Riverside Magazine Highlights Mini-United Nations School!

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At Emerson, a “mini-United Nations"— Jerry Rice

With students from 13 foreign countries, Emerson Elementary in Riverside is a cosmopolitan school that literally gives students a global view.

“Everyone is more aware of world issues, which helps them break out of the local microcosm that they know,” said principal John McCombs. “It helps them expand their knowledge of the world, their understanding of how other people live and what the realities are for people around the world.”

The school was dubbed a “mini-United Nations” a few years ago, but in reality the school has hosted children from many countries for decades. Foreign professors and students who work at or attend UC Riverside often bring their families with them, McCombs says.

Many of the children arrive knowing few, if any words in English. There are 155 English-learners currently at Emerson, out of 750 students.

Special initiatives, including a new iScholars program, help foreign students not only assimilate with their classmates, but succeed. iScholars combines a curriculum for GATE students along with components of advanced language fluency for English learners in the same classroom.

“It’s really exciting to see students come in, move through the different levels of language acquisition, and then be able to score ‘advanced’ on the California Standards Tests for language arts,” McCombs said.

Over the years, Emerson has recognized each student and the country they’re from with a flag. Seventy-five flags now hang along one hallway.

— Jerry Rice