SLPS TESOL ExcELLence
Issue 6
February 2015
BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ONLINE
TESOL COMMUNITY
Education Connections: Teachers Working
Together for English Learner Success
NEWS FROM ESOL SITES
Fundraising Event for Nahed
Chapman New American Academy
Education Connections is an online network of teachers
managed by CAL that provides easy online access to free
webinars, teacher-created videos and lesson plans, and a
(Submitted by Mrs. Harris, NCNAA Director)
January 30, 2015 the Rotary Club of St. Louis, Missouri
hosted “A Night for Nahed Chapman New American
Academy (NCNAA)” which was held at the elegant Missouri
Athletic Club. This grand affair sponsored a night of dinner
and dancing as a fundraiser to assist our newcomer students
providing additional money to support instruction and needed
commodities for the newly arrived students and their families.
The night began with a getting acquainted time. Many
organizations and agencies were represented such as the
International Institute, Open Door, Bridges, and of course,
SLPS. Mr. Ed Harris, Rotary member chairperson, formally
welcomed al and gave a heartfelt introduction about our
program and his desire to assist. He also introduced the
keynote speaker, Donnie Harris, Director of Nahed Chapman
Academy. She spoke on the original vision of Nahed
Chapman’s Newcomer program. Mrs. Harris described the
common challenges and successes of our students as future
goals of the newcomer
(continued on p.2)
community of educators working together to implement
standards-based instruction across the country. Join the
Educations Connections community today by accessing the
following link.
https://www.obaverse.net/edconnect/
DID YOU KNOW?
Updates from the Office for Civil Rights
http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/edu/documents/eldcleng
.pdf
According to the U.S. Department Office of Civil Rights, even
though “school districts have an obligation to serve all EL
students, parent have a right to decline or opt their children
out of a school district’s EL program or out of a particular EL
services within EL program.” To ensure that the needs of optout EL students are being met, “school districts must
periodically monitor the progress of students who have opted
out of EL programs.” If you have students whose parents
(
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
News from ESOL Sites
1
Center for Applied Linguistics ( CAL)
Invitation: Become a Member of the Online
Community
them into your monitoring files. If the opted- out student does
not demonstrated appropriate growth in English proficiency,
or struggle in one or more subject due to language barrier,
the school district’s affirmative steps include informing the EL
student’s parent of his /her lack of progress and offering the
parent further opportunities to enroll the student in the EL
program or at least EL services and any time.
1
2
Updates for the Office of Civil Rights
News from ESOL Sites ( continued)
2
MELL 2014 Conference
2
Welcome to our New ESOL Staff- Mrs. Juhlin
at Busch AAA Middle School
Calendar of Monthly Events
3
opted out of EL services from our program please include
March 6 is the end of the third quarter for the
academic year. Please, complete the individual
monitoring forms for the M1, M2, and opted-out
students. Based on DESE requirements, the
information have to be kept on file for each
monitored students.
Newsletter 1
(continued from p.1)
MELL 2014 Conference
(Submitted by Mrs. Anderson, SLPS SIOP Coach)
NEWS FROM THE ESOL SITES
Fundraising Event for Nahed
Chapman New American Academy
At the 2014 MELL Conference, Adrienne Johnson from
program. Upon conclusion of the speaker’s presentation, a
classroom. Instead of students conducting the same
scrumptious dinner was served. The evening ended with live
experiment in groups, Ms. Johnson had each group conduct a
entertainment by Tammy and the Grippies (which stands for
different experiment that determined density of objects as they
gray haired hippies) and dancing.
observed buoyant force and the force of gravity. After students
The Rotary Club will award the NCNAA money collected
observed the findings and recorded their observations, they
from the fundraiser at their upcoming meeting. We are
partnered with students from other groups to explain their
forever grateful to the Rotary Club of St. louis, Missouri!
specific experiment and their results using the vocabulary
Missouri Western State University demonstrated how to
increase students’ use of academic language in the science
greater than, less than, buoyant force, force of gravity and
density. By explaining the procedure and findings to different
classmates who had no knowledge of the other experiments, it
created a communication gap activity. Students were able to
practice using the target vocabulary and to explain the content
concepts to classmates in a more authentic situation.
Welcome Our New Staff at Busch
AAA Middle School- Mrs. Juhlin!
Mann Mustangs are Busy!
(Submitted by Mrs. Berry, Mann ESOL Teacher)
(Submitted by Mrs. Juhlin, Busch AAA ESOL Teacher)
In December, our students helped their teachers create
Hi, I’m Ruth Juhlin. I am a “third culture kid” having grown up
presentations about various countries. At each stop on
in Burundi, Quebec and the Congo. I speak French as a
Holidays Around the World students learned about several
second language and have my BS in French Education earned
countries’ locations, customs, flags, and food. They were
in ’90. My life took a different course in order to find work in
able to taste many treats from countries such as Mexico,
the mid ‘90s, pursuing a BS in Nursing, which provided stable
France, Kenya, and Vietnam to name a few. Many ESOL
and fulfilling work in hospitals, and then most recently, for 5
students wore clothing from their native countries and
years in a K-4 public school in Cape Girardeau. It was there
participated in the presentations. In January, Mann families
that I rediscovered my passion for teaching. I began to
enjoyed snuggling up in their PJ’s to watch Frozen for
complete requirements for certification in French in Missouri
Family Movie Night. On February
12th,
and pursued a MA in TESOL at SEMO, while nursing in the
Mann will hold its
annual Friendship Dance. Girls will wear fancy dresses and
public school. My husband and 3 kids, now age 16,14 and 12
boys must wear ties to attend. The students will enjoy
have been very supportive. I recently moved to the St. Louis
dancing, crafts, snacking, and taking pictures.
area for my husband’s work, which was a good career choice
for me as there is much more work available in the St. Louis
area in ESOL. So this is a new adventure for me in my life,
really a dream finally realized to be teaching language. I look
forward to meeting all the ESOL staff and thanks for
welcoming me!
Newsletter 2
CALENDAR
Date
OF
EVENTS
Event
Time
Location
Thursday, February 5
ESOL Parent Committee
3:30PM-4:30 PM
ESOL Office, Building 1
Thursday, February 12
ESOL PD Committee
3:30PM-4:30 PM
ESOL Office, Building 1
3:30PM-4:30 PM
ESOL Office, Building 1
3:30PM-4:30 PM
ESOL Office, Building 1
8:00- 12:00
ESOL office, Building 3
Meeting
Thursday, February 19
ESOL Leadership
Committee
Thursday, February 26
ESOL Community
Outreach Committee
February 2
Co-teaching Training
12:00-4:00
Friday, February 13
District PD
8:00- 3:30PM
Sign in to My Learning
Plan
Monday, February 16
HOLIDAY- President’s Day
Tuesday, February 17
High School College Prep
5:30-7:00PM
ESOL Office
Parent Meeting
Friday, February 27
ACCESS test
administration is due
Please, share the ESOL updates from your site with Elena Okanovic by February 28, 2015 to be
included in our next issue of the SLPS TESOL ExcELLence newsletter.
Newsletter 3