Welcome Vice Principal Gomez!
This fall Dual Language Immersion North County (DLINC) will be welcoming Amy Gomez in her new position as Vice Principal at our tuition-free TK-8 charter school. Current DLINC families may recognize her from her former roles at our school - she has worked here for 14 years - most recently as our English Language Arts middle school teacher. We were excited to hear more about her background and vision for DLINC, and caught up with her on a busy fall day to learn more. Here’s what she had to say!
What are you going to be doing in your new role as Vice Principal?
In my new role I focus on supporting staff needs, working with curriculum and instruction, and monitoring student academic progress and behavior. So I spend a lot of time meeting with our teachers, students and parents. My approach is always to work alongside parents and students, bringing a collaborative team mentality to problem solving. What we come up with by working together is always better than anything I can come up with by myself!
Tell us about your background.
I grew up here in North County! I went to Carlsbad and Oceanside schools and I'm passionate about bilingual education. I'm bilingual myself. I was a native Spanish speaker and learned English in elementary school. At DLINC, we value our students’ home language - that’s something that resonates with me personally, as that support didn’t exist for me when I was going through school as an English language learner.
Do you have a family?
I have 2 sons: Josiah is 21, and Ethan is 18. Josiah is working and going to community college. Ethan graduated from El Camino High School and is now at UC Merced, studying engineering and living on campus.
What do you think is effective about how DLINC teaches dual language?
Students with an English language background can acquire Spanish at the level of a native speaker if they're with us TK-8. They're capable enough to take Spanish for Spanish speakers in high school, and are even able to compete with students whose home language is Spanish, who have never received instruction in Spanish and reading.
For our students who have Spanish as their home language, they are able to grow their home language fluency, including writing and reading. In an all-English school, they might only speak Spanish or maybe not even speak it at all.
A benefit for both groups of students is that when you're strong in your first language, many language skills transfer. You can acquire new languages more easily because our immersion program will help you develop foundational language skills.
DLINC is different from other schools that teach two languages in that we’re a small community; we’ve been doing dual language immersion for a long time; and not a lot of schools offer a 90:10 immersion model. We are also unique because we go through 8th grade!
So we have a new tagline this year?
Yes! “A second language is just the beginning!” It’s true! We are so much more than just being a dual language program. Our teachers are very innovative. They take advantage of our smaller class sizes to provide our students with incredible hands-on experiences and project-based learning experiences. We are also preparing students for an alternate future where a second language is going to give them so many more opportunities. Our students broaden their perspectives as they learn about the cultures, people and traditions of the many Spanish speaking countries in the world. A second language isn’t just learning grammar - it’s also learning about music, poetry, food, art. It really is a gift!
Are you going to miss teaching in a classroom?
I know I will! Yesterday I got to teach drama in our new Afterschool Enrichment Program. I love drama and taught it for years, and it was so cool to see DLINC teachers staying after school to teach subjects that they are passionate about. From outdoor skills to chess, cooking, gardening - our teachers are working with students in a fun, casual atmosphere that connects with students in different ways. I love the creativity and flexibility that our enrichment program offers - for students and teachers alike!
If you see her at drop off or on a school tour, please take a moment to greet Vice Principal Gomez - she’s one of the many teachers and staff that make DLINC an award winning school! Find out more about how you can join the DLINC family and enroll today!
About Dual Language Immersion North County
Dual Language Immersion North County is an award-winning TK-8 tuition-free public charter school serving students in Vista, CA. DLINC prepares students for bright futures in a multilingual world through a safe, respectful and nurturing small charter school environment. We offer immersion education in Spanish and English and the support to ensure student success. We partner with community organizations to take learning out of the classroom, and encourage families to be closely involved in their students' learning. Join our TK-8 tuition-free public charter school today! Enrolling Now!