
RBERN E-News
MAY 2023
Welcome Everyone
The Capital District RBERN (Regional Bilingual Program) would like to share with you all great upcoming events, activities that we would love your support. As always remember that RBERN is here to provide any help, now let’s continue to work together !
Get To Know Our "Lead Support Specialist":
Specialist Spotlight
The RBERN team would like to reintroduce one of it’s members Jessa Waterhouse. She recently received the title of Lead Resource Specialist and has been with the team since 2015. Before joining the RBERN she was teacher in the capital district for seven years. She holds a certification in Spanish 7-12 and TESOL K-12. She recently also completed her administrative certifications in School Building and District Leadership. She has experience working with districts on curriculum building for ELLs, understanding the ENL regulations, the new world language standards, the New York State Seal of Biliteracy, how to support students with interrupted formal education, and many other areas. She has also had the opportunity to share her knowledge at the regional, national and international level presenting for NYSEC, NCTE, NYSTESOL, NABE and TESOL International. She is looking forward to continuing to support the region with any ENL and world language needs.
RBERN Team:
- Director: Virginia Guglielmo-Brady, Ed. D.
- Lead Resource Support Specialist: Jessa Waterhouse
- Resource Specialist: Kristen Vadnais
- Program Support Specialist: Ricardo Estremera
- Program Support Specialist: Juanita Reyes Ph. D
- Bilingual Administrative Assistant: Lianne Alcantara
RBERN IS FUNDED THROUGH A CONTRACT WITH THE NEW YORK STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE:WWW.RBERN.ORG
Article In Edutopia:
We would like to share an article that was publish by Sarah Elia an ENL teacher. Hope you all enjoy!
I'm sharing this article that I published in Edutopia on Welcoming Newly Arrived High School ELLs and promoting multilingualism. “Ms. Sara Elia”
Please clink on the link below:
https://www.edutopia.org/article/welcome-high-school-ell-students
FREE ADULT ENL CLASSES 2023
RISSE: in person; masks and proof of vaccination required
Register in person Mon. or Wed. from 11-1:00 or call for appointment
240 West Lawrence Street, Albany; Call: 518-621-1041
Classes take place at: 30 North Russell Road
Level 1: Monday-Friday 11:00 to 12:30
Level 2: Monday-Thursday 9:30-11:30
Level 3: Monday-Thursday 9:30-1:00
Level 4: Tuesday and Thursday 1:30-3:30
Online classes: Monday-Thursday 12-1:00 or Thursdays 5:30-6:30 – see last page for links
Refugee Welcome Center (RWC): in person, masks and proof of vaccination required
104 Ontario St., Albany, contact Kasey Jacob, RWC Program Coordinator 518-795-5678 or kaseyjacob00@gmail.com
Monday-Thursday 9:30-10:30; 10:45-11:45 WITH CHILDCARE
Evening adult classes: Monday and Tuesday 6:00-7:00
Civics: Wednesday and Thursday 6:00-7:00
YMCA and USCRI: in person English class, Y Healthy Living Center, Hannaford Plaza, 900 Central Avenue, Albany. Beginners ESL: Saturday 10-11:30
No registration required. For more information email Peggy Kaufmann at Pkaufman@uscrimail.org
Beltrone Living Center and USCRI: in person English classes, 6 Winners Circle, Albany, specifically geared to seniors over age 60, but all are welcome. Transportation available for seniors who live in the general area, near Wolf Road or in Albany.
Tuesday and Thursday 10:30- 12:00 with lunch afterwards
Sunhees: Zoom and in person classes
173 4th Street, Troy; Call: 518-423-9124
Intro to English: Monday-Thursday 3-4:30
Everyday English: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 3:00-4:30
Community, Culture, and Conversation: Monday 6:30-8 or Tuesday 6-7:30
Intercultural Café, West Hall Building, Russell Sage College, 140 New Scotland Ave., Albany
Thursdays 4-5:30: Practice English while enjoying tea and conversation!
