Exteacher to serve full sentence
Nicole Jacques had petitioned for an early end to her court supervision; she was convicted of having a sexual relationship with a teen
NORRISTOWN >> A Hatfield Township woman and former teacher at Calvary Baptist School in Towamencin, who was convicted of having an inappropriate relationship with a teenager, has lost her bid for early termination of her probationary period.
Montgomery County Judge Wendy Demchick-Alloy on Friday denied Nicole Jacques’ request to be released 1½ years early on a to-
sey and is a native Hindi speaker himself, contacted one of the largest and most diverse districts in Pennsylvania — North Penn High School — to host a YHS STARTALK Summer Hindi Language and Culture Camp. Ojha presented the program to Superintendent Dr. Curtis R. Dietrich and the district has been hosting the camp at General Nash Elementary School in Towamencin ever since.
“We are grateful to the STARTALK Summer Hindi program for providing this valuable experience for our community,” said Dietrich. “It is a benefit anytime our students can experience different cultures and different languages, especially at the young age for which this program is geared.”
The upcoming YHS STARTALK Summer Hindi Language and Culture Camp 2017 is a threeweek, 105-hour immersion program, where students engage in topic-based, ageand grade-appropriate performance activities, aimed at improving their proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing Hindi. This year’s theme is, “Celebrating India: Cuisine and Living Arts.”
The program, which runs this year from July 24 through Aug. 11, aims to train young learners to perform basic functions and tasks in a variety of real-life situations. Learning is based on ACTFL proficiency guidelines and the World Readiness Standards for Language Learning.
“My daughter has been attending the camp now for two years and she is learning so much and having so much fun,” says Bina Bengali of Fountainville. “We are planning a vacation this summer and she told me, ‘I don’t want to miss camp,’ so she is making sure we work around that.”
Bengali stressed that the camp was more than just an opportunity for the children to learn, but to make friends and celebrate their culture.
“She’s made so many friends. I think all of the kids are enjoying it a lot. It’s not just about learning Hindi, it’s about having fun and learning about India and its food and customs,” she said.
This year, Bengali, who worked as a volunteer last year, will be teaching Bollywood dance choreography, in addition to Hindi.
“I am very much looking forward to it,” she said.
Ojha estimates that nearly 500 families in the community have partaken in the camp over the past five years.
“I am very proud to announce that our students never drop out of the program. They enjoy the activities at the program and also take it home where they interact with their parents in Hindi,” says Ojha.
One of the highlights of the three-week program is the daylong field trip in which students will travel to a local Hindi community and use their new knowledge of Hindi to speak to members. One of the major aspects of STARTALK programs is to prepare students to use the language outside of the classroom in their daily life. Students get to see firsthand how Hindi is utilized around the area.
Ojha was attracted to the North Penn School District because of its large student body (12,710 students) and its high Indian population (minority students make up 36 percent of the school, with the majority of students being Asian).
“North Penn provides us with a lot of resources — their gyms, computers, custodians — because they believe in the benefits of teaching the next generation a world language other than English so that students can grow up as true world citizens,” he said.
North Penn High School offers five languages in its curriculum for students to choose from: French, Spanish, German, Latin and Japanese. Additionally, it provides English as a second language. At present, the district is not looking to add Hindi or any additional languages to the curriculum.
While Hindi is now being taught in several school districts across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Texas schools, YHS STARTALK’s ultimate goal is to integrate Hindi into the curriculum of schools throughout the United States. To achieve this goal, Ojha travels to different school districts around the country, speaking to administrators and educators on the importance of learning Hindi.
“My instructors labor hard for more than three months prior to the start of our programs preparing their lesson plans. We facilitate students’ performance in classrooms, computer labs, and in varieties of arts and cultural activities, including yoga and Bollywood dancing,” he said.
Ojha recognizes the need for more local, Hinditrained instructors, but understands it’s a commitment that requires both the time and the passion. All instructors go through a three-month training program to become STARTALK certified.
Instructor Alka Singhvi completed her Provisional Teacher Training program from the College of New Jersey and her STARTALK Teacher Training program from New York University. “I believe in immersing my students in the target language and culture. I use Hindi almost exclusively in the classroom,” she said.
In the past, the program has accommodated 45 students; however, this year STARTALK is capping the program at 40 students to ensure a low studentteacher ratio.
Though the program has largely attracted students from families of Indian heritage, students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, provided they’re between ages 8 and 13. Students do not need to belong to the North Penn School District.
Whether it’s to a pursue a career in world economics, to travel to India, or to converse with family and friends, Hindi is a language worth investing in, Ojha stresses.
“Any student graduating with credits in a foreign language, scores higher credits while applying for jobs in many sectors and as India achieves its ranking among major world economic powers, use of Hindi becomes even more important.”
Anyone with questions about the program can email Ojha at yhsbensalem2012@gmail.com.