Valentina Matariyeh, a seventh grader who will attend Orland High School District 230, said she’s worried she doesn’t know enough of the Arabic language to communicate with her grandparents, who only speak the language and are visiting soon from overseas.

She spoke Arabic in her day care days, but lost some of the skill in adjusting to speaking English in schools. While she takes two-hour Arabic lessons every week, her mother, Lena Matariyeh, who also took private Arabic lessons growing up, said it’s been hard to coordinate lessons online with teachers who live halfway across the world.

As Valentina looks to attend high school, a coalition of other Arabic community members are advocating that District 230 consider adding Arabic to its world languages program. Valentina said taking the co

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