Holy Spirit Lutheran Church, 57 Hurlbut St., Albany
9:00-12:00 Beginners class - Monday, Wednesday, Friday
Free, open to all
Conversation Club at Russell Sage in Troy: in person; proof of vaccination and masks required. Contact: Ali Schaeffing at 518-248-7121
NY Spirituality Center, 65 First Street, Mondays 4:30-5:30
Cell-Ed phone app – pin # 66301
Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer Co: Zoom and in person classes
Call: 518-244-4650; Email: linda.feldman1@verizon.net; office at 71 First St., Troy
In person: Beginners class at Watervliet Public Library: Wednesdays 5:30-7,
Thursdays 12:30-1:30 and 5:30-6:30
Zoom: mixed level ESL: Wed. 5-5:45, 5:45-6:30
BOCES South End Literacy Zone, Capital South Campus Center, 20 Warren St.
Call 518-862-4760 for registration
Margarita City Restaurant, 1118 Central Ave.
English classes Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30-8:30
Saratoga Public Library register online www.sspl.org; all classes are online
518-584-7860 ext. 259
Monday English learning: 10:00-12:00 online
Monday – English for Spanish speakers: 5:30-7:00
Wednesday – advanced English class 10:00-12:00
Friday – Intermediate English 10:00-12:00
Clifton Park Library https://events.cphlibrary.org/events
Monday: English Conversation intermediate 6:30-8:00 PM, program room D upstairs
Tuesday and Wednesday: Beginner English class 9:30-11:00, program room A-B upstairs
Thursday: intermediate English class: 9:30-11:00 online
Wednesday: Citizenship prep class: 6:30-8:00 PM online
Hudson Valley Community College https://www.hvcc.edu/programs/community-education/schedules/communication.html#EnglishasaSecondLanguage
Level 1 ESL – hybrid: Tuesday and Thursday 6:15-8:15 PM, Feb. 7- May 25
Level 1 ESL – Colonie Public Library Tuesday and Thursday 1:00-3:00, Feb. 7-May 25
Level 2 ESL – online: Tuesday and Thursday, 5:30-7:30 PM, Feb. 7-May 25
Level 3 ESL – online: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:00-5:00, Feb. 7—May 25
Level 4 ESL – online: Wednesday 4:45-5:45 and Friday 9:00-12:00; Feb. 8-May 26
Washington Irving Educational Center, Schenectady, 422 Mumford Street 518-370-8220 or 370-8230
Register for free ESL classes Monday-Friday 8:30-2:30
Zoom classes:
Thursday at 5:30pm with Teacher Emily
All levels
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89467159146?pwd=U1paUHNDTU1qaWRha240TFl3S1RHZz09
Meeting ID: 894 6715 9146
Passcode: 2crUtF
Google Classroom link:
https://classroom.google.com/c/NTYwMjY2OTg2NjMz?cjc=dilzz7l
Class Code: dilzz71
Beginner level with Teacher Kyle
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. 12pm--1pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89588333917?pwd=WnJXR2VEYXorN0grZHZoVDdQVWxMQT09
Intermediate/Advanced Level with Laura
Tuesday, Wednesday. 11am--12pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89028326495?pwd=dkhtaHZpMkMvTjJjWjl1a2Jsbm5CQT09
Meeting ID: 890 2832 6495
Passcode: mEH5S9
ROUNDTABLE] NOTICIAS Y/E NOTAS/ समाचार और नोट्स/新闻和笔记: NEWS FOR THE SPANISH/PORTUGUESE SPEAKING, ASIAN, INDIGENOUS, IMMIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES OF UPSTATE NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND
Noticias y/e Notas/ समाचार और नोट्स/新闻和笔记: News for the Spanish/Portuguese Speaking, Asian, Indigenous, Immigrant and Refugee Communities of Upstate New York and New England© 2/8/2023
UPDATE ON HEALTH OF KIM PEGULA
I Want to Talk to You About My Mom- Player’s Tribune
CAPITAL REGION
Saratoga BLM leader vows to put pressure on city Dems after quiet year- Schenectady Daily Gazette
Supervisors: Building codes apply to Amish residents too- Glens Falls Post Star
HUDSON VALLEY
Feds: Nanuet contractor faces $687K more for safety violations after workers' deaths-
Rockland/Westchester Journal News
Controversy ensues as KCSD walks back Black History Month opt out language- Hudson Valley One
WESTERN NEW YORK
Human Rights Commission To Sponsor Community Efforts- Jamestown Post-Journal
CENTRAL NEW YORK/MOHAWK VALLEY
Oneida Nation hiring cooks at $20 an hour- Oneida Daily Dispatch
Rome Rotary collecting items for resettled Ukrainians, Afghans- Rome Daily Sentinel
Seneca Nation receives $1.6M for Salamanca roundabout project- Olean Times Herald
SBU receives $147K grant for Seneca Nation educational initiative- Olean Times Herald
NORTH COUNTRY
Trudeau Institute director leaves, interim director appointed- Adirondack Daily Enterprise
