Read Adeline and Chislon's Testimony about the Dream Academy
Adeline Akoforngwe, Testimony to the Montgomery County Council, April 5, 2017Good evening and thank you for the opportunity to testify, my name is Adeline Akoforngwe, and I am a parent of a fifth grade student at South Lake Elementary School where my son is a part of the Dream Academy.First, I would like to sincerely thank the County Council for funding the Dream Academy it is an incredible program. And second, I’d like to thank the Recreation Department, they have done a wonderful job in starting and operating the program at our school.The program has really been of great help to my son Chislon and I know to other kids. The extra hour of academic support gives my son and the other students the opportunity to fully learn concepts from the normal school day.In particular, the program has helped my son a great deal with some behavioral issues. When we first moved from Cameroon he was having some challenges adapting to the new environment. I was getting a call once a week or once every two weeks from the principal’s office because he had gotten in trouble. It got so bad, that when I would see South Lake come up on my cell phone my heart would start to skip. But since the Dream Academy started in February I haven’t gotten a single call. In fact, I received a phone call from his teacher, she called to let me know how much Chislon had improved and how well he was behaving in class.I really do appreciate his teacher and the administration’s support for my son, but the Dream Academy is something special.The academic support Chislon receives is also very impactful. The teachers at the Dream Academy has created extra time and space to support him with math. He is getting to do some of it by himself now and you don’t have to help him do it step by step. Sometimes he comes home from school and he’s already done his math homework, if I don’t search, I won’t even know that he had math homework.He really really loves Dream Academy so much, there’s no day he doesn’t tell me he’s looking forward to it. Tomorrow, April 6th, the current school quarter will end and we’ll find out about his grades. I am just so sure there will be improvement.Thank you. Chislon Njang, Testimony to the Montgomery County Council, April 5, 2017Good evening, my name is Chislon Njang, and I fifth grade student at South Lake Elementary School.When I first moved here last winter I didn’t understand the rules in my school so I was getting in trouble a lot – it was so different from the rules in Cameroon.Before the Dream Academy started, I was getting trouble every single day, but now I don’t get in trouble anymore.The staff and teachers at the Dream Academy help me focus and calm down when I want to act out. They remind me to be nice and let me know it’s ok to take a break outside of the classroom, and take deep breaths.My favorite subjects are math and science. I like math because I’m good at it. It makes sense to me. And I feel confident when I’m doing something I know I’m good at. The teachers at the Dream Academy have helped me do better in the regular school classes.Thank you for funding this program, I’ll be in middle school next year, but I hope you put more money in the budget for the program next year. I know it will help other kids. Also, I’d like to come back and visit.Thank you.