English Learner (EL) students had surprise visitors during summer school when the Reptarium, a reptile zoo in Utica, stopped by to encourage learning and fun for the students.
The students were introduced to a tiny leopard gecko, a baby alligator, a 35 pound Burmese python, and more scaly guests during the visit.
“They are truly so excited to see these reptiles,” EL Coach, Rachel Patchak shared. “The fact that they get to touch them and hold them – it becomes a very memorable experience for them.”
Jeannette Junior High 8th grader, Siddhartha Nirob, had a smile on his face after posing for pictures with the python on his and his classmates’ shoulders.
“It was scary, but it actually felt kind of good – I felt like my fear went away,” said Nirob.
The up-close interaction with the reptiles helped to destigmatize the fear around reptiles while allowing the students to learn new words and use them in a real-world context.
“This gave them something to talk about which opens the door for communication,” Patchak said.
“We let them use their phones to take pictures so that they can go home and talk about it with their families.”
What began as a scary experience for some proved to be engaging and empowering by the end of the reptile visit, in a similar way to how Davis Junior High 7th grader, Tetiana Soliak’s experience has been since arriving in the U.S. from Ukraine less than a year ago.
“I like summer school,” Soliak said.
“I thought I wouldn’t like it and cried on my first day, but I found my best friend who speaks Ukranian.”
Supported by the hands-on reptile experience, the summer school EL program helped students build connections with others while expanding their vocabulary ahead of the new school year.