MASSACHUSETTS
St. John of God parish in Somerset to carry on Portuguese Mardi Gras tradition- O Jornal
South Framingham native is poised to steer nonprofit to success downtown- MetroWest Daily News
Wellesley auto dealership settles allegations it engaged in discriminatory pricing
Norman Miller- MetroWest Daily News
Can American Rescue Plan money help close the Cape's equity gap? Maybe. Here's how.- Cape Cod Times
Attleboro man who once led Cape tribe ordered to pay back nearly $210,000- Attleboro Sun Chronicle
Monty Tech named in federal civil rights complaint- Lowell Sun
School Committee evaluates services for special-needs students- Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Holyoke mayor ousts Historical Commission chairwoman- Daily Hampshire Gazette
CONNECTICUT
Democratic-backed Connecticut bill would ban 'Latinx' term- Associated Press
Bridgeport schools aim to diversify largely white teaching staff- Connecticut Post
She named her breakfast cafe Woke. A conservative backlash followed.- Washington Post
RHODE ISLAND
Native tribe members visit Boys & Girls Club to teach culture- Pawtucket Times
Opinion: Greater public acceptance of immigrants benefits everyone- Providence Journal Op-Ed
NEW HAMPSHIRE
MAINE
Maine lawmakers renew push for faster work permits for asylum seekers- Portland Pres Herald
Bangor nonprofit offers STEM programs for rural students- Bangor Daily News
PASS The ARA 2023:
FREE Citizenship Class:
TEACHING BILINGUAL EXCEPTIONAL INDIVIDUALS, GCP:
Buffalo State is helping educators complete graduate-level courses in bilingual inclusive education in just two semesters from anywhere! Courses are offered 100% online. For any questions please feel free to reach out to:
Gliset Colón, Ph.D.
Ketchum Hall 206
(716) 878-4639
***email preferred***
Updated Flyers for Albany Intercultural Cafe at Russell Sage College:
SUMMER WORKSHOPS:
The Capital District RBERN would like to share with you all this opportunity. Please see message below:
I’m writing today to give you an update on registrations for our summer Unit Design workshops to be held in your regions. The workshop to be held at Questar III in July has 21 registrants and the Mid-State one has 28. I’m confident these will double before we get to the summer. If there is anything you can do to promote these workshops in your region (email blast to principals/teachers in your regions), it would be greatly appreciated. You can find the information on these sessions as well as the link to our website below.
We’re also offering a workshop to be held at the Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES for Northern NY teachers, a venue which may welcome teachers from regions shared by your two RBERNs. This is our first venture to help offer workshops in Northern NY, where we have not been able to visit in the past given our limited staff. I’m hoping that Northern NY teachers, several of whom have reached out to inquire if an in-person workshop could be scheduled, will come out in force to support this and future workshops in this area. Again, if this is anything you could do to support attendance at this event with your contacts in Northern NY, it would be greatly appreciated! Unit Design Workshops for Checkpoint B (Summer 2023)
In an effort to assure that as many NYS world language educators as possible are prepared to revise their Checkpoint B curricula prior to implementation of the revised NYS Learning Standards for World Languages in September of 2023, OBEWL will host unit design workshops for Checkpoint B in the summer of 2023. Although the examples given will be for Checkpoint B, these workshops are open to teachers of any level (Checkpoints A through C). The events will run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (with a one-hour lunch on your own) on two consecutive days. Participants must commit to attending both days. Participants who satisfy the attendance requirements of this workshop will receive a total of eight (8) hours of CTLE credit. To participate, educators must register in advance using the online form. Registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis until the venue capacity has been reached. These sessions are offered free of charge, are in-person only, and will not be recorded for future viewing. Below are the list of dates and locations by region. Click here to access the registration form.
- Capital: Thursday, July 13th - Friday, July 14th - Questar III BOCES (10 Empire State Blvd., Castleton-On-Hudson, NY 12033)
- Mid-State: Thursday, July 27th - Friday, July 28th - OCM BOCES (110 Elwood Davis Rd., Liverpool, NY 13088)
- Northern NY: Tuesday, August 8th - Wednesday, August 9th - Franklin-Essex-Hamilton BOCES (23 Husky Lane, Malone, NY 12953)
Thank you and have a wonderful day!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to contact below:
Candie
Candace R. Black
World Language Associate
Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages
New York State Education Department
2A Richmond Avenue, Park Lewis Hall
Batavia, NY 14020
Office: (518) 473-7505
Mobile: (585) 356-0951
Email: Candace.black@nysed.gov
Website: http://www.nysed.gov/world-languages
THE NYSESLAT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR’S MANUAL IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR 2023. PLEASE USE THE LINK TO ACCESS IT: HTTP://WWW.NYSED.GOV/STATE-ASSESSMENT/NYSESLAT-SCHOOL-ADMINISTRATORS-MANUAL
Book Study: Belonging Through A Culture of Dignity
Description:
Capital District RBERN, in partnership with School Improvement Specialist Jodi Sullivan, will be facilitating a book study. Join this virtual book study to participate in reading and rich discussion around Dr. Floyd Cobb and Dr. John Krownapple’s book, Belonging Through A Culture of Dignity: The Keys to Successful Equity Implementation. This book study will occur over five sessions. Each session will be 90 minutes in length over Zoom. The virtual meeting link will be sent to all participants prior to the start of the first meeting. There is no cost to participate in this book study. Participant’s must register by April 13th to receive a FREE copy of the book.
Dates:
Wed Apr 26, 2023 3:00pm-4:30pm
Wed May 3, 2023 3:00pm-4:30pm
Wed May 17,2023 3:00pm-4:30pm
Wed May 24,2023 3:00pm-4:30pm
Wed May 31,2023 3:00pm-4:30pm
Link to Register:
https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15197&H=1&I=4395202
VALLEY EQUITY (DR. GLISET COLON) Title: Equitable Family Engagement for Multilingual Learners led by Dr. Gliset Colon
Description: The Equitable Family Engagement for Multilingual Learners series is for teachers, parent-coordinators, administrators, and other education related stakeholders. This learning series will consist of virtual workshops and is informed by the most current evidence-based research on parent and family engagement and delivery of services to multilingual students and their families. Participants who attend the “Equitable Family Engagement for Multilingual Families” series will be able to assess the effectiveness of their own family engagement efforts and learn about equitable family engagement practices.
Virtual Sessions:
May 10, 2023 (4:30pm-6pm) Family engagement strategies
May 24, 2023 (4:30pm-6pm) Family engagement strategies
June 7, 2023 (9am-12pm) Sharing of educator artifacts; Reflections; Planning for the future
Link to register:
https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15197&H=1&I=4262079
**Just a kindly reminder a zoom link will be shared a day before the event**
“Leveraging Educational Technology to Build Vocabulary and Background Knowledge Across Subject Areas”
Description: Teachers and students have access to more and more educational technology than ever before. The abundance of materials available also makes it challenging to determine which tools would be the best fit for our students. In this session, participants will learn how to best utilize selected educational technology tools to provide English Language Learners with the tools they need to fully access the curriculum and demonstrate understanding/expression. The Zoom link will be shared with all registered participants via Frontline the day before the session.
Instructors:
Stephanie Carbone and Kristen Vadnais
Date:
May 25, 2023, 3:30pm to 4:30pm
**The zoom link will be share with all registered participants, via Frontline, the day before the session.**
Link to Register:
https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15197&H=1&I=4399839
If you have any question, please feel free to contact:
“Utilizing the Flipped Classroom Model with English Language Learners”
Description: Have you been curious about presenting some lessons utilizing a Flipped Classroom Model but are unsure how to support your English Language Learners? In this session, join Kristen Vadnais from the Capital District RBERN and Stephanie Carbone from Questar III Model Schools to explore how you can leverage the benefits of a Flipped Classroom with your students. Participants will leave this session with an understanding of a Flipped Classroom, the benefits and challenges for English Language Learners, and what types of educational technology will enhance the learning experience for the students. The Zoom link will be shared with all registered participants via Frontline the day before the session.
