Spring Newsletter

Dear Teachers,

As we approach the end of the year, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation for all your hard work and dedication to bilingual education and world languages department . You have been instrumental in helping our students reach their full potential, and I am proud of the progress we have made together. I am confident that in the new year, we will continue to strive for excellence in our profession and provide our students with the best education possible.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Michelle Pineda-Rodgers

Director of Bilingual Education

& World Languages

Language Continuum Exhibition

The Newcomers after school program ended the year with students proudly showcasing their language skills and development they had made over the course of the year. Students were excited to share their displays with their peers, families and community members.. We were also thrilled to recognize our 12th grade students who had achieved the Seal of Biliteracy, a prestigious award that recognizes multilingualism. It was a proud moment for all of us to be able to witness the hard work and dedication of our students.

We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the Seal of Biliteracy coordinator, Ms. Benedith and committee members for their hard work and dedication. Your efforts have been integral in helping students demonstrate their language proficiency and receive recognition of their achievements. Thank you!

Seal of Biliteracy Committee Members:

Huancayo, Pradella, Dr. Robles, Cuty, Ross, Ortiz, Puleio, Belotte, Gauthier, Hogu, Lovisolo, Martinez

We are proud to celebrate the students of our school district who have earned their seal of biliteracy! The seal of biliteracy recognizes students who can demonstrate proficiency in two or more languages. We congratulate all those who have earned their seal of biliteracy and look forward to their continued success!

6th grade scholars at Rhodes Academy for the Humanities and Arts presented an IB exhibition on June 2nd. Scholars collaborated with their peers to brainstorm and create inquiry-based projects to bring awareness to global issues prevalent in society. Ms. Toich’s 6th grade bilingual class focused on relevant topics such as pollution, gang violence, and body image. These presentations were highly interactive; they conducted interviews, role-played, and created videos in English and Spanish with a problem/solution approach. Ms. Toich believes it was a truly meaningful experience for her Ells/MLLs were very proud of their work. Well done!

-Meredith Van Schuyler

Rhodes Academy ENL Liaison

Prospect students have grown so much in kindergarten! They are excited to write stories and share them with classmates, teachers and their families.✏️ Our kindergarten students are using technology to learn...

They are First Grade Ready!

Students Learning in Action

Teaching and learning that encourages students to be actively engaged in their education.

Students wrote their reflections of their experiences in FLES Greek as a FLES Greek scholar. An outside bulletin board was created with the student work products titled "Let's Reflect". It is connecting to the IB trait; Reflective and the IB theme: How the World Works and How We Express Ourselves, and How We Organize Ourselves. There is an image attached with this email. Students drew images and wrote connections of their highlighted experiences.

June 2, 2023, a 6th class at the Jackson Main / Annex School went on a field trip to the local Greek church (St. Paul's Cathedral Greek Orthodox Church) in the Hempstead community to explore and expose the students to the landmarks in their own community and discover their connectedness to the use of the Greek language in which they have learned thus far: Greetings, ways to express themselves, ways to organize themselves, and the benefits of its discovery. This trip was connected to their IB theme, "Where We Are in Place and Time" and the ATL Skills (research, communication, and thinking skills.) In addition, the World Language Standards that are related are Making Connections, Language Comparisons, Interpretative and Presentational Communication. There are pictures attached to this email.

Ms. Panagos

FLES Teacher

The Bilingual 5th-grade students wrote about a person in Asian American and Pacific Islander History using their research from informative texts to write about the person they chose that honors the triumphs and struggles of Asian American and Pacific Islander throughout U.S. history, including the civil rights movement and their artistic, cultural, and political achievements. They supported their writing by using key details and facts about the person they researched and presented their work to the class. Students demonstrated an understanding of the text by reconstructing a paragraph of the text they read and from the digital sources they used.

This unit of study helped students understand that the concept of freedom has different meanings for everyone. Students surveyed people on the meaning of freedom and created speeches and posters about freedom.

The students had to work in groups and pick one vignette from the novel for their project. In addition, they were instructed to create a poster and share impactful quotes, figurative language, a statement regarding the theme, and a summary of the vignette.

Dr. Stephanie Diaz

TESOL/ELA Educator

Mrs. Waldhauser's students in 7th & 8th period standalone class wrote Acrostic poems using their name in conjunction with our study of poetry.”

Q-What has been the impact from students utilizing LexiaEnglish?

A- Lexia English has a positive impact on the English Language Learners I have the opportunity to service. It builds confidence and increases English Language Learning.

Q-How has LexiaEnglish informed your instruction?

A- Lexia English informs student / teacher instruction. I appreciate the placement activity that access the students. It is beneficial as it gives them a fair starting point based on their individual English learning level. The students appreciate the online activities. I can hear the excitement in their voices when they complete a language level successfully. The online activities and instruction are purposeful repetitive and gives constructive feedback that my ELLs can appreciate and easily understand as they acquire new language skills.

