
Multilingual Family Newsletter
January 2024
Welcome Back!
We hope you had a wonderful holiday break! Welcome back to school!
We hope your 2024 is off to a great start!
Help me welcome and congratulate...
Mrs. Le's Son
Hugh Eli was born on December 1st. Mrs. Hannah Le, her husband Phong and Hugh are doing well. Mrs. Le will return to Jamestown Lower Elementary after spring break in April.
Ms. Diekema
Rylin Diekema is serving as Mrs. Hannah Le's maternity leave sub. She is teaching our multilingual learners at Jamestown Lower from December-March. Mrs. Le will return in April.
Rylin is getting married on June 14, 2025 and is a big U of M fan!
Ms. Diekema can be reached at rdiekema@hpseagles.net
Mrs. Pandey
Mrs. Savita Pandey is joining our multilingual department as a paraprofessional. She will be supporting students at Riley Middle School, Georgetown and Bauer Elementary.
Savita understands what it is like to be a multilingual learner as she was raised in India. She is a parent of two students in our district. We are excited to have Savita join our EL team!
Mr. David Edwards moved back to Spain at Thanksgiving.
Congratulations Bre!
Ms. Breanna Brink, EL teacher at Jamestown Upper, got engaged over the holiday break. They are hoping to get married in July 2024.
Pockettalk Translators now available in our school buildings
Pockettalk translators are available throughout Hudsonville Public Schools. There should be one in the main office of the school building for you to use when communicating with school personnel. This device translates 82 different languages. Feel free to ask to use one next time you stop into your child's school. If one is not available for you to use, please reach out to adittmer@hpseagles.net.
WIDA ACCESS Testing
When is the test?
The WIDA testing window is from February 5th- March 22nd, 2024. The majority of Hudsonville Public School's WIDA testing will occur in February. If you have questions around specific dates your child will be taking the WIDA, please contact your child's EL teacher.
What will be tested?
The WIDA Access for ELLs is an annual assessment that assesses a student’s English language proficiency in the areas of listening, speaking, reading and writing.
(Students in PreK-12th grade take this assessment.)
When will I receive the scores?
Score Reports will be sent home in August/September 2024 as the school receives the WIDA scores over the summer.
WIDA Testing Tips
Get a good night of sleep before testing.
Eat a healthy breakfast.
Be on time to school.
Let EL teachers know ahead of time if your child has an appointment.
Encourage your children to take their time on the test.
Mark your calendar
Early Release
Friday, January 26 is an early release day. Remember school dismisses early on this day. Students are able to sign up for a sack lunch on this day if you would like.
School Closings due to Weather
Sign up here to receive texts from Hudsonville Public Schools. You will receive updates and alerts from school messenger here.
High School Parent Teacher Conferences
High School parent teacher conferences are the evenings of Monday, January 22 and Wednesday, January 24. Please let us know if you would like assistance signing up or would appreciate having an interpreter.
Email dstimley@hpseagles.net or adittmer@hpseagles.net to schedule an interpreter.
Winter Clothing
Here in Michigan we get a lot of snow and the temperatures get very, very cold. Here are clothes that kids will need to stay warm and dry this winter:
Local Adult English Class Opportunities
Are you interested in learning more English? Check out these resources below.
Reach out to Aimee Dittmer at adittmer@hpseagles.net with any questions.
Free one-on-one tutoring for any person 18 years or older. Private and confidential. Call (616) 843-1470 or email info@readottawa.org
Literacy Center of West Michigan
Multilingual EL Staff Contact Information
Aimee Dittmer, EL District Facilitator
Darien Stimley, EL teacher at Highschool
Jesse Dueck, EL Teacher at Riley MS and Baldwin MS
Katie Schwerin, EL teacher at 5/6G
Hannah Le, EL teacher at Jamestown Lower
Breanna Brink, EL teacher at Jamestown Upper
Sarah VanWieren, EL teacher at South & Forest Grove
Amal Shohate, EL teacher at Georgetown, Park, & Bauer
Acacia VandeBunte, EL teacher at Alward