In the span of only a couple hours one morning this fall, the Beaverton Education Foundation and Southridge High School communities rallied and helped make French teacher Edward Prindle’s vision for new classroom learning materials a reality.
Thanks to these donors, Prindle has stocked his classroom with new French books and maps. Previously, his students had to read different books since there weren’t enough copies for everyone, which made class discussions much harder. And without maps, they had trouble grasping the larger context of their lessons and the diversity of French communities around the world.
“Having up-to-date materials helps our students dream bigger and see their lives as part of a bigger picture,” says Prindle. “It also shows them that learning another language is important and deserves the necessary funding for the best chance of success.”
He purchased new maps of France and of the French-speaking world, which he references daily to provide context and background information for the stories they read and cultural elements they discuss. He also bought several new French-language books — two new novellas and one novel — so each member of the class can have a copy. The books are fresh, rich, and challenging, meeting the needs of both the earlier levels of French class, as well as the more advanced international baccalaureate class, Prindle says.
“I like having my own copy of our books because now we can have free reading time in class, and I can go at my own pace,” said one student. Prindle also added that the books give students opportunities to compare their thoughts and understanding with each other.
“I can’t believe how quickly my BEF Beaverton’s Choice campaign goal was met, thanks in big part to BEF generously matching the funds donated by individuals in our community,” says Prindle. “BEF made the process really easy for me and helped make my classroom more like how I envision it.”