Q-Describe how LexiaEnglish lesson plans have further supported student language development

A- Lexia English lesson plans have further supported student language development. Since students learn on their own levels, lesson plans are generated based on the student’s individual needs. The generated lesson plans grant flexibility in a lesson to support language acquisition. Lexia English makes learning more amicable for me as a teacher and for the English Language Learner. Ayleen from Ms. Dossous class absolutely loves Lexia and most times has a story to share about her Lexia English experience. In part she credits her improved language to Lexia English.

Rochelle Legette

ENL Teacher

Joseph A. McNeil

Q- Describe how Intervenciones Tempranas Intervention tool has contributed to student achievement

A-Intervenciones Tempranas de la Lectura has been instrumental in helping my bilingual students learn to read. Knowing that Entering and Emerging ELLs need a foundation in their home language and having the tool to give them what they need has made a great difference.

Q-Describe your experience as a bilingual interventionist and achievement you're most proud of accomplishing.

A- I am most proud of the fact that my students are reading and have the confidence to say “I can read!” Nothing makes me happier than seeing the gleam in their eyes when they read a book on their own.

In addition to Intervenciones Tempranas, I complement my instruction with the Renaissance MyOn library, which offers the students high interest text at their level and gives them the ability to read, listen and record themselves reading. This allows them to hear a text being read with fluidity and gives them a model for what’s expected.

As a bilingual intervention specialist, I can make informed decisions about what supports will best suit each of my students’ language needs and in which language. In the end it will make for readers who think critically and have a deeper understanding of what they read.

Alexis Jovel

Maestra de Intervenciones Tempranas Bilingue for Elementary Students

Q- Share how Renaissance Star assessments has inform your instruction

A- Star Assessments has allowed me to understand the needs of my students in both English and Spanish. Therefore, I am able to strategically provide intervention at student's current levels across reading and math. The assessments also provide insight on how to monitor my student's growth and it provides me with information on specific skills that need improvement to meet state standards. The reports suggest skills from Core Progress Math and Reading for NY learning progressions. I am able to combine this information with my own knowledge of the student and use my professional judgment when designing an instructional plan that meets their needs.

Q-Describe how myOn has increased student engagement

A-Myon has increased student engagement this year. My students have had opportunities to explore various books of different genres that align with topics and concepts that we have explored in class. For example, we have read books about Ecosystems, Rocks, Natural Disasters, Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage and much more. Students have the opportunity to explore books on their reading levels and in their home language. In addition, there are neat tools that they can utilize as they read such as the audio option, highlighting, note taking and book recommendations. Students have become competitive in meeting their reading goals, monthly. In addition, my students absolutely love the current events (News) section. The topics are engaging and relevant. There are various topics from celebrity, food, sports, movies, news to scientific news that allow great conversations to happen in class.

Q-Describe how Freckle has contributed to student achievement

A-Freckle has contributed to student achievement this year. In my class, I have students varying from many levels in math and reading. I have been able to strategically provide assignments that will help bridge the gap to my student needs. I have a rotating schedule where students have the opportunity to work on different components of Freckle that targets different reading and math skills. Students are able to try assignments again until they reach their goals. In addition, the features in some of the activities for math are fascinating. There are videos and hints that help students answer questions. The program also partners students with classmates who have mastered that skill to help a friend out. Students feel a sense of accomplishment when they have mastered skills and become more motivated to work harder.

Ms. Rodriguez

4th Grade Bilingual Teacher

David Paterson

Q-Describe how the 50/50 instructional framework (English and Spanish) has impacted the development of student’s listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in both languages

A- The 50/50 instructional framework was very intimidating at first. After the first couple of weeks I truly began to see the positive impact it was making on my scholars. This framework gave everyone an opportunity to shine regardless of their dominant language. Being able to communicate in their home language made them feel empowered! When learning letter sounds in Spanish the transfer to English was almost immediate. Their listening, speaking, reading and writing has improved and shown tremendous growth.

Q-Share one tip for all dual language teachers for the 23-24 school year

A- A tip I would like to share for the 23-24 school would be to stay consistent and trust the process. Also, collaboration is key, always be willing to ask and share best practices. Having a team to count on can truly make a difference.

Mrs. Ariadna Ureña

International Baccalaureate PYP Educator

Rhodes Academy for the Humanities and the Arts

Co-Teaching and One -Way Dual Language

The end of the school year was filled with professional development opportunities for teachers. They worked together to discuss and practice best strategies for integrated ENL and One-Way dual programs models. This was a great way to ensure that teachers were understand the goals and vision for 23-24 school year.

Susanne Pena

Dual Langauge Expert Consultant

It was great collaborating as a team to discuss and reflect upon our best practices in teaching during our Professional Development workshops. Together we engaged in action learning and utilized strategies in the four modalities to better understand benefits of differentiation in the classroom to foster greater student engagement, social and academic inclusivity, and greater confidence for students and teachers.

Daniela Ranieri

Operational Monitor and Instructional Support (K-12)

Marshall Bilingual Office