ESL Newsletter OCTOBER 2023
PARENTS, FAMILY, & COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER- TITLE III
National Hispanic Heritage Month educates, celebrates, and honors the contributions of citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South Americas. Hispanic Heritage Month is unique as it doesn't start and end within the same month. It starts on September 15 to honor the independence days of several Latin American countries and ends on October 15. For more details and resources see the links below.
At home Learning Sites for Students
The following educational websites are free resources schools have shared that will help your child improve their English language skills.
đđ Kid's Zone
Target Skills: Vocabulary and Spelling
Recommended Grade Levels: K-3
Complete word searches to learn new words and spelling.
The easiest way to use this resource is to:
Open Kidâs Zone and begin searching for the words on the list.
Click on the first letter of the word you are searching for and drag to the end.
This is a simple learning game that can be played at any time or place on your phone or computer.
đđNew American History
Target Skills: Reading, History
Recommended Grade Levels: 4-12
Learn about American history by selecting articles at your grade level.
The best way to use this resource is to select the grade level your child is reading in and browse the articles that are listed. Allow your child to read an article that interests them and tell you what they learn.
Open New American History and browse by Grade level or topic.
Read an article that interests you.
Share three important facts you learned about the topic.
Family - How are Emergent Bilingual Students Identified and Placed?
Below you will find a video that outlines how Emergent Bilingual students are identified across the state. If you have any questions about how our ESL program, denials, reclassification, or monitoring please contact the ESL Coordinator.
At Home Activities
đPumpkin Artđ
This fun, orange fruit used to greet goblins and create tasty holiday pies can be used to help your child understand and develop characters. First, have your child decide what he would like the pumpkin to be: a superhero, a cartoon, a family member, or a character from a story. Then, draw, paint or color the pumpkin to reflect the character selected. Once the creation is complete, have your child describe the characterâs personality traits to you orally or in writing.
Play a Game
đşď¸Basic map skills and directions are important for kids to know. During free time at home, have your child draw a map of your home marking all the rooms and furniture. When complete, have them hide a gift or item in one of the rooms and mark it on the map for you or a sibling to find. Have them describe the directions to arrive at the item using the words âabove, below, left, and right.â This can be a game that can be played regularly!
đśď¸I Spyâ describing items in the environment instead of just the color. Or, take it a step further, and describe items that are not present in the environment.
đTurn-taking storiesâ you or your child starts a story. Each person gets to add on one sentence, so the story may change significantly from what you originally planned. For older children, a fun challenge would be to limit each turn to 1 word, or just a few words.
đ˛Dice storiesâ similar to turn-taking stories, but on each turn, a player uses a die or dice to determine how many words they get to add to the story.
Community - Make the Most Out of Parent Teacher Conferences
Here are some suggestions to help you get the most from a meeting with your childâs teacher:
⢠Make a list of things youâd like to discuss ahead of time. Include questions and information that youâd like the teacher to know.
⢠Be prompt. Teachers often schedule conferences back-to-back. Arriving late may delay the meetings after yours or may mean you will need to wait longer than expected.
⢠Keep an open mind. The goal is to work as a team with your childâs teachers.
⢠Clarify and summarize as you go. If you donât understand something the teacher says, just ask.
⢠Ask the teacher how you can support your child. If your child is doing well, ask what you can do
to keep things on a positive track. If there are problems, ask what you can do to help.
⢠Take notes. Note taking will help you remember what you discussed.
College and Career Prep
Preparing for college begins as early as elementary with learning about different kinds of jobs. In middle school, students begin having conversations about different kinds of classes available that will help them prepare for different careers. The article entitled âThe Importance of Career Prep: How to Plan for your Dream Job,â talks about just that. Career prep, the article explains, begins as early as high school. It will be helpful for your child to have an idea of what their interests are before entering high school. This will increase their chances of taking the right classes before they graduate high school.
The article says that the best way to prepare for todayâs job market is to find a few career paths that interest you, learn about various career options, and talk to a counselor. While students continue to learn academics, the article also emphasizes the importance of soft skills such as oral communication, teamwork, and critical thinking will improve a studentâs success in both college and career.
Fall
Moving through the fall semester and the weather changes allows for more time at home. Take time to read and talk with your child about what theyâre learning at school and what things interest them for their future. Share your experiences and help your child consider options as they grow toward their own careers. Starting early can help a child have a clear vision of their future by the time they are in high school.
ESL Coordinator
Mr. Iman Arroyo
Harmony School of Fine Arts and Technology
9115 Kirby Dr. Houston, TX 77054
832.433.7001 ext. 340 |Fax: 832.433.7083 | Website: http://hsart.org