Parents and Families Newsletter

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Boletín informativo para Padres y Familias.

Dear Parents and Families,

Welcome to the spring edition of the Parent and Family Newsletter! We hope to provide you with a valuable resource to inspire and guide your families with information and activities that will increase the language proficiency, academic success, and the mental well-being of your child.

In this issue, you will find information on the following topics:

Stay informed about the resources and support available by subscribing to TEA’s English Learner portal . Click on the Subscribe Today button.

Parent and Family Virtual Event Success

Thank you to all parents and families who attended, as well as our schools who hosted the virtual event! We appreciate parents and families that are striving to learn more on how to support their child and hope to see many more of you next year!

If you would like to help plan next year’s Parent and Family Event, please contact titleiii.initiatives@esc20.info.

Strategic Plan Survey for Emergent Bilingual Students

We would love your feedback on the TEA strategic plan to improve and expand bilingual education to improve outcomes for emergent bilingual students across the state of Texas in accordance with the Texas State Bill 560.

Make sure to share the surveys below with other parents or families of emergent bilingual students.

Parent/Family Survey

Reading the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness

(STAAR) Report Card

Your child has been learning all year long, and the STAAR test will allow you as a parent to see how much they have grown academically. The Understanding Your Child's Score (STAAR) webpage helps you as a parent understand the STAAR report card and will give details for each test that your child participated in. You will find samples of the report card in over twelve languages!

To view your child’s results, please visit the Texas Assessments Family Portal.

Reading the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System

(TELPAS) Report Card

To understand the language progression of your child, we recommend you visit the Understanding Your Child's Score (TELPAS) webpage. This resource provides a sample TELPAS report card in English and Spanish which includes TELPAS proficiency levels for all four language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) as well as a composite score.

To view your child’s results, please visit the Texas Assessments Family Portal.

As state assessments get closer, you might find your student reviewing content more. Take the time to practice reading skills or review vocabulary with them to help them prepare. The following are helpful websites for at-home learning located on the Supporting My Child page of the English Learner Portal:

Preparing for Next Steps

The Student Resources page of the Texas EL Portal is a great site for high school students and individuals pursuing postsecondary education or entering the workforce. Under the “Preparing for Next Steps” section, students can learn about how to apply for state and federal financial aid, scholarships, and workforce support services.

Fresh Start

The pandemic has caused disruptions for many families and as part of that, many families are struggling to find affordable housing. Whether you are searching for an apartment, need to apply for Public Housing, or need more information about Housing Choice Vouchers to help pay your rent, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can help you. To access the site, click here or visit the Community Partners page for other family support services.

Growing Your Skills

If you are interested in changing jobs or careers, but you aren’t sure if you have the necessary skills, check out the Goodwill Community Foundation. It’s a great resource filled with free courses about various technology programs and platforms, job searching tips like resume writing and interview skills, as well as workplace basics like understanding your pay and benefits.

As you prepare for school to end and summer begin, remember it is a great opportunity to continue your child’s language skills while also enjoying an activity as a family. Look at some of these suggested activities that can be completed independently or with the family at home.

Look around your home and gather used items destined for the trash or recycling - now you have your art supplies! Allow your child to make their own art sculpture from the recycled materials then have them describe to you their thought process and challenges they experienced. If they need more instruction, check out the Hands on as We Grow website for fun ideas to encourage creativity while promoting a cost-saving and environmentally friendly activity.

A good old fashioned scavenger hunt will keep your child busy whether it is inside or outside the house. Use pictures or written descriptions for items they should find based on their age and watch the fun begin. For older children, ask them to create a scavenger hunt for you or someone else to practice their descriptive writing skills! For great scavenger hunt templates, check out this Good Housekeeping article.

Spring break is an excellent time to have teenagers give back while also gaining invaluable experience. Give your teenager the opportunity to research, read on Volunteer TX about volunteer experiences in your area, and choose one such a family at your local food bank, library, or animal shelter. Volunteering not only helps your teenager learn more about their community, but it may help show future colleges or employers the dedication that they can expect from your teenager.

Even though state testing has ended, it is important to continue to practice strategies to overcome stress and anxiety. Talk with your child about your own struggles dealing with stress and anxiety, and practice some of the strategies below together.

Relaxation Strategies

Take relaxation breaks where you and your child practice calming breaths and visualizing a peaceful place. Introduce a stress relief toy if your child struggles with nervous energy.

Positive Self-Talk

Many adults and children alike struggle to see and appreciate their own growth and how they have improved throughout the year. Take time each morning to find one area or skill that you and your child have learned or improved on. Encourage your child to repeat these items during the test if they feel anxious.

Growth Mindset

Part of having a growth mindset is acknowledging mistakes and learning how to improve or avoid repeating them. Remind your child that while the STAAR test is important, making mistakes is part of the learning process. Encourage them to focus their time and energy on learning and avoid any negative-self talk.

Watching the Growth

As we enter the month of March and prepare ourselves and our children for the spring and state testing, it’s a great time to talk with your child about how much they have grown as a student and person. Be open and honest about progress toward your own goals and how you have overcome obstacles in reaching that goal. This will help your child understand that it is okay to struggle and will help reduce the stress and anxiety that comes from seeking perfection rather than growth.

If you would like to access the previous Parent and Family Newsletters, click below.

TXEL.org is a web portal that provides information and resources that are relevant, accessible, and impactful to support educational leaders, teachers, parents and families, and community partners to ensure the academic success of the State's English learners.

Contact us at: https://www.txel.org/contact

Email: EnglishLearnerSupport@tea.texas.gov
Website: tea.texas.gov
Phone: 512-463-9414