Instructors:
Stephanie Carbone and Kristen Vadnais
Date:
June 5, 2023, 3:30pm-4:30pm
**The zoom link will be share with all registered participants, via Frontline, the day before the session.**
Link to Register:
https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15197&H=1&I=4399840
If you have any question, please feel free to contact:
BILINGUAL SPECIAL EDUCATION VIRTUAL SERIES LED BY (DR.TAMARA ALSACE) AND (DR.GLISET COLON)
Description: This professional development series focuses on the areas of effective programmatic, instructional and assessment practices in bilingual special education. This learning series will be applicable for classroom teachers and related services personnel as well as administrators and other school/district leaders and is based on a developmental model to support and sustain school leaders and classroom teachers through virtual workshops. This learning series is informed by the most current evidence-based research on the continuum of services for English language learners/Multilingual learners (ELLs/MLLs) with disabilities.
The series will be virtual:
The sessions will focus on preparing classroom teachers to implement the strategies discussed in the text and school leaders to lead the work and follow up on implementation of the strategies and practices presented to teachers. Each session will be held from 9:00am-12:30pm via zoom.
- 1/2 day session (3.5 hours) June 6, 2023.
o Specially designed instruction for multilingual learners
o Writing development,
o Transition planning,
o Social-emotional learning
***A zoom link will be share a day before the event***
Link to register:
https://www.mylearningplan.com/WebReg/ActivityProfile.asp?D=15197&I=4281076
CD RBERN RESOURCES
Capital District RBERN Resources
Our website has many resources to help all educators of English Language Learners.
Check out our Events page for upcoming virtual workshops
NYS RBERN OnDemand:
Introducing NYS RBERN OnDemand: A tutorial video-oriented resource to support ELLs across New York State. This repository of knowledge is a collaboration between all NYS RBERNs. This resource includes seven major categories to address the needs of ELLs:
1. Instructional Design
2. Social-Emotional Learning
3. Family Engagement
4. Technology Integration
5. NYS Regulation
6. Assessment and Progress Monitoring
7. English Language Development
This resource will foster independent learning, provide foundational understanding for second language acquisition, and ensure equitable access to resources statewide. For more region-specific needs, your regional RBERN is ready and willing to meet your individual needs. We understand that every student, every classroom, every school, and every district is different. Therefore, this resource includes supports that are applicable to the needs of ELLs across NYS as a whole according to statewide initiatives. Your regional RBERN has the knowledge and resources to address the unique needs of your ELL populations.
https://www.nysrbernondemand.org/
NYS RBERN ON DEMAND:
Introducing NYS RBERN OnDemand: A tutorial video-oriented resource to support ELLs across New York State. This repository of knowledge is a collaboration between all NYS RBERNs. This resource includes seven major categories to address the needs of ELLs:
1. Instructional Design
2. Social-Emotional Learning
3. Family Engagement
4. Technology Integration
5. NYS Regulation
6. Assessment and Progress Monitoring
7. English Language Development
This resource will foster independent learning, provide foundational understanding for second language acquisition, and ensure equitable access to resources statewide. For more region-specific needs, your regional RBERN is ready and willing to meet your individual needs. We understand that every student, every classroom, every school, and every district is different. Therefore, this resource includes supports that are applicable to the needs of ELLs across NYS as a whole according to statewide initiatives. Your regional RBERN has the knowledge and resources to address the unique needs of your ELL populations.
https://www.nysrbernondemand.org/
TRANSLATION SERVICES:
Capital District RBERN displays a translation services list on their website. This list contains more than 80 language assistants offering about 19 or more languages.
Disclaimer: The Capital Region RBERN offers this list as a reference and does not endorse any particular entity.
**Your student’s school is required to provide you an interpreter for pertinent meetings and should also provide key information translated into your preferred native language.
La escuela de su hijo/a debe proporcionarle un intérprete para las reuniones pertinentes y también debe proporcionar información clave traducida a su idioma nativo preferido.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES PLEASE VISIT: HTTPS://WWW.OLASJOBS.ORG/
Contact Us!!
Email: enews@rbern.org
Website: rbern.org
Location: 10 Empire State Boulevard, Castleton-on-Hudson, NY, USA
Phone: 718-477-8771