Growing Together: Multilingual News

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Dear Families,

The Multilingual Department is dedicated to supporting students who speak languages other than English, ensuring they have the resources and opportunities needed to succeed academically. The purpose of the Parent Newsletter is to keep families informed about important updates, upcoming events, and available resources, fostering a strong partnership between the school and parents to support student growth and well-being.

As we enter the 3rd nine weeks of school, please remember to reach out to your child's school with any questions or concerns you may have. The school is here to support you and help guide your child toward continued success.

Thursday, January 30, 2025, 12:30 p.m.-2:00 p.m. CT

The last in this series of parent and families events will focus on Community Engagement. Be sure to register to learn about valuable community resources available to all emergent bilingual families. Register Today!

Assessment Window: Feb. 17 - March 28, 2025

Students in grades K–12 that have been identified as an emergent bilingual (EB) student are required to take TELPAS. This includes EB students whose parents have declined bilingual or English as a Second Language (ESL) program services.

In grades K–1, TELPAS includes teacher evaluations of students in listening, speaking, reading, and writing based on ongoing classroom observations and student interactions. In grades 2–12, TELPAS includes online listening and speaking tests and reading and writing tests.

TEA's Texas Assessment website allows parents to view past test scores and provides answers to common questions. There is a page of frequently asked questions about the TELPAS and other helpful links.

We recommend that parents log in to see their child's TELPAS testing history and talk to your child's teacher about progress in English language development. (Source: TEA)

In preparation for the TELPAS assessment in February, we encourage activities that support language development in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Below are some suggested activities you can do at home to help your child strengthen these skills. (Source: TEA website)

Read, Read, Read

One way to be sure to keep your child learning is to make sure you have a variety of books to read. Books can be checked out from the school or local library for free. Encourage your child to read in their home language or English because both are beneficial to strengthening language skills.

Graphic novels are one fun way to get your child reading. Let them pick their favorite one and share their favorite part with you. (Source: TEA website)

Listen, Laugh, Learn

• Listen to audio books while you’re traveling to visit family, wrapping gifts or cooking for the holidays.

• Lyrics to holiday songs are fun to read and sing together. It is also good fun and good collaborative writing practice to make up your own lyrics to familiar tunes.

• Start a story-telling tradition by revisiting holidays of the past. Old family photographs at holiday gatherings will help prompt stories about your own life and family traditions.

Read, Relax, Respond

• Put reading and writing skills to practical use. Plan meals by reading cookbooks together, writing the shopping lists and finding the needed items at the store by reading signs and labels. Read the recipe and cook together. During the simmering and baking, kids can write and decorate menus.
• Set aside time just for reading. Curl up on the couch together and read aloud an old favorite or check out books about another culture’s winter celebrations.
• Work on those letters. Improve writing skills with notes or letters to relatives and friends, thanking them for their holiday gifts.

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Regular attendance is crucial for high school students as it directly impacts their academic success and overall learning. Missing school can lead to gaps in knowledge, making it harder to keep up with coursework and assignments. Consistent attendance helps students stay engaged, build strong study habits, and ensures they are prepared for future academic and career opportunities.

During dinnertime, ask your children about their school day and future career interests to stay connected with their academic progress. This helps them think about their goals and the skills needed to achieve them.

Is your child struggling with coming to school or with homework? Here's how we can help:

• Reach out to your child's school and schedule a meeting with their teacher to discuss any challenges.
• Explore tutoring or after-school support programs that can provide additional help.

• For questions on parent engagement, contact Carolina Christiansen @christiansenm@cfbisd.edu
• For questions on Multilingual resources, contact Olivia Perez @perezo@cfbisd.edu or Tuyet Huynh @huynht@cfbisd.edu

Learn more about the Multilingual Program Department by clicking the link:

https://www.cfbisd.edu/departments/teaching-and-learning/multilingual-programs