International Newcomer Center: Welcoming new students, strengthening families

Gwinnett County Public Schools (GCPS) is Georgia’s largest school district, serving students from 181 countries who speak 108 languages. The first point of contact for international families of middle and high school students who are new to the district is the International Newcomer Center (INC), located at 495 Maltbie Street in Lawrenceville.

The INC’s three programs—International Student Services, Language Services, and Parent Outreach—benefit new families, support enrolled students across the district, and partner with the district’s internal teams to serve families.

As a part of its Parent Outreach program, the INC offers Family Literacy Classes for English, from Basic to Level 3. The classes, held during each semester (September through December and February through May), meet once per week for two hours during the day and in the evening.

Lynnette Aponte, Director of the International Newcomer Center, regularly experiences the excitement of program participants who successfully complete the series of classes. “One of our classes, the English Level 1 class, has 20 parents who are completing the program. They asked to decorate the classroom, they arranged to bring food to celebrate, and they keep in touch through a group chat. They are all in a similar situation, being new to the district and wanting to support their children. The class is an opportunity to learn together and get the support to be involved in their children’s schools.”

The class participants each receive certificates of completion. The joyful graduates take pictures with their instructor, Alexandra Hunter, listen to encouraging messages from the INC’s team of interpreters, and enjoy a meal representing the culinary variety of their native countries.

“The INC also hosts the Newcomer Academy, which walks families through GCPS resources and informs them of their rights and responsibilities as parents, in their own language,” shares Hunter.

Rie Takai, a Kindergarten parent, shares, “I like the ice-breaking time because I am nervous when speaking English. Ms. Hunter creates an exciting time so I can relax. That makes me happy and I can learn. My daughter is 6 years old, so she is a Kindergarten student. We are on the same level, so we teach each other. She’s a good teacher, and I’m a good teacher. We exchange information with each other.”

The class has helped participants to develop confidence with their language skills, meet new people, and inspire them to continue learning.

“My children are like my teachers, too,” says Yocarys Rodriguez, high school parent. “Now I can understand when I go to the parent-teacher conferences. I don’t have to help them a lot with their homework because they are teenagers, but they actually help me and correct my pronunciation.” Rodriguez adds, “I am preparing myself to be able to go to medical appointments, so this class will help me with the conversations I want to have with my children’s doctors.”