At Sterling Middle School, Principal Michael Williams embraces the school’s broad diversity as its greatest attribute.

Williams estimated that as many as 40 percent of his school’s students speak Spanish at home. This diversity makes Sterling a good setting for the “Spanish for Fluent Speakers” course, Williams said.

The class is conducted entirely in Spanish and provides students with an overview of Hispanic history and culture. The class does not replace English, though it does count toward the language arts requirements.
Williams said it’s an important class for many children who have learned to speak Spanish in the home, but may not know how to read or write it.

“Research has demonstrated that children who acquire the grammar and reading skills in one language, they can acquire another language much more quickly and it adds to their success in other subjects,” Williams said.

Of course, the education at Sterling is not just about Spanish. There is a computer in every classroom and teachers use interactive boards, particularly in math and science classes. Williams pointed out that three Sterling students were accepted into the Thomas Jefferson School of Science and Technology for the 2007-08 school year.

Sterling students also have a wide range of activities to choose from, including a full arts curriculum, orchestra and chorus in eighth grade.

Williams said the PTA at the school is active in helping organize 22 clubs that provide extracurricular outlets. The PTA also raised money to build a track in a park adjacent to Sterling.

Overall, Williams said he believes his school does a good job of adjusting to and meeting the actual needs of its students -- right down to offering a movie night for new sixth-graders who may feel uncomfortable going to a dance.

Williams praises everyone – students, teachers and administrators alike – for turning obstacles into positives.
“We are perhaps the most diverse school in Loudoun County and we’re proud of that,” he said. “It makes us stronger.”