In a corner desk near the front door at Roosevelt Early Childhood Center, Ismail Ali waits for families to arrive to enroll their children in St. Cloud school district.
Ali, a Somali immigrant who speaks six languages and moved to the United States in 2006, is one of two people who oversee the Schoolink Welcome Center at Roosevelt. The center opened in July as a central location for families new to St. Cloud school district to enroll their children in schools, get additional information and get assistance needed to help with the transition.
It has helped Naomi Stamm, who recently moved to Waite Park from Breezy Point, enroll her daughter in fourth grade at Discovery Community School.
“I called and asked a few questions. They seemed real helpful. I figured it was the place to go,” she said.
In its first few weeks, the welcome center has enrolled about 65 children, about one-fifth of whom are from other countries.
“They are happy because I can speak the Somali language,” Ali said.
The welcome center hatched out of a need to have one place where people new to the district could get the information they need to get children registered for school. Ali shares duties running the welcome center with Sue Doering, a teacher on special assignment.
People can walk into Roosevelt at 3015 Third St. N or call and make an appointment to visit. When they arrive, Ali will set them up with the required forms. The registration, district census and immunization forms must be filled out. There are also opportunities to sign up to ride the bus, receive free or reduced lunch, provide emergency information and volunteer.
Students who don’t speak English can be tested on their grasp of the language. Visits can take from 10 minutes up to an hour.
“We want to make sure it is easy for them. It is nice to have all the forms with you,” Doering said.
The welcome center has tables for people to use, a few chairs for a waiting area and an area with brochures from other agencies that provide services that some might need. Some of the brochures are in languages other than English.
During the winter, Superintendent Bruce Watkins was looking for a way to keep school district employees focused on educating children and avoid having them provide services that other agencies provide such as health care and welfare. He began meeting with local agencies that provide services to newcomers and recommended that the district open a place where people could show up register for school, take care of all their school needs and potentially get a referral to agencies that provide human services.
Many newcomers
The school district, which has about 9,300 students, received 663 students who transferred into the district before Sept. 5, 2006, and 949 who transferred after that date. More students transferred into St. Cloud from other countries than other Minnesota schools — 336 came from outside the United States and 295 came from Minnesota. The number of students who attend St. Cloud and don’t speak English continues to grow. In 2003-04, 557 students didn’t speak English as a primary language. That number was 920 in 2006-07. That’s a 39 percent jump in three years. Somali is the most common language spoken among the students who don’t speak English as their primary language.
Ali is able to help families who speak other languages. He speaks Somali, Arabic and Italian, which is similar to Spanish.
“I can’t say I am fluent, but I can help people,” Ali said.
His presence is a comfort to the families who are new to the country, Doering said.
“I think it is exceptionally reassuring because Ismail is here and can easily converse with our families and easily explain things to the families,” Doering said.
Families new to the area can still register at their neighborhood school, but school officials say that can be difficult sometimes in the summer because the schools are not frequently staffed. The welcome center provides a specific place to go that has extended hours.
The welcome center can make arrangements to have transcripts from previous schools sent to St. Cloud.
Doering and Ali are trying to make sure their existence is well known. Billboards have sprung up around town. Ali said he visited a mosque and asked the leaders there to send new people to the welcome center. Real estate agents will be asked to send clients to the center and employees hand out small cards with the hours the welcome center is open.
By Dave Aeikens, St. Cloud Times
