposal to expand the immersion program to benefit as many students as possible. However, the current proposal eliminates two choices at two schools.  This proposal impacts almost 800 children.

As a collective team of parents from both Gregory and Forest Hills, we respectfully ask that the current proposal be modified so that it supports the present and future well-being of both schools.   

The modifications include the following:

• Develop a K-8 Immersion program at Gregory starting in kindergarten for the '16-'17 school year

-6th grade program would also begin in '16-'17 school year for current 5th graders in the immersion program
-K-5 students from Gregory and Forest Hills would serve as feeder schools for 6th-8th grade portion of the program

• Continue STEM K-5 at Gregory as magnet program

-Provides great opportunity for children’s stability
-Supports current Gregory parent's wishes to maintain program

• Continue Immersion K-5 at Forest Hills for in-district and current children

-Mitigates the effects of moving the program and optimizes the potential for retention
-Remedies overcrowding and promotes diversity
-Allows grandfathering for siblings of current students
-Provide Spanish elective courses (itinerants) for STEM students at Gregory
-Provides current STEM students the opportunity to begin learning a new language
 

The benefits of the modification would be:

Creating a “win-win” for both Gregory and Forest Hills schools
Reducing the risk for either school becoming or staying a “failing school”
Allowing both schools to maintain their neighborhood school feel
Providing consistency for children of both schools
Providing growth for the immersion program
Utilizing current transportation infrastructure
 

Based on the dialogue between Gregory and Forest Hills parents, we feel that by maximizing our choices with the support of the New Hanover County School Board and Administration, we can build greater success for both schools.

Thank you,

 Your Constituents