Official impressed with migrant school

program

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

SLEEPY EYE -- Minnesota Department of Children, Families and Learning (DCFL) State Director Janet Bourdon toured the migrant education program Thursday at Sleepy Eye Public School and sounded impressed.

"It's outstanding," Bourdon said. "I have worked on this program for a long time. This is one of the most remarkable sites I've seen. I credit Elia Bruggeman for her leadership and ability level. It's like it's not a new program here, like it's been organized for a long time."

Bourdon said she was impressed with the leadership, motivation and enthusiasm the staff has in Sleepy Eye.

She was also struck by the number of Hispanic people working in the program.

"It seemed they brought as many people from the culture as possible into the program," Bourdon said. "It's excellent."

More than 90 participants take part in the federally-funded, six-week Title 1 program, part of the Improving America's Schools Act.

Funding is entitled for migrant-certified eligible families.

Students range from pre-school age to 12th grade. They are bused in from the area around Sleepy Eye, Springfield, Morgan, Fairfax and New Ulm. Participants from St. James and other areas are on a waiting list of 39 names.

"It helps children that have tremendous interruptions in their school year catch up with other children that are settled out," Bourdon said. "Mobility is a huge issue."

School staff of more than 50 includes Sleepy Eye Public School teachers, local residents plus teachers from New Ulm and college students. Personnel include cooks, bus chaperones, custodians besides teachers.

Healthy meals and snacks are a key part of the program.

"One of the problems if migrant children is nutrition deficit," Bourdon said. "We are making these children healthier, smarter and more workforce ready."

Students learn skills they need like keyboarding and language, literacy, social and writing skills along with programs on self esteem, behavior, cultural diversity and drug and alcohol education.

Bourdon said she was also impressed with older students coming to the school and doing community service projects.

Students will visit nursing homes and play cards with nursing home residents.

Sleepy Eye dentist Dr. Tom Larson and a physician, Dr. K.V. Murthy, are also working with the program.

The program currently includes 16 summer sites and funds 26 school year programs. It will also fund Sleepy Eye Public School with supplemental services this fall like providing outreach for migrant families.

Other Southern Minnesota sites are in Montgomery, Owatonna, Glencoe, Montevideo, Renville and Bird Island. Elsewhere, sites are in Breckenridge, Halstad, Crookston, Grand Forks and Argyle.

Migrant education sites began in the Red River Valley almost three decades ago.

"That's a real positive because it can interconnect what we are doing in our summer program and keep on top of the kids when they enter the regular school year and not miss a beat with them," Bourdon said. "If they go back to Texas, this can help them down there too."

Bruggeman said all students were tested in reading and math at the start of the summer program. They will be tested again at the end of the summer. There is also a pilot program for individual learning that will be implemented at Sleepy Eye Public School.

"We were lucky to get the grant this year," Bruggeman said.

Bourdon said he was impressed with the program partnerships in Sleepy Eye with firms like Del Monte Corp. and Norwood Products Inc.

A big challenge in the program is making it known to migrants and legally identifying them as migrant families. Site outreach workers complete in-depth interviews and paperwork for families that apply for the program.

The Title 1 program ends July 27.

The Tri-Valley Program lasts six weeks to Aug. 3. It deals with children as young as six weeks old.

"The beauty of this is in Sleepy Eye, both programs are in the same building and the coordinator (Bruggeman) works on both sites to the benefit of both programs and every family." Bourdon said. "This is an ideal site. We invite all community groups to come in and visit."