Conference Time Again!

Next week, parents/guardians will meet with teachers to discuss students' progress. Be sure to read the online report cards and any progress reports before attending the conference (available via the Parent Portal in IPass). Write down any questions or concerns that you have regarding report cards, progress reports or other areas of concern. It may be helpful to write down information that is shared during the conference. If you wish to speak with teachers other than the classroom teacher, tell the classroom teacher or contact the teachers directly. Conferences offer the opportunity for parents/guardians and teachers to share information about students so that students will have a successful educational experience.

Vocabulary

There are many ways that parents/guardians can help their children increase their vocabularies, especially their academic vocabularies. Academic vocabulary consists of words that are used in a school setting to help students understand what is being taught. Academic vocabulary includes words used in all content areas. For example, words like combine, add and plus are used in math and refer to addition. Compare, contrast and identify are words that may be used in other content areas.
Talking and reading with your child every day are two great ways to develop vocabulary. Ask questions about comments your child makes or text that is being read.
Colorin Colorado and Reading Rockets offer some wonderful suggestions that will help you increase your child's vocabulary:

http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/building-your-childs-vocabulary

I hope that these strategies will be helpful!

ACCESS Testing

ACCESS testing will be administered to all English language learners between January 7, 2016 and February 10, 2016. Students will be assessed for English language proficiency in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing. Kindergarten students will be assessed individually and students in grades one through twelve will be assessed in a small group setting except when taking the speaking test, which is administered individually. Test results will be reported in late May or early June, 2016.
Please contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have regarding ACCESS testing.
Happy New Year!

First Snow

Greetings! It's already December and though the weather has been mild, it's only a matter of time until the snow begins to fall. This year, many of my students are newly arrived from countries that experience mild winters with no snow. They are very excited to experience snowfall and have the opportunity to go outside to play in the snow.

There are many great books written about snow and winter as  experienced in New England. These books will provide background information to help students and their families enjoy the snow as it blankets our area:

http://www.colorincolorado.org/booklist/snow-snow-snow                                                                                   

                                                                                                                                                                        

Let it snow!

Report Card Time!

November is a very busy month at school. The first trimester marking period ends on November 6th. Teachers have been busy assessing students and preparing for report cards and parent conferences. ELL students will receive a progress report that will be sent home with students or mailed to students' homes. Classroom grades are available via IPASS on November 20, 2015 at 4:00 P. M.. If you have difficulty accessing grades online and/ or prefer a paper copy of grades, please contact your child's teacher.
After reviewing your child's report card / progress report you should make note of any questions and/ or concerns that you may have to discuss at your child's parent conference. Teachers will be available to help you understand your child's progress and will be happy to share information and resources with you. Parent conferences offer an opportunity for sharing information about students and how to best meet their needs. I have provided a link from Colorin Colorado that lists several ways that parents/ guardians can provide support for their children:

http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/tips-parents-parent-teacher-conferences

Happy November!

Welcome Fall

Welcome Fall! Welcome new and returning students and families! Now that it is October, students should be comfortable with school routines. I hope that you enjoyed visiting your children's classrooms and meeting teachers and other staff. Some parents have asked for resources to support their children. Last year I provided a list of websites that many students found helpful. Since I have welcomed several new students, I am again providing the link to these resources:

http://www.nwlsd-orc.org/esl.html

Please contact me and/or your child's classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns.Working as a team, we can help students experience a successful year!

Getting to Know You

Welcome back! I am excited to be back at school and working with my students. The first few weeks of school offer many opportunities to get to know my students. We will participate in many activities that offer students a chance to share information about themselves. Some examples are favorite foods, family members, favorite school subjects and summer vacation experiences.
Another way that I will become familiar with my students is to assess academic and social English language in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing so that I can provide appropriate instruction for each student. Classroom teachers and support staff will also be assessing students.
I hope that your children are having a smooth start to their school year. Please talk to them each day about their time at school. It may be more helpful to learn about their school day by saying," Tell me something that made you smile in school today." " Is there anything that made you feel worried at school today?" rather than asking, "How was school?"
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns that you have. Since I travel among schools, email is the best way to communicate with me:
phayes@westfordk12.us .
I am looking forward to a fun and productive year with my students!