Lotus School for Excellence
Elementary CLDE Department Quarter 2 Newsletter
Hello Lotus Families!
We are excited to share our first quarterly newsletter with you! In an effort to boost communication and collaboration between home and school, the CLDE department will be sending out quarterly newsletters to reach out and perhaps answer some of your most frequently asked questions. As we jump into the month of November and this season of giving thanks, we wanted to say how grateful we are for you - the families! Thank you for all of your behind the scenes and behind the camera support. Thank you for all of your flexibility and grace. Thank you for all of your support and encouraging messages. Please know that it is a great gift to be able to partner with you in service of your child's education.
What is ELD?
ELD stands for English Language Development. During ELD classes, students learn with peers who are a similar age and have similar English language skills. This gives them a safe place to learn, make mistakes, and practice with each other. Systematic ELD classes allow students to explore language in playful ways so they gain lots of ways to express themselves in speaking and writing. Teachers use books, articles, charts, vocabulary cards, and routines for talking and writing that apply to real world and academic interactions.
Our ELD classes currently use Instructional Units from E.L. Achieve. These Instructional Units complement and support learning in English language arts, science, social studies, and math.
When does my child have ELD class?
What does my child need to be doing for ELD classes?
Every day, your child will have a 35 minute live lesson (or pre-recorded lesson on Fridays) with their teacher. After the live ELD class, your student will need to use the next 15 minutes of scheduled independent practice time to review what they have learned that day and complete any assigned tasks. During this independent practice time (15 mins), your child may be asked to:
- Practice saying aloud what they learned in ELD to a parent, stuffed animal, sibling, pet, or using a puppet.
- Record themselves on Flipgrid.
- Or, on assessment days, complete an assignment after they have practiced speaking aloud using Seesaw, Google Classroom, or Nearpod.
How can I help support my child at home?
Here are a few general suggestions to help your child succeed.
- Ensure your child has a comfortable and distraction-free area to work.
- Support your child logging into ELD class everyday.
- Check-in with your child weekly to see if they are completing all of their assignments.
- Ask your child what they learned about in ELD and have them practice using some of that learned language with you at home.
- Ask your student about why the language they learned is important and where they will be able to use it.
- Encourage your child to speak and continue to develop their home language.
- Read stories to your child in their home language and ask them about what happened in the story.
What is my child learning in ELD class for Quarter 2?
We will be finishing up Unit 1 “The Art of Getting Along.” This unit prepares students to be able to successfully engage with peers within and outside of the classroom. They will be able to effectively manage a variety of social situations in English. The focus is on foundational vocabulary that is used in a respectful and courteous way. This allows students to get their needs met while also being polite. To further their learning, discuss how they use polite and kind language in their home language to get their needs met and express their feelings.
After that, we will begin Unit 2 “Virtual Field Trip,” which ensures that students can describe and retell experiences. They will also be able to elaborate and describe a specific place using size, shape and quantity words, along with using adjectives of color, size, and number. By the end of this unit they should have the language to describe their world and retell events that have happened to them. To further this learning ask your child to describe their home, neighborhood, grocery store, or various other locations using as much detail as they can.
What do the grades on my child's report card mean?
- 4 = Exceeding Language Standards
- 3 = Meeting Language Standards
- 2 = Progressing well on Language Standards
- 1= Limited progress on language standards
*Please note that a low grade in ELD may be reflective of some of the common participation issues that we have seen, such as: frequent absences, not being engaged in class, turning in incomplete assignments, or not turning in class work.
What if my child is absent?
*Please note that teachers upload the recorded lessons within 24 hours of the live class. Each recording will be posted under the Zoom section for the day of class missed.
What if I still have questions?
- Kathryn Singey ksingey@lotusschool.org
- Anna Hall ahall@lotusschool.org
- Maria Ramos mramos@lotusschool.org
- Valerie Grayson vgrayson@lotusschool.org
- Amber Dilek adilek@lotusschool.org (Elementary CLDE Department Coordinator)
About Us
Email: contact@lotusschool.org
Website: https://www.lotusschool.org/
Location: 11001 E Alameda Ave, Aurora, CO 80012, USA
Phone: (303) 360